“I’ll fall, for you.”

Willingly, the angel tore off her own wings. Upon the action, they floated upwards slowly in a low hum, the beautiful feathers glowed in a pale pink halo and was eventually absorbed in a blinding flash into the remains of a girl who had ceased her breath.

The angel gradually lost her abilities to maintain a human form, excruciating pain threw her into a paralyzed state and she let go of the bloodied human girl that was cradled in her arms. As her body weakened due to her remaining powers that trickled away, she called for help in her mind.

“Sakura! What happened?” A figure materialized from thin air, gracing the grounds of Earth that were tainted with fresh ichor. “Your wings… What have you done?” The petite being gasped.

“Take me… Somewhere safe… Please.” Consumed in sadness and physical pain, Sakura struggled to form her words. Due to her vulnerability, she was unable to maintain a human state and had returned to her Angel form, but the brilliance of the powers from above had begun to fade away. Her luscious silver hair darkened to an onyx black, her golden eyes reduced to obsidian orbs as she took in the impurities from using the unholy powers of the land beneath her; she had no choice. The radiance around her frame shimmered weakly as thick golden liquid flowed steadily from the two hideous gashes on her back; an ugly V on the luminous porcelain skin where a pair of magnificent appendages used to be.

The agony from the raw wounds of the fully clipped wings burned like hellfire, unceasing and torturous. It felt like she had brutally cut off her limbs, but the angel didn’t mind, for she had managed to preserve the life of the girl despite the loss of her status and powers. There was only one way to resume her plane of existence, and as long as she could continue to watch over the girl, she would sacrifice anything.

Even if she became the devil.

As the smaller angel enveloped them in a flash of light, Sakura released the time bubble. She spared one last glance at the uninjured girl who lay on the road. Her vision was blurry, but she could vaguely make out a muss of red hair who rushed to attend to her before it faded black.

-

“When an angel loses their wings, they fall from Heaven, no longer able to return to those heights. There are three possible scenarios where this could happen.

Firstly, angels who have sinned or have given in to evil temptation will be punished by the Divine, they shall be subjected to eternal damnation on Earth and have their wings torn forcefully.

Secondly, when angels use the true form of their wings, they will cease to exist.

Lastly, in which the angel willingly clips their wings, falling from the Heavens of their own accord.”

-

Minju reads the paragraphs from the Holy Excerpts while she sits in the Archive. Surrounded by lush greenery under the transparent golden-rimmed dome that stretched in a radius comprising sections of writings, she stands on the middle-most floating platform where the plain wooden shelves of the Original Scrolls were kept. Bright light generated from the powers of the Divine glistens perpetually through the glass walls, casting a nourishing glow on the plants. This is her very first mission on Earth, not to mention one instructed by the Divine herself; it is definitely of utmost recognition. She studies the excerpts carefully, as her task is to capture the fallen one who wreaks havoc on the mortal plane.

Minju is still new at this, she had only been born as an angel for a few years, and as elated as she was to be granted this chance to better the people, she had carried her duties responsibly and took initiatives in righting the wrongs of mortal beings. This earned her reverence from other fellow angels and most importantly, the honor of being one of the most highly regarded angels directly under the Divine’s command. She needs to make sure she succeeds, she can’t possibly fail with so much trust placed in her.

Flipping through the ancient pages, Minju believes the fallen one must have been one who sinned, for who would willingly clip their wings and strip off their identity of a holy being? She simply could not comprehend why it was a plausible choice. The Divine hadn’t disclosed much information on the identity of the one who must be captured, all she knows is that this is a particularly pesky devil who preys on the greed of the human race, tempting them to give in to their negative emotions. It is one who must be stopped, the Divine had said solemnly.

Minju closes the book just as the light-hearted patter of bare feet against the stone platform approaches from behind.

“Ready to go?” A chirpy voice calls out to Minju.

“Yes! Thank you for volunteering to come with me, Yena.” Minju smiles with a little bow as she turns to face the lavender-haired girl.

“No worries, I’ve got some experience dealing with them devils, gotta help if I can.” Yena grins. “We should head to the gates now, it’ll be opening in a few minutes.”

The two step off the platform onto one of the four suspending bridges that branch out towards the other areas of the Archive in equal quarters. Minju walks as gracefully as one imagines an angel to carry themselves, whereas Yena is the epitome of casualness. Skipping down the path with her hands swaying in a childlike manner and her ponytail bouncing behind, she makes way to the exit of the grand dome with no regard for upholding a prim and proper image. Despite that, it is exactly why Minju enjoys being around Yena. The girl has no air of pretentiousness around her, Yena’s personality is undeterred by the behavior of the mass and she is just as natural as she is born to be. Although Yena is considered to be her senior, there is no form of superiority between the two as Yena tries to avoid having to rank her acquaintances based on their experiences, after all, they are born on the same level within their race, there was absolutely no need for formalities, because that makes it kind of awkward, Yena had said.

When they reach the gates of Heaven, they are faced with a large rectangular stone slab on the endless grassy plains.

“This rock generates the portal to other realms,” Yena introduces, her hair fluttering with the cool gentle breeze. “Only the Divine can control it.”

Minju nods, she had read about it in the excerpts. She glances downwards at herself, then towards Yena, a question immediately forms in her mind and she speaks.

“I am aware that the mortals on Earth do not dress the same as us,” Minju gestures towards the layers of translucent white robes that wrap loosely around their porcelain skin. “It is important that we blend in, but I do not possess any garments to guise myself.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve got a lot of those in my closet. I’ll have you know that I’m a fashionista.” Yena smirks proudly.

“Fash-uh what…?” Minju her head at the unfamiliar term, she barely caught the word that rolled from Yena’s mouth.

Yena clicks her tongue in mild frustration. “I’ll explain to you later, but for now,” She unfurls her wings that glow in a saffron shade, then grabs Minju’s hand. “The portal is open. Let’s go before it closes.”

Readying herself, Minju spreads her own wings that blush with pink and at the count of three, they jump into the vertical amethyst whirl that stems from the stone, vanishing along the warp portal with a soft zap.

As the most powerful angel who holds absolute authority over her other fellow beings, the private quarters of the Divine may simply be the room where she rests, but its grandiose is not to parred with. Gold silk drapes adorn the intricate silver windows scattered throughout the room, the ceilings are meters high, a gold chandelier hangs right in the middle and a lofty bed lies on a red fur carpet. Away from the resting area is a private open bath, spring water flows from a hole in the walls, pouring steadily into a round depth carved in white marble. Flower petals are scattered in the clear water as the refreshing floral scent wafts across the space along with the vapor. The silhouette of a woman can be vaguely seen through the mist, she bathes in the soothing warmth, listens to the calming trickle of water while her mind wanders unwillingly to the past that is now mere memories.

“What would you pick, five-years-old Eunbi, or five Eunbis?” Eunbi drops a question casually while she lay on the comforts of her bed against a shoulder, right under a head of violet hair. Purple strands tickled her face and neck, but she didn’t mind; she liked the close proximity they shared.

Without a single pause, the other woman pulled back slightly to look down into her eyes and answered. “Five Eunbis.”

“Why?” Eunbi asked curiously. She faced the woman who was a few inches away, eyes bore intently into the shimmering pair that watched her like they held the stars.

“Because there’s never enough of you.” A smile slowly spreads across the woman’s beautiful features. She reached up to cup Eunbi’s cheeks, her left thumb drawing loving circles that felt light as butterflies.

Eunbi blinked a few times while the cheesy yet sincere words sank in. She averted her gaze from the entrancing orbs as her face flushed with a tinge of cherry, the corner of her lips involuntarily curved up with glee. She didn’t reply, merely giggled, but the way she leaned into the touch and the crescents of her eyes displayed her obvious swoon towards the immediate answer. The other woman mirrored her chuckle, their heads bumped as they tilted forward with bashful laughter, and gentle hands s around each other’s waists, blanketed by the adoration they carried within.

Footsteps of a petite figure echo through the halls, it stops a few feet away from the translucent shutters of the bath area, then a voice interrupts and cuts through the invasive thoughts that are meant to be forgotten.

“Divine,” Nako bows. “Forgive my disturbance.”

The Divine blinks out of her reverie, her heart thumps at the closeness that she remembers vividly, but she brushes it off as a mere distraction. She waves an approval with her hand, her back facing the angel.

“May I speak a pressing inquiry?” Nako asks, head still low.

“Yes, you may.” The woman in the water replies without turning.

“Why did you send Minju after her?” Nako’s head lifts upon the approval, she continues, hands placed in front of her in a refined manner.

Silence ensues as the Divine remains seated in the rippling water.

“I’m sure you, of all beings, know the complications behind this decision.” The angel prompts with slight aggravation. “What if Minju–”

“I have sent dozens of angels to capture that fiend, and they all returned fruitless.” The Divine cuts through with a sigh. A flush of movement echo through the liquid, she rises languidly from the waters and turns to reach for a white robe that hangs from a silver hook on the wall. “That devil continues to bring chaos among mortals, I’m afraid her love might be the only subject that could possibly bring her back to us, she would never hurt a hair on Minju.” She finishes tying the garment around her slender waist and steps closer towards the shutters where Nako stands, her crimson hair dripping water on the black marble tiles that stretch across the area.

Nako looks into the pair of unsympathetic amber orbs, a knot beginning to form between her brows. “Eunbi… You’re using them against each other?”

“For the greater good,” Eunbi states, looking down at Nako with disdain. “Do you not approve of my doing? Are you doubting my decisions, Angel Nako?” She narrows her eyes, displeased by Nako’s accusatory tone. “Know your place, I am no longer one you can call by my name.”

“That is not the case, Divine.” Nako grits and averts her gaze to her feet. “I was simply thinking it would be unfair for the two. Minju deserves to know the truth, at least.”

“Will you bear the consequences if Minju falls to the temptation of the devil?” Eunbi sneers. “The loss of another exemplary ally among your ranks? She has brought much good to the human race, it would be a pity if we lost her to evil.”

“She is not evil, you know that.” Nako head jerks up at the way Eunbi had described her once close companion, she raises her voice unconsciously, then hurries to lower it in reverence. “She has done nothing wrong to be punished in th