Did you know, heaven also has tales and legends, to soothe baby cupids to their peaceful sleep, to hands it down from generation to generation to generation. Tales about Gods above and His Highness’ authority, and how they leads mortals to wellfare, about the betrayal and arrogance of Lucifer and his fall. To educate, to warn, to forbid the children of God from straying far away from him.

But fairy tales are not only for the young.

There are stories, just qualified angels can hear. A forbidden gossip going among them all.

About the day when the song sung on the throne died.

About the seraph abandoned her place with tears falling on her beautiful mask, fire lit along her footsteps, and God mourned for her leaving.

About her.

Her name is Maria.

They said she can’t be seen with eyes, her halo is an ever-burning fire bestowed by God himself, and she once burnt a mortal spirit to the end of his lifetime by her sword.

Hyejin reads the glossy pages closely, fingers running on illustrations of herself. Dark smoke of hatred clunking on the words, until there’s nothing else, nothing to be seen, just her. A glowing figure, shines with sickening, blinding yellow shades. They don’t even bother to capture her prideful smirk when she killed the bastard, or when she shattered her halo apart with bare hands and crushed her own wings to crumbs, voluntarily.

The pain, the fear, the tangy taste of hopelessness.

It tastes like blood.

The satisfaction, too. When she burnt the life out of that , and watched Michael crying out loud when she set his wings on fire.

The feelings when she could finally see the world with her own eyes for the first time in eons.

Oh, the old days. Who wouldn’t love a good story before dining time?

The book blares in her hands like a torch. A torch of absurdity.

She calls paradise bull.

“Come, Lion.”, Hyejin climbs down of the window sills, clapping her hands together to get rid of the ash that remained. “We have pork for you today, and for me too! Loco sent some really good sausage from his trip to Earth, I can’t wait to try some.”

The lion huffs happily, soon catches up with his owner when she corners the kitchen. The woman leans over the sink, turns on the water, and washes away the last evidence of the book.

Hyejin doesn’t care much about anything else but herself. And Lion, maybe.

" Lucifer and his damn pride", Byulyi furiously thinks, pulling another bush out of her way.

Her clothes are now torn and almost resembles the image of homeless she’d seen back in the day she was a guardian angel.

She wants to curse.

There’s no heavenly light to guard her, halo now is nothing but a funny hat. Byulyi is lost in the middle of the rainforest. Looks above, there’s nothing to see but darkness. Not even the dim northern light of the Big Dipper can reach her. Damp grass under her feet and she almost wants to cry.

She should’ve listened to Yongsun.

Oh, God, what has she done?

Byulyi lays herself down, the hunger consumes her, and for the first time in hundreds of years, she craves just a piece of peach if she can. Doesn’t have to be ambrosia, peach would do. Or watermelon. Or the teokbokki Yongsun is obsessed with after the trip with her human.

Or mango from the tropical garden Lucifer destroyed.

The angel grimaces at the thought.

“Is there any defense for your failure, Cyprus?”, Michael asked, and Byulyi didn’t dare point out the edge in his tone. The right has power. God teaches them so.

Byulyi kept her head low. “I’ll work in His Highness’ honour to pay for my downfall, angel.”

“And how would you do so?”

“I demand time from His Highness to bring our evil companions back into the right path His Highness guides us to walk in.”, she offered, and ignored Yongsun’s tiny gasp on the side.

If Lucifer takes her garden away, he can spend his whole damn lifetime being chained to the ceiling of a cross and see what would she do to his people, she swears so. Byulyi could recall that arrogant smile, again and again, when his darken fingers tighten around and the green glint in his eyes when her pulse got slower, slower. A touch of fire and Eden is… gone.

Michael’s voice is airy, laced with amusement. Pulled her out of the reminisce. “Just one is fine. Do so.”

And now she’s dying. By nothing but her mistake of slipping down the hole of sin called rage.

One of seven deadly sins.

How ironic.

Putting hands together and settle them on her chest, Byulyi prays for God above to let her be back in his arms in the next life, and to protect her in the judgment of Hades. Hades knows no bias, oh, may His Highness appears in front of her right now. She’s forever his child and may him aware of her loyalty. The praying called into the night over and over again, carries her heart to the gate of heaven she left behind. What she wouldn’t give to kneel under his throne one more time...

She is basked in soft light.

When she opens her eyes, it isn’t God.

Byulyi focuses on the shade above her, tries to make out the feminine figure in the dark.

A woman.

The newcomer put a hand on her knee, lantern in another hand, hunches down to see Byulyi. Their eyes meet, and it would be an understatement to say she holds the whole universe in her amber orbs. Byulyi is staring and it is impolite, but she can’t stop doing so. A vicious smirk lands on red lips.

“A fallen angel? Uncommon here. What wind blows you here, m’lady?”

A drop of hesitation.

And just now Byulyi is aware of her dirty boots are leaving traces on angel’s heavenly white wings.

“Oh.”, the woman follows the angel’s gaze, steps back. “Thought you were a wounded hippogriff. Name, may I ask?”

The silence stretches between them and Byulyi remains laying on the grass with hands on her chest, unsure if she can trust this… local or not. The name holds the power of capturing a creature and no one knows hers, but God himself and Yongsun – her mentor when Byulyi’s a mere angel.

“My name is Ahn Hyejin, if that comforts you somehow.”, Hyejin – nicely rolls on her tongue - breaks the ice. “This is Middle of Nowhere, no one has the power over anyone else, so no, I can’t capture you with your name, and neither you can with mine. Happy?”

Byulyi smiles, the sassy tone does help her feel less… lonely. First interaction in hours of wandering. “Moon… Byulyi. Is the name. Ma’am.”

“Hyejin is alright. Do you want to get home for now? It’s almost rain and the Realms’ Portal is closed until dawn. You don’t want to be out here in the night. Such a shame if tomorrow I find such beauty be just flesh and bone remained.”

If Ahn Hyejin is trying to scare her, it works.

Byulyi gets to her feet, shrinks dirty wings back into her body. “If it doesn’t bother you, may I-”

Hyejin walks away before Byulyi can finish her words. They follow the guidelines of