Pandora’s POV

My feet were sinking in the sand...

„I...” My feet were truly sinking in the sand! I bent down and took a handful of it, letting it slide through my fingers, my brain trying it’s hardest to figure out how this was possible. I had walked straight out of Hell. That was... impossible. Nobody was supposed to leave Hell so easily. Wasn’t there supposed to be some magic sealing the place from leaving? Did I just get lucky? Was that the case here? Can’t be. Luck and I aren’t on speaking terms.

„Help...” A weak voice whispered somewhere from behind my back. If I had a heart, this would be the time for it to skip a beat.

Slowly, but surely I turned around and shielded my squinted eyes from the scorching sun to see who the voice belonged to. For a good moment all I could see was the never-ending desert, before my eyes laid upon a dirty white robe in the middle of all this wasteland.

It felt like hundred degrees standing here and I could admit this was quite surreal. It was so bright that it actually pained me to keep my eyes open.

„Please... Help...” The person coughed, forcing the robe to move along with the movement. I looked around to see if nobody would jump out of only God knows where and ambush me with a shotgun to my temple. I didn’t know in which universe I was, led alone if I was still a demon, so a shotgun to ones temple seemed to become more terrifying by the passing minute. A bullet couldn’t necessarily kill me, but it still would hurt like all Hell. Or maybe it could... I didn’t know, had never been shot before.

I started off towards the person laying in the sand and only when I was a couple of feet away, I noticed this person to be a she, who was in fact laying... in her own puddle of blood... only this blood wasn’t red – it was gold and it was glistering in the sun. A deep crease formed between my eyebrows as her bright purple eyes locked on me.

„Okay... I... I...” I sighed as I placed a strand of my hair behind my ear, „I have no idea how to help you...” I bent down by her, inspecting her weak body and all the injuries. There was no way I could bring her to a hospital – no human would know how to heal her and frankly, Gates doesn’t pass out brochures ‘healing a celestial being 101’. „I really want to, but I don’t know how... Sorry...”

Her eyes stayed locked on me, her stare becoming colder by the passing second. „You really don’t know who I am...”

I frowned, staring at her confusedly. „Should I?” She was an angel, I had seen a lot of them, but couldn’t say I had particularly memorized each and every face I’ve seen throughout my existence. All angels appeared the same to me – they had golden locks, purple eyes and the palest skin known to man. The only person I could put a name to and who fit the description was Daenerys Targaryen, sadly she was a fictional character, but a badass nonetheless. So sorry if I can’t put a name to every pale, purple-eyed face I meet.

Her hand brushed against mine and I was blinded for a moment. Everything appeared white, but I could tell some voices apart. In fact... a whole lot of voices, before the image returned. The same desert, the same scorching sun, the only difference between now and before, I heard swords clinging and dragons screaming in the distance. Oh hell...

This was the battle.

A thousand angels drew their swords for a battle they were going to lose.

This was my final battle.

But... I was standing at the wrong side.

„Take the weapon...” A voice spoke, pushing a sword in my hands. It was Astaroth. The priest. I could only blink and if I hadn’t been so confused, I would’ve joked about his ‘armor’, seeing how he had none, but something told me we had only seconds, before all hell would break loose. „Remember what I told you,” He looked me closely in the eye.

I waited for the continue, but it didn’t come. What? WHAT did he tell me?! And who the hell was ‘me’? As far as I remember I wasn’t fighting on this side.

My eyes shifted to the dark behind Astaroth’s back, it was like a mist – appearing seemingly from nowhere. The Nine Horsemen of Apocalypse were the first ones to emerge from the mist. Some of the angels from this side charged at them and were cut in half in an instant.

Astaroth looked deeply in my eyes and nodded, before he went to fight one of the horsemen, followed by the rest of the angels. I was the only one who remained standing still. I finally saw the battle for what it was – a carnage. A meaningless carnage with Pandora the Butcher conducting the whole orchestra.

Speaking of the heartless demon – I marched out of the fog right as the rest of the demons ran to fight in the name of their rightful ruler.

Could I be anymore conceited? I mean, I could see the smirk even from a mile away and it seemed she was coming straight for me. But... why? I didn’t remember having a single solid prey, although after the encounter with the Heavenly light I remember hardly anything of this battle.

My grip tightened around the handle of the sword as I anxiously waited for the inevitable. I was going to kill this angel, just like I killed everyone who crossed my path.

Her smile was a bit too wide. A bit too cheerful. Considering the amount of blood on her hands. A bit too psycho for my enjoyment.

I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. Maybe she will in fact kill me, but right now I am not her. I will fight knowing the outcome... I will fight because that’s the right thing to do.

As soon as I opened my eyes and was about to raise the sword in the air, it was kicked back down. She was right in front of me, holding my sword down with her own as she grinned at me. „Tell me... is gold your favorite color too?” My eyes lowered to her black sword. It was glistering in gold. The most haunting feeling probably was the realization that I or in this case- she could kill without second thoughts. Without regrets. And it seemed like she was fighting without a mask so she could laugh each angel in the face a mere second before she forced a sword through their heart. Seemed like the perfect opportunity to punch this bitch straight in the face.

She stumbled back with a confused frown on her face, stunned from the attack. „No. Mine’s red.” My voice seemed so familiar, I swear I had heard it before... Before this little recollection... before the desert.

The blade closing in on my face ripped me out of my thoughts and if it hadn’t been for the agility of this body, I would’ve been with a pretty firm hole in my head. I managed to limbo it out of the situation, but, man, was she quick. I knew each and every hit she was going to go for, but the speed was what made me struggle. And the goddamn robe. Why the fuck were angels even wearing these robes to a fucking battle? Like... Seriously?

„I thought God was against violence,” She panted as she jolted back when I had struck her face with my elbow after my sword had hit hers away, leaving her with only one.

„Don’t know,” I replied, keeping my eyes on her as she sliced a throat of a different angel while looking at me, „hadn’t met him.”

The tip of my sword landed in the sand, letting me regain my breath as she walked sideways, seemingly measuring the level of exhaustion in me. She jumped forward, taunting me, making me step back, before a tasty laughter ripped out of her chest. „You don’t seem to realize one thing angel...”

„And what might that be?” I questioned, raising my sword to keep the wonderful distance between us.

„I have never lost a fight.” Her sword landed by her feet and it was only a question of when, before her hands wrapped around the blade of my sword. Two thin streams of blood colored the blade as she pressed harder on it, ripping it out of my hands and a single second later jabbing the same sword I had been holding previously, through my chest.

Suddenly it was quiet. All the memories washed over me.

I dropped to my knees in the sand, feeling the jolting pain rip through my chest. The haunting smirk was something I would never be able to erase from my mind. How could I be so... cruel? How could I so blindly follow Syn’s moronic orders? I killed so many innocent beings... and for what?

My eyes fixed on my palms and I saw the same scars from the blade forming on them. Over those couple hundred years they had healed, leaving them hardly visible, but now... now there was blood gushing from them.

She walked around me, the blood from her hands leaving a crimson trail behind her. With the corner of my eye I saw her raising the sword and a short moment later the most agonizing pain shot through my body. Something heavy dropped at the either side of me. Wings. She had cut off wings I didn’t know I had.

Tears were rising in my eyes, starting to blur my vision.

I closed my eyes, feeling those little drops rolling down my cheeks, but as I opened them I was back in the desert with the angel laying in the puddle of gold.

„You’re a monster...” She whispered, dropping her hand by her side as she turned her head away.

„I’m sorry...” I sobbed, looking at my bloody hands, tears welling up in my eyes.

„Do you remember what happened to the wings?” The angel closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

„Yes.” I whispered, the tears landing on my hands, mixing together with blood. A white feather landed right by my legs. „He mounted them on me...”

A small smile mirrored on angel’s face. „You learned to hide them well.”

Hide? A demon wasn’t supposed to have wings, led alone angel wings. The pain of having them for everyone to see was excruciating. So maybe she was in fact right. Maybe I was hiding them. Thank the lord the Priest thought me how. But... Why did I remember this just now?

Why didn’t I know I had wings to begin with? Was that what the half a millennium in torture chambers was for? To wipe the slate clean?

„You seem to have changed since the last time I met you,” The angel spoke and I could honestly tell she didn’t have much left. A couple of minutes at best. Every injury she had – the light was starting to take over – meaning the time’s up. Such a lovely chat. Note the sarcasm.

I wiped the tears away as I rolled my eyes. „I had a lot of time to think.”

„What did you think about?” Her purple irises connected with me in a curious stare.

„About...” I swallowed thickly, feeling the wings behind me flutter and the pain instantly shoot through me. „About how to set things right.”

„And...?” Her eyes were glued to me. The light became brighter. Fuck, I’ll be fucking damned if another angel dies on my watch. Not gonna happen.

„Wait... I have these bloody wings...” I suddenly jumped to my feet and tried to get the angel to sit up so I could pick her up. „I can get you to Heaven...”

„Pandora...” She grimaced in pain as I tried my best to lift her. „You know where you are... You can’t save me.”

I looked at her. But of course. The realization hit me hard. Of fucking course- I was in the goddamn torture chamber and the only way to get out was to kill her. I wonder... which of the nine levels of torture was this? The eleventh? I stopped trying to get her to her feet and let her lay back down. Her hand disappeared in the sand, before she pulled out the same sword I used to cut her wings off.

„Finish the job.” She demanded, throwing the sword towards me.

I took a deep breath, before I bent over to pick up the sword. „I... can’t...”

„You can. And you will.” She sent me a pointed look, before she turned her head away and closed her eyes. „For Enepsigos.”

For... What? Teek? How—

„Promise me you’ll guard her with your life.” She had narrowed her violet eyes on me.

„uhmm,” I frowned. Did I even have a choice in the matter? Wasn’t that what I was already doing? „Of course.”

She nodded and closed her eyes again. „Do it.”

I picked up the sword. There had to be other way. If this was my torture it seemed way off. I don’t remember being in a torture chamber and killing an angel. The torture usually consisted of something you had done so you understand my puzzled expression.

„You’re demon... you can’t save me.” She mumbled and I knew she was right. I couldn’t. For a moment I thought that maybe I could fly up to Heaven and demand that they fix her up, but who was I kidding? I knew how it would end – I’d simply perish not even reaching the gates of Heaven.

It took all that I had to raise the sword and drive it through her chest one last time. It should’ve been me – not her. I should’ve died. I should’ve died a long time ago for all my sins.

The desert vanished before my eyes and the dark took over. I heard the door unlock and after a slight moment it opened. The dimply lit hallway stood in front of me. I turned my head to look at the sword I was still holding – all traces of gold were gone, yet there it stood. In my hand. It rose a couple of questions, for example, was the angel just a part of the torture or was there an actual angel in this chamber?

Something inside me twitched, infuriating me beyond limits, realizing that Gates was exceptionally sick in the head and he could be keeping an angel here all this time.

I marched out in the hallway and headed straight for Gates office where I found the infamous devil with an angel sitting on his lap and a frowning Shadows standing by his side.

„You son of a bitch...” I hissed, my grip tightening around the handle of the sword. None of them said a word, Gates simply stood up from his seat, pushing Teek behind his back. I’m not after the angel, moron. I’m after you.

„Okay, Dora, let’s all just calm down...” Matt stepped forward. I couldn’t miss the questioning look he sent his boss even if I wanted to. „Put the sword down, you know where you stand in the chain of command.”

„Chain of command?” I laughed darkly. „I don’t think you both understand what chain of command is. Let me draw a chart for the gifted ones here – it’s the chain I go and get and beat your bloody asses with until you understand who’s in command here.”

„Pandora...” Teek squeaked hiding behind Syn’s back, „Please... put the weapon down. You’re scaring me.”

„Put the weapon down?” I questioned, before shrugging. „Fine.” I nodded, shifting my attention to Syn, „Right after this arrogant bastard tells me if there was or wasn’t an actual angel in that damned torture chamber!” I yelled, pointing the sword towards the hallway.

„An angel?” Matt asked, „Down here?”

I turned my head to look at him like he was retarded. Seriously? And Teek here is not an angel?

„Okay, okay,” He held his hands up in defense, „Got your point.”

My eyes narrowed back on Syn. „You. Imprisoned. Her.”

„I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He finally replied, before he stepped around the broken desk. His voice brought back all the painful memories. „But you should remember who you’re talking to.” His eyes flared up. „Bow. Now.”

„Bow?!” I yelled at him, my voice filled with the demonic echo. I exhaled deeply to calm myself down. „I need to ask you one thing before I kill you...” I stepped forward, seeing confusion and a glimpse of terror in his eyes. „How does your own medicine taste like?”

„Dora...” Matt’s warning made me step out of my fury and realize I’m not this person anymore. I looked at him and saw him holding an ax in his hand. „I like you, but enough is enough.”

„You’re right,” I agreed with a sigh and held out my sword for him. His eyes shifted between me and the sword almost as if asking if I’m truly giving up without a fight. I was. „Just take the damned thing.”

As soon as Matt had taken the sword I spotted the grimoire hiding underneath a broken armchair. I pulled it out from underneath the carcass and headed towards the elevator. The red stone in the serpent’s eye glistened. I bet you could get the elevator moving by finding the other eye of the snake. Fun fact – Gates’ ring had the other eye, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk to the guy.

„Okay, Shads, give me the sword back.” I held out my hand. I managed to roll my eyes to another universe before, hesitantly, he placed the handle of the sword in my hand. I jammed the blade in the small gap between the two doors and simply forced them open. Almost as good as a key. Without second thoughts I stepped in the elevator, which conveniently enough was already waiting, before throwing the sword back to Matt. My eyes fixed on Teek. „You’re staying with them?” She avoided my gaze and ignored me completely. Well... Okay. „Fine by me.” I shrugged, pressing the button with the letter ‘E’ on it. „Syn’s ring is the key.” I managed to tell before the door closed.

Whatever happens from this moment on - I swear I won't kill another angel.

Notes