As Alex and Mia wrapped up their booth at the fair, he felt a sense of accomplishment washing over him—along with a hint of exhaustion. "I can't believe we sold out of everything!" Mia exclaimed, gathering the last of their empty containers. "You really charmed everyone today."
"Yeah, I guess I did," Alex replied with a chuckle. "Thanks for having my back. I don't think I could've pulled this off without you."
"Anytime! Let's carry these supplies back to my car," she said, her energy still bubbling with excitement.
"Sure thing. I'll meet you there in a sec," Alex replied, waving goodbye as he took a final glance around the fairgrounds, soaking in the cheerful atmosphere.
As he made his way home, lost in thought about the day's events, he suddenly felt a strange vibration coming from his pocket. His heart raced as an ethereal voice filled his mind. We need to talk.
"What the—?" he muttered under his breath, fumbling to pull out the feather that had inexplicably come into his possession. It began to glow brighter and brighter, casting an otherworldly light.
Before he could comprehend what was happening, Alex was suddenly engulfed in blinding light. When it receded, he found himself back in the giant white room he had encountered before.
"What the fuck, man? You could give me a little warning next time you're going to do that!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted.
"Apologies," the angel replied with an earnest tone. "But this is important. Originally, I was going to let you live your life without too many interruptions, aside from the occasional nudge to fix your luck that I thought was accidentally lost…"
Alex's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'thought was accidentally lost'?"
The angel sighed, shifting slightly. "As it turns out, your luck wasn't just siphoned; it was as if your fate was completely ripped away from you. Normally, luck filters slowly to a person throughout their life, but you are an exception to this rule."
Alex frowned, trying to process this revelation. "So, what does that mean for me? I mean... is there any chance of getting it back?"
The angel continued, "While you are not impervious to bad things happening to you, I will do my best to make it up to you. However, I can't be there all the time. I need to investigate the things that are happening here, so be careful."
"Careful? How am I supposed to be careful when my fate's been ripped away?" Alex's voice wavered between frustration and fear.
Alex frowned, trying to process this revelation. "So, what does that mean for me? I mean... is there any chance of getting it back?"
The angel continued, "No sorry and while I'm not God and I can't be in two places at once, I'll try my best to help you as much as I can. Your choices will shape your path ahead; you need to be okay with those choices and ready for the road that lies ahead."
"Okay... I'm ready, but please try not to let anything like that shit that happened to me happen to anyone else," Alex replied earnestly.
"I will," the angel promised, its expression resolute.