𝑴𝒀 𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 | 𝑺. 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑬𝑳𝑰𝑺

𝟎𝟐 | 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑶𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑨 𝑫𝑰𝑫𝑵'𝑻 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑳𝑰𝒁𝑬 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑵 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑨 𝑪𝑹𝑼𝑬𝑳 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑬 𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑳 𝑺𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑨𝑺 𝑵𝑶 𝑳𝑶𝑵𝑮𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹𝑬. She had spent centuries upon centuries locked away in the tallest tower with just a single window to watch the world below. The world below was beautiful, yet every time she gazed at it, a hollow feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. No matter how beautiful the world below was, she could never be part of it, locked away in her tower with no company besides the angel that came in to feed her every day. 

Innocentia would often reach out, her pale arm reaching towards the tainted sky, wishing her fingertips could graze the golden hills or the rosé clouds hanging in the orange sky like a painting. But she never did. No matter how much she stretched her arm out, she was still trapped. 

"Please, you must eat" Hanniel pleaded, her long white wings dragging across the marble floors while she pushed the fruits into the girl's arms.

Innocentia shook her head, her long white locks dangling down the window and tangling with the moss while her body relaxed. Hanniel was the only other angel she had ever met, and although she had gotten used to her presence after centuries of idle chatter and meaningless conversations, she missed the outside world. 

No, you can't miss what you've never seen. Innocentia corrected herself, her golden eyes scanning the fields that stretched so far out nothing else was in sight except for the façade of headquarters were most angels reported to Michael after their missions either down below on Hell or on Earth. No, Innocentia didn't miss the outside world, she longed for it. She longed to feel the grass under her feet, she longed to feel the wind of her face and she longed to feel the touch of another creature, be it an angel or demon or anything in between. 

"I'm not hungry" she finally answered, eyes never leaving the fields to glance at Hanniel, not even once. 

Hanniel took a deep breath, her lips pressed into a thin line. She'd been delivering Innocentia's meals ever she had been created, and although the angels had never had the opportunity to use her as they intended, Innocentia still had a role to play. The girl shivered, the cold wind brushing her skin while the leaves rustled. Unlike the other angels in the garrison who were devoid of touch, hunger or tiredness, Innocentia was just as human as those below. She felt the wind on her skin, she felt the pain on her heart and she grew hungry or tired if she didn't eat or rest properly. 

Why did Michael make me like this? She often asked herself, but no matter how many times she asked for an audience with her creator, all she got were empty promises and shallow 'maybe's'. In the end, Innocentia was alone with no one but herself as company. It was sad, and it carved a hole into her chest, but she knew that as long as the angels were in charge, she'd always be a prisoner. Innocentia let out a deep breath, finally taking the plate filled with fruit from Hanniel and biting into an apple, the soft crunch echoing in the tower she'd learned to call home. Hanniel moved to the door, but before her hand could clasp around the handle, an explosion reverberated through Heaven. 

Both women stood still, Hanniel's primary feathers standing on end as the vibration spread through the stone around them. Innocentia set the plate aside, her hands shaking so wildly the grapes rolled from the plate and fell on the carpeted floor. 

"What's going on? What happened?" the young angel asked, her golden eyes open wide as the watched a column of smoke rising from headquarters. 

Hanniel turned around, her usual quiet stance being replaced by a fierce expression while she drew her flaming sword from her belt. 

"Demons" she said, a bitter expression on her face "They must've breached the gates" she added, her small eyes watching as a bunch of shadowy figures made their way across the field to the tower. 

Hanniel took a deep breath and pushed Innocentia behind her, the fire from the flames in her sword glowing in front of her golden eyes. The shadows climbed the tower, their strange limbs piercing the stone until they reached the summit. Hanniel gripped her sword tighter, but even with the flames illuminating her serene expression, Innocentia saw right through her. Hanniel was no seraphim, the closer she'd ever been to battle was when she watched humans slaughter themselves during the Dark Ages. 

One of the shadows reached towards them, but before its hand could grasp Innocentia's arm, Hanniel swung her flaming sword, severing the shadow in two before it attacked again. 

"Heaven has fallen, and I cannot protect you forever" Hanniel shouted as she dodged another blow, her body still shielding Innocentia's with such grace the young angel wondered how she could be so beautiful while being so close to death. 

Hanniel cut another demon, and while the shadow pieced itself back together, the woman turned around and stared at Innocentia. The young angel had never left the tower where she'd been locked, less alone heaven, yet there was no other option. Hanniel took her flaming blade and made a cut across her skin, strange blood dripping from her palm while a portal opened underneath. 

"You must go to Earth and survive until Heaven regains its strength" Hanniel pleaded, her small eyes watching the alley which she had conjured beneath "But you must remain pure no matter what, do you understand?"

Innocentia opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, Hanniel gripped her shoulders, her bloodied hand smearing red all over her white dress.

"You mustn't kill" the shadows crept on closer, their fluid bodies colliding with the stone around them as they tried to reach for the two women "Whatever happens, do not tarnish your soul, do you understand?"

Innocentia finally nodded, and before she could do anything else, Hanniel pushed her. The young angel fell through the portal, her body hitting the dirty floor underneath.