The year is now 2020, a remarkable era brimming with technology that once belonged to the realm of imagination. We have portals that create instant connections with people across the globe, compact libraries that can hold countless volumes of literature, and even spacecraft capable of whisking someone to the moon and back. And amidst all these wonders, there’s us, humans -beings endowed with the intellect and creativity to forge such extraordinary inventions. To this day, we continue to shock ourselves with the things we manage to create, questioning ourselves how we managed to turn sticks and stones into Bluetooth… Laughable. Of course we could do that. After all…

We were created in God’s image. And he turned the infinite abyss into the world as we know.

***

The enigmatic man bowed deeply, his face a canvas of regret and sincerity, causing the radiant halo that hovered above his rich golden hair to dip down in sync with his magnificent wings. He apologized over and over while doing so, iterating that such a meeting was crucial for this world to keep going on. And no, I don’t mean something small like the earth, I mean the entire damn universe, hell, whatever’s past that too. That’s simply how grim their situation was.

Akuma, a teenage boy with dark hair that was quite long for a boy, as well as crimson eyes that seemed to scare off any would-be delinquent, hadn’t heard a word of the mysterious Angel’s desperate pleas. Actually, he had heard it, every word too. It’s just that his eyes couldn’t help but be glued to the feathers that floated gracefully from the Angel’s enormous wings. Specifically, his eyes followed one feather in particular as it gentle descended upon the glass like floor below, dancing with the wind as it did.

“Um… Are you even listening?” The angel questioned from below, before raising his head.

“Huh? Oh yeah. You said something about God dying, yes? And that the one who killed him has now taken over heaven?” His patience started to wane, and with a voice that grew in irritation, he added, “And you felt the need to bring your ass down to Earth to recruit me for some sort of revenge mission because, for whatever reason, you can’t handle it yourself… That about summarizes it?”

Once again bowing, the angel that suddenly appeared before Akuma in the middle of his first ever lucid dream replied, “I am so sorry that our meeting has to occur under these circumstances, Akuma. But as you’ve pointed out, I require your assistance to protect our people and this world.”

“‘I am so sorry that our meet’- Dude, you hijacked my damn dream for this!”

“I-I apologize for that… But honestly, it’s not like you were dreaming about anything of importance anyways.”

“Gah-!” Akuma flinched, stung by the angel’s audacious claim. “Y-You can’t say that! For all you know, Alice was about to declare her dying love for me! She was going to leap into my arms, and then I’d finally propose.”

A bead of sweat trailed down the angel’s face.

“Umm… You really have quite the imagination, don’t you? …And I believe you meant to say ‘undying’ love.”

By this point, Akuma’s patience had long faded completely. What was meant to be his first ever lucid dream had been derailed, crushed by this con of a celestial being. Where was the epic boss fight? The monstrous chimera that would spring forth when least expected? Or even Alice dammit? Instead, he was stuck with this towering angelic figure -who oddly enough, had the same color eyes he did- cockblocking his romantic “escapade” -as fancy men would world it. Don’t get me wrong, he understood this wasn’t the ideal setting for a date, but in the realm of lucid dreaming, he envisioned crafting the perfect restaurant scenario. The kind where the guy gazes into the starry night through the windows and delivers a corny ass line like:

“The sky is so mesmerizing tonight… But it pales in comparison to your eyes.”

“So, um… Dream angel…” Akuma called out, convinced that this guy’s presence was merely a glitch in the system. “…Why exactly is my first lucid dream about a random cosplayer? And I want the real reason. I mean there’s just no way God could’ve been killed. Not when you’re looking right at him.”

An awkward silence came between them, prompting Akuma to ponder what could’ve silenced the angel so. Was it a stomachache? Perhaps a nasty headache? Or maybe he was just an awkward guy at nature? Maybe, but those just didn’t seem right to him. Then there could only be one conclusion. This guy must have had to use the bathroom. And we’re talking a number two. A big one even.

(A number two, huh?) Akuma thought in an understanding tone. (I totally get you, angel man. There’s nothing worse than holding in a big one.)

The silence was broken by feint chuckles, as well as the angel’s futuristic armor clinking against his body as he did. It was a brilliant white, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow. The armor enveloped his upper torso, forearms, and thighs, with a few tough pieces here and there. Honestly, it looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

“You’re just like how I remember you." The angel chuckled. "Of course you’d say something like that. And here I was ready to explain how I know your name.”

(Yeah, I already know how you know my name. You're in my dream.)

“No, I’m not some entity you created in your dream. Think of it like a phone call.”

“!”

(Did he just read my mind? Wait…This is my mind. So then did he read my mind’s mind?! Creepy…)

“Pardon me for being rude but we must skip the formalities. I'm running out of time, you see.” The angel said, his initially warm and inviting tone now tinged with urgency. “I need your help, Akuma. I need help in saving not only our people but the entire world from my father’s murderer. Only you have the power to-”

“Excuse my interruption, mister-uhm… dream angel? Sorry, forgot your name. But this is the second time you’ve said that word and I just really need clarification. By ‘our people’, are you perhaps referring to other Angels?”

“Yes exactl-”

“Yeah. You’ve got the wrong guy for the job. Look, I may be God, but I ain’t really that big on roleplaying. Do you see any wings on my back? Well? Do you?”

As Akuma rambled on, the angelic figure's patience began to fray, culminating in a sudden outburst:

"LISTEN!!"

With the force of his shout, combined with his fierce crimson gaze, you had better believe Akuma shut the hell up. If his goal was to intimidate, he had succeeded spectacularly. The boy stood frozen, suddenly attentive, even adopting a salute in his shock.

“The world as you know it is not how it should be. After slaying God and taking the throne for himself, the false God is attempting to change fate. He plans to rewrite this world’s story, and I need your help in restoring it to its natural order.” He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. “It seems I’m running out of time. Before you leave, I shall release the seals on your soul. Also, after you leave, please visit the Church of Michael, and tell the priest what you saw here.”

"Church... of Michael...?”

As those final words echoed in the air, a surge of energy coursed through him, as if his very essence was elevating beyond the confines of the physical realm. The surroundings blurred and faded, reminiscent of drifting through space. Suddenly, a brilliant light enveloped him, its warmth wrapping around him like a comforting embrace, blinding him with its radiant glow.

***

There are moments in this world, when the amount of sleep you’re getting feels almost too good to be true. You find yourself questioning, “Has my alarm gone off yet? Could I have overslept?!”

It was this exact predicament that greeted him at the start of his day, though it was overshadowed by the remnants of a bizarre dream still lingering in his mind. The boy, Akuma Tiryns, was caught in a mental tug-of-war, contemplating whether to finally rise from his slumber -a struggle that had already consumed him for a good ten minutes.

Initially, panic surged through him as he thought, “Oh no, I’m going to be late for school!” But soon, a wave of tranquility washed over him, and he reasoned that if he was destined to miss the bus, why not indulge in a few extra moments of sleep? Such solid reasoning had no reason to be judged, and judged it was not.

But then it hit him. Like a lightning bolt striking out of nowhere, a thought jolted him awake. Alice… today was the day she was supposed to return to school. With that realization, he summoned every ounce of willpower to break free from the warm embrace of his cozy blanket and the formidable foe known as “the pillow”. His strategy for this overpowered boss was foolproof, a time-honored method. Simply rolling out of bed and landing unceremoniously on the carpeted floor below. It was a solid plan if you give it thought. I mean think about it, if your bed is too comfy to get out of, then simply fall to the floor.

After picking himself up from the floor, he limped toward the bathroom, only to be greeted by an unwelcome sight -a disheveled figure lounging there.

"Good morning, sweet brother." Akuma said, forcing a smile that barely masked his irritation.

The response he received was less than flattering.

"Damn man, what time did you go to bed? You look disgusting."

The silence that followed was thick with unspoken words. This unkempt Neanderthal was Tenshi Tiryns, Akuma's older brother, and despite their shared blood, they were worlds apart. While Akuma was a 17-year-old high school junior, brimming with youthful energy, Tenshi, 24, had long chosen a different path, opting to train with their father instead of pursuing an education. The only thread connecting them was their shared hairstyle -both wore in locs.

If you're curious about such details, then I suppose I should tell you that Tenshi had short brown locks with a more wild appearance, as well as two striking golden locks that reached down to his chest. Strangely, that color was his natural one.

“My, I’m as dazzling today as any other.” Akuma boasted, choosing to overlook his brother's rude remark. His gaze shifted to the bathroom mirror, primarily to avoid the sight of his brother's barbaric appearance. However, when he finally glanced at his reflection, something peculiar caught his eye. Behind him, he could have sworn he saw the same wings from his dream, now trailing behind him. "I-I guess I'm still a bit out of it." he muttered, brushing off the bizarre vision as mere hallucination.

"What-?"

"Nothing."

“Y’know, it's a wonder how you even wake up in the morning… One day you're gonna end up dead with that horrible sleep schedule!”

With that harsh and utterly untrue remark, Tenshi made his way toward the door leading to his room.

“Jokes this early in the morning, huh?”

“Who said anything about joking?”

As he slipped into his dimly lit room, Akuma felt an urge to call out to him just before the bathroom door clicked shut.

“Wait!” he shouted.

"Hmm?" Tenshi replied, pausing to let his brother's voice reach him through the small creak of the door.

“Fu-fu. Did you know the chances of dying to a wild serial killer is lower than your chances of dying to me.”

“…”

“…”

“Go to school man.”

*SLAM!

“Tuh! Look who’s talking. I hope that door breaks.”

As if out of habit, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection, a Greek god in the making, and found himself momentarily lost in a mini modeling session. I suppose the bathroom light was just too flattering.

After brushing his teeth and splashing water on his face, he returned to his room. For those curious about the layout, it was the average boy's domain: a small bed tucked in the top right corner, a gaming setup occupying the top left, and a whole lot of nothing everywhere else. And yes, there was a poster on the wall of someone he may or may not have snapped a picture of. Perhaps without asking. But really, who cares about the details?

The school uniform was a requirement for every student, leaving no room for debate about what to wear each day. Yet, you’d never hear any complaints from this teenage boy. In fact, he found the uniform quite flattering on Alice, and if you were to ask her, she would likely claim to appreciate how it suited him as well… No she wouldn’t.

After donning his uniform and grabbing his phone, he began his familiar descent down the stairs, intending to whip up some breakfast. That was the plan, at least, until he encountered an expected hurdle at the end of his carpeted path, a sight that could only be likened to the devil's work.

"Ah, we meet again, Satan," he muttered, bracing himself for the inevitable showdown. "Today is not your day. My wife has finally recovered from that nasty cold, and I can almost sense her eagerness to see me from here."

This was the second foe he faced daily, the first being the ever-tempting embrace of his pillow.

The scene before him was so grotesque that even the most resilient stomach would quiver at the sight. He took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of bravery to confront this monstrous challenge. "Wooden floor!" he shouted, poised to leap into action. His father, stubbornly entrenched in his old-fashioned beliefs, occupied the lower level of their home, steadfastly refusing to cover the floor with carpet, as if enchanted by some unseen force. What was his strategy for the day? Of course, it was his classic move: a bold jump! He figured that if he got the first blow, then it’d be over from there. Unfortunately, that did little for the shiver that followed as he touched the substance we call “wooden floor”.

Akuma embraced a refreshingly uncomplicated morning routine, which granted him plenty of time to spare before his bus arrived. You might be curious about how he occupied those fleeting moments. On this particular morning -pretty much every morning- he found himself diving back into the enthralling world of “One Piece” for what felt like the millionth time, a narrative he considered the pinnacle of storytelling.

Before he realized it, an entire episode had flown by, and the urgency of leaving for school struck him like a bolt.

As he approached his bus stop, a grin spread across his face, excitement bubbling within him at the thought of their shared moments. The happiness she brought him was undeniable, regardless of how frequently they met. While their bus stop typically saw a throng of kids, most chose to drive to school a bit later, leaving just him and her in their own little universe. That "her" is his beloved and extraordinary girlfriend, Alice!

Or at least, that’s what he wished.