Above the Winter Skies [English Version]

24

I quickly slipped into loose pants and a top—then waited as Cassiel had instructed.

At first, I thought something had broken, and that he would come back any moment, though I had no idea what it might be. But the noise didn't stop. It grew louder and more frequent. There were these terrible screams, but I couldn't tell who was screaming, whether it was people or Seraphim. I couldn't even determine where the sounds were coming from. At first, I had thought the noise was coming from the hallway outside, but now it seemed to be coming from the deck below us.

The ship swayed and rumbled; suddenly, it tilted so much to the left that all the furniture in the suite slid to the other side.

I let out a scream and stumbled, barely managing to avoid the heavy couch that came hurtling toward me. The wardrobe fell with a loud crash.

The Aetheria steadied itself and righted, but the furniture remained where it was, and I huddled behind the sofa in the corner. Adrenaline surged through my veins and I felt nauseous.

When would Cassiel return?

At that moment, I glanced out the window and saw smoke.

In a surge of panic, I jumped up.

Was that fire? Was the ship burning?

I ran to the window front and looked outside, and indeed: the bow of the Aetheria was engulfed in flames, the air was filled with dark gray smoke. Fine sparks swirled around, and parts of the wooden cladding were falling off and plunging into the depths.

My heart raced. What the hell was happening?

More screams, another loud bang.

I heard someone sobbing, and only after a few seconds did I realize it was me who was sobbing. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the window, mesmerized by the blazing flames.

I was trembling and shaking all over, but I didn't move from my spot.

Cassiel would come.

He wouldn't leave me here, I kept telling myself, whispering it like a mantra.

He will come back.

I trust him.

But then, in the blink of an eye, I saw them: angels. They were soaring through the air, leaving the ship in droves.

Gigantic golden wings rose and flew into the distance, the sky was full of them—and there were more and more.

From a distance, I couldn't make out their faces, so I couldn't be sure if Cassiel was among them. I didn't want to believe it.

I wrapped my arms around my torso and took deep breaths to calm myself. He would come back. He wouldn't just leave me here, never. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment and repeated it to myself over and over.

I was trembling more intensely, the noise on the ship was growing louder. More parts of the Aetheria detached and fell into the depths, and more angels appeared in the sky. I tried to count them, but there were so many that I couldn't manage. Dozens. Hundreds.

Something tickled my cheek, and I realized it was tears streaming down my face.

He can't just leave me here.

The tears kept flowing, and I sobbed uncontrollably. Yet, I remained fiercely determined to wait. To obey Cassiel, to trust him.

Gradually, the sky emptied until the Seraphim finally disappeared completely.

The screams diminished and then fell silent. Then there was a loud crash as the entire bow outside detached and plunged into the depths. The ship tilted, the furniture began sliding again—this time in the other direction—and then it finally dawned on me what should have been clear a long time ago: