Toby never quite understood why his father seemed to hate him so much. From the earliest time he could remember, he had done little else than try to please him. But, even with all of his effort, he would hear his father and mother fighting at night, and he would often bear the brunt of the anger. Toby's only respite came in the form of his friends who cared deeply about him. They were so kind that he didn't want to worry them with his woes, but they pressed nonetheless.
Zeruel had done something unforgiveable. He had questioned God's word, his plan. As a messenger that was not something that was done. Free Will was for the enosh... man... humans. He did not quite understand why God would give his favored Free Will, if he already knew what they would do with it. His questions grow as he is demoted to being a simple guardian, watching over a poor, abused boy with potentially the most innocent soul he has ever seen. As he watches his charge beaten near daily, wondering what he had done wrong, and simply wishing to be loved, Zeruel becomes angry at his inability to do anything other than watch.
After a particularly harsh night that sends Toby to the hospital, Zeruel decides to take a forbidden step to protect his charge... walking among the humans themselves.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]