The golden expanse of Heaven stretched endlessly, its light ing Shay in a perpetual embrace of warmth and serenity. The air hummed with an otherworldly melody, a stant reminder of the divine presence permeating every er of the celestial realm. For Shay, newly asded, it was a haven of perfe, unblemished by sorrow or pain.

  At the gates of Heaven, two solemn angels had greeted Shay upon their arrival. Their wings glowed with golden radiance, and their eyes held a kind of timeless wisdom. Their calm yet anding voices etched God’s will into Shay’s mind as they imparted God’s decrees.

  “Two rules,” one had said, their voiyielding. “Do not seek the pany of Lucifer ertain thoughts of intimacy with him.”

  “And,” added the other, “never cross the lio Lucifer’s domain. To do so is to defy Heaven’s will.”

  The decree was clear, absolute, and noiable. Shay heir heart swelling with gratitude and trust.

  Why would I ever do such a thing?

  They thought defying Heaven was so unthinkable that it bordered on absurdity.

  Each day began the same. Like all angels, Shay k in the great halls of light, their wings unfurled as they sang praises to God. The harmonies of tless voices blended into a celestial chorus, filling the space with an overwhelming sense of pead purpose. Shay’s voice joined without hesitation, rising and falling with the divine melody.

  This was their duty—a simple, unwaveriion to the Creator. They would bow, sing, ahe glow of Heaven’s light wash over them like a balm.

  But time had a way of eroding evero vis.

  For days—perhaps weeks—they had followed the rhythm of the divine realm without question. Singing in harmony with the els, strolling through gardens where time seemed to stand still, and basking in the glow of Heaveernal day.

  Yet slowly, almost imperceptibly, the perfe of it all began to feel... hollow.

  It was subtle at first—a faint ache in Shay’s heart that the beauty around them couldn’t soothe. The unging peace that once felt f started to weigh on them like s.

  Is this all there is?

  A voiside whispered questions they dared not speak aloud.

  Each day blurred into the , the same praises sung, the same light-filled halls, the same faces radiating calm. The routine became stifling, and Shay found themselves wandering farther from the others, seeking something—anything—that would break the monotony.

  During one such aimless walk, their gaze drifted to the edge of Heaven. The golden light softehere, and shadows pooled at the horizon, where the world seemed to fray.

  Beyond y the boundary they had been warned about—a ptouched by Heaven’s glow.

  Lucifer’s domain.

  Shay froze, their wings twitg as they stared at the border. The air grew warmer, the hum of Heaven’s harmony dimming as if to keep its distance.

  Something was alluring about the darkness beyond, a quiet pull that tugged at the edges of their mind.

  Why does it feel alive?

  Shay’s hand tighte their side, trembling with the weight of a choice they hadn’t even realized they were making.

  Beyond the boundary, the darkness of Lucifer’s domain loomed like a forbidden promise. A flicker of shadow against the light, it called to them, tugging at the edges of their mind.

  Why does it call to me?

  Their wings twitched in respoo the unspoken pull.

  The pull was undeniable, curiosity strohan fear. Uo ig any longer, Shay took a step forward, then aheir bare feet crossing from light into shadow. With each step closer to the boundary, the air grew warmer, the light dimming as shadows crept in. Shay hesitated at the edge, their breath catg as the liween Heaven and Hell became stark and tangible. Beyond it y a darkness unlike anything they’d known—thick, oppressive, and alive with the promise of secrets.

  A shiver ran through them. Their wings trembled as they crossed the line.

  The heat hit them immediately, sharp and biting as if Hell itself reseheir presehe temperature rose further with every step, and the grouh them turned rough and hot. The darkness pressive, a stark trast to Heaven’s. The air carried a faint st of brimstone, heavy with an unspoken menace. Shadows writhed around them, their forms indistinct but uling.

  Their wings trembled. The more they walked, the heavier the atmosphere became, pressing down on them with an intangible weight. Shadows twisted and danced along the edges of their vision, filling their heart with uhe deeper Shay vehe more their ce faltered.

  Finally, fear overcame their curiosity. They turo retreat—only to be stopped by a searing grip around their arm.

  A gasp escaped their lips as they spun around, their eyes log onto the t figure of Lucifer.