In Hima, the nights fell very late. Perhaps it was because of the long daylight hours or the new living environment, but I had been having trouble sleeping since I arrived here.
On this particular day, I had tossed and turned in bed for three to four hours and couldn't fall asleep. Feeling wide awake, I finally decided to get up and explore the house. I had never paid much attention to the accommodation environment, but after a few days here, I discovered that our house had a balcony in the staircase area.
By now, the sky had darkened, and the City of Light welcomed another brief night. The stars formed a vast web across the deep blue sky, with velvety clouds partially obscuring the dazzling Milky Way. A small crystal door framed not only the outside world but also the most prominent church among the many buildings in the distance.
In this moment, the brilliant stars illuminated its golden dome and the silver cross extending into the floating clouds, as if all the magnificence and radiance of the night were condensed into this church.
I pushed open the crystal door and stepped onto the balcony, surrounded by Hima's breathtaking beauty. Standing high above and gazing at the white buildings throughout the city, I felt the sensation of being in heaven more strongly than ever before.
Our daytime schedule was packed, and Carlo was quite persistent. I had no personal time, so I decided to take a stroll during this quiet night. I headed towards that church.
As I stood outside the church's entrance, I realized its grandeur. Even its white columns could accommodate four or five people side by side. Looking up at the entrance, I felt incredibly small. The two sides of the door were adorned with burning golden magical lamps, and the illuminated relief stone slabs bore inscriptions:
"Lucifinil Cathedral
1000 Beordu, January 1st
A gift from God to an angel named Lucifinil at the dawn of creation."
I skimmed through the introduction, then stepped inside the massive gate.
Inside the cathedral, the ceiling was adorned with colorful frescoes depicting angels and God, beautifully complemented by the dim candlelight from the chandeliers. Candles filled the entire cathedral, casting a soft golden glow on the white flowers in front of the stained glass windows. The window frames on the walls were filled with classical-style murals, all illuminated by the overhead lightbulbs.
At the far end of the church, a figure stood silently beneath a massive crucifix.
Dressed in a floor-length white robe, with a hood that covered his hair, his slender figure blended seamlessly with the surroundings. He appeared as though he had grown here, without any sense of incongruity.
Having learned my lesson from my encounter with Raphael, I didn't jump to conclusions about his wings or the lack thereof. He must have concealed his wings.
He seemed to be gazing at the crucifix without praying or moving.
The radiant starlight poured through the windows, casting a glow on him.
I couldn't help but move closer, walking along the long carpet until I stood behind him.
"Um..." I began, my voice soft to avoid startling him. "Excuse me, are you..."
Before I could finish my sentence, he half-turned his head and said, "Step aside."
Without looking directly at me, he managed to make my heart skip a beat with just that simple command.
This feeling was entirely different from the awe I felt when I encountered other archangels.
Whether it was his voice or his lowered eyelashes, in that moment, I forgot everything I had seen. I was overwhelmed by a suffocating sensation that seemed to strangle my senses, leaving me breathless.
I couldn't fathom why just seeing a side profile would affect me this way. I only remembered Carlo's words about being cautious on the sixth day and the realization that there were many hidden talents in this place. He must have had significant authority to speak to me in such a manner.
"I'm sorry; I was just passing by. I'll leave now," I hurriedly replied.
But he quickly turned and faced me directly.
Our eyes met, and the overwhelming feeling from before returned, even stronger than before. It was almost negative, despairing, like invisible claws tightly squeezing my heart. My head buzzed with pain, and the torment shifted from my mind to my body, impossible to ignore, and tears welled up in my eyes.
Then he spoke, "Isar...?"
I shook my head, finally regaining my senses and focusing on his appearance. His eyes were sky blue, and beneath the white hood, he had flowing golden hair, and even his eyelashes were a faint, starlight-reflecting gold. In terms of height, build, face, and aura, he far surpassed other archangels by a large margin. His perfection was so complete that it left no room for jealousy.
At that moment, I finally managed to clumsily bow and said, "Your Highness Lucifer."
Inwardly, I cursed myself for allowing Carrie's influence to affect me. To be moved to the point of heartache, tingling scalp, and tears at the sight of a handsome man, what kind of infatuation was this?
"It's quite late. What are you doing here?" Lucifer asked indifferently.
"I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk. And what about Your Highness?"
What was even more surprising was that he looked exactly like Tom Ellis. But when I looked at Tom Ellis, I just wanted to punch him, while seeing him made me feel like I should kneel at his feet. How could the same face have such different auras? Did the Archdemon's fall also corrupt his aura?
As I contemplated how to broach the topic of returning to the human world, Lucifer's deep pupils slightly contracted, and he turned away from me.
"Leave," he said.
"Huh?"
"I said leave."
"Wait, Your Highness. I rarely get a chance to see you. I have something to ask..."
"I have nothing to say to you," Lucifer said coldly. "Don't make me repeat myself."
So, I left.
I immediately recognized Isar as the kind of angel who could be easily found anywhere in Heaven. He even looked at me with a sense of sadness. It seemed like Isar had genuinely harassed him before.
But why should I suffer this indignity? I had no connection to him, and I had been brought to this strange world without my consent. Who would compensate me for my misfortune?
Filled with anger, I returned home and woke up Carlo, who was in the middle of a vivid dream.
A few days later, at Angles College.
We hadn't been here for long, but I couldn't help but feel that Hima was a world driven by money. A simple meal here cost five silver coins, a glass of water cost one silver coin, and even using the restroom cost three copper coins. Although the facilities were impeccable, the cost of living was becoming a burden. Carlo and I both needed to find jobs.
Carlo's response surprised me. "Isar, how long do you plan to keep pretending to be ignorant?"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"I heard your conversation with that merchant in Jerusalem. A certain angel gave you money," Carlo narrowed his eyes. "You probably didn't lose your memory at all. You're just playing a role for some reason. I'm willing to be your sanctuary, but you're still worried about money?"
I was taken aback. "The merchant did give me money, but it's not enough. Let's both find jobs."
"Work to support ourselves in Hima? Do you think you're a Four-Wing or a Six-Wing? Heaven has a strict hierarchy, and here, you can't even be considered an animal, let alone expect a salary. Actually, the Archangels wouldn't have let you come here if they intended for you to earn your keep. You should look for Metatron again; it'll solve a lot of problems..."
"Carlo, we're not the kind of people who beg for money."
Our conversation ended there, and Carlo didn't even listen to what I wanted to say next. He rolled his eyes and left in a hurry.
Feeling somewhat lost, I went for a walk in the woods to familiarize myself with the surroundings. But as soon as I entered the forest, I witnessed a group of Four-Wing angels descending from the sky and landing in the woods. The trees rustled, and there were screams from some female angels. I followed them discreetly and observed several Four-Wing angels grabbing a male angel by the hair, pressing his face into the ground.
"Do you want to resist?" One of them said as he held the man's face down.
Before he could finish, another Four-Wing angel reached out and touched the wings of a female angel. She trembled with nerves, tears streaming down her face. The first angel let go of the male angel, standing in front of a group of higher-ranking angels, arms crossed and a smile on his face.
"You have three seconds to leave. One..."
Before he could finish counting, the male angel flapped his wings and flew away.
"Please, come back!" the female angel cried out in distress, but the man had disappeared.
The Four-Wing angels surrounded her, continuing to touch her wings inappropriately. Carlo had mentioned that touching someone's wings was usually only acceptable after establishing an intimate relationship; otherwise, it was considered rude and perverse. I still didn't fully understand, but seeing the female angel humiliated, I couldn't resist flying over.
Approaching the open area where they were, I noticed a pool nearby. Crystal bubbles and floating clouds adorned its surface, and at its center, there was a small angel riding a dragon statue. The dragon was coated in gold, incredibly lifelike. The little angel had golden hair, a rosy face as delicate as porcelain, and white gloves. In one hand, they held a pale gray feather.
Looking closer, I realized it was a real person.
The sunlight bathed the little angel in a faint golden hue, outlining his silhouette. His light-colored eyelashes seemed to hold a glimmer from the highest realms of Heaven, gently quivering in the vibrant sunlight. However, the voices of the nearby troublemakers were anything but scenic:
"Hey, your lover doesn't want you anymore, come with us."
"No, no, he just got lost!"
Seated on the golden dragon, the child waved his hand dismissively, not even sparing a glance at them, his attention fixed on the feather in his hand. His little boots gleamed with a golden sheen.
The several male angels completely ignored the child and reached out towards the female angel's wings... I shouted, "Let her go!"
Everyone, including the naughty kid perched on the golden dragon, turned to look at me.
The female angel initially looked relieved but became disheartened when she saw my wings.
"Oh, look who it is. Isn't it Isar, the one who relied on seducing a Greater Angel to get into Hima?" one of the angels sneered.
Without a second thought, I rushed forward, grabbed the female angel, and started running towards the edge of the forest. However, as we had taken just a few steps, there was a loud crash between the trees, and a blue magical waterfall came cascading down. We retreated, but the waterfall grew larger, nearly surrounding us.
I pushed the girl behind me and pointed towards what was behind them with a tree branch. "Quick, look! God is behind you!"
Judging by their expressions, they seemed to think they were hearing a joke from Metatron. I got anxious and tried again, "By the way, do you all like harp music?"
No one paid attention to me.
I persisted, "Actually, God has designated the harp as the representative instrument of Heaven. Do you know why?"
Still, no one paid any attention.
"Inside the harp resides a soul, a fact known only to Lucifer himself, and he told me. None of you know, right?" I said, getting frustrated. They were reaching out their hands at this point, so I finally resorted to my secret weapon, "Lucifer is gay!!!"
...
One hour later.
"...It's said that when Lucifer was friends with Raphael, he had fifty-three lovers at the same time. Everyone in the world of divine magic knows that Lucifer learned the Celestial Language to write love letters, studied Divine Numerology to count his wealth, practiced magic to defeat his rivals, and studied the history of the Three Realms to flirt with the Three Realms beauties! Later, God couldn't stand him anymore and transferred him to the Seventh Heaven Academy. But within a week, he had chopped off the wings of seventy-five angels..."
"Really? You're not making this up, are you?"
"Does defaming him benefit me in any way? Go." I continued to babble, "You know, although his sexual orientation has always been a mystery, there's no doubt that he's interested in men..."
Lucifer, you were unkind to me, so I'm not holding back either!
As I kept making up stories, I noticed a golden-haired little angel flying behind me, seemingly out of nowhere.
He hovered in mid-air, with short hair that looked like it had been plucked from a pile of gold dust. One strand playfully stood on end, swaying when the wind blew. His appearance was so dazzling that it was almost blinding, with round, bright eyes that resembled shattered ice-blue gemstones. But his small wings had an unusual color, resembling silver but brighter, like gold yet more ethereal, and they emitted a faint radiance.
"Isar, you're quite audacious," he said to me in a tone that sounded like that of a young adult. "Causing trouble in Hima like this, do you not fear for your life?"
This naughty kid... Why did he talk like that? He was so annoying.
Before I could respond, another voice came from above, "Who is that over there?"
It was like the voice of a recording on a cassette, but it had a surprising charm to it. The Four-Wing angels around us exchanged glances and quickly flew away into the sky, disappearing in an instant.
"Hey, you!" I beckoned with my finger, "Big brother won't bully you, but today, I must teach you some basic manners..."
Before I could finish my sentence, he squinted his eyes and pointed upwards.
A deafening thunderbolt descended from the sky, and I jumped backward!
BOOM! A huge explosion created a crater on the ground, and thick white mist rose from the hole.
I was drenched in sweat.
This little angel's lightning strike was different from others. Not only was it incredibly loud, but it was also enhanced. Most importantly, he didn't chant any incantations and didn't wait for any time delay. The Sixth Heaven indeed had many powerful individuals. Even such a young child...
At this point, the voice of the cassette player approached:
"Who's there? Come out."
I hurriedly went over to the golden-haired little angel, grabbed his hands, and stopped him from summoning lightning. He widened his eyes at my touch, then looked at me, his voice as crisp as a flute, "Impudent!"
"Hahaha!" I chuckled, continuing to hold his hands. "You, a naughty kid, speak like a little emperor. It's so amusing!"
The little angel couldn't free his hands and suddenly shouted, "Sandalphon!"
"I'm here..." Sandalphon's voice came from nearby.
It turned out the cassette player was my idol, Sandalphon, the author of "The Sins of the Imperial Pervert."
I turned around, holding the little angel firmly, and bowed to my idol, "Lord Sandalphon."
Sandalphon half-heartedly responded and looked at the little angel, wiping his sweat, "How did you end up here? You didn't even tell us... Oh my!"
A small bolt of lightning struck Sandalphon's forehead, and although he screamed in pain, he quickly returned to his previous mother hen demeanor, "Young Master, come with me. It's not safe for you to be alone out here."
"I'm not going back." The little angel flew a short distance away on his own, then turned and pointed at me. "Cut off his wings."
He said this so casually, as if he were ordering a cup of tea.
"What..." I began.
"Are you planning to resist?" he asked.
"I dare not." I suppressed my anger. When he shook me off, I took a feather from him and put it in my pocket for later examination.
"Young Master, I only wanted to save that girl just now, not provoke you. You're so cute, so you must have a kind heart. Don't argue with your big brother like this," I said, trying to reason with him while stroking his soft yellow hair. I even raised my middle finger and flicked the middle strand that was sticking up. The little angel widened his eyes and hadn't spoken yet when I grabbed both his hands and plucked his wings up, "You, you little brat, you don't know your place. You're disrespectful, and you don't show respect to your elders. You even dared to order someone older than you to get their wings cut off. Go tell your mother to take you for etiquette training."
As I looked at the fierce expression in his eyes, I became even angrier. I lifted him up, shook him a few times, and when I did, one of his wings fell out.
I shook his body again, and another wing fell...
I shook him more, and wings poured out like water...
Finally, I counted the number.
One, two, three, four, five, six. Yes, six of them. Gold and silver in color, and they all emitted light.
Who knows, this child might become a Six-Wing Golden Angel in the future, on par with Metatron, with a bright future ahead.
Moreover, his face looked strangely familiar...
...Why did he resemble someone?
At this moment, a bright cloud floated down from the sky, a dazzling display of multicolored light mixed with thunderstorms and strong winds, heading straight for my face. I slowly tilted my head upward...
Oh my God.
I told you, children are too wild.