Starting our tale in the present, the Angel Kingdom, which used to be called the ‘City of Angels,’ appears more contemporary after the incident that happened 5,000 years ago. Each year, on the anniversary of that event, parents teach their children not to act like her.

In the heart of the kingdom, there is a statue of Stella, serving as a reminder of who was to blame. Few people visit this statue because it is believed to bring misfortune. Those who admired her as a role model face lifelong consequences. Excellence Achievers has been marked as private property. Only tour guides from the kingdom are permitted to enter, granting them access. Beside the deserted academy lies a graveyard, filled with tombstones of students and teachers who lost their lives in the incident. Whenever you walk through there, you must show respect, as mandated by law.

It was a partly sunny Saturday afternoon. February 10 was a special day when the noise from traffic was lower, and kids were outside having fun or helping the community prepare for the festival that evening. Everyone knew this day was significant; it marked the founding of the city by Kian Riddleson. The festival was going to be huge, and it was important for everyone to show up.

Marvin walked through an alley on his way home. He had just come back from his academy, where his parents made him take classes every Saturday to keep him from being lazy. At first, he didn’t like it, but he eventually found enjoyment in it because of a career he was interested in. Sometimes, he tried to avoid the morning hours to steer clear of his three bullies: Frederick, James, and Giovanni. He had already faced bullying back in middle school.

He got home safe and sound, and his mom was in the kitchen making lunch while his dad was in the living room reading a newspaper. “Honey, check this out; everyone has to go to the evening festival today to honor the founder. It seems like they’re putting up a new statue to replace the one of that girl Stella in the center of the kingdom,” Marvin’s mom told her husband, mentioning that we all had to go to the festival this year and couldn’t make any excuses to skip it. “That means I’ll see them there,” Marvin said softly.

All Marvin wanted to do on a Saturday night after a tiring day was sleep, not go to some silly festival. But in this kingdom, not many people show up for the festival; some even oppose it. They think Kian Riddleson isn’t the real founder; they believe he killed his best friend to claim the title or that he either died in a fire or was executed before he could become the true founder; at least, that’s what some folks think.

Stella is peering into a portal to watch the Angel Kingdom and how they’re getting ready for the festival. “I can’t believe they do this every year, but that guy was such a loser,” Stella chuckled. "They didn’t even bother to invite me, but I guess that’s just how life goes. I’ve always wanted to go, but I haven’t received an invitation for years. Hello, I’m the queen of the demon kingdom; shouldn’t I be allowed to attend? My statue has been there for a really long time, and now they’re replacing it with that loser. Wow, I feel so offended!" “Lilith, what are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re spying on that kingdom again. You have work to do, so please concentrate on that,” Komoku said.

“Sorry, Father, I forgot. On this particular day, they always have a huge party, and they always leave me out. I want to be part of it, but I forgot that I betrayed that kingdom,” Stella replied. Komoku understood that Stella wanted to go to that festival every year, but the kingdom would be horrified to see that traitor angel in the beautiful place she had destroyed. So, he decided to give her a mission and told her to return when her time was up. However, she was forbidden to fall in love, and no one could know her secret.

“Lilith, I have a task for you. I need you to return to Angel Kingdom and gather some information for me.” “What type of information should I bring back?” “Let’s refer to it as a ‘research project’ where you’ll need to look into everything about your hometown. But there’s a twist: you have six months to finish it. When the time is up, you must return. Also, you’re not allowed to fall in love.” “Father, I promise I won’t fall in love; honestly, that doesn’t interest me at all, and you’re giving me a year and a half!” “Yes, now go back and make sure to disguise yourself; no one can find out who you are.” “HAHA, you’re leaving; thank goodness, it’ll be peaceful, and I can be lazy,” Amon said. “Just because I’m gone doesn’t mean you can slack off.” “I should have kept quiet.”

Stella steps into a portal and departs from the demon kingdom, making her way to her hometown.

After countless hours of travel, Stella finally reached the Angel Kingdom, where the festival preparations were still in full swing. As she stumbled upon her landing spot, her appearance underwent a complete transformation. Her hair, which used to be red, had turned blonde. She had shrunk back down to her previous height. A white dress now covered her from the chest down to her legs, paired with flats that sparkled like the sun.

Just as her father had warned her hours earlier, she was disguised, and her identity was a mystery. Stella made the decision to leave the unfamiliar alley and make her way to the main city.

As she walked towards the Forest Street area, she noticed only a few changes that had occurred over the past 5,000 years. The house that once belonged to Kian had been completely converted into a museum. Most of the houses along the street were in ruins and left deserted. The more she walked, the less unsettling it felt.

Eventually, she came across her old house, which was now off-limits; the windows were shattered, and the exterior appeared burned. A male angel passing by noticed Stella gazing at the house and informed her that “they intended to completely burn the house down, but they were unsuccessful.” The house had some kind of mysterious power that no one understood, so they chose to put up a fence to keep people away.

Stella made a mental note of this scene, thinking that if she ever had another chance, she might come back and explore it. She began to walk and walk until she found herself in an alley where she spotted three gentlemen. It felt a bit strange to see three high schoolers hanging out in an alley alone. Stella went up to the three gentlemen to ask for directions to the library, and they instructed her to walk five blocks straight, take a right, and the library should be right there.

She expressed her gratitude for their kindness, but just as she was about to leave, one guy caught her arm and asked, “What’s a cute girl like you doing all alone?” Stella attempted to pull away from him, but another guy seized her other arm. The third guy merely stood by, watching her, and then came closer, claiming she looked familiar. She felt a strong grip on both her arms and realized she had to escape.

Using her demonic powers, she broke free and fled from the three guys. She sprinted as fast as she could until she finally lost them. After that, she resumed walking, passing four blocks before an unfamiliar boy collided with her.

The unknown boy was lying on the ground, looked up, and saw a scary smile. That scary smile turned into a girl’s face. Stella reached out to take his hand so the unknown boy could stand up. The unknown boy introduced himself as Marvin and said sorry to Stella for bumping into her. He asked her where she was headed, and she told him she was going to the library.

Apparently, Marvin informed her that the library is closed. Stella looked sad, and Marvin chose to change the topic. He asked her if she had somewhere to stay, to which she answered, “No, I don’t have a place to stay.” “You can stay at my place for now,” Marvin offered. “Okay, thanks for the offer, Marvin,” Stella replied. As they walked, Stella began asking him questions to learn more about him.

Once they reached his parents’ house, Marvin informed them about her, mentioning that she would be staying with them for a while. His parents were okay with it, so they guided her on everything she needed to know about the house and who to reach out to in case of emergencies. After Stella got the hang of everything, Marvin told her to head to his room, where she would sleep on the bottom bunk while he took the top.

Stella looked out the window and noticed everything was set for the festival happening in three days. Perhaps this was the ideal moment for her to sneak off to the library and explore the history, just like her father had suggested. She asked if Marvin was going to the festival.

He replied, “Yeah, my mom is making me and my dad go this year.” “Why do you have to go?” she asked. “Well, apparently, they’re going to replace that old statue of the girl with the founder.” “Oh, so that’s what’s going on then?” Stella wondered. “Sorry for all the chatting, but I never caught your name,” Marvin said. “Um, you can just give me a name. We could start with something easy like my blonde hair,” Stella suggested. “Hmm, how about Bridgette? That name kind of suits you because of your hair, and no one in the kingdom has that name.” “Well, thanks, Marvin, for that special name.”

Even though this was a great chance for Stella to fit in with everyone while she checked out what has changed over the last 5,000 years. Now, Stella needs to find out how old Marvin is because, honestly, she's older than everyone here.

“Hey Marvin, how old are you?” “Um, I’m 17 years old. Why do you want to know?” “Oh, it’s just that I’m new in town, and I need to know an age.” “Well, judging by how you look, you seem a year older than me, so I’d say you look 18 years old.” “Okay, my name is Bridgette, and I’m 18 years old. How does that sound?” “It sounds awesome. Now we need to get you enrolled in the same academy as me and in the same class too.” “Alright, I’ll show off my intelligence.”

Bridgette is curious about which academy Marvin goes to, especially since the old academy she attended ages ago burned down. We’ll discover it eventually. Marvin’s parents summoned him, leaving me in his room.

“His space is so tidy, and he has a ton of awards. Seems like I have some competition,” Bridgette laughed. Marvin returned, informing Bridgette that tomorrow, before the festival kicks off, they’ll head to his academy to enroll her for Monday.