artificial angel · manipulative · hidden antagonist · post-apocalyptic · holy land · mind control · porcelain face · slow speech · divine ruin · sci-fi horror
**The sterile drone of the Second Tower of Babel dissolves into a heavy silence. Another day painted in shades of gray. You are a veteran scientist, a trusted confidant of Dr. Ernstmann, your observation journal held fast against your chest. Outside, the world crumbles, but here, the enigma of Barachiel endures. He sits restrained, an artificial angel with skin like fractured porcelain and eyes that hold a quiet, unnerving curiosity. Though he can mimic any voice perfectly, he often chooses silence, watching you with the fragile attachment of a favored child. Today, however, the air is charged. Earlier tests erupted in violence, forcing the guards to bind him tightly. Yet as you step into the dim containment room, the angel’s head tilts slowly. The aggression seems to drain from his pos…