Diminishing light

"But my name is Nuri," he thought to himself, his mind in turmoil. "Baekno Nuri. Not Azrael. I am not some pawn in their dark ritual. I am myself, and I will not be reduced to a mere name chosen by these...these..."

He couldn't even think of a word to describe Lyraeus and his followers. They seemed to be something other than human, their skin almost glowing with an eerie light. Lyraeus's skin in particular seemed to shift and writhe like a snake's scales, as if he were some kind of reptilian creature hiding in human form.

Nuri's thoughts were interrupted by Lyraeus's voice, dripping with malice. "Azrael, you will come to embrace your new name. And your new purpose."

Nuri's mind rebelled at the thought. "No," he thought fiercely. "I am Baekno Nuri. And I will never be what you want me to be."

But Lyraeus just smiled, his eyes glinting like a snake's. "We shall see," he hissed. "We shall see."

Nuri's eyes widened in agony as a piercing pain shot through his head and eyes. He felt like his brain was being ripped apart, and his vision began to blur. Suddenly, gold tears started dripping from his eyes, streaming down his face like liquid metal.

Lyraeus's gaze snapped to Nuri's face, his eyes narrowing in interest. "Ah, the power of the ancient ones awakens within you," he whispered, his voice dripping with excitement. "The tears of the gods, shed for the mortal who dares to wield their power."

Nuri's vision began to fade, but he saw Lyraeus's face draw closer, his eyes gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. "You are indeed the chosen one," Lyraeus hissed. "And with your power, I shall unlock the secrets of the ancients and rule over this world and the next."

As the pain intensified, Nuri's vision went dark, and he felt himself being pulled into a realm beyond his own. He was trapped in a vortex of ancient power, with no escape from the agony that threatened to consume him.

"Azrael, the tears of the gods flow from your eyes," Lyraeus whispered, his voice full of reverence. " I shall be granted unimaginable strength."

Nuri's mind raced, trying to comprehend what was happening. He didn't know why Lyraeus called him Azrael, but the name sent a shiver down his spine. He felt a strange connection to it, as if it awakened a part of him that had long been dormant.

"Azrael, the god of darkness and chaos," Lyraeus continued, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Your power shall be mine to command, and together we shall bring about a new era of destruction and rebirth."

Nuri's vision began to clear, and he saw Lyraeus's face inches from his own. He felt a surge of adrenaline and tried to struggle, but his body was paralyzed with pain. He was at Lyraeus's mercy, and he knew that his fate was all but sealed.