School of Angels

Chapter 13 - Revealing the Shadows

"Hey, Mortimer!" Jim called as he entered his mentor's room on a misty, overcast day.

"Hm?" Mortimer looked up from behind his desk, looking as unchanged as ever. The years hadn't touched him much - just as they hadn't aged Jim outwardly. After all they had been through, it felt unnatural to speak formally to each other. They had shared too much.

Jim sat down across from him, leaning back in his chair. "What happens when I turn eighteen? In the angel world, that's when we get our first human to protect."

Mortimer rubbed his tired forehead, pondering the question. "Well... I suppose we could take a break from the mission for a while. You've gotten pretty good at shielding your thoughts, even telepathically. But we can stay if you're not ready to come back. I can always pull some strings to delay your mission."

Jim nodded. "I know you're still in contact with the others, teaching them back there. It's not exactly a safe gig for you."

Mortimer grinned. "Yeah, well, I manage. The others know you're on an important mission with me, and that you're doing well. That's all they've been told. So why are you asking now? You haven't mentioned the Angels for a long time."

Jim shrugged. "Turning eighteen, I guess. Just thinking about it. I'm still not sure going back is the right thing to do. If I go back, it'll be complicated. Training to protect humans while keeping up with the demon lessons... it doesn't exactly fit together."

"You have a point." Mortimer nodded thoughtfully. "I thought you might want to visit, but if you'd rather wait, I can arrange that too. No need to rush back unless you want to."

Jim shook his head. "Nah. There's no point. I'm not the same person who left, and I doubt Sally or Adam are the same either. And Brian... he'd notice the changes. I don't think we'd get on too well. Going back... it'd just mess with my head."

Mortimer sighed, understanding. "Yeah. It's best to stay concentrate on the mission. We both know that something big is brewing. After all this time, it'd be a waste to walk away now."

"Yes, you're right. I just like to toy with the idea sometimes. But how does it feel to you, Mortimer? To go back to the angel world and teach as if nothing had happened?"

Mortimer's expression darkened slightly. "I've been doing this for decades. By now... it's just routine." He paused, then added, "But I've got some news. I think the demons are preparing to attack. We're running out of time to find out exactly what they're planning."

Jim straightened up, his interest piqued. "What makes you think that?"

"The changes," Mortimer replied, his voice low. "The top demons... they've been unusually happy lately. I've noticed they've been spending less time in the demon school. You've seen it too, haven't you?"

Jim nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's been on my mind."

They exchanged a heavy look. They both knew what it meant. If they didn't act soon, if they didn't find a way to stop it, it could cost countless human lives. Maybe every life. And if it was a secret attack, not even the army of angels could help. That was probably the goal - not open warfare, but something far more devastating. Perhaps something they couldn't even imagine.

"What's their plan? When will they strike? Can we, two almost fallen angels, really stop them?" Jim thought, his mind racing. "Are we strong enough? Do we have the will?"

Jim's thoughts turned inward, the weight of his situation pressing down on him. God, help me do this right. I don't care about my own salvation - whether I'm an angel or a demon doesn't matter. But it would be a tragedy if everything You have created were to disappear in an instant. If you lose it all, you can't recreate something so perfect.