Life Continues On

    Octavia watched another cloud lazily float by, sunlight sparkling off the water vapor. She could feel the cold of the cloud beneath her feet, much more firm and solid compared to the ones drifting around her. She absent-mindedly tapped her tail against the heavy gate behind her, listening to the other guard quietly humming a song in his head.

Life continued on.

    Octavia sat beside a small pool of water that had gathered in a dip of the clouds. She trailed her claws through it, deep in thought. A sudden force barreled into her back, nearly knocking her over. She lightly slapped at her brother, who grinned at her with amusement, his many eyes sparkling with mirth as he told her a wondrous story he’d made up. 

Life continued on.

    She landed heavily on her side, wing scrunching up painfully beneath her. In a moment, she was back on her feet, wielding her spear with practiced precision. Octavia leaped through the air and swung at her opponent, sending them to the ground. She quickly sat down atop them, spear tip mere inches from the other angel’s eyes. Polite applause from behind told her that she had won, and she extended a hand towards her opponent, who took it happily. Training was done for the day.

Life continued on.

    Octavia frowned at Cassidy, who had just finished waving his hands around in the air, excitedly telling her about a new friend he’d made. One who Octavia had had the displeasure of meeting several times before. He was another angel, one who shared his wild ideas with anyone who would listen. His name was Lucifer, and Octavia had quickly come to the realization that he was a troublemaker. 

She had to get Cassidy away from him, but for the time being she merely nodded her head and listened to his excited ramblings, all the while worry twisted in her gut.

Life continued on.

    Octavia soared through the sky, curiously studying the beginnings of the new world below her. It was hardly more than a lump of dry rock, but according to the Almighty, it would become her most beautiful creation. Her work of art. Her magnum opus. Octavia ignored the bitter feeling that settled in her chest at the thought. What’s wrong with what you’ve made already? She wanted to ask, are we not beautiful? Are we not a work of art to you? But she remained silent. Tensions were high as is, she didn’t need to add anymore troubles to the Almighty’s already full plate.

Life continued on.

    Her head hurt. She felt sick.

Lucifer had crossed a line, and now he was at the Almighty’s mercy. He had stood defiantly before her, as though he was daring her to do her worst. Angels crowded around them, eyes wide and frightened. Octavia had left before they had come to a conclusion.

She needed to find Cassidy. 

Octavia wheeled around in the air for a while, searching for her brother, anxiety filling her senses with sharp static every minute she couldn’t find him. When she finally did, the relief which filled her was immeasurable; though it was quickly replaced with anger.

She shouted at him, told him to renounce his friendship with Lucifer, she said that remaining by the troublesome angel’s side put him in danger. But he didn’t budge. Cassidy, equally angry, had claimed that Lucifer needed him. That no one else listened and that if Cassidy could just keep him in check then everything would be fine.

He had more to say—he always did—but it was then that the clouds beneath his feet gave way. They crumbled into dust, and what lay under him was nothing more than a pitch-black expanse of pure darkness. His eyes widened. He beat his wings, desperate to escape. Octavia grabbed at his hands fearfully, but to no avail. He fell, as though pulled by some invisible force, down into the inky darkness. The last Octavia saw of him was his wild, terrified eyes. Peering up at her before they too disappeared.

And just like that, it was over. The clouds knitted back together as though nothing had ever happened, and despite Octavia’s frantic digging, the dark void could not be reached again. Not by her at least. 

She sobbed, voice hoarse from screaming, liquid gold pouring out of her eyes and mouth in rivulets, burning through the cloud beneath her. She cried until she could no longer breath, cried until she felt like she’d die, and still she cried harder. Cried until the ground was soaked in gold and fallen feathers.

...Life continued on.

    Octavia watched another cloud lazily float by, sunlight sparkling off the water vapor. She could feel the cold of the cloud beneath her feet, much more firm and solid compared to the ones drifting around her. She stood perfectly still, ignoring the other guard quietly humming a song in his head. The only notion she heard him at all was a disapproving glance in his direction from time to time.

It had been centuries since Cassidy had fallen. She could not shake his fearful eyes from her mind. She could not forget the crushing despair she’d felt that day. She could not forget.

And still. Life continued on. Continued as though an all too cheerful angel named Cassidy had never been a part of it.

Octavia did not cry. She did not pull her tail in closer to her feet. She did not shudder. She did not blink away tears. She stood perfectly still. And she pushed the memory of her brother out of her mind.

Life continued on.