How'd That Happen?

Chapter 2

It's been a week since the conversation between Lani and her father, and she still doesn't feel any different. It was one of numerous talks with no changes to her life, and she was losing hope. Twenty-three years of praying for a change and some enlightenment about the outside world, and she is still as oblivious as she was 23 years ago. I feel like all I'm doing is chasing a dream that wasn't meant for me, she thought to herself as she walked around the edge of heaven's castle, her head hanging low and her shoulders slumped. She had no idea what she was going to do with herself if she didn't get out soon. She was ready; she knew she was. She just needed someone to give her a chance to prove herself. But it seemed like that was never going to happen, not with the position she was in.

"I mean, the role I got was to practically do what I was told and be submissive, no questions asked. So it's not like I even had a chance from the beginning, now did I?" she spoke to herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lani caught sight of Maria zooming right towards her faster than the speed of light. Less than a second later, Maria crashed straight into Lani before she had time to react.

"Shoot, I'm really sorry, are you okay?" Maria asked as she quickly got back up on her feet and offered Lani a hand to get up.

"Yeah, I'm alright, no worries," Lani replied with a cheerful smile on her face as if she didn't have a care in the world. "But, I would suggest you start watching where you're going, especially with those weapons on your back." Lani pointed to the bow and arrows strapped to Maria's back.

"These? Nah, they can only hurt demons and the people on the outside. Take a look!"

"Wait!" Lani threw her hands up as Maria pulled out an arrow and her bow, pointing them straight at Lani. She let go, letting the arrow fly, and it pierced straight into Lani's left shoulder bone. She flinched, but it didn't hurt at all. After a short pause, Lani just looked at the arrow, then Maria, then back at the arrow, and pulled it out as if nothing had happened, but with a continuously shocked face.

"Pretty cool, right?" Maria grinned.

"Sure, if you consider scaring the heck out of someone cool," Lani raised an eyebrow.

"Meh, don't worry. You'll be fine," Maria said in a teasing voice as she walked over to Lani to give her a deep pat on the back. "Oh, and the best part is that these get upgraded today when I get my promotion card!" Her voice brightened as she was overjoyed to tell Lani about this whole promotion thing.

"Promotion? What do you mean, promotion?" Lani's face looked bewildered.

"Oh, I guess I didn't tell you, did I?" Lani shook her head, wanting to know more about this so-called promotion that Maria got. "Since I'm relatively close to the age of 25, the archangels have given me special permission to go outside of the gates and search the perimeter. Of course, there are boundaries that I can't cross, but I think it's pretty exciting!"

"But aren't you the one always saying we should stay in the gates and attend to our roles?" Lani became even more confused.

"Well, yeah, but there are roles that surpass that law. And if it's for heaven's good, then I don't have a problem with it."

"Oh... I see." Lani's stomach started to churn. Of course, she was happy for Maria, but she couldn't understand how someone like her had been waiting her entire life to go out, and Maria simply got special permission because of her... role? It didn't make any sense at all, and quite honestly, it made Lani upset. "I'm happy for you," was the only thing Lani said before going silent, and she meant it too. Part of her was truly happy for her friend, but the other part of her wanted to rage into fury. It was like putting oil on a fire and expecting it to go out. She knew that Maria was not the one she should be angry at, but she couldn't help it. She had been waiting all these years for her time, and yet Maria could just get this special permission? Unbelievable.