It started as a curiosity.

Sana found herself drawn to humanity. Their strange culture fascinated her.

There was so much pain and sadness, and despite it all, moments of joy, pleasure and beauty.

She’d always felt something missing where she lived. Day to day, her tasks were the same. It wasn’t that she despised her role as a recorder, but she itched to be down where the human history she was recording was actually happening—on Earth.

Very few angels were granted the privilege to leave Heaven. After all, the existence of angels was meant to be elusive. Humans were meant to know of the idea of them, but never witness them in person, yet they were still expected to believe.

That was the whole meaning of the phrase “leap of faith.”

The few angels who did travel to Earth were miracle workers, and demon slayers. Both titles are pretty self explanatory. Sana didn’t really care to hunt demons—she didn’t want to get her hands dirty. She did, however, want to perform miracles. She wanted nothing more than to see the smile on a human’s face after granting them a wish.

“You need to be patient, Sana,” Mina mused. The brunette was one of Sana’s closest friends, and a fellow recorder who was recently offered a promotion. They were sitting in a quad outside of their office, enjoying the perfect temperature outside. She had just listened to Sana go on one of her regular rants about how HR had still not approved her request to be moved to the miracle department. “We literally have all the time in the world.”

Mina giggled at her own joke, causing Sana to roll her eyes and pout. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re perfectly content with your job and you’ve been to Earth already.”

“And I’m telling you, it wasn’t that great.” Mina shrugged. “Humans are dirty, violent creatures. I love them as much as you do, but I am happy that I’m here, and not there,” Mina pointed down, in the direction of Earth.

“Momo, what do you think?” Sana asked. Her other friend, a listener whose job it was to monitor the prayers of humans, had been unusually quiet recently. “Hello? Heaven to Momo?” Sana reached over to her friend and poked her cheek.

Momo jumped, blinking a few times before whining. “Sorry,” she replied, yawning loudly. “I’m super sleepy.”

“Angels don’t even need to sleep,” Mina remarked, shaking her head.

“And yet, I’m ready for a nap,” the other girl mused, resting her head on the picnic table in front of her and closing her eyes.

Sana sighed. Neither one of her closest friends understood her. She was alone with these curiosities and troubled thoughts, which made her feel somewhat lonely.

After work was over, she met up with Mina and Momo to begin walking home. Mina was the closest to the office, and so she waved goodbye to her friends first. Momo was the second closest. Sharing a quick hug before they parted, Momo grabbed Sana’s shoulders once they let go, and gave her a knowing look. “I know it’s hard to wait but, you’ll get to Earth eventually.”

“How do you know?” Sana asked, sincerely.

Momo shrugged. “Call it intuition. Besides, you’re a hard worker and HR knows that.” On that note, Momo waved and turned to walk toward her apartment. Sana was left alone to make the rest of her journey back to her dwelling.

Despite not having to sleep, angels kept a measure on time the same way humans did—following the same calendar and all. The sun rose and set at the same time, so the path Sana was walking on was cast in shadow as the sun set. Each night there was a brilliant sunset illuminating the sky in the prettiest pink and orange imaginable.

She was daydreaming about getting a job as a miracle worker, when she noticed a woman standing alone, directly blocking her path. She looked to be about thirty in human years—not that that meant anything around here. Angels were immortal, and most chose to look like humans in their twenties to thirties despite being thousands of years old.

Seeing a stranger in Heaven? Well, it was almost unheard of. All the angels knew one another, at least on a professional level. “Excuse me,” Sana replied, approaching the strange woman. “Are you lost?”

Heaven was a bit hard to navigate if you were new. It’d taken Sana nearly 100 years before she actually knew where she was going.

The woman looked at her, narrowing her eyes and smiling. Her attire also looked out of code—being all black. Part of Sana knew this was a bad sign, but demons couldn’t reach Heaven. It was impossible, wasn’t it?

“You want to go to Earth,” the woman stated, studying Sana. “You want to feel the ocean breeze on your skin. You want to know what a kiss tastes like. You want to feel pain, even. Anguish. Just once.” The woman was moving closer, causing Sana to back up to maintain space between them.

“What are you talking about?” Sana replied, quietly. She said it automatically, as a defense. Only Momo and Mina knew about her obsession with humans—she didn’t dare tell anyone else.

“I know you, Sana,” the woman said. Her voice was airy and dangerous. “You’re the one who brought me here.”

Sana blinked in surprise, backing away. “No, no, that’s impossible.”

The woman smirked, reveling in the angel’s guilt and fear. “Do not be afraid. I came here to offer you what you seek.”

Sana stopped, narrowing her eyes at the woman in front of her. “Angels do not seek anything. We have everything we need here.”

Laughing, the woman crossed her arms. “You and I both know that’s not true.”

“Who are you?” Sana asked, trembling slightly.

“My name is Gaap. I have the power to grant your wish. Please, follow me.” The woman spun around on her heal gracefully and began to walk away. Sana looked around, checking to see if anyone else was there to witness the stranger. Oddly though, she was entirely alone.

Taking a breath, she quickly ran to catch up with the woman called Gaap.

Sana fell in stride with Gaap, who was moving purposefully forward. “You’re a demon?” she guessed.

Gaap laughed again—and it wasn’t a sickening sound like Sana had imagined all these years, but it was surprisingly pleasant. “You could say that.”

The skin on Sana’s neck began to crawl, and yet she continued to walk with the woman. “So you came here to grant me a wish, out of the goodness of your heart? How did a demon get into Heaven, anyway?”

“We have our ways,” the woman answered, vaguely. “Your desire was enough to draw me here. There’s nothing sweeter than the taste of an angel’s sins.”

Sana bristled, freezing in place. “I’m...a sinner?”

Gaap stopped as well, turning to face the younger girl. “Darling, we all are. Even angels sin, despite what you may have been told. No one is free from sin. Well, only God, that is.” Gaap cleared . “Remember, when Lucifer chose not to love humans? He committed a terrible sin and proved that angels were flawed beings.”

Sana made a face. “Well yeah, that’s Satan...he’s kind of the king of hell.”

Gaap rolled her eyes. “Don’t give that guy too much credit. Anyway, I’m willing to help you get to Earth. I want you to experience the human condition. And I’m asking for nothing in return.”

Raising an eyebrow, Sana bit her lip. “You’re a demon...how am I supposed to trust you. Besides, if I do get to Earth, I’ll get in major trouble. They’ll never let me become a miracle worker!”

“Oh c’mon, you have to give me more credit than that. Besides, you can’t get caught if they never find out. Let’s just say, I can conjure up a little glamor, strong enough to trick even angels. How did you think I got here? I didn’t just waltz in looking like this.”

Before Sana could even open , Gaap snapped her fingers, and a shroud of mist appeared out of nowhere, covering her body completely until it disappeared and revealed that she now had an entirely new appearance.

“No way,” Sana gasped. She was staring at a completely accurate duplicate of herself, clothes and all. “That’s freaky…”

“See?” Gaap said, and even her voice sounded exactly like Sana’s. She winked at the girl, giggling.

“So you’d...pretend to be me while I was gone? That would never work. Besides, I work as a recordist, so you’d get access to confidential information.”

“Oh, please. Honey, if I really wanted information I could walk right into your central headquarters at any time. No one could stop me. I couldn’t care less about the information you angels know. I just live to create chaos and amplify desire. If anything, it’d just be a change of pace for me. Hell’s gotten a bit...boring. And Earth is just tiresome.”

“This is crazy,” Sana replied, shaking her head. “Absolute madness.”

Gaap shrugged. “I think it’d be fun. You’d get to live like a human for a month, and then I’d zap you back up here. Oh also, I’d just have to temporarily take your wings. They’d be good as new as soon as you got back here, though.”

Sana reached back and touched her wings, which were folded up on her back at the moment. “Why couldn’t I have my wings on Earth?”

“Some technicality. Actually, believe it or not, all angels on Earth have to go without their wings. Their other powers remain intact, but that’s one thing that’s always removed.”

Gaap snapped her fingers again, returning back to her original form. “I know it’s a lot, but I can feel your longing. I feel for you, believe it or not. I can’t imagine being stuck here for your entire eternal life…”

“Can I...think about it?” Sana asked, angry at herself for even considering it.

“Of course, I’ll give you a day. This is a one time offer, just so you know. I’ll be back in 24 hours, see you then!” The demon winked, causing Sana to blush slightly. The demon waved and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Sana took a breath, sitting down on the nearest bench. She had to talk to Mina and Momo about this. She already knew what Mina’s answer would be, but maybe Momo would understand…

She began to run toward Momo’s apartment, which happened to be nearby. Knocking gently on the door, there was the sound of shuffling before a surprised Momo answered. “I need to talk to you,” Sana said.

 

“Have you both lost your minds?” Mina demanded. Her face was beat red, and her hands were squeezed into fists. Sana didn’t think she’d seen Mina looking this angry, well, ever. “That is the stupidest, most dangerous idea I’ve ever heard! Trusting a demon?” Mina groaned in frustration, running her hands through her dark brown hair. “It’s unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable. And this plan will fail.”

Sana and Momo both hung their heads. “Listen, I know it’s reckless—”

“—it’s beyond reckless, Sana—”

“—but this is my only chance! Who knows, maybe HR will decide I’ll never be fit to be a miracle worker! I’ll never be able to go to Earth, and see humans first hand!”

“Why do you care so much about humans anyway?” Mina asked. “They’re selfish, cruel and ignorant. They can’t give you anything you’re looking for! We literally live in paradise! Is that not enough for you?” Her voice was beginning to crack as tears began to well up in her eyes. “Are Momo and I not enough for you?”

She said the last bit so quietly, Sana barely caught it. The rage had disappeared from her face and been replaced with something resembling despair. There was not supposed to be sadness in Heaven, and yet Mina was looking at Sana as if she’d just broken her heart.

Sana quickly stood up, reaching for Mina’s hands and interlocking their fingers. Mina didn’t protest, but she remained staring at the ground, unable to look Sana in the eye.

“You know you both mean more than anything to me, right?” Sana said. She unlocked her right hand from Mina’s and reached up to wipe a spilled tear sliding down the girl’s cheek. “I can’t tell you why I’m so obsessed with going down there. I wish I could be as fully satisfied as you are. I’d be a lot less trouble for everyone. But it’s who I am—some deep seeded part of me. And once I get to experience this, I’ll be happy. Happier than ever before. And then I’ll come back to you.”

Mina sniffled. “You’re going to get hurt,” she replied. “Earth is not this glorious place you’ve built it up to be. It is God’s work, and there is so much beauty there—but also the sadness and sorrow that comes from free will… I don’t want it to weigh heavy on your heart.”

“And if it does, that is my burden to bear.” Sana gently lifted the other girl’s chin so that they were making eye contact once again.

“Besides, I’ll be there with her,” Momo said. “Well, at least I hope to be. We have to ask if this Gaap has more bored friends that can use glamors.”

Mina and Sana both turned to see their other friend, who remained sitting on Mina’s couch.

“I’m surprised at you for encouraging this,” Mina muttered, looking at Momo with disapproval.

Momo shrugged. “Honestly, it sounds exciting. Besides, I could use some time off from listening—it’s been hundreds of years since my last extended break. I feel like I know the humans well, hearing all their hopes and wishes night after night. They’re cute,” Momo said. “Well, mostly.”

“So you guys go down there, and I’m stuck with two demons pretending to be you both? I’ll be a demon babysitter.”

Sana nearly laughed at the thought. “Relax, Gaap actually seems kind of nice.”

“Nice?! She’s a literal demon!” Mina groaned.

“You could probably come too, you know,” Momo offered.

Mina made a face of disgust. “I’ll leave the bad decision making to you two. I wanna keep my wings and actually be able to accept this promotion I was offered.”

That was that. Sana was really doing this. Her and Momo were doing this.

 

Sana returned to the garden outside of her apartment to find Gaap, walking with her hands clasped behind her back. This time, Momo was with her. The two held hands as they walked near the demon, who was actually dressed in white today.

“Gaap,” Sana announced, and the demon turned her head to face the girls with a knowing smile on her face. “I’d like to go forward with your plan, but I have a favor to ask. My friend here, Momo, would also like to come with me. Would you be able to make arrangements for that?”

“Another curious angel,” Gaap replied, eyeing Momo up and down. “Yes, I suppose I have trusted friends who might agree to help.” The woman surveyed the area, as if looking for someone else. “What about your third friend?”

“How do you know about her?” Sana replied, suddenly narrowing her eyes.

Gaap gave her an honest smile. “I make it my business to know things. Besides, if I’m going to be pretending to be you, I need to know more about you. That includes your dear friend Mina.”

“Mina’s not interested,” Momo said, frankly. She took a step toward the demon and extended her wings, as if to appear a bit more threatening.

Gaap laughed dismissively. “I see, that’s a shame. Well, I’m sure I’ll get to know her better here. As for you two, you need to prepare yourselves for the fall. It’s painless, but takes a lot out of you. It’ll be over in a few minutes and then you’ll be on your own for a month.”

Momo and Sana looked at each other. “You’re sure about this?” Sana asked.

Nodding, Momo relaxed her wings.

“I need a few hours to arrange for another demon to join me, but I’ll be back by nightfall.” Gaam waved goodbye to the two angels before she faded into thin air.

 

Sana and Momo both wrote summaries of how their jobs worked to leave for their demon substitutes. Mina could only watch in frustration. “You know, if I see these demons doing anything fishy, I have to report them,” Mina said.

“I know,” Sana replied. “I’m prepared for that, and Momo is too.”

“What am I going to do with you two?” Mina murmured.

“Don’t miss us too badly when we’re gone, Minari,” Momo teased, pulling the youngest girl into a hug. “We’ll be back before you know it,” she whispered in the girl’s ear.

She pulled away, leaving Sana and Mina staring at each other. Sana could see Mina’s bottom lip was trembling slightly. “Hey,” she said. “Come here.”

Sana opened her arms and Mina ran to her, burrowing her head into Sana’s neck. “Be careful, okay?” Mina begged. Momo joined the hug, squishing Mina between her and Sana. They stayed like that for a minute and savored the moment before they let go.

“Alright, we’re leaving!” Sana cheered. She took Momo’s hand and began to walk toward the door. Mina gave them a small wave before they closed the door behind them. Standing for a moment in her own silence, Mina took a shaky breath. She needed to make sure they got out of Heaven safely, at least. She’d trail behind them and watch them go, she decided.

Stepping outside herself, Mina began to walk in the same direction she’d seen the girls go. She quickly stopped though, hearing whispers in the distance. They were rushed and unfamiliar. Tiptoeing in the direction of the noise, Mina made her way off the path to a more secluded part of the quad her apartment was on.

She spotted two women, both wearing black. Stealthily, she crouched behind a bush, straining to hear them.

“They suspect nothing?” Mina heard one of the women say.

“They’re completely unaware. Angels are pitifully naive,” the other said.

“Good. When they’re down there, Malphas will find them and destroy them.”

Mina bit her tongue, fighting the urge to gasp. She knew they were talking about Sana and Momo. So the demons were tricking them after all—she couldn’t say she was surprised.

“I can sense they’re ready. Let’s go, sister.” The demons both disappeared in an instant, leaving Mina shaking in anger.

She had to find Momo and Sana and stop them before they fell to Earth, then she would alert her elders of the demon’s plot. She flapped her wings, lifting into the air. Flying was always much faster than running, although most angels prefered to use their legs. She took off, flying over the rows of trees in search for her friends with a sense of urgency like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

“Momo, Sana!” she screamed. She hadn’t yet found them. Where could they have gone?

She saw a light up ahead—bright and red—that exploded into view. She willed her wings to push her faster than ever before. After a minute, she nearly collided with the two women in black, who were staring at a ripple in the air in front of them—clearly a portal to Earth.

“Sana! Momo!” Minal cried, looking around desperately for her friends. The two women turned around to see Mina hovering in the air.

“Mina,” the taller woman in black mused, smiling in delight. “I’m afraid you missed your friends. They’ve already fallen. I imagine they’ll be reaching Earth soon.”

“You tricked them!” Mina cried. “I know what you plan to do to them. I’m going to report it to Michael now—he’ll cast you back to Hell where you belong!”

The shorter one laughed. “Fine, report us to sweet Michael, but know that our plans for your friends on Earth will not change. Malphas knows his task, and he always succeeds. He is the Prince of Hell, after all.”

Mina gritted her teeth. Her brain was churning up all her options with only one goal in mind—save Sana and Momo.

The two women snapped their fingers, causing their appearances to change to that of Momo and Sana. “The portal is closing now,” the one that looked like Sana, said. “You know what you have to do.”

Tears began to flow down Mina’s cheeks. One step through that portal and she would be committing an atrocious crime. She’d be abandoning her post and leaving Heaven without orders. None of that mattered though, knowing that her friends were in trouble.

As the demon warned, the portal began to shrink. Mina took a breath, crying out before she launched herself into the portal after her friends.