All around me was flames.

The crumbled remains of Hell High burned with bright, raging fire. The crimson flames spiraled all around, sending a blanket of smoke into the sky above.

My friends laid across the broken and dying landscape, battered and bruised. Bleeding pools of red that melted into the dark red ground of Hell and was washed away from the crimson red of the flames.

All around me was horror.

And right there, at my feet, was the very same person I had failed when Hell High fell.

Madam Webb, not staring at me, nor anything else. For her eyes were devoid of life, a knife stabbed in her stomach.

And as I slowly looked up, in the distance, stood a laughing man drenched in blood. His armor was splattered with the substance, his hands dripping liquid crimson.

Demon King Lucifer grinned mockingly at me, cackling at the carnage.

I gasped awake from my nightmare, my body sore and heavy. A dull pain filled my body, a strange noise filling the back of my mind. My head throbbed as I slowly sat myself up, rubbing my forehead to try and get rid of some of the pain.

"Where...am I?" I questioned, squinting my eyes as I looked around.

I was supposed to be at the sealed gate to Heaven. That's where that damn Demon King Lucifer dropped me off to.

I clearly remember passing out.

"The holy air here will slowly kill you..." He grinned down at me. "...Enjoy the last moments of your pathetic little existence."

And I clearly remember what he said.

The holy air should've taken me out. But yet, I don't think I'm even at the gate to Heaven anymore. Everything is so white, and something is under me...

I closed my eyes from the overstimulation as my head continued to pound. I took in the feeling of the object beneath me, realizing that I was currently sitting in a bed.

I took a deep breath, squinting as I opened my eyes once more and got adjusted to the white. And that's when I realized I was in a room full of white, from the floor to the walls to the bed and the bed stand.

My body continued to ache, a stabbing pain in my heart each moment I breathed in some of the air. It almost felt dangerous, as if I was breathing in some form of harmful chemical.

I looked down at myself, realizing that I had been stripped of my shirt. Bandages were wrapped around my chest and arms, helping with the injuries I had sustained

The door slowly opened. I quickly staggered to my feet, my balance uneasy and my legs wobbly. I was about to summon my sword when the person behind the door revealed themselves, looking at me in surprise.

And I looked back at her, equally as surprised.

For behind her white dress were fluffy white wings, and above her curly brown hair was a golden halo.

An angel.

"Oh my, you're awake." She smiled kindly, her amber eyes holding a soft warmth as they stared at me.

"My name is Lailah, dear miracle child." She smiled softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Could be better..." I slowly spoke. "...where am I?"

"You're in Heaven." Lailah stated.

"But I thought Heaven was sealed?" I questioned.

"It was." Lailah smiled sadly. "Until I sensed your presence, just as foretold."

"What?" I blinked in confusion.

"Come with me." Lailah turned around, walking through the door.

I grimaced, moving my body after her and into the blinding light past the door. As my eyes adjusted, I was greeted to a beautiful landscape.

We walked upon clouds, surrounded by gorgeous buildings of pure white. A golden light shone from above, and in the distance was the giant doors I was dropped in front of by Lucifer.

"Wow..." I gasped.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A reminiscing gaze was reflected in her eyes.

"It is..." I nodded. "...thank you for helping me, but I need to go. My friends are in danger."

"You'll only be killed if you try to go back right now." Lailah stated. "Demon King Lucifer is much stronger than you are."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" I questioned. "Leave my friends to die?"

Before I could wait for her response a giant pain erupted in my chest. I brought my arm up and covered my cough, slowly pulling it away to reveal splashes of crimson liquid.

"Oh, miracle child..." She murmured. "...you're being torn apart. How can you fight when your body is fighting against itself?"

She suddenly got closed, pressing the back of her hand against my forehead. She then stuck her fingers on my neck, gazing intently into my eyes with a curious gaze.

"How interesting." She gasped. "Not only does the blood of an angel flow within you, but so does the energy of a demon..."

"...I would assume because of this." She lifted up my demon arm, taking a good gaze at it as she looked at it from multiple angles. "This is why being in Heaven hurts you. Your angel side protects you from the worst of it. And..."

"...just as foretold, you have a chance." She nodded to herself.

"I am very lost." I replied.

"I want to show you something." She turned around, walking away.

I followed her to a large, shining marble building. Passing the pillars and through the doors, we were greeted to a large hall with multiple stained glass windows. And as I looked at the stained glass windows, I realized they were telling a story.

It reminded me of the church where I first awakened to this angel part of me.

"I have been tasked as Heaven's Gatekeeper." She stated. "One of the final three angels. Sleeping in slumber until the one with the gift from above returned home."

Gift from above? Is she taking about the system?

That's uh...quite the interesting gift from above.

"Look at this story." Lailah spoke, pointing at the stained glass windows. "It tells of the one with the gift from above, born from angel and human, and gifted with special powers."

"It tells of his descent into the human realm and his early days living amongst them." She continued. "It then shows how a voice led him to adventure, awakening his angel half and sending him against the descendant of the one who killed the angels, the one who could ruin the world."

"And you're going to say that's me, aren't you?" I replied.

"Of course." Lailah turned towards me. "I was the one who oversaw your descent to the human realm, though you appeared a thousand years later than expected. It's been a long time, miracle child. May I have the honor of hearing your name?"

"Jackson." I stated. "Jackson Walker."

"Lovely." She smiled. "Demon King Lucifer will not be easy to defeat. He is the descendent of the leader of the demons, the one which brought hell to Heaven."

"All of this...is because of that war one thousand years ago?" I questioned. "My friends are in danger because of something completely unrelated to them?"

"Perhaps." Lailah replied. "The descendant is known as the one who could bring ruin to the world. Whether or not that occurs, or how that would occur, is unknown to us."

""Prophecies are not clear." She continued. "That is why we sealed the angel with the most potential, so that one day the one with the gift from above could gain their help."

"Angela." I gasped.

"I see you've unsealed her already then." Lailah smiled. "Angela Ignis, the one blessed with holy fire. We hid her away, sealing her so that one day she could support the miracle child."

"So...she wasn't sealed away because the angels were afraid of her heavenly fire?" I asked.

"Of course not." Lailah shook her head. "The heavenly fire is an incredible blessing. It was why she was chosen to support you."

"You didn't exactly make that clear to her." I replied.

"I suppose we didn't." Lailah hummed. "With her help, you'll have a better chance at defeating the descendant."

"But first, you must take care of yourself." Lailah turned towards me, staring me in the eyes. "I hate seeing you get torn apart by these conflict within yourself. It greatly pains me."

Before I could ask why, she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"In order to have balance within your body, you must first have balance within your soul." She spoke.

"And that's supposed to stop my body from destroying itself?" I questioned.

"You are the miracle child." She smiled. "If anyone is capable of being the first to balance these opposite energies, I full heartedly believe it to be you."

"You have so much trust in me. Why?" I wondered.

"You are the one with the gift from above. Along with Angela, you two are the final two angels." She stated.

"Isn't it three, including you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"For the moment. But I am afraid my time is up, though I would have loved to get to know you better, my miracle child." She smiled sadly, bittersweet look in her eyes.

"To put myself in eternal slumber until you arrived, I had to use a partial sealing." She explained. "This would allow me to detect when you returned home, just as you have. But in return, it does not fare as kindly as a full sealing like Angela's in terms of time."

"A thousand years have passed. The drain of energy has weakened me." Lailah sighed. "I am ashamed that I am this weak when I have met you."

She cupped my face, a strained look on her face. "I've felt the pull for a little while in our conversation now, but I mustn't delay the inevitable much longer."

"You must go now, to save your friends." She stated. "I believe this is the end of our chat, my miracle child."

"Believe in yourself." Lailah warmly smiled. "My son."

And with that, I watched before my eyes as she faded away. She turned into tiny golden particles, floating far into the golden lights above.

Rejoining the rest of the angels.

I understand. You were my birth mother, having consummated with a mortal man to create me. Whether or not it was specifically for the prophecy doesn't matter.

Thank you for giving me this life.

Because of that, I found a family. Friends.

Irreplaceable people.

I refuse to let them die.

Demon King Lucifer, you've made the wrong mistake.

It's time to return to Hell.