"Congratulations, you chosen few have been given the rare privilege of dying twice."

Addressed the Angel dressed in resplendent white, to the twenty-nine students gathered before her, as her voice rang in the air with undulations of power. The students who had fallen on the ground - simply stared, dazed and utterly baffled.

Hovering elegantly just beyond their reach, she sporadically flapped her six wings as she radiated serenity towards the confused bunch.

Considering they had been on a school bus barely seconds ago, before getting transported to this mind-boggling place, it was better for her to rush the process before they could truly process their current realities. It wouldn't do to have them breakdown before she could send them on their way.

After granting the students a few moments of silence to get up, the angel geared up to speak once again, but she was interrupted by a barrage of questions from the crowd. 

"Where my shoes at-" said Clark.

"Where are we?" Jade asked nervously.

"Whoa, she's flying or something. What the hell…?" said Trisha pointing at the thing in white hovering beyond their reach.

"D-did she just say the realm of God? What kind of weeb ah-?" said Eric.

"The last thing I remember was that a massive truck was about to hit our bus. Please don't tell me we actually...!" cried out Sydney. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

The uproar was no surprise, and the Angel allowed it despite the chaos.

Could anyone blame these teens? They had been on their way back from a class field trip when they were suddenly caught up in this mess.

The Angel began to speak again. "All your questions will be answered, but first -" 

"What did you do to the teacher and the bus driver?" asked Alicia.

"Get us out of here, immediately!!!" demanded Adam.

The angel tried her best to suppress her growing lethargy at humoring these kids.

Well at least not all the students were whiny idiots, some at least seemed to appreciate the splendor of their surroundings.

In a place brighter than daylight, despite there being no sun in sight. Clouds spread under their feet, as the horizon seemed to stretch on endlessly.

A curious student tried grabbing the cloud under her but instantly lost her balance and fell half-way inside it. Her friends scrambled to help her get out.

The other students watching decided to leave their curiosity for later until they properly understood the situation. Other than a magnificent gate that stood behind the angel, there was nothing in sight for miles.

'Maybe I should just randomize-'

"Guys!!!"

A loud voice suddenly pierced through the chaotic space.

Instantly, the room fell silent as each student recognized the voice.

As the noise died down, a boy stepped forward, moving with a sense of purpose that seemed incredible for a human.

"I get it. We are all confused, but please, try to stay calm. Our questions will definitely be answered."

Amid the collective unease, the students who were annoyed at being treated like unruly children and the ones who were watching in silence, chose to remain silent in mutual respect. His smile, both reliable and confident, contrasted so heavily with the reality of the situation that it nudged them into a sense of calm.

With his classmates pacified, the boy, with his blond hair swaying, strode towards the angelic figure who was observing the human in amusement.

"Excuse me, Miss Angel," he began, addressing the angel. "I'm sorry for the chaos. Could you please tell us what's happening here?"

She smiled at the young man's question. Not only was he strikingly handsome, every inch the picture of human perfection, but he was also very polite.

The church she served stated that the more beautiful one was, the closer they were to the image of God, and beauty was therefore a symbol of divinity.

It was a shame she couldn't bring such a talent into her fold, but her role was to remain neutral in such things or else she risked breaking the Accords.

"Tch, it could be a demon for all we know." Adam said clicking his tongue.

"Of course," she replied ignoring the stupid teenager. 

"Thank you, Miss Angel," he said, bowing gently.

"What's your name?" the angel asked.

"Adonis. Adonis Levi."

Adonis maintained his bow, earning a soft smile from her. She found herself getting quite fond of this human.

"You can lift your head now, Adonis," she said, and as soon as the words left her lips, he complied.

"Listen." the angel began, capturing the attention of the nervous twenty-two students.

Adonis, straightened up in response an image of solidarity for everyone who was feeling unsure and lost.

"You were all on the brink of death, about to crash into a truck. The impact killed your driver and the teachers in the front. But just before any of you could meet the same fate, you were summoned here."

The grim reality hit hard, eliciting small squeaks from some of the students. Adonis felt a lump in his throat but forced himself to remain composed. His classmates needed him to be strong.

Their minds involuntarily conjured gruesome images of the bus's only adults reduced to a bloody mess.

"Don't worry. You're not dead. But if you go back, the same fate awaits you — death" the angel continued, her calm tone belying the unsettling nature of her words. The students swallowed hard, fear gripping them as they listened.

Despite the composed demeanor, her words rattled many. Fear was already settling in among the students.

"If I may speak?" Adonis asked, offering a respectful smile.

She permitted him to speak.

"Couldn't you have the saved the adults too...," Adonis asked solemnly.

"...It wasn't feasible. But, don't worry - they should be resting well. Their souls are at peace." the angel replied.

"I see..."

After a moment of silence a sharp voice interrupted Adonis next question, redirecting everyone's attention to the speaker.

"Excuse me. I have a question." 

"My name is Alicia White, and if you don't mind. I'd like to ask you a few things."

Her words polite but her tone stern, not even making an effort to hide her suspicion as she fixed her narrowed gaze above.

"What do you wish to know?" the angel asked.

"Firstly," Alicia began, her voice confident, "why did you save us from certain death? I find it difficult to believe that this was purely an act of charity from you. You want something from us, and I want to know what that is."

Alicia's words were blunt, but there was no denying the validity of her question.

The moment she asked it, every student found themselves silently echoing her sentiment.

"I see… well, allow me to clarify," the angel replied, her demeanor calm as she inwardly praised the student's thought process. It wouldn't do to blindly trust in gifts, with the world that is to come.

"First let us clear something, it is not I that want something but the ones waiting on the other side that I have summoned you. I am merely the guardian of the gate in a sense - if that gate was the boundary between worlds."

"The twenty-two of you have been chosen for a specific purpose. A world in distress has summoned you to aid them. Following your bestowments, you will be transported there"

Her words landed like a bombshell, evoking varied reactions among the students.

Some were shocked to their bones.

Some were merely confused.

A few were astonishingly trying their hardest to stifle the excitement that was clearly written on their faces.

"So, a gift of life, but burdened with responsibilities." Alicia's voice held a hint of disappointment, her lips forming a small frown.

"Correct."

"And how dangerous are these responsibilities..."

"Very"

Tension surged between the otherworldly creature and Alicia, escalating rapidly until Adonis intervened.

"Please, Miss Angel, can you tell us more about this other world and why we are being summoned there?"

This question completely shifted the focus of the students who were already beginning to panic.

Everyone suddenly began to get curious about this "world" that was in distress.

Once again, Adonis had managed to steer the conversation back on track. The angel shifted her gaze and glanced at him.

"The world is named H'Trae, and its denizens have collaborated in order to deal with an overwhelming foe. In their desperation, they resorted to this...You twenty-two were chosen because you would have died regardless.

A few struggled to understand what she was saying, but the meaning behind her words couldn't be any clearer.

None of the students present could complain about being summoned, since they would have died anyway.

Regardless of whether they chose to be appreciative, the undeniable truth remained—they had been granted a second chance at life.

"What kind of trouble is this world -Tria facing??" Once again, Alicia asked, her tone still laced with suspicion.

It seemed she still held a great amount of dislike or hatred—perhaps even both—towards the thing above them that still made them shiver to look at directly.

"It is not my place to say. When you arrive at H'Trae, all you need will be revealed."

Her swift and blunt response carried a weight that seemed to ripple through the surroundings.

It was evident she had reached the limit of her patience, causing an instant hush to fall upon the group.

"You are all here, in this domain, for one reason and one reason alone." the angel continued, breaking the silence.

"I am to prepare you for your journey to H'Trae. It is a world filled with many unknown wonders, but also great danger. To ensure your survival as well as the fulfillment of the role of your summoning, each of you will receive the oportunity to gain Skills and a Class ."

While the words she uttered sailed over the heads of a few students, almost everyone in the room knew what "Skills" and "Class" entailed.

"You will be choosing your Skills based on the Karma you had just before you were brought here," the angel added.

"E-excuse me… but did you just say Karma? As in the amount of good deeds we did in our lives?" Rey asked.

Though the voice was somewhat low, but all words that were spoken in The Domain of God will be heard or… silenced.

"Not exactly. Every person has a maximum of a hundred Karma from the moment they are born, but the number decreases when you do bad deeds to others or if people see you in a bad light."

In simple terms, the more likable a person was, the higher their chances of having a near-perfect Karma.

The opposite was also true.

"One after the other, you will approach me, and I will show you the list of Skills and Classes available to you based on your Karma. Once a person has chosen a Skill or Class, it cannot be chosen by another."

A small commotion erupted among the students, and understandably so. It was essentially a 'first come, first served' scenario.

"Why don't we start with the three who bothered to ask questions? Adonis Levi, Alicia White, and… the last one." the creature in white announced.

Adonis was already close to the Angel, while Alicia stood at the forefront of the rest of the students. As for the last person that was called, he was clustered among his classmates.

"Excuse me. Coming through." Rey grunted as he maneuvered through the crowd of students around him.

But before he could make it through and acquire his gifts … another voice raised in objection.

"Why should they be given first pick, when all they have done is speak louder?" A clear and sharp voice spoke loudly.

The angel raised a brow in annoyance. 

"… your name?" The angel asked.

"Acela Ray" She replied curtly. The students around her parted so that the angel could look at her directly.

Adonis was surprised to see her mostly reserved classmate be so forthright but chose to remain silent for now.

"These three were the first to adapt to the situation and as the saying in your world goes… the early bird gets the worm. In the world you must go to, such skills will be invaluable." The creature in white flapped her wings creating a gust of wind, to envelop the students.

Almost daring them to refute her judgment.

Well, someone dared…

"There are many skills and dispositions that allow them to adapt to a new scenario. Who are you to say that the first to react are the most worthy to survive." Acela spoke as if speaking an obvious fact.

The winds grew stronger and the lights around them grew brighter - almost blinding. But she stayed her hand and gestured for her to continue.

Belle fainted from the shock and Damian supported her from the back.

Alicia and Adonis were struggling from the pressure and took a step back, but Acela stayed her ground.

"Some of us chose to remain silent and observe the surroundings, some of us let others lead the first step so they could trip and fall before them. It seems unfair for you to reward people so handsomely for the being the first, when instead you should allow those who have… the most karma points - if I understand correctly - to go first, so that they who are most deserving can make use of their points best."

The angel remained silent for a time. She looked around noticing the wariness of the other students and how they chose to remain observant. Some of these will do as well or better than the three she had chosen. But in the end, she chose these three to speed up the process, rather than gift who were most deserving

So, she looked at the girl again. She who had an average height and a somewhat muscular build. Her brown hair was tied in a pony tail and her stormy grey eyes looked up at her with such… defiance.

It infuriated her.

Adonis looked he was about to speak to try and placate the growing tension… but it was already too late.

"Kneel" the thing spoke, and the world obeyed.

The whole class buckled to her knees, some resisted for a moment, but they suffered more for it.

Belle fainted again but was squashed underneath Damien this time, eliciting a high-pitched shriek.

Acela lasted the longest gritting her teeth in anger, but the angel swung her hand and her left knee shattered bringing her to the ground.

The sixteen-year-old girl screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor.

The angel was done pitying these foolish things that would look at salvation itself, and spit on its gifts.

Many tried to yell out in indignation.

But The Domain of God silenced them this time in accordance with the entity who had the highest authority - her.

"Now, where was I - Yes, you - Adonis come and receive your gift after that Alicia and the third boy who spoke, the rest of you will go according to… lets go with alphabetical order.

The Angel continued with the bestowals as she ignored the silent whimpering of these pathetic teenagers, usually she would be willing to answer some questions or respond to some particularly heinous thoughts she caught. 

But she was done being kind, it was time to get this over with and return to her real duties.

She ignored the pleading eyes of Adonis and the look of hatred from Alicia. Most of them probably had some important questions to ask, but she never once repurposed the domain throughout the rest of the affair.

It was probably due to this silence that she didn't notice it before it was too late.

After she was done with Alicia she gestured for Rey to approach, and he complied while looking a bit distracted... he looked gleeful?

Sensing a disturbance behind her, she whipped her head and looked at the figure of the limping girl.

'Did she crawl all the way there?'

She smiled a nasty smile - baring her full teeth as she mouthed the words.

'F*ck you and your gifts, pigeon-wh*re.'

and before the angel could even twitch her hand she stepped back and into the portal.

…before she got her bestowals.

'Oh no' she thought.