✦ . The first of the fallen . ✦

Chapter - 1 . The Lily Pond

Orion's POV

Lin's hands carefully worked at my hair, her face frozen in a look of complete focus. We sat in silence in front of the pond, taking in each other's presence was just enough.

I looked around the pond quietly when I noticed a Sacred Lotus resting carefully near a lily pad. I reached forward, yanking it from its stem.

"Careful with those!" Lin scolded me, pulling on a piece of my hair that she was working on.

I jerked my head away from her hands in response, causing her to mess up.

"Hey!" She scolded again.

Her hand swatted my arm in frustration. I laughed, tilting my head towards her in a gesture to let her continue. She shook her head, clearly annoyed, but still continued.

I stared at the sacred lotus in my hands for a few moments, rolling it between my fingers before handing it to her.

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"It's for you." I smiled.

A smile formed on her face, although she quickly tried to hide it, taking the sacred lotus from my hand and into hers.

"Thank you." She carefully ran a finger against a petal before setting it beside her.

She leaned in, giving a quick kiss on my cheek. I let out a small laugh before turning my head again to let her continue.

After a few minutes she was finished. She took a second to examine my hair.

"All done!" She exclaimed.

I lifted my hand into my hair, my fingers ran against some of the thin braids she made me. I thanked her, giving her a small kiss before noticing the sky.

The sun was rising and it began to illuminate the sky into a carefully dark tinted blue mixed with yellow.

"I have to go now, before the others notice I'm gone." I said, beginning to get up.

"All right then, get going." Lin responded as I helped her up.

We stood, staring at each other for a few moments before she spoke again.

"When will I see you again?" She spoke softly.

I opened my mouth to respond but quickly shut it when I realized I had no real answer.

"I'm not sure." I said, my eyes darted away in shame.

She sighed, causing my eyes to return to hers. She nodded her head showing that she understood. I pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly.

"I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise." I comforted her one more time before pulling away.

"Goodbye Orion." She spoke quietly as she pulled away as well.

Shortly after arriving at my dormitory Cicley, my roommate, popped out from his room to scold me.

"Off with your human again? You'll make us late again!" He hissed, his bright short red hair curling around his pale cheeks. 

His angel form truly lived up to its angelic title, elegant and gorgeous. His foggy green eyes went perfectly with his hair, most times I'm too busy admiring him to even notice he's speaking. Even then, his silky voice matching his constant stern tone makes it hard to focus.

"Well?" He spat out loudly.

"Sorry. Sorry, I was with Evangeline." I cleared my throat, walking past him towards the bathroom.

"You mustn't get too attached, I've accepted you for who you are but how long until others begin to catch onto your... scheme." He turned to me, his usual stern tone now shifting into a more comforting tone.

The type of tone he shifts to when he's trying to insult somebody.. but nicely. In this case he's calling me out in what he considers a polite way of doing it.

Honestly no matter what tone he says it in, it still stings knowing I'm not only hiding my lover from my people but I've forced Cicely to carry my secret as well.

"I can't control it Cicely, it's not as easy as you think." I responded.

"Right, because I've never been in a relationship before." He scoffed sarcastically.

"That's different, you have no shame in breaking the hearts of girls that throw themselves at you." I turned towards him.

"Oh because Evangeline is the first girl you've ever been with." Cicely spat, crossing his arms.

"That's different!"

"It's always different with you isn't it?" He cut me off.

I opened my mouth to respond but once again quickly shut it, not having an actual response. I scoffed, turning away to enter the bathroom.

I don't have time for this, who do you think you are?

I slammed the door shut, locking it. I turned to the shower and turned it on. I took off my clothes and prepared what I needed for when I finished.

You must think you're so perfect, that I'm just some idiot that fell in love with a girl.

I entered the steamy shower, letting the hot water hit my face in order to faster adjust to the temperature.

As if you haven't done the same, you and I, we are more alike than it seems.

I scrubbed my arms roughly, removing any coat of dirt on me that I'd collected down on earth.

But it is different. I love a girl.

My hair was a nice platinum blonde color, but after spending time on earth exploring the forest alongside Lin it had shifted to a more dirty blonde. I washed my hair thoroughly until it had returned to its natural color, till it almost seemed completely white.

I love a girl, and she's a human.

I rinsed my wings till all the mud came off, I watched as the water that dripped down my wings shifted from a dirty brown color to a clear and clean stream. As my now clean feathers returned to their bright white color I stood beneath the stream of water one last time to rinse off any soap that had remained on my body.

Loving a human is a sin for us angels, for we are not to love mortal beings.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, patting myself dry. I changed into my academy uniform and stepped out of the bathroom to see Cicely.

His book bag hung around his shoulder and he stood in front of the front door, his hands neatly folded behind him.

"We're almost out of time." He scolded.

I nodded, grabbing my bookbag and following him out the door.

As we roamed down the halls of the academy towards the meeting room I began to think about Lin again.

I love a girl, and she's a human. Loving a human is a sin. We are angels, we were created to be holy beings. Our sins are unforgivable as they are uncontrollable.

To sin is to break the law as a holy being, and as for our punishment... We are to be executed.