There once was a legend of a being in long past With the might of the gods, but a heart frail as glass Many a folk had once gathered, many a voice in their praise Catching wind to the hillside, the king's blood a blaze For their might was far certain, like flame of a beast So the king sent his armies, and they fled to the east To kill upon prey, from father to son Until their might had lost favor, to no longer run Trapped in a cage, they were sent across sea To die in the waves, to die in what's free Until fear wakes the memory that the night glimmers a star A star of long past, singing a name we call Almar To rise from the ashes, to a world set a blaze To strike fear in our hearts, until none stands but praise

In Floreca's village, human sacrifice is a necessary evil. The monstrous-looking angel, Aĉaĵego, demands one sinner every month. But when Floreca and her older sister become the sacrifices, Floreca questions if the Aĉaĵego is really as monstrous as it seems. As she awaits her death, Floreca seems to be developing a strange friendship with the angel... but can a monster ever really know humanity? Featured on @Retold's Fractured Fairytales reading list.