Reina froze after she called out that name, jolted when Cross repeated it. A powerful shock ripped through her body, she pulled her hands back , her heart thumped. The electric shock had made her feel as though she was not supposed to call that name. Her breathing wedged as she calmed her pounding heart. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that" she said avoiding his gaze. She fixed her hair behind her ears trying to come up with something to say. "Should we get going? It's getting pretty late."

Cross didn't answer. Instead he smiled softly and reached over to trail his fingers from her forehead down to her cheek. "Thanks" he said. Reina frowned. Bewildered at his response. 'What is there to thank for?' she thought.

In the wake of that moment, a voice calling her name stopped her. She turned to see Michael running towards her from the hallway. A soft light shawled from his body.

"Why aren't' you answering the phone?"

She blinked at him, it faded. "I'm sorry, I was in the library" Michael reached over and ruffled her hair.

"What were you talking about?" he asked looking behind her. She turned her body. Cross was already pacing down the hall. She turned to look at Michael to say it was nothing.

"Maybe you should stop talking to him"

"Why?"

"My gut says so. I don't know" he shrugged his shoulders. "You know--" he hesitated "something doesn't add up with Cross"

"What do you mean?" Reina shook her head.

"I may sound insane but he's been in our class since our freshmen year but I feel like today's the first I've met him"

Reina gasped knowing what he was talking about. She kept quiet because she was afraid to sound crazy. They talked about Cross as they walked to her car. Her stress and frustration faded knowing she wasn't the only one. She slid into her car, throwing her things in the backseat. Before she drives off of the parking lot, she glanced at Michael through the rear view mirror. An opalescent sheer that mimics moonlight flourished behind his back. She blinked her eyes, it was gone.

It was already dark when she got home. She inclined her head and entered her room, door closing behind her. She lazily dropped her things beside her bed. Reina crawled into bed and collapsed on her back. She stared at the ceiling, looking at the flashing lights coming from passing cars on the street. She closed her eyes for a moment then sat up remembering the book she borrowed. She rummaged into her bag grabbing the book. She turned the bedside lamp on and flipped to the page she folded. She began to read.

God gave Lucifer a mission to blend with the living and discern their adversity. He gave him the ability to overwrite his existence. Doing so, Lucifer could roam freely. Michael was sent to ward off evil in the outskirts of heaven together with Lilia for support. They were applauded with job well done.

Soon, heaven was filled with tension as rebels threatened peace. Granted the free will, they wanted to perceive love and affection. Michael stood by God as Lucifer led the resistance. Lilia was frayed between them; she remained neutral and aching as they faced each other on heaven's court.

The letters glowed as she flipped to the next page. Suddenly, a blinding light swallowed her. She found herself walking in a tunnel of silky clouds, revealing a lavish sovereignty in the distance. Humongous pillars stood tall, planted in frost mist. Houses sown in pastel clouds, shining in gold and silver. Peace and purity cleansed her nostrils as she whiffed air. Her eyes traveled far and wide.

"Am I dead? Is this heaven?"

Angels were gliding in the air, elegantly fluttering their wings as they soar high. She found herself looking up at a colossal door, she looked around to investigate. People wearing white garment wrapped and tied onto their shoulders were coming her way, bearing no wings. She aimed to question but they walked pass through her. Reina staggered backward in shock, her eyes wide for a moment before she turned to look at them.

"Am I invisible?" she nearly jumped at the roaring sound of the colossal door opening. People started to gather and Angels swooped inside. She followed them into a spacious amphitheater showered with light, pillars rising from the sides. She sat on the very front empty seat overlooking the arena. A voice echoed clearly. It came from the middle of the arena where two angels stood, facing each other.

"We gain strength from a sense of shared destiny and the will to love the living selflessly. We shall carry on our crusade, we shall thrive and by the grace of God, we shall find serenity!" cheers rumbled the air as the masculine man spoke, his vast wings dragged behind him. They chanted his name.

Michael.

Goosebumps washed her body. She stood, assuming who the one with three pairs marvelous of wings was.

"Those who share my faith-- raise your hands!" the crowd buzzed as numerous hands up-heaved. "For those who don't-- Raise your standards!" stir of cheer and nix enveloped the air as they chanted his name.

Lucifer.

"We should not void ourselves of affection to our own kind! We crave what we can't have!" Lucifer's voice resounded sealing their lips. He looked in her direction, she stood her ground as a shock wave attempted to push her back. Was he able to see her?

Reina looked behind her. There, stood an elegant angel exuding dignity. Her long golden braided hair was resting on her shoulder. Her humble wings settled timidly behind her back, covered with argent feathers. Her eyes were in the shade of emeralds that reflected pain and sorrow as she leered over Michael and Lucifer. "That is-- love."

Lilia-- Reina thought to herself.

Reina looked back to the arena but the peaceful ivory became a blush of crimson mantle. A war in heaven took place. In the midst of raging battle around her, it took more strength and courage for Reina to stay in place than scuttle away. She hunkered down as she stared at the bloodshed of clashing swords, flying arrows and fallen angels.

"Please-- STOP!" Lilia begged ascending towards Michael and Lucifer.

Lucifer swung his sword at Michael ignoring Lilia, but now Michael released his true self, screaming as he struck down Lucifer, his sword cutting through his blade, with another swing he cut off a pair of Lucifer's upper wings, sending it spiraling to the ground where fallen angels rest. Lilia swooped to aid Lucifer, flapping her wings hard in effort to lift him.

"Please, no more." Lilia begged, tears suffocating her eyes as they bolted away from Michael.

The ground paved in, swallowing Reina into a warp of silver threads. Soft light enveloped her vision, confessing the vast, sapphire sky that reflected on the serene ocean. The wind whistled through the meadow. Near the cliff, she saw Lilia tending to Lucifer, her tears lazily teeming down her cheeks.

Reina drew herself closer in a distance.

"This is my entire fault" Lilia voiced in between her tears. Lucifer's heart broke at the force of self-loathing in her voice. Lilia crossed her hands over her chest as if she were trying to hug herself. Lucifer couldn't stand seeing her hurt so much. He buried his face in her shoulder, and his hands were gripping at the back of her wings.

Lucifer's wings were drenched in cardinal blood gushing from his mangled wings that sent stabbing pain throughout his body.

"The fault is mine, and mine alone" he dried her tears with his fingers. "You turned out to be one of the best blessings ever given to me. The only thing better was loving you."

Lilia buried her face in his chest and busted into body-wracking, silent sobs. The sky lit up with a sight of an army of brilliant angels led by Michael. She had no strength left in her wings for them to fly away and escape.

"I'll face hell-- so you... go return back to heaven" he whispered under his breath.

Lucifer recited an incantation. His wings vanished in the surge of light. He reached over to Lilia's back and seeded his wings. Lilia levitated from the ground, six wings flourished behind her back. Two almost covering her face, two stretched beneath her feet and with two, she flew.

Reina flinched at the sudden throb on her back.

"I will give you my wings so you can head back. Time will come; I'll wait for the heavens to approve of my love. When that happens, will you be mine?" Lucifer reached over trailing his hands from her forehead down to her cheek. Smiling gently, staring at her emerald eyes. She smiled, nodding; shedding bittersweet tears. "At the moment of your slumber, when you descend from heaven as a bright soul, my wings will be the symbol that will guide me to you."

The army of angels drew near to seize Lucifer. Lilia spread her wings to protect him. Lucifer had vanished with the wind.

Word spread throughout heaven. Lilia was described as the six-winged angel who received love that flies around the throne of God. She became a member of celestial beings placed in the highest angel hierarchy with an influential Hellenistic work called..

Seraph.

A roaring voice echoed in the wide. Everything rattled. The vision in front of her shattered like glass.

She gasped for air as she opened her eyes, finding herself in cold sweats, in her room. "A dream" she uttered in between her breaths. Or was it? Her heart was thumping like crazy. The book was still in her hands, her thumb tucked in it. She flipped open to carry on reading.

Micheal had cast over a spell on Lilia's soul before descending from heaven as a pure soul. First is the protection of light, evil will not be able to touch her. Second, a part of his spirit will serve as her guardian, safeguarding her. Third, the child-bearer of her soul will have an instinct of danger. Lastly...

Reina turned over the page but it was blank. She scanned through the remaining pages, they were blank as well. She sighed, feeling very disappointed. She went down to the kitchen, slumping as she pulled a chair to sit. Her mother discerned her gloomy color.

"Is there a problem?"

Reina let out a long, depressing sigh, still lost in thought. Her mother pulled a chair across her, waiting for a response.

"It's been a roller coaster the past few days." her mother shook her head to listen. "I keep seeing visions of angels and my birthmark keeps on throbbing. Just now, I dreamed about them. It felt so real" she explained.

"Angels?" her mother repeated.

"Yeah. Lilia... Michael and uhh" she paused for a fraction of a second "Lucifer." there was a sudden change in her mother's expression upon hearing the name 'Lucifer'.

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Playlist Recommendation

On the Wings of Love by Kyla

https://youtu.be/5zg2988nl6M

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