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prologue
1914
PEOPLE ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT WHEN ONE WAS TO DIE, their last thoughts were filled with memories of the life they lived.
Thomas Shelby always knew that his life would, sooner or later, be cut short by the reaper's sharp scythe. Whether from a scorned business partner or from the war itself, he would accept his fate with open arms. The atrocities of war had taken the remnants of his damaged spirit – his time was up. He was ready.
As Thomas could now attest, dying was not like most assumed; he wasn't at the picture's, reliving his past on a screen. The dying man did not see his life flash before his eyes, for all he could see was a bright light that moved above him. A blanket of warmth wrapped itself around the man's body and a disbelieving chuckle left his lips.
may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead
Was he... in heaven? No, there had to be a mistake. Thomas would be the first one to admit that he was a bad man, cut from the same cloth as the demons that lurked in the shadows. There was absolutely no possible way that God would have let him enter his pearly gates.
The bright light above the man dimmed as a black shadow leant over him. There it was. He briefly shut his eyes, knowing that the angel of death had come to take him into the depths of hell, where he would he would burn in the pits of hellfire that were calling his name.
In the bleak midwinter
Thomas bravely opened his eyes, ready to stare his fate in the eyes. His brows furrowed; his eyes met an entirely different type of being - an angel from heaven. The angel took the form of a woman. She was unaware of his stare as her silhouette contrasted with the bright light behind her.
Her dark locks were disheveled, unruly strands escaped her pinned hair, untidy but in a way, easy-going and peaceful. The woman's halo consisted of a small white hat; the bright light giving it a holy glow. Thomas knew this woman had to be a saint.
The man was never really a religious individual. He cared more about superstitions and traditions, but he didn't care much about a God and he knew that if he was real, he could never reach such a place. However, the angel he witnessed instantly converted him into a most pious and devoted man. He was ready to kneel and commit himself reverently, for he was a believer.
The woman in white finally noticed his bewildered gaze on her person. A brief look of concern flashed across her soft chocolate eyes, as she halted her movements at his side. As their eyes met, a shy relieved smile etched itself onto her lips and the mortal then knew, he was in heaven.
As if on cue, Thomas's vision blurred, dark spots clouding his vision. The man desperately held on, wanting to stay with his angel. He felt himself fade away in the darkness, knowing full well that the devil found out he made it to heaven, retrieving and dragging him down to hell.
