It happened on a day like any other or so I thought.
The forest was quiet, save for the faint rustle of the silver leaves. I was practicing with my wings, stretching them as far as they would go. They still felt awkward and new, the white one moving smoothly while the black wing twitched and flickered unpredictably. But I was determined.
I didn't hear them approach. One moment, the grove was empty, and the next, I felt it a ripple in the air, a presence that didn't belong.
I turned sharply, my wings snapping close to my back. A figure stood at the edge of the clearing, half-hidden by the shimmering trees. They were tall and lean, dressed in flowing robes that glimmered faintly with an inner light. Their wings were fully grown, both pure white, cascading behind them like waterfalls of light.
An angel.
My heart raced. I had never seen another being besides Seriel. For a moment, I froze, unsure whether to speak, run, or simply wait.
The angel stepped closer, their gaze fixed on me. Their expression was a mixture of curiosity and... something else. Suspicion, maybe.
"You," they said, their voice sharp and commanding. "Who are you?"
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "Lucian," I managed to say.
They frowned, their eyes narrowing. "You don't belong here. This place is forbidden."
I bristled at their tone, though I didn't fully understand why. "Seriel said this is my home."
At the mention of his name, their expression darkened. "Seriel? What is he doing bringing... you here?" Their gaze flicked to my wings, and I saw the moment they noticed the black one.
"What are you?" they demanded, their voice rising.
"I don't know," I said, my own frustration bubbling to the surface. "What does it matter?"
"It matters," they snapped, their wings flaring slightly. "Because that..." they pointed at my black wing, the crimson streaks glowing faintly in the light "isn't supposed to exist."
I stepped back, my own wings unfurling instinctively. The motion startled them, and for a moment, we stared at each other in tense silence.
Before either of us could speak again, the air shifted.
"Enough."
Seriel's voice cut through the clearing like a blade. He appeared between us in a flash of silver light, his wings spreading wide as he turned to face the angel.
"Leave," he said, his tone cold and unyielding.
The angel hesitated, their gaze darting between me and Seriel. "You're making a mistake," they said finally. "He's... wrong."
Seriel's expression didn't change. "Leave," he repeated.
With a huff of frustration, the angel turned and disappeared into the forest, their wings vanishing into the silver light.
When they were gone, Seriel turned to me. His usual calm was gone, replaced by something sharper...fear, maybe even anger.
"You weren't supposed to be seen," he said, his voice low.
"It wasn't my fault," I said, my own anger rising. "They came here."
"That doesn't matter," he snapped. "What matters is that they'll talk. And if others come looking for you..." He trailed off, his expression darkening.
I didn't know what to say. For the first time, I realized that my presence here wasn't just strange, it was dangerous.
"Why does everyone act like I'm something to be afraid of?" I asked, my voice shaking.
Seriel sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Because they don't understand. And what they don't understand, they fear."
I looked away, my chest tight. For the first time, I wished I could hide my wings, wished I could be... normal.
Seriel's words stayed with me long after he left that night.
I sat beneath the silver tree, my wings wrapped protectively around me, staring into the darkened forest. The angel's voice echoed in my mind: "He's... wrong." What did they mean? And why had Seriel reacted so strongly?
I had always trusted him, but now, doubt crept into the cracks of my certainty. He wasn't telling me everything. I had known that for some time, but now, it felt unbearable. I wasn't a child anymore, and the ache for answers gnawed at me like a wound that wouldn't heal.
For the first time, I felt trapped. The forest, once my sanctuary, now felt like a gilded cage.
It started as a whisper, a feeling in my chest, like the pull of a thread I couldn't see. The air in the forest seemed different, charged with something I couldn't name.
I don't know what made me do it, but one night, I decided to follow the pull.
The forest had always seemed endless, but that night, I walked with purpose. The silver trees gave way to taller, darker ones, their trunks twisting upward like jagged spires. The ground beneath my feet grew rougher, the moss replaced by cold stone.
The pull grew stronger. It wasn't just a feeling now, it was a sound, faint and melodic, like a distant song. I didn't recognize the language, but something about it felt familiar, as though it were calling to something deep inside me.
Finally, I reached the edge of the forest. Beyond it, the world opened up into a vast expanse of light and shadow.
It was the first time I had seen the lower floors of Heaven.
The sight stole my breath. Great cities floated on clouds, their spires reaching toward the stars. Rivers of light flowed between them, crisscrossed by bridges that shimmered like glass. Angels moved gracefully through the air, their wings glowing in the twilight.
But it wasn't just beauty that I saw. There was chaos, too.
Far below, at the very edge of the horizon, a dark mass churned like a storm. It was too far to make out clearly, but I felt it, a presence that made my skin crawl.
I stepped closer to the edge, my wings twitching nervously.
"You shouldn't be here."
The voice made me whirl around, my heart leaping into my throat.
A figure stood in the shadows of the forest, watching me. Their wings were folded tight against their back, but unlike the other angel, these weren't pure white. They were a deep, shimmering silver, edged with faint streaks of black.
"Who are you?" I asked, taking a cautious step back.
They tilted their head, studying me. "Someone who's been watching you for a long time, Lucian."
The way they said my name sent a chill down my spine. "Why?"
"Because you don't belong here," they said simply. "And you know it."
My pulse quickened as the figure stepped closer, their silver-and-black wings shifting in the soft breeze. Though their face was partially shadowed, I could make out sharp, angular features, neither harsh nor kind, but unreadable.
"Who are you?" I asked again, my voice steadier this time.
They stopped a few paces away, their hands clasped behind their back. "Names are powerful things, Lucian," they said, their tone calm but edged with a faint amusement. "You, of all beings, should understand that."
I frowned. "How do you know my name?"
They smiled faintly. "It wasn't hard to learn. A child hidden in the highest realm, guarded by Seriel himself, word spreads, even in whispers."
I bristled at their words, my wings shifting uncomfortably. "If you know about me, then you know I'm not just a child."
"Oh, I know," they said, their gaze dropping to my wings. "You're something far more interesting."
I followed their eyes and instinctively unfurled my wings. The stark contrast between the white and black feathers caught the faint glow of the lower realms. The crimson streaks on the black wing pulsed faintly, as if responding to the stranger's scrutiny.
"Who are you?" I demanded, taking a step forward. "And why are you here?"
They chuckled softly. "You ask questions as if you're owed answers. But very well, I'll give you one." Their wings opened slightly, and I caught a glimpse of their full stature, taller and more imposing than I had realized. "I am someone who understands what it's like to not belong. Someone who sees the cracks in this perfect facade they call Heaven."
I didn't know how to respond. Their words rang with a truth I couldn't deny, yet there was something unsettling about their presence.
"What do you want from me?"
They tilted their head, considering the question. "To warn you," they said finally. "The world you think you know is much larger, and much more dangerous than Seriel has led you to believe. Your existence is a secret, yes, but secrets have a way of unraveling."
"I didn't ask to be a secret," I said, my frustration spilling over. "I didn't ask for any of this."
"No, you didn't," they agreed, their tone softening. "But the moment you revealed those wings, your choices stopped being your own. Others will come for you, angels, demons, perhaps even those who walk the line between. You'll need to decide who you are, Lucian, before they decide for you."
I stared at them, the weight of their words pressing down on me. "Why are you telling me this?"
They hesitated, their expression unreadable. "Because I see potential in you. And because... you remind me of someone I once knew."
"Who?"
Their wings folded tightly again, and they took a step back into the shadows. "Another question for another time," they said. "For now, consider this a gift, a chance to prepare for what's coming."
"What is coming?" I called after them as they turned to leave.
They paused at the edge of the clearing, their silver-and-black wings glinting faintly in the starlight. "War," they said simply. "And it's closer than you think."
With that, they vanished, their form dissolving into the shimmering light of the forest.
I stood there for a long time, staring at the place where they had disappeared. The air felt colder now, and the once-beautiful view of the lower realms seemed distant and threatening.
War.
The word lingered in my mind, heavy and unfamiliar. What kind of war could reach the gates of Heaven? And what role did I play in it?
I turned back toward the forest, my wings folding awkwardly as I began the long walk home. For the first time, I felt truly alone, not just in the grove, but in the world.