251 Intermission

"So," Noah said as he sat down on the other couch. "What made you stop by today?"

"I'm bored," I responded. "Just sitting around the house is rather boring."

"That coming from you isn't very convincing." Noah looked at me with a doubtful look on his face. "Where's Alvelyn."

"Out with Elise."

"That girl you met when you're Alvelyn?" Noah nodded his head. "I don't know why, but I just find this whole situation really funny right now."

"There's something wrong with you," I muttered to myself. With a sigh, I looked around the living room, taking in the decorations and furniture layout of this house of angels. "What do you guys do during your spare time?"

"I still have to write end of year reports," Emilia sighed and crossed her arms before her chest. Like before, her and Ralus were sitting next to me, with Emilia on my right and Ralus on my left.

"Do we really have to sit like this?" I asked, feeling somewhat uncomfortable being sandwiched between two angels.

"What is that?" Emilia seemed to not have heard me speak, but I dared not repeat it.

"Nothing," I said aloud, dismissing my previous comment.

"For me," Noah took over the reigns and continued the conversation. "I usually do my part of the chores and after that, well...depends on the time of day."

"You actually do chores?" I look over at him with a look of surprise.

"I don't do them," Noah sighed and said in a depressed tone. "I'm forced to do them. You haven't seen Emilia when she see's me slacking off... She goes Heavenly Judgement mode."

"Really..." I glanced over at Emilia to confirm Noah's statement.

"Stop exaggerating," Emilia said with a blush on her face as if she was flustered that such a thing was said about her. However, her voice was still kept under control, maintaining the image of the cool and collected heavenly angel.

"What do you mean exaggerating?" Noah said with a bewildered expression on her face. "Who was it that made me clean my room five times in one day, one after the other?"

"That's because you did not clean your room the first four times," Emilia calmly rebutted.

I looked over at Ralus, who simply shrugged with a defeated smile on his face.

"If three of the four archangels are here," I said aloud, hoping to change the subject, "who help run the world? Michael?"

"..."

All three angels present became silent, with Emilia and Noah ceasing their bickering at once. Noah's eyes jumped between Ralus and Emilia, as if observing them and waiting them to respond to my question. However, Ralus and Emilia both remained silent with a troubled expression on their faces.

"That," Ralus finally said after releasing a sigh. "I can't tell you anything about that...But the world technically runs itself now."

So he cannot tell me anything about Michael...I wonder why?

"What do you mean it runs itself?" I inquired further, allowing the subject about Michael to slip as I am sure that if I were to pursue it further, I would end up nowhere. If they can't tell me something, they won't tell me it. No matter how many times I ask, they won't say anything.

"Well," Ralus answered, being visibly relieved about something. "We simply let things take its own course now. We angels used to have a larger role in shaping the world near the beginnings of time, but now, we just let things play out. That is...for most things."

If they simply let things play out naturally, then why interfere with my life? For some reason, I have a feeling that if I ask them, I wouldn't get a satisfying answer. It'll be pointless, and probably make things even more awkward for both them and me...

"So do you all just...hang out here and do nothing?" I changed the subject once again, naturally progressing into another topic.

"Yeah," Ralus said. "It's not like it's that different from what we would do outside of this place."

"What is it like...living in Heaven?"

"It's...kinda the same as here," Noah said.

"This world is based off of Heaven," Emilia continued. "So, there are plenty of similarities."

"So...this is a school project for God, huh?" I shook my head and whispered.

"Sort of," Ralus answered me. "But...it's not the type of school project that you would perceive it as. It's more...important than that."

I looked over at Ralus, staring at him as I pondered what he just said.

"Don't ask us to explain it," Ralus said before I can speak. "Because we don't really know much about Heaven aside from what God has told us. In fact, we're more familiar with this world because...we're from this world."

"Right..." I nodded as I recalled something that they had told me before in the past. "Angel's are formerly people."

"Yeah," Emilia nodded her head as she gazed into my eyes with an almost...hopeful gleam.

It's as if she is trying to hint something to me, something that I should know but I do not know, something that they cannot openly tell me... But...no matter how much I struggle and tried to comprehend it, my brain just cannot grasp what it was.

"Anyways," Ralus sighed and continued the subject. "Just treat your life normally. If I've guessed it correctly, our intervention in your life will be slowly fading away, leaving you to your own devices."

"Would you all still be around?" I asked, looking over at the young man.

"..."

Ralus paused momentarily with mouth slightly open, almost as if shock. Next to me, Emilia lowered her head and gazed at her lap, almost as if there were something complicated going on in their mind.

"Yeah," Ralus chuckled in a determined manner as he looked into my eyes. Within him, I can sense a great resolve.

"We'll be around," Emilia said. Looking over at her, I also sensed the same determination from her.

Then, Emilia placed her hand atop of my right hand, and Ralus did the same but with my left hand. Then, they both clasped my hands tightly as they leaned closer towards me.

"We're not leaving," the two of them whispered into my ear.

At that moment, instead of feeling creeped out or confused, I...felt a rather satisfied emotion rising in my chest. It was a feeling of...approval, almost as if I felt accomplished by them saying that. I felt my eyes tear up, but it was tears of...joy. Almost as if...I am glad that they said that.

"W-what's going on here?" Noah's voice wavered as he looked at the three of us with a confused countenance on his face.

"Nothing," Emilia said, smiling as she slowly released my hand.

"Yeah," Ralus nodded in agreement as he also released my hand. "You want ice cream?"

"Me?" I looked over at him in confusion. However, I quickly recognized the tears in my eyes and quickly looked away, wiping them off with my hands as I kept my head low so none of them could see my face. "Sure..."

"Noah," Emilia said in an authoritative and commanding tone. "Go get it."

"Why me?" Noah muttered under his breath, but he still complied without any further complaints.

***

Time passed by rather quickly, and the the time for the graduation ceremony quickly arrived. It would appear that Emilia had to attend the ceremony as a member of the faculty, and since I was already intending on going, I decided to go with her. In the group chat, it would appear that the others all intend on going as well, so...it looks like everyone will be present.

I returned to my own house to change into my school uniform, and when I opened the door, Alvelyn had returned as well to do the exact same thing. It was about 4:15 PM when we left the house, and rode the elevator down to ground level. Alvelyn and I walked with Emilia and Noah to Lumina Station, and from there, road the elevated rails to the port-side station by the mouth of the Helliger River.

The graduation ceremony is to take place on a large, luxury yacht, which will set sail when the ceremony begins. The yacht will then take us up the Helliger River at a leisurely pace, showcasing the view of the grand city of Palisia as the sun slowly sets, giving access to the beautiful twilight view of the city.

When we arrived at the port, we simply followed the signs and direction of the flow of people all attending the ceremony to our school's yacht. It was a large yacht, capable of housing up to three hundred people without any problems. As a teacher, Emilia was able to board the ship prior to everyone else attending. So after showing the security guard at the ship's entrance her teacher ID, she left Noah, Alvelyn, and I waiting at the port.

We came across Muria, who had probably arrived with Mura a few minutes earlier than us. According to the group chat, it would appear that the others are slowly all arriving.

When everyone met up, including Luna and Erith dressed in their black graduation gowns, it was about 5:00 PM, which is the time to boarding begins. The graduating students were given priority in boarding, so Luna and Erith said goodbye to us and joined the line of other third year high school students all dressed in their graduation gowns to pass security and board the ship, leaving the rest of us standing by with mostly family members of the graduating class that're all dressed in formal clothing. There were also other underclassmen in the waiting crowd as well.

When the group of graduating students boarded the boat, it was time for the others to board. After waiting in line to pass through security, the rest of us finally boarded the boat. When everyone has boarded, the time was already nearing 6:00 PM. And...it was finally time for the boat to set sail.