Heaven

  Cornelius opened his eyes slowly. Two tall, thin figures stood over him, blocking the blinding light above. Each figure had four eyes, two stacked above the other, and no mouth. Their skin shimmered in radiant colors. Two large pairs of wings stretched behind them, and smaller wings sprouted from the sides of their heads, matching the bright white of their hair. The outfits were red, orange, and pink, with gold details. They watched him silently, waiting.

  One of the figures leaned in slightly.

  “Hi! Somehow we got here first,” it said, the voice seeming to come from everywhere at once.

  The second figure gave a short, formal bow. “I presume you’re our leader, sir? I’m Michael, and this is my twin sister, Faith.”

  Cornelius pushed himself to his feet, brushing fine dust from his white robes. His mind was still foggy, adjusting to existence itself.

  “How come you didn’t take the realm for yourselves?” he asked, glancing between them.

  He caught his reflection faintly in the swirling mist at his feet: he appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with blonde hair streaked lightly with brown. Stubble shadowed his jaw, and his skin glittered faintly. His robe was finely made, stitched with symbols of stars in blue and gold thread.

  “It’s not in our nature,” Faith said simply, folding her hands before her.

  Cornelius nodded slowly. “Very well then," he said, brushing the remaining dust from his sleeves. He turned, surveying the open expanse around them. There was nothing yet, only an endless stretch of clouds, mountains, grass, and sky.

  "I say we build our palace... there!" He pointed confidently into the empty distance.

  Michael and Faith exchanged a quick look. A silent, cautious conversation passed between them, then turned back to him.

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  “What’s that look for?” Cornelius asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Sir, you can create anything at your fingertips,” Michael explained, his tone a mixture of patience and encouragement. “You can build our kingdom however you envision it.”

  Cornelius’s stomach fluttered excitedly, but he kept his face composed. It was a gift beyond imagination to be born into a world with this much power, to shape it with nothing but will. He flexed his fingers, feeling the energy waiting beneath his skin.

  With a broad sweep of his hand, the clouds began to shift and condense. Brick by brick, tower by tower, the palace of his mind's eye took shape. It rose higher and higher, a gleaming monument of white stone and gold. Spires stretched into the sky, and each rooftop shimmered like polished metal. In the center stood a massive arched door, hanging by thick, silvered chains.

  Cornelius stepped back and threw his arms out proudly. “Ta-da! Luminaris!” he declared.

  Michael and Faith clapped politely, their applause polite but genuine.

  Cornelius turned to face them, the grin lingering at the edges of his mouth. “Where are my subjects?” he asked.

  Faith tilted her head slightly. “I believe that the subjects will flood our kingdom once you gather the six angels of Heaven.”

  He frowned slightly. “Are you not angels of Heaven?”

  Michael wrinkled his nose. “Oh no. We’re Seraphs. Far more powerful than any angel could ever be. Besides, we serve directly beside you, the king.”

  Faith stepped forward, her wings folding neatly against her back

  “These angels protect the facets of life in our realm," she said. "Without them, your future subjects would have no drive or purpose. Love, Death, Protection, Wisdom, Strength, Health... each has its place."

  Cornelius folded his arms, considering this new information carefully. The realm stretched around him. Beautiful, but hollow. It needed structure. It needed heart.

  He paced a few steps toward the edge of the cloud, hands clasped behind his back.

  "I feel like everyone arrived before I did. Why is that?" he asked aloud.

  Michael gave a faint shrug, looking unusually thoughtful. “Perhaps we are but echoes of a deeper mind," he mused.

  Faith elbowed him sharply in the side and quickly interjected, “Only the Angel of Wisdom would know anything about that, though! We shouldn’t concern ourselves with mysteries we can’t solve, sir.”

  Cornelius sighed. Somewhere out there, others were already building and dreaming.

  Faith slapped Michael’s arm discreetly when Cornelius turned away, warning him to be quiet with another sharp look.

  After a long moment, Cornelius straightened his shoulders and turned back toward them.

  “If that is what you wish," he said, "you shall have it.”

  He paused, a small smile tugging at his lips.

  "I declare that my new motto."

  Michael and Faith exchanged a look, then applauded again, a little louder this time.