Chapter 36

"Goodnight."

․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ .・゜゜・・゜゜・․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․・゜゜・・゜゜・．

Zayon tossed and turned in his bed; not because of discomfort, but because he just couldn't sleep. He felt very relaxed, calm, and sleepy, but he couldn't seem to fall asleep. He wanted to sleep so bad, but he just couldn't.

"Why is this night different from all the other nights?" Zayon muttered to himself.

A bright flash of light could be seen in the quiet room.

"Because I'm not here." Cael answered unexpectedly. "You need my magic to fall asleep."

Cael fluttered his fingers around, creating many different swirls of sparkly and glimmering lights. Advancing over to Zayon, the swirls glittered and glistened, making Zayon amazed at the things that Cael could do.

Unfortunately, Zayon didn't have as much time as he wanted to gaze at the shining swirls because once they floated around him, he instantly fell into a deep slumber.

․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ .・゜゜・・゜゜・․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․・゜゜・・゜゜・．

Zayon almost screeched of discomfort due to the large and strong hands that were shaking him vigorously, not before aggressively slamming on his side.

"Zayon! Zayon! You must wake up!"

Zayon sighed and sat up to see a familiar face.

"Cael? What are you doing here?"

"Come with me, now." Cael ordered, ignoring Zayon's question.

A bit of anger and annoyance could be seen in Zayon's now wide-awake expression. "Wait, what are we doing?"

"Hold my hand," Cael instructed with his hand out, turning a deaf ear on Zayon once again, "do NOT let go. It's especially important this time."

Zayon hovered over to Cael and grabbed his hand and they both teleported to an unknown place.

․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ .・゜゜・・゜゜・․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․・゜゜・・゜゜・．

"Taaroko, wake up."

Taaroko woke up to a mystical, flowery fragrance from a beautiful angel who was releasing an ethereal essence.

"Ouriella-"

"I'm so sorry, Taaroko, there's no time to talk." Ouriella informed kindly. "Just take my hand and I'll answer all your questions later."

Her breathy, rosy voice contained something that made Taaroko follow any instruction it gave, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. It was as if her voice was a moreish pint of Codeine, as if it was an alluring and addictive, sweet and syrupy drug. It made him feel as if he were safe and loved by everyone he knew and didn't know, even if it wasn't true. It made Taaroko feel as if Pre-Heaven was the most perfect place for him, as if he could live there forever, even if it wasn't true. It made him feel as if nothing could go wrong, nothing could ever defeat his pacific persona, even if it wasn't true. Ouriella's voice could capture Taaroko like a fish on a hook with a bait anytime.

Ouriella held her hand out, instructing Taaroko to hold it. "Do not let go."

Once Taaroko followed the instruction, they both disappeared to the same unknown area that Zayon and his angel guider disappeared to.

․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ .・゜゜・・゜゜・․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․・゜゜・・゜゜・．

"Verina, please wake up."

Verina woke up in an instant at the sound of Zedekiah's deep, polite voice. She sat up to see her angel guider smiling at her. How creepy.

"What do you want," Verina asked coldly, "and how couldn't I wake myself up? I probably just messed up my sleep schedule."

"I want you to hold my hand." Zedekiah answered, ignoring Verina's second question. "Do it, now."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Verina almost yelled. "In case you didn't know, you're talking to someone who deserves a lot more respect than you!"

"Hurry up, there's no time to lose." Zedekiah said. "Hold my hand, do it quick. Do not let go."

"Why do you even want me to hold your hand so bad, do you wanna date me or something?"

"HURRY UP, JUST HOLD MY HAND." Zedekiah yelled in frustration.

He held out his hand and Verina took it, afraid of his thundering voice. They both teleported to the unknown place that Taaroko and Ouriella teleported to.

․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ .・゜゜・・゜゜・․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․ * ․• ˚ ˚ ․・゜゜・・゜゜・．

Taaroko looked around for Zayon and Verina, the only spirits he knew in Pre-Heaven. Ouriella followed Taaroko wherever he went so she wouldn't lose him. He looked in many groups of spirits, hoping to find the two in one of them. After having looked around the unknown area, he finally found Zayon and Verina three feet within each other with their angel guiders by their side.

Taaroko floated over to them. "Hi," he greeted kindly, "do you know what we're doing?"

Verina ignored him while Zayon scoffed.

"No." Zayon replied blankly, which made Taaroko feel insecure about himself.

Zayon looked away from Taaroko, feeling guilty of being so unkind to him lately. He looked below his body and stared at the pink clouds. He had so many unanswered questions that he had asked himself, like why he felt guilty whenever he was rude to Taaroko, a murderer, a bad person, someone who shouldn't be his friend. He wondered why he felt blameworthy of being an evil spirit because he dated Taaroko's ex, a murderer's ex, a bad person's ex, the ex of someone who shouldn't be his friend. He inquired about why he was even doing this "menace" act, even though he felt some type of power while doing it.

Zayon didn't have any answer to his own questions, he didn't have any response to his inquires. He didn't even have a word to say to his quandaries. He sighed, disgusted of his pitiful life on Pre-Heaven and looked up at his angel guider.

"When is this event going to start?" He asked.

Cael looked down at Zayon. "Just wait for it, it will come."

"Err, ok."

Zayon sighed once again and waited for the event to start. He decided that starting a conversation with Cael would help pass the jejune time that was making Zayon bored out of his mind.

"So, what is this event even about?"

Cael looked at Zayon straight in his soul, a new habit done whenever when Zayon was acting ridiculous or annoying.

"Don't worry about it."

Zayon scoffed. "Don't worry about it?"

"As I said."

"But... why can't I worry about it?"

"Take my words as advice." Cael advised. "You don't need to take my advice; in other words, you don't need to not worry about it; however, I suggest that you don't worry about it because the information about the event is not to be revealed to you until the event comes and tells you itself."

Due to the lack of eyes to roll, Zayon decided to sigh and scoff as another way of showing annoyance and disrespect. "Whatever."

"Zayon," a voice said, "do you know when the 'event' is starting?"

Zayon turned until he saw a familiar spirit, Verina.

"No," he answered, "my angel guider told me that we won't know what event is going to happen until the event comes and tells us itself."

"Ugh, these guiders are so useless, why can't they tell us about the event before it comes?"

"Maybe they don't want to spoil it." Taaroko responded.

Zayon said nothing as he drowned in his guilt while Verina gave him a nobody-asked-you look.

"Um, who was talking to you?" She asked coldheartedly. There was a short silence. "Yeah, nobody, as I thought."

Taaroko said nothing back as nothing came to mind. He looked away from Verina while wondering what he did to turn the only spirits he knew against him. Why where they doing this to him? Did they understand how much it hurt to have their friends turn against them? Did they understand how much it hurt for their friend to date their ex? Did they understand how much it hurt when they ignored him or maligned him?

Taaroko asked himself so many questions, but gave himself no answers. He didn't have any answer to his own questions, he didn't have any response to his inquires. He didn't even have a word to say to his quandaries, just like his very good friend, Zayon.

"Hello, all." A deep, booming voice loudly greeted. "I suppose that you spirits aren't confused, if you're smart."

Zayon scowled. Did the voice just call him dumb? Who did the voice think they were?

"I am God, for all you wondering."

Taaroko looked up into the Pre-Heaven skies, hoping to see what God looked like. That was one question that he pondered about all his past life. However, he couldn't see anything in the sky. He just heard a voice that was speaking to him, which made him even more confused. Was God just... a nothingness?

"Today is the event you all have been waiting for,"

Verina felt relieved as the words settled into her mind. She was iteratively and impatiently waiting and waiting for these words to finally be audible. She kept listening to hear what the event was about.

"Judgement Day."