Her story began, like many, with a spark—a spark of ambition, determination, and opportunity.

    “They’ve got a lot of nerve, starting like this,” Yongguk closed the newspaper that was in his hands, ink smudging off onto his fingers as he folded it back up and placed it on the table in front of him, “I can’t believe the Archangel isn’t doing anything about it.”

    Headlines all across the Divine Realm were ablaze. Word had gotten out that the Tyrants, second in leadership over the Abyssal realm after the Archfiend, had begun forming an elite team of young demons, ones that were incredibly skilled and powerful beyond measure. This team operated under direct command of the Archfiend, and what everybody was left wondering was why?

    “It’s those damn Ancients up in their alcove all day doing jack all, that’s what the problem is,” Himchan shook his head, “It’s a wonder anything ever gets done around here.”

    Yongguk nodded in agreement, rubbing the tips of his fingers together until the newspaper ink faded. Himchan, a former commander in the Divine forces, ironically had no problem discussing the many flaws of their archaic government. That part of his life was behind him; he had no patience left for the leaders he had once served under. Yongguk, on the other hand, had no such ties to stifle his dislike for the Archangel’s governing. 

    “I heard they’re giving an official statement in regards to the matter this afternoon in the courtyard. Care to come along?” Yongguk inquired, and the hand now clasped onto his left shoulder filled his mind with Himchan’s resonating concurrence. With a nod of reply, the two friends set off through town.

. : .

    “Father, are you sure this is really necessary?” a young angel asked, her cerulean eyes gleaming with uncertainty. Her father, Head Archangel of the Divine Realm, was being accompanied by six of the Ancients to give his formal address on the recent news from the Abyssal realm. News from the Abyss was rare, and so something this important coming up so suddenly had caused much uproar among the angels. Many were insisting that defences be put up so that travel between the realms would be cut off entirely.

    “Haneul, darling, the people just need reassurance,” the Archangel replied, “With the Ancients present, the kingdom will see that there is nothing to worry about—that they are in good hands.”

    “I was thinking quite the opposite,” Haneul reasoned, “It just seems like quite the trouble to set baseless worries at ease, if they really are as baseless as you suggest.”

    “Perhaps, child. Perhaps,” her father nodded, “But either way, the unrest is quite apparent. It troubles me.”

    “Why don’t you just tell them?” Haneul began, but her father gave her a look.

    “You know this is not the time for that,” he replied ambiguously, knowing there were always unwanted ears close by, “I cannot stand before my people with empty promises. It is best we keep that quiet for now, at least until they are ready. I need to see progress.”

    Haneul sighed resignedly. “If mother asks, I’ll be in the library,” she said, having no interest in staying to hear how her father would appease the anxious crowd waiting outside.

    With a nod, the six Ancients present flanked the Archangel, three on either side of him, and they proceeded out to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard from the lowest level of the palace some twenty feet above the ground. The first level was reserved for this very purpose, since it was the closest to the palace grounds where citizens of the realm could gather in the event that the Head Archangel would speak publicly. The palace itself had well over a hundred floors and the Ancients would normally only be found at the very top, known as the Ancients’ Alcove, but today was an exception.

    Outside, citizens from all across the realm had flocked to the palace in anticipation of their leader’s word. The Archangel knew what it was they needed to hear. They needed to hear words of reassurance, of confidence and fortitude, and of perseverance as a realm. Extending his right hand out towards his people, the chatter below was extinguished.

    “I do not come to you today with talk of retribution,” he spoke, voice loud and clear and resonating with authority, “Nor should we be concerning ourselves with rumours and conspiracies that only cast shadows upon long concluded conflicts. The worries that have erupted from recent news are baseless when considering the likelihood of real danger. The connection our realms share has always been accessible to all; now is no time to be cowering in fear of an enemy that is nonexistent. Demons have always kept to themselves, and they have no reason to do otherwise.”

    The crowd was becoming restless. If the portals between the realms were to remain open, that meant that the Divine realm would have no defences against invasion. And with the newly assembled team beneath the Archfiend, there was no telling what kind of army they could potentially form. Certainly, one stronger than the Archangel’s own.

    “The demons are too strong! How are we supposed to defend ourselves?” a voice shouted out from the crowd, and assenting murmurs broke out.

    The Archangel held up his hand once more and waited for quiet to return before speaking.

    “I tell this to you, they are undoubtedly more powerful—it would be foolish to question their strength. But never have we been conquered. Never has our wisdom failed us. And never have our own strengths been inadequate to safeguard our sovereign realm.”

    The crowd was swept up in murmurs once again; it was clear that the public opinion was still split. Clearing his throat, the Archangel had one last thing to say, and he knew he needed to word his message carefully.

    “We are not defenceless. Trust that the situation is being monitored closely and will be dealt with in the event that such action becomes necessary," he said, and many began to wonder as to what he was alluding. “Now let us not toil with such negative thoughts. I bid you good day, and may peace settle itself within all your hearts.”

    As the Ancients receded into the palace, the angel from the crowd who had spoken out frowned in dissatisfaction. “What is that old man getting on about now?” Yongguk asked aloud, “You’d almost think they're hiding something.”

    Himchan nodded, “Where is our faith supposed to lie when our own government cannot maintain transparency?”

    Yongguk hoisted himself up onto the stone wall that skirted the courtyard, and many curious eyes began to shift his direction.

    “Are we really going to sit back and wait for the demons to attack first?” he asked, and the crowd listened intently, “How long will the Ancients wait?”

    Some angels began to nod in agreement. Something had to be done, or they surely would suffer later.

    “How much destruction will it take before the Archangel realizes the days of treaty have long been forgotten?” Yongguk continued, “How many families will have to suffer before he wakes up to reality?”

    He had the crowd’s full attention by now, and the angels before him looked on with vigour.

    “He says the enemy is nonexistent, but we all know that’s not true. The demons have always been our enemy, and they always will be. If they are building an army, it’s obvious whom they would use it against. It is in their tainted blood to fight without mercy! Who is to say their greed and lust for power will not bring them straight to our doorstep?” he paused for a moment to let his words sink in.

    “Here, here,” Himchan began a slow, rhythmic clap as he grinned up at his friend. The applause gradually spread through the crowd, and soon, they were cheering for Yongguk’s motivational words.

    “This is no time to sit helplessly and wait for our own defeat! Now is the time to stand up for ourselves!” he shouted, pumping his fist in the air determinedly.

    Many of the angels in the crowd did the same as they gave a shout of assent, “Hurrah!”

    “Now is the time to ensure the future of our realm!”

    Another fist pump. “Hurrah!"

    “Now is the time to rise and show what we are really made of!”

    Each cheering face was lit up with pride. “Hurrah!”

    “We will not be threatened by these creatures who are nothing compared to us!”

    “HURRAH!”

. : .

    “Shall we do something, your grace?” asked Joonmyun, a highly ranked member of the guard. A second guard, Jongin, stood beside him awaiting orders.

    The Archangel nodded as he stood by the window, the creases in his brow deepening as he watched the events below unfold. “Quietly so. Settle the crowd and send them home,” he said, and Joonmyun nodded before taking off out the window with Jongin following closely behind.

    They soared above the courtyard, circling down until they reached the ground. They landed upon the grassy clearing, making their way over to the stone wall that Yongguk was perched upon.

    “Excuse me,” Joonmyun called his attention amid the cheering crowd, and Yongguk looked down at him.

    “Peace within you, gentlemen. How can I help you?” he asked, jumping down from the wall to better converse. He held out his hand to greet him, and as soon as Joonmyun pressed their palms together, a dark look came across Yongguk’s face.

    “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave,” said Joonmyun, even though Yongguk already knew that much.

    “He wasn’t doing anything wrong,” Himchan objected.

    “Disturbances on palace grounds are to be dealt with accordingly. Standard protocol,” Jongin explained.

    “For the record, I understand where you're coming from,” Joonmyun added, “I really do. But some of the citizens may take your words a bit strongly, don’t you think? We wouldn’t want anything drastic to result.”

    “Words with this much weight behind them should be taken seriously,” said Yongguk, eyeing the two men’s uniforms, “These are dangerous times we are entering, just remember that. Perhaps you should tell the Archangel that courtyard ‘disturbances’ should be the least of his worries right now.”

. : .

    “What is it, Youngjae?” Haneul asked her friend—a young scholar with whom she spent many a pleasant afternoon with here in the palace library—as she sat at a large table with stacks of books surrounding her.

    Youngjae shrugged, returning from the window. “There’s some kind of commotion in the courtyard,” he replied, and he pondered over what that man outside had been saying.

    Haneul drew a book from the teetering pile in front of her, and its ancient bindings bore the symbol of the Universal Trinity—three circles intertwined, representing continuity, each with slightly unique characteristics to symbolize each of the three realms. The book was one of her favourites, Turmoil to Trinity: A History of the Realms. “Do you think there is any danger?” she asked out loud, and Youngjae looked at her curiously, “The demons; do you think they're really up to something?”

    “I don't know,” he thought for a moment, “But it certainly never seems to be good news if it involves them.”

    “Father says it’s nothing worth worrying about,” she added.

    Youngjae tore his eyes away from the man outside as he noticed two of the Archangel’s guards arrive to disperse the crowd. “You never know,” he said carefully, “He could be wrong.”

    Haneul stared at him, surprised that he would say such a thing. “Are you doubtful?” she asked, almost accusingly.

    Youngjae sighed. “You know I didn’t mean it like that,” he reassured her. He placed the palm of his hand over Haneul’s, and she could feel his apology coursing through her nerves.

    “Youngjae!” A rambunctious young man suddenly entered the library and clasped hands with the boy whose name he had called. “The perks of being a scholar, eh? Get to spend all day in the pala–” He stopped his sentence midway as he noticed who was seated at the table.

    “A friend of yours?” Haneul inquired, studying the new face curiously.

    “You could say that,” Youngjae grumbled, “Haneul, this is Daehyun.”

    “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Cheonguk Ddal,” Daehyun kissed the top of her hand with a wink, and Youngjae rolled his eyes at his best friend’s cringe-worthy dramatics.

    ‘Cheonguk Ddal’ was a respectful title given to her by all the Divine citizens. It literally meant ‘heaven’s daughter’. Although Haneul didn't always like the formality, she accepted the title graciously nonetheless.

    “Youngjae, you never told me,” Daehyun nudged him.

    “Told you what? There’s nothing to tell,” he replied flatly, “I’d better get going, Haneul. I’ll see you later.”

    “First name basis, I like it,” Daehyun exclaimed as Youngjae dragged him out of the library by the collar of his shirt.

. : .

    “The crowd has dispersed,” Joonmyun announced as he and Jongin reached the top floor of the Palace—the Ancient’s Alcove—where the Archangel was waiting for their return.

    “Thank you; please join us,” he nodded to them, and they joined the lineup of four other angels. “Joonmyun, as I understand it, some of your men have made some significant results in recent training sessions.”

    “Yes, your grace,” Joonmyun smiled, “Chanyeol and Sehun have both shown remarkable progression. I can now proudly say they are the first, after myself, to show control over the natural elements—fire and wind respectively.”

    Chanyeol and Sehun held their heads high with pride as they tried to hide the boyish grins from their faces, and the Archangel nodded, pleased with their accomplishments.

    “Very impressive,” he said, “Now, the six of you have reached a very critical point in your training. With circumstances as they are, it will not be long until the existence of your team will become a public matter.”

    The six men—though some could almost still be considered mere boys—met his serious gaze. Each was a member of the Archangel’s Guard, but even more than that, they were apprentices of the Ancients, now undergoing strenuous training that no other angels had ever undergone. With the power and skill they would soon harness, they were to be the realm’s forerunning line of defence.

    “You are my most trusted soldiers,” he continued, “Never have I lost sight of the amazing potential each of you possesses. But I will be looking for speedier progress within the near future, as the worries of the realm can only be appeased for so long. Time is of the utmost importance. If the demons do in fact make a move against us, I trust that you will all be ready.”

    “We will be, your grace,” Jongin spoke up, his voice hard and determined.

    The Archangel smiled, placing a hand upon the particularly earnest angel’s shoulder. “Oh, I believe you, Jongin. I believe you with every fiber of my being,” he said, “Now don’t prove me a gullible old fool.”