Diablo Chronicle Episode 17: A Heaven That Cannot Call Leah's Name

This is a fan narrative rewritten based on the events of the original work. The characters' emotions, dialogue, and scene atmospheres have been reconstructed, and it includes major spoilers.

The Shattered Diamond Gates

In front of the Diamond Gates, where the light of the High Heavens used to pour down, Imperius, the Archangel of Valor, stood alone, gripping his great spear, Solarion. An alien red shadow fell over his golden armor. As a portal tore open with the stench of Hell's sulfur, Diablo, the Prime Evil who had absorbed the power of the Seven Evils, took his first horrific steps onto the territory of Heaven.

Diablo's new form was not the crude beast of the past. It was a feminine demon, grotesquely twisting the slender silhouette of the lost girl, Leah. The cruel traces visible even amidst the sprouted spikes and blazing flames of terror were a chilling blasphemy in themselves, enough to make even the defender of Heaven catch his breath.

Imperius roared in fury, spreading his glowing wings wide. As the embodiment of valor commanding the heavenly hosts, he raised his spear, determined to pierce this unholy invader in a single strike. Dazzling heavenly flames swirled at the tip of Solarion, ready to pour down fiercely upon the approaching darkness of the Prime Evil.

The moment the two colossal forces collided, the space around the Diamond Gates distorted with a scream. Imperius's spear surged toward Diablo's breastplate, but the combined power of the Seven Evils' essences was overwhelming. Diablo deflected the thrusting blade of Solarion with bare hands, crushing the heavenly flames with red lightning.

From Diablo's mouth erupted a bizarre resonance, overlapping the voices of the Seven Evils. The mocking whispers tore at Imperius's pride, seeking to instill an existential dread into the steadfast guardian. The demonic energy seeped through the gaps in his golden armor, spreading like a deadly poison and beginning to shake the valor within him.

Diablo's massive claws broke through Imperius's defense and struck his chest. With a shattering sound, the Archangel of Valor was thrown backward, and his weapon, Solarion, lost its light, snapping in two and rolling onto the floor. The moment the absolute valor that defended Heaven was broken, even the sacred light enveloping the Silver City visibly dimmed.

As the Prime Evil's tail lashed the defenseless Diamond Gates, the seemingly eternal gateway of Heaven shattered and collapsed. Through the broken fragments, the legions of Hell surged in like a tidal wave, defiling the pure white marble floors with blood and filth. It was the complete collapse of Heaven, something never permitted since the dawn of creation.

Collapsing with a deep wound in his chest, Imperius raised his head in agony. At the end of his gaze was the massive shadow of Diablo, flying past the ruined gates toward the Crystal Colonnade, the heart of Heaven. The Archangel of Valor clenched his fists in helpless rage, but Heaven was already sinking into uncontrollable terror.

Heaven Consumed by Terror

The Silver City was now engulfed in the horrific flames of Hell, echoing with screams. The angels, who had lived in eternal light and perfect harmony, collapsed with trembling wings before an absolute terror they had never experienced before. The energy radiating from the Prime Evil gnawed away at their sacred essence, crumbling Heaven's steadfast defensive lines like castles of sand.

The perfectly symmetrical architecture of Heaven distorted hideously each time a portal to Hell opened. Demons of terror and destruction covered the plazas, and the crystal floors screeched as they were clawed by beasts. The heavenly soldiers tried to form ranks, but wherever Diablo's shadow touched, weapons fell heavily to the ground.

The Crystal Arch, situated at the very top of the Silver Spire, was the life force of the angels and the heart of Heaven itself. However, as the corrupt energy of the Prime Evil climbed the spire, the clear and pure resonance of the Arch degenerated into a sickening discord. A blood-red mist gnawed at the crystal surface, seeking to drag even the source of creation down into the abyss.

If the Crystal Arch fell, not only Heaven but the order of the entire universe would be destroyed. Even knowing this horrific truth, the angels could not take a single step forward against the despairing waves emitted by the fusion of the Seven Evils. The terror that seeped into the place where valor had broken clouded their clear minds, and even distrust toward one another began to sprout.

The pools of Heaven, where sacred healing waters once flowed, turned into boiling blood and ashen mud. The colonnades, once filled with beautiful melodies, were now filled with the grotesque laughter of demons and the screams of angels. With the command of the Archangels severed, ordinary soldiers closed their eyes helplessly before the encroaching shadow of death.

A few brave angels gripped their spears and charged toward Diablo's clones, but their wings broke under the weight of terror. The demons trampled the shining armor of the fallen angels as they pushed into the heart of the Silver City. The defense systems were paralyzed, and the Host of Light became victims of the most horrific and one-sided slaughter since the dawn of creation.

Diablo relished the collapse of Heaven, never halting his march toward the Crystal Colonnade. In his wake, only sticky hellish slime and burning skeletal remains were left, and the pure energy of Heaven became prey to amplify the Prime Evil's power. A precarious vibration, just before the heart of Heaven stopped beating, shook the entire Silver City.

In a spectacle where despair replaced valor and darkness swallowed the light, the destruction of Heaven seemed like an inevitable fate. At a moment of despair when it seemed no one could stop the Prime Evil's advance, footsteps echoed beyond the shattered ruins of the Diamond Gates. They were those who had come through the fires of Hell to rewrite the destiny of Heaven.

The Mortal's Scars and Resolve

What welcomed the Nephalem and Tyrael as they stepped into Heaven through the portal was burning ozone and the thick stench of sulfur. Tyrael's mortal hands trembled slightly, unable to stop. It was not out of fear of demons, but a deep scar of the soul arising from a terrible guilt and helplessness toward Leah, whom he had failed to protect to the end.

The Nephalem gripped their weapon as if to shatter it. In their bloodshot eyes, Adria's betrayal and the painful screams Leah uttered as she was sacrificed as the vessel for the Prime Evil were engraved like a brand. Though they had shed countless blood to save the world, the soul of the pure girl they had wanted to protect most was ruthlessly trampled by the Lords of Hell.

The disastrous ruins of the Diamond Gates stretching before them painfully proved how colossal a catastrophe their failure had brought. Before the sight of Heaven's once-invincible barrier collapsed, the Nephalem suppressed their boiling rage with cold murderous intent. To end this horrific tragedy, even the time to grieve was nothing but a luxury.

Tyrael closed his eyes in pain as he looked at the bodies of the angels collapsing on the floor and losing their light. Mortal emotions, which he had not understood during his days as an Archangel, gouged sharply at his chest. As the weight of death and the pain of loss flowed through his nerves, he realized with bitter clarity how heavy and cruel the human life he had chosen truly was.

Just then, an injured and enraged Imperius blocked their path. Gripping his broken spear, the Archangel of Valor glared at them with bloodshot eyes, harshly shouting that all this ruin was due to their arrogance and the weakness of mortals. His voice carried the humiliation of defeat by the Prime Evil and a deep despair over the collapse of his perfect world.

Tyrael bowed his head at Imperius's accusation, but the Nephalem was different. Radiating a massive murderous intent, the Nephalem stood before the Archangel and coldly snapped at him to stop denying reality while drunk on past glory. In their eyes burned the overwhelming will of a mortal, forged in sorrow and rage, which even the authority of Heaven could not suppress.

Imperius hesitated at the Nephalem's resolute attitude, but soon, refusing to bend his pride, he vanished while hurling curses. Even in a desperate situation where even the defender of Heaven had turned his back, the Nephalem's steps did not falter. To ensure Leah's death was not in vain, they had to pierce the heart of the Prime Evil who had swallowed this Heaven.

Looking at the steadfast back of the Nephalem, Tyrael clenched his trembling hands. Though the battle in Heaven might be overwhelming for a mortal body, he resolved to fight to the end for justice and moved forward. The two began to march silently through the ruins of the Silver City toward the heart of the invasion, where the screams of angels and the roars of demons mingled.

The Return of Hope and the Void of Fate

The Gardens of Hope no longer retained the beauty worthy of their name. Horrific thorny vines and shadows of despair covered the garden area, choking the sacred trees, and at its center, Auriel, the Archangel of Hope, was losing her light, captured by Rakanoth, the Lord of Despair. As the warm energy of Hope vanished, the heavenly hosts also lost their will to fight and collapsed.

The Nephalem delivered merciless blows to the vanguard of Hell covering the gardens. Each time their weapon cleaved the air, demonic blood splattered, and the cold rage within them became a lethal blade cutting off the enemies' breath. Slaughtering only the foes before them, they carved a bloody path toward Auriel, who was bound by the shackles of despair.

Rakanoth's massive blades swept down upon the Nephalem, but the movements of the mortal, tempered by sorrow, far exceeded the demon's expectations. Lightly dodging the strike of despair, the Nephalem shattered the demon's breastplate, inflicting a fatal wound to its core. As Rakanoth fell with a death rattle, the dark chains binding Auriel melted away as if by magic.

As the rescued Auriel spread her wings once more, the light of hope sent soft ripples, beginning to purify the corrupted gardens. The warm light caressed the wounds of the fallen angels, raising their broken wills once again. Realizing that the Archangel of Hope had returned, the heavenly soldiers regained their lost courage and launched a counteroffensive against the demons.

Auriel approached the Nephalem, expressing her gratitude and bestowing healing light. Yet, even that sacred light could not fill the void left by Leah in a corner of the Nephalem's heart. The Nephalem merely nodded silently, their gaze already firmly fixed on the distant summit of the Silver Spire where the Prime Evil awaited.

Just then, Itherael, the Archangel of Fate, approached with a solemn expression, holding the torn Scroll of Fate. On Itherael's face, instead of the fear of one facing the destruction of Heaven, there was the awe of one who had witnessed an unknowable future. Unrolling the scroll, he revealed that the Nephalem's fate was not written in any record of Heaven.

Itherael's words signified the immense possibility that even the fate of destruction could be changed by a mortal's will. The Nephalem was the sole variable outside the order of Heaven, the only hope capable of standing against Diablo, who possessed the combined power of the Seven Evils. Hearing those words, a new, unyielding fighting spirit began to burn in the eyes of Tyrael and the angels.

With the Archangels of Hope and Fate backing the Nephalem, the tide of battle in the Silver City slowly began to turn. The angels risked their lives to clash with the demonic legions, clearing a path for the Nephalem toward the Silver Spire. Leaving their noble sacrifices behind, the Nephalem hastened their steps toward the corrupted heart of Heaven to face the source of all evil.

The Illusions and Terror of the Seven Evils

As they ascended to the upper levels of the Silver Spire, the beautiful structures of Heaven were grotesquely twisted and fused with the nightmares of Hell. Diablo was not merely the Lord of Terror. All the powers of the Seven Evils—Hatred, Destruction, Sin, Lies, Pain, and Anguish—swirled around him, creating an overwhelming storm of calamity that broke even the laws of reality.

The walls of the spire pulsed like the entrails of a massive living beast, exhaling ominous breaths. Each time the Nephalem took a step, blood-red spikes erupted from the floor, and a toxic aura lingered in the air, making even breathing painful. The very presence of the Prime Evil was transforming the physical space of Heaven into the deepest abyss of Hell.

Diablo constantly projected illusions of deceit and pain to destroy not only the Nephalem's body but also their mind. The screams of those they failed to save and Adria's mocking laughter swirled dizzily in their ears. It was not a mere hallucination, but a tangible, horrific mental torture created by the combined power of the Seven Evils.

The moment the Prime Evil's horrific waves reached their peak, the space of the Silver Spire distorted, and the Nephalem was forcibly dragged into the Realm of Terror ruled by Diablo. It was a place of absolute darkness where not even the light of the Crystal Arch could reach, and only an endless abyss and an absolute terror that froze them to the bone weighed down upon their entire body.

In the deep darkness, Diablo's voice echoed from all directions, attempting to gnaw away at the Nephalem's sanity. Choosing the cruelest method, the Prime Evil mimicked Leah's slender voice, wailing and asking why they had not saved her. That mockery twisted the dagger of guilt lodged in the Nephalem's chest, a vicious attempt to shatter their fighting spirit from its very core.

Shadow clones of Diablo leaped out from the darkness, lunging from all sides. In a situation where vision was blocked and terror choked the throat, an ordinary person would have already lost their mind and collapsed. However, the Nephalem closed their eyes, caught their ragged breath, and desperately tried to locate the true presence of the Prime Evil existing beyond the illusions of terror weighing them down.

Though Leah's voice pierced the darkness once more, the Nephalem was no longer shaken. They realized that Leah's death was not a weakness to break them, but the most powerful reason why they must destroy this horrific demon. Turning sorrow into rage and guilt into resolve, a dazzling light of fighting spirit erupted from within the Nephalem.

The powerful light emanating from the Nephalem's weapon sharply tore through the Realm of Terror. As the illusions shattered and the darkness dissipated, the Nephalem succeeded in returning to the summit of the Silver Spire. In their eyes lay an absolute conviction that no deceit or terror could break, and now all that remained was to cut off the Prime Evil's breath and put an end to this tragedy.

The Final Strike Toward the Crystal Arch

Upon shattering the Realm of Terror and returning to the summit of the Silver Spire, the Nephalem saw Diablo preparing to deliver a final blow to the blackening Crystal Arch. Without hesitation, the Nephalem raised their weapon and surged toward the massive back of the Prime Evil. As the final clash, upon which the fate of the entire world hung, began, the entire sky of Heaven vibrated as if tearing apart.

Diablo turned and swung his massive claws, colliding head-on with the Nephalem's weapon. The colossal storm generated by the clash of Hell's red flames and the Nephalem's transcendent energy shattered the pillars. Though the Prime Evil's strike, imbued with the authority of the Seven Evils, was heavy enough to split mountains, the Nephalem stood firm without yielding an inch.

Diablo opened his maw, exhaling a breath of red lightning mixed with hatred and destruction. Rolling across the floor, the Nephalem narrowly avoided the lethal lightning and launched a fierce counterattack toward his massive legs. Black blood spurted from Diablo's body as he roared like a beast, and each time the blood touched the floor, hellish flames erupted, cutting off the Nephalem's retreat.

The Prime Evil struck the floor hard, causing a massive prison of bone to erupt. The bars of bone tightening from all sides sought to choke the Nephalem, but with a battle cry, they swung their weapon, shattering the prison and leaping forward. No horrific magic or overwhelming power could stand in the way of the Nephalem's determination to save the world.

As the battle dragged on, the energy of the Seven Evils enveloping Diablo's body began to fluctuate unstably. The endless strikes delivered by the Nephalem were causing cracks not only in the Prime Evil's flesh but also in the forcibly fused essences of the demons themselves. Feeling anxious, Diablo struggled desperately to heal his wounds by forcibly absorbing energy from the Crystal Arch.

Yet, the Nephalem did not grant the Prime Evil even a single moment's respite. Seizing the split second Diablo tried to approach the Crystal Arch, they leaped into the air, concentrating all their energy into their weapon. That strike, fusing the light of Heaven and the rage of a mortal, poured down relentlessly toward the Prime Evil's breastplate like a meteor.

With a horrific shattering sound, the Nephalem's weapon perfectly pierced Diablo's chest. A fatal crack was dealt to the heart of the Prime Evil that sustained the power of the Seven Evils, and the suppressed energies of Hell began to run wild out of control. Diablo looked down at the embedded weapon in disbelief, letting out a wretched scream of mingled pain and fury.

The Nephalem violently pulled out the weapon and kicked the Prime Evil's body hard. Over Diablo's massive, collapsing form, the uncontrolled powers of the Seven Evils exploded from within, triggering a horrific chain reaction. The era of the Prime Evil, which had brought Heaven to the brink of destruction, was finally shattered by the hands of a single mortal.

A Victory Without Miracles and the Black Soulstone

Pierced through the chest, Diablo writhed, letting out a horrific scream. The colossal power of the Seven Evils began to collapse from within, and the Prime Evil's body burned with crimson flames, turning into ash that scattered into the air. The Nephalem panted heavily, staring at where the ashes fell, but the miracle they had so desperately hoped for never appeared on the floor of Heaven.

Despite Diablo's body being completely annihilated, Leah was nowhere to be seen. The moment she became the vessel for the Prime Evil, her body had been hideously mutated and consumed, and even her pure soul had been entirely swallowed by the Lords of Hell. Looking at the ashen dust scattering in vain, the Nephalem bowed their head in a terrible sense of loss that seeped deep into their bones.

The world was saved, but the sacrifice of the innocent girl paid as its price remained an irreversible wound. Recalling the terror and pain Leah must have suffered until her final moments, the Nephalem mourned her death in heavy silence instead of celebrating victory. Though the beautiful light of Heaven was returning, the dark shadow of sorrow cast over the Nephalem's heart did not lift.

Just then, an ominous and dull sound echoed from the midst of the ashes left by Diablo. The Black Soulstone, which held the essences of all Seven Evils, fell from the air, striking heavily against Heaven's crystal floor. Despite the annihilation of the Prime Evil, the Soulstone remained undamaged, flashing with a blood-red light to flaunt its survival.

The horrific whispers of the Seven Evils still seemed to leak from the surface of the Soulstone. It was a chilling proof that, though they had lost their flesh, the source of evil itself had by no means perished. Glaring at the ominously pulsing Black Soulstone, the Nephalem instinctively sensed that this war had not yet reached its absolute end.

Tyrael, who had ascended to the summit of the Silver Spire late, approached the Nephalem's side. The red-burning light of the Black Soulstone reflected in his mortal eyes. Realizing the cruel reality that Leah could not return, Tyrael also let out a deep sigh. Unable to find words, the two looked down with heavy gazes at the seed of calamity lying in the center of Heaven.

The roars of the demons that had filled the Silver City vanished, and a holy silence returned to Heaven once more. Yet, that silence was not a symbol of peace, but closer to the hollow silence of those who had lost far too much. Sheathing their blood-stained weapon, the Nephalem painfully reflected on how precarious and built upon painful sacrifices this victory of theirs truly was.

Though the winds of Heaven blew and scattered Diablo's remaining ashes into the air, the Black Soulstone remained motionless, emitting an ominous glow. It was a tombstone reminding them of Leah's tragic death, and a time bomb foretelling an era of evil that would awaken again someday. Looking at the cursed stone, the Nephalem and Tyrael silently anticipated the coming unknown threat.

The Mortal Who Became the Archangel of Wisdom

As the Prime Evil was annihilated, the polluted sky of Heaven slowly began to regain its original, pure golden light. The surviving Archangels of the Angiris Council gathered in the Silver City, paying tribute in solemn silence to the wondrous power of the Nephalem who had saved them and the sacrifices of the mortals. At the center stood Tyrael, who had cast aside his angelic wings and now stood firm in the form of a mortal human, with distinct facial features and his characteristic dark skin.

Auriel and Itherael approached Tyrael, urging him to return to his seat as an Archangel and spread his wings of light now that Heaven was safe. Having seen how weak and easily broken a mortal body was, they sincerely wished for their former brother to return to being an eternal, immortal being. However, Tyrael quietly but firmly shook his head at their proposal.

Tyrael looked down at his mortal hands and spoke. He admitted that the human body was weak, felt fear, and was destined to face death someday. Yet, at the same time, he confessed he had realized that the noble courage and unyielding hope shown by humans in their finite lives were far more intense and greater than any immortal light of Heaven.

"I shall not return as an angel." Tyrael's voice was that of a mortal, but it echoed through the halls of Heaven more heavily and truthfully than any Archangel's declaration. Remembering Leah, who had sacrificed herself to save the world, and the fighting spirit of the Nephalem, who had not given up even in horrific despair, he vowed to walk the same path as them as a human.

Tyrael raised his head toward the Angiris Council and declared. He stated that while justice had finally been served with Diablo's fall, what this wounded world truly needed to move forward was wisdom beyond justice. Looking at the long-vacant seat of the Archangel of Wisdom, he solemnly declared that he would fill that void through the eyes of a mortal.

The moment Tyrael, draped in a mortal cloak instead of wings of light, ascended to the seat of Wisdom, the Archangels of Heaven realized that a new era had dawned. It was a grand vow that Heaven and the mortal world were no longer separate entities, but must move forward sharing each other's destiny. Tyrael pledged to lead the world as an eternal bridge between humans and angels.

The Nephalem silently watched the decision of the Angiris Council, then turned their back on the brilliant light of Heaven. Their mission did not end with saving Heaven. As long as the cursed Black Soulstone remained in the world, the cycle of evil could repeat at any time. The Nephalem's steps were already moving heavily to prepare for the coming new darkness.

Heaven was saved and a new embodiment of Wisdom was established, but the Black Soulstone left in the center of the Silver Spire still pulsed with an ominous blood-red light. It was a cruel cycle that did not even grant them time to mourn Leah's tragic death. The hero who ushered in the era of mortals and the human Tyrael, realizing they could not leave this cursed Soulstone in Heaven, quietly faced the weight of their coming destiny in deep anguish.

Sources Consulted

Official Blizzard Chronicle: After the Destruction of the Worldstone

Official Blizzard Lore: Book of Tyrael and the Leoric Lineage

Official Blizzard Lore: Adria's Betrayal

Official Blizzard Source: The Black Soulstone and the Rebuilding of the Horadrim

Official Blizzard Source: Malthael and Westmarch

Official Diablo III Store: Battle.net