Crestfallen • Jeonghan [2]

25

"Has the boy arrived?" the archangel questions, placing down his beverage onto the table. The guards checked outside the door, and when they confirmed it was him, he orders with a loud voice, "Bring him in!"

Two other guards dragged the boy in by his arms, the boy unable to walk properly. His wings were dark and dirty, a trail of burgundy staining the pure white of the fabric as he faced the archangels, ready for his judgement. This was it, Jeonghan thought to himself, unable to bring himself to look up at the looks from the archangels that already screamed despise.

This is what I deserve.

"Yoon Jeonghan," the male archangel calls his name, voice deep and somehow echoed in Jeonghan's ear, "You bring nothing but disgrace to the Above." Yeah, I know, so just get on with it already.

Flipping through the papers that were put together, the female archangel speaks up after a while, "You were brought in for killing a girl's parents just for your brother. What is this selfishness?"

"Her father killed mine." Jeonghan responded, finally looking up at the archangels who were sitting in a line behind this long, golden table. It was hard to describe what he saw as it was quite bright, but he could tell there was no God behind this. Heck, now that he thinks of it, why isn't God himself punishing him? If the rules of the Above really did exist, then why are the archangels carrying it out? Why are they the ones who were giving and deciding punishments? Did God even exist, at this point?

"That doesn't justify why you had the right to kill hers, as revenge," Another archangel piped up, folding his arms, "We Angels were taught not to respond to violence with violence. That was what we all learned before we were sent down, Yoon Jeonghan."

They didn't understand how he felt. This was unfair. Jeonghan could feel his blood boil; he loved his parents dearly. How could he accept it when some man killed his source of happiness just for some research? Humans were never supposed to seek for angels; they were defying the laws of the Above. Yet even if there were people like the man who killed his parents, none of the Angels above took action of it. And now, it was Jeonghan who got the punishment?

"Tell you what - let's make it simple here. Do you know what happens when an Angel breaks the rules?"

"Why am I the one punished?"

"You killed an innocent child's parents for your own greed."

"But see- she admitted it! She allowed me to take her happiness away!" Jeonghan breaks free form the grip of the two angels beside him, rummaging through his pocket as he struggles to get away form the grip of the two angels, "Look! It's inside her letter that she wrote; take my happiness, and share them with people. Her happiness was her parents, so I took them away. I was never at fault; she was willing."

Jeonghan looked hopeful. Not that he wasn't prepared for the punishment; he already kind of expected it after all. But he just wanted to prove himself right. That he had the right to use a child's wish to save his brother. That it wasn't for his own greed, his selfishness.

The head archangel hastily gets up from his seat and leaves the room. Jeonghan looked dumbfounded.

"Will I be free? Am I no longer guilty?"

"Son of Yoon!" the head archangel roared, hitting his fist on the table, leaving a long period of silence. His voice does not waver nor soften, however, as he goes on, "You are banished from the Above! Leave this instance!"

Jeonghan's expression dropped. His heartbeat quickened, "Wait- what did I do?"

"What did you do?" the head archangel roared again, leaning on the edge of the table to get a good view of the angel he was judging, "Not only did you murdered for revenge; but you tried to change fate! Saving your brother - he was meant to die, Yoon! We angels can never do anything about fate! Stop using tricks and alternatives to prove yourself innocent. Leave this instance!"