The Heavenly Realm
Heaven. A place every human being wants to go to, whether or not he believes it exists. Some even live their lives full of hope, dedicated to doing enough in their lives to make sure they go there. It makes sense. Our lives, full of arduous trials, unending problems, and crushing pressures, have taken a toll on our souls, and just the possibility of going to heaven may relieve some of this psychological burden and keep us going. It's the contrast to our harsh world, a perfect realm where all our needs, desires, and dreams are to be satisfied and realized without us even lifting a finger. Even our lifespans are unlimited and there are no emotions except serenity, joy, and bliss.
But what would a human being's life, in his current flawed state, be like in the astounding and minute perfection of the celestial realm and its dwellers?
Circumstances have blessed Lisa in the sense that she is the first human who was ever raised in the heavens, but maybe that was a curse too…
Her life is normal, however, and not much unlike that of a girl her age on earth, but not totally similar too. She feels like an outsider, which made her independent in thinking and acting, but that also means she is stubborn and if she has an idea she believes in, not even the chief of the angels, with his renowned silver tongue, can convince her otherwise. A beacon of light. Such is her description in the eyes of all heaven dwellers who raised her. Cheerful, she entered their hearts with her selfless actions and gentle mannerisms. She wasn't naïve despite being childlike, and her quick wits were always impressive to those who witness them working. With her wits, however, comes rash action, and Lisa has more than her fair share of recklessness and impatience. The second she hears that there might be a treasure somewhere or a big undefeated monster, no matter the danger, she would go there without flinching an eye, despite older, stronger angels fearing being killed. These adventures over the years have strengthened her, as she knocked on death's door many times, but she's lucky it never opened.
"Ugh, I'm so bored," Lisa says, her hand on her right cheek, her eyes squinting far away in the distance. She stands up, whining so loud while tapping her right foot
on the ground. "I want to fight something, uh, someone, I don't know. Fight me, Ram, please!" Her eyes get big as if she wants her friend's sympathy.
"Where is the fun if we know you will win anyway?" Ramona says before letting out a sigh. "You will just get bored with me again and try to revive some monster to kill it again or even fight the chief."
"Hah, fight the chief? That's rich." A proud smile forms on Lisa's face and her eyes shine. "He can't hold a candle to me, let alone stand his ground," she proclaims.
"A little respect for the man who raised you, Liz!" Says Ramona in a stern voice.
"He taught me honesty too, Ram, and I'm only saying the truth." She shows her tongue as a mocking gesture. Then she looks in the distance and says, "I taught myself too, you know, and I've worked hard to be like this. I'm grateful, but I owe nobody a thing and I'm proud of that. Life has been as hard for me as it has been easy."
Ramona stops blinking for a few seconds. She then gets up and holds her friend tight, and then says in an affectionate voice, "I'd die for you Liz, I will be beside you for the rest of your life, so do not be sad, sister."
"Are you reminding me I'm mortal and you're not?" Says Lisa in shock, then she states with an eye roll, "Thanks a lot for the encouragement, sis,"
"No! I did not mean it like that" Ramona says then looks down, hurt by Lisa's snide remark
"Naïve as ever, Ram. 19 years and you still believe everything I say and take it to heart." Then she kisses Ramona's forehead and says, "You're so priceless. I love you,"
"Being affectionate won't make me fight you, Liz."
Lisa makes an irritated expression; which Ramona cedes to. "Alright, alright, I'll spar with you later, but we have to go to the circle now,"
Lisa grins. "I knew I will convince you" and then, reminded of what Ramona said they have to do, she interjects: "Why now? We still have an hour until the next session."
Ramona grabs Lisa by her ear and says "True, an hour in which you'll talk to every passerby in the heavenly realm and if we're late again, professor Uriel will kill us, so stop being lazy and let's go." Ramona then facepalms and says "Lazy in studies, energetic in fighting. I've never seen a girl so manly."
"We study fighting too, you know. So I am a brilliant student." Lisa states, standing straight with her head up high.
"Alright, honors student, let's go." Says Ramona, pulling Lisa from her shoulder.
Light sparkled around them from every corner, basking the two girls and those around them. It was so bright and yet gentle on the eyes and pleasing to their sight. There is no climate here, no hot or cold feeling, and everything is visible at all times as darkness never found its home amidst the flawless clarity of the heavenly sky, but it found it in the hearts of the angels themselves. Tall buildings made from Dominium, the divine metal, stood in the gentlest of ways on the shining ground, their own shimmer more intense than heaven itself. The angels talked so softly that one would barely hear a word they say, and even swear that no one around him was talking. On their serene, scenic way to the circle, the girls met Zephyr, an old friend of theirs, and a little more than a friend in Lisa's eyes.
"Hello there, boys."
"What?" the girls shout in unison.
"Oh, lady Ramona, I wasn't talking about you. You've got quite the man next to you, however. What's your name, handsome?"
Lisa draws her sword in a flash.
"You must be quite the sissy to be calling me a man," And then she lifts her head as if she's thinking, then makes eye contact again and says "Are you saying this to feel good about the fact that a human girl beat you for 5 consecutive years?"
"A sharp sword and a tongue even sharper. And Pretty eyes to boot," He nods, then says "I love that. And beating me is just a part of your captivating charm."
Lisa sheathes her sword, looks down, and chuckles. "You're silly," she says.
A staring contest started between the two, albeit an affectionate one. Ramona, feeling like a third wheel, but willing at all times to make fun of Lisa, sniffs the
space around her and then states in a soft voice, "Love is in the air. Your brain is too for liking this con artist for 7 years. He's just playing you. Wake up."
Zephyr, collected as ever, answers after a pause, "I'm not a kid, lady Ramona, to be still playing, I suggest…"
"Shut up," Ramona interrupts him. Then she says, "It's true, you're not a kid, you're a baby. Let's go, Liz."
Lisa, fearing that the situation would get more awkward nods in agreement. Then she chuckles as if to mitigate the effects of her friend's slurs. "Catch you later, Zeph," she says.
After they were some steps away from Zephyr, Lisa turns to Ramona and squints her eyes, then says, emphasizing every word, "I'll kill you."
Ramona closes her eyes, then says, in an all-knowing tone, "I did not lie. He is a player."
"The rumors aren't true." Says Lisa in a high pitch. "And I'll forgive the Lailah thing. That girl could seduce a tree."
"I am not having this conversation again. I gave you enough proof, but I couldn't convince you. You'll know I'm right, someday." States Ramona with authority.
Lisa looked nervous, but then, glimpsing the vast arch overlooking the even more imposing building, she changed the subject. "We're close." She says.
They were close to the circle, the home of wisdom. The community expects all angels to serve roles that are imposed by it. Whoever refuses gets banished, stripped of all angelic powers and a magic veil is put on their eyes so they won't be able to see angels, demons, and monsters. In short, he's turned into a human being. The circle, in this equation, serves as a training center for created angels during the first 4 years they mature. Angels are created aware, so from the first day of their life, the teachers in the circle educate them in fighting, ethics, the history of the universe, prophecies, poetry, mathematics, and all human and demonic languages.
When you stand before it, and look left and right, the circle seems to be infinite and it's so high you won't even see the arch on it if you look up. The girls make their way to the enormous door, set to accommodate angels that prefer flying or walking, with the majority preferring the former.
As the girls entered the building, they noticed the halls were empty. They realized they were already late, made terrified faces, and started running.
"Prophetical history class, don't get lost again," Ramona says.
Lisa nods and keeps running. The girls arrive. Standing by an immense throne-like seat is the tall and wise figure of professor Uriel, the angel of wisdom, and one of the seven seraphic council members, ruling the heavens right under the chief's authority.
"Late as ever, ladies." Says professor Uriel.
"We're sorry, professor Uriel," the girls say in unison.
"We're sorry. We're sorry. I've heard this more than I ever heard you two answer in class," he shouts. The girls look scared. And the smile on the professor's face made it clear he enjoyed it. He laughs for a second, then says, "I'll forgive you this time, however, for I just came in myself. Get to your seats."
"Crowley." He calls.
Lisa turns to face him and shouts, still scared, "Yes, sir!"
The professor answers in a steady tone, "This lesson will be especially important to you. Concentrate."
Lisa, surprised by the professor's sudden focus on her, sits while looking around her.
The professor then proceeds "Today, fledglings, I'm going to talk about the biggest sin we angels committed. And I will start with a blessed divine prophecy. 'The day shall come when humans rule over the heavens. An immense danger or a great blessing, the outcome is in the hands of the ruled. It is god's promise.' These words sowed disarray in the already fractured angelic community, with some believing the blessing part, and others seeing only the curse before them. Some expected the best, the others the worse. Thanks to god, the optimists outnumbered their foes, but the pessimist's thinking was dangerous. They reasoned that god's promise meant that the outcome is in their hands to decide whether or not the rule of humans is valid and that the rule will be a blessing only if the angels prevent it, as such, there was only one option in their eyes. Kill all humans."
A student then raises his index and calls "Professor!"
"Silence. Questions are to be asked after I finish this part. I'll give you permission when I do."
Professor Uriel then continues, "Debates got heated between partisans of those two factions, and the tensions got high. Chief Barca, fearing the divide of the angels, organized a council in which a general decision was to be made and both factions accepted. On the day of the council, however, only one representative of the pessimistic faction showed up. He declared that for their group, the council was unnecessary as they have already taken their decision. They had set off to earth to realize their vision and end life on earth. Members of the optimists set out on the spot to stop them. The greatest battle of the angels on earth happened that day, and it destroyed the entire village of Varna. Over 150,000 humans and 1800 angels died. You may ask your questions now."
Professor Uriel gave permission to the student who raised his index earlier. "Why were the pessimists so evil, sir?"
The professor nodded, then said, "My son, they weren't evil per se…"
The students heard a loud thud in the distance. It came from Lisa's table. She was pale, her eyes red and teary, and her hands were shaking. She hit her table three more times, in a blind rage, as if she was trying to break it, then said in a voice so crackled as if she was crying for days, "And you're defending them? Are you seriously saying those who orphaned me and killed all my people aren't evil?" She points to the history book on the table and asks, "Is this your cursed history?" Then she tears the book, stands proud before the professor, points her index at him, and proclaims, "Your dark history is standing before you, not so wise angel of wisdom."
A group of students then stands up, accusing Lisa of disrespecting the professor, claims to which Lisa answers "Do you hypocrites not consider talking about someone's parents' death in front them as any normal historical event and defending their killers to be disrespect? You're shameless"
"At least they remember it, as opposed to you, lowly human. Know your place," a student of that group answers.
Silence then dominates the room for a few seconds as Lisa stares like a killer at that student, gripping her sword so hard it might have snapped. "You're the lowly one for blaming an infant for not remembering." She says before screaming, "You'll see what I'll do now." Then she sprints, shatters the door of the hall in a flash, and storms out running. Only Ramona follows her.