Prologue
Sept. 17, 2023.
The sea was at its calmest.
The night is darker than it seemed.
The stars glittered around the moon, as though following this cruise ship as it cut across the black water.
The loud music that was from the orchestra playing inside the grand hall, here I am—in the deck, leaning on the steel bars, feeling the salty air that touches my face.
Anticipating a new beginning for me.
It’s been five years since I last saw the outside world. Five years that was stolen in a cell, for something I hadn’t done. Now that I’m free, I wasn’t sure if I could start over so easily. Time had stopped for me once—what if it stopped again?
Just as my calm began to settle—
BOOM.
Everyone around me looked behind us. An explosion that rocked the ship, coming from that hall.
What the hell was happening?
Then, another explosion near the entrance of the hall, sent everyone in panic. People were screaming, running for their lives. Looking around, I need to go to the other side of this ship, to the emergency boats. I needed a vest too.
Is this how I’m going to spend my first taste of freedom? Tsk! I shouldn’t have booked this trip today. The hell!
------ On the other side of the ship, chaos had a different face.
Ugh. Damn it!
I’d made sure everything was under control—until now. Damn traitors. If I find out who you are, you’ll regret ever crossing me.
I sprinted in between pillars as gunfire erupted behind me, explosions rattling the deck.
“Fuck!” I snarled, reaching for the gun that was tucked behind my back. Firing at anyone blocking my path. When the extra ammunition ran out, I cursed again.
I was about to run on the other side when another explosion happened, that made me throw myself on the floor covering my head. I was near the entrance when I decided to ran off. And as soon as I exited, someone followed and keeps on shooting me.
Running to the other side of the ship, a lady is also running towards me. We bumped into each other that had me stopped for a minute.
“Shit!” I muttered. And in seconds, the ship was tilting on the side. The man who was following me caught up and never took a second thought to fire me at my back. I lost my balance in the impact and stumbled in front of the lady, she lost her balance as well and her back hit railings, at the same time as the ship was tilting. We fell off the water.
------- But elsewhere—far above the chaos—someone else was watching.
I was given a task by Archangel Gabriel, to complete my stages of becoming an angel:
□ Save a life.
I’ve been on a mission since the day I received it yet my status of completing it is still far from the ideal points I needed.
I’m completely confused on how to complete this only one task. I had saved lives before, guided souls, done good deeds—but this single task is different. It’s complicated.
Like who exactly was I meant to save?
I’m currently at the top of the highest building here in the city. Just sitting with my arms crossed and swinging legs, watching everyone at the top, so I can see and hear everything. Save who’s in need. And then—huh?
A man falling from the tilting ship. I could see it from here. And hearing his thoughts about saving someone he didn’t even know. And maybe... this has to be it.
I teleported.
Under the water, I found him slowly sinking and losing his consciousness.
“Who... are you?” he asked.
“I heard you.” I told him. “You want to save someone but how? When you also need to be saved too.”
Seeing him coughed a bubble rose from his lips like needing an air.
“Do you believe in second chances?” I asked him while offering my hand. I saw his reaction. He didn’t even asked. He’s reaching out for my hand.
