Episode 4-Shadows and wings of heaven

Episode 4 – Shadows and Wings of Heaven

The night after the attack, Lyra couldn’t sleep.

Every creak of the mansion whispered danger. Every shadow behind the velvet curtains felt like Maya’s smile lurking in the dark. The dagger’s gleam still burned in her mind.

She wrapped her arms around herself and walked to the balcony. Moonlight bathed the gardens below, silvering the black roses and glinting off the fountain’s still water. For the first time, she realized this mansion wasn’t just a cage—it was a battlefield.

A soft knock.

Rhazeal.

“You’re awake,” he said, stepping in, his voice like a low storm.

“I can’t close my eyes without seeing her,” Lyra admitted, her voice trembling.

He walked to her slowly, his dark cloak brushing the floor. “She won’t hurt you again. I promised you that.”

Lyra looked up at him. “If you knew she was dangerous… why did you keep her here?”

Rhazeal’s jaw tightened. He leaned against the balcony rail beside her.

“Maya has served me for decades. Loyalty… can blind even demons. I never thought her hunger would reach you.”

His hand brushed a strand of her hair from her face. The world slowed for a moment, his black eyes catching the moonlight.

“I will not let anyone touch you. Not Maya. Not even the gods above.”

Before Lyra could answer, a sudden flutter broke the night’s tension.

From the sky descended a celestial bird, wings glowing faint gold, its feathers leaving a trail of stardust. It landed softly on the balcony rail, eyes like molten sunlight.

Lyra’s heart stilled.

“A messenger from heaven…” she whispered.

The bird dropped a scroll into her hands. Its warmth pulsed like a heartbeat.

She unrolled it and read the words carved in radiant light:

“Kael, the Shadow of Stars, has destroyed the Gates of Heaven. He searches for you, last angel of our realm.

Wherever you are, create a Heaven anew.

For our existence rests in your hands.”

Lyra’s breath caught. Her hands trembled as the message burned away into sparkles.

Rhazeal’s voice broke the silence. “What did it say?”

Lyra hesitated. Kael. The name alone sent shivers down her spine. Rhazeal’s rival, the one who had chased her through endless skies.

“It… told me to build a new Heaven. Here.”

Rhazeal’s eyes darkened. “In my palace of shadows?”

Lyra nodded slowly. Her voice, once sharp, softened.

“I hate everything in this dark palace… but if Heaven needs me, I will change it. I will change everything and everyone.”

The next morning, Lyra began her silent mission.

She walked barefoot through the gardens, touching the black roses. A faint shimmer followed her fingertips, and the flowers slowly blushed red.

She wandered the endless corridors, memorizing the cold halls, letting warmth seep into her heart piece by piece.

Servants paused, confused, as the usually defiant girl smiled softly at them.

But in the East Wing, Maya’s eyes burned with rage. She carved her nails into the stone wall, whispering,

“If I can’t have him… no one will. Not angel, not heaven, not anyone.”

That night, a scream echoed through the hall.

A servant ran to Rhazeal.

“She’s gone. Maya… she’s gone.”

Rhazeal’s face turned to stone. Lyra’s stomach dropped.

Somewhere in the dark forest, under a hood, Maya met a shadowed figure who handed her a faintly glowing red orb.

Her voice was venom and silk:

“I will end her… and he will watch.”

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