Damen rushed through the long-abandoned stone hallways, following the fleeting white blur he had just moments ago glimpsed. It glided through the hall with such speed and unearthly grace that he was beginning to doubt its humanity. Still, what else could it be? He had to believe it was a person. Nothing else could live here except for shadows and dust.

“Please, wait!” he called out to it. It faltered momentarily, just long enough for him to see that it had a humanoid form, but then sped on, faster than ever. Damen soon lost pace with the creature, but just as it jumped out his range of vision, they were both surrounded by a brilliant light.

Damen stopped running, panting from the effort of the long chase. He shielded his eyes against the glare and they soon adjusted to the outside… Outside! Glorious sunlight! He was still surrounded by the dark stone walls of the castle, but so what? The air was the freshest it’d been for days and the sun felt rejuvenating against his skin. And the grass… He had never before imagined that he’d ever be this happy to see something green.

He caught another white flash of movement, but the second he turned his head, it disappeared behind large, crumbling statue. Damen waited for it to make a move, but he saw no movement, nor did he hear any sound. Perhaps it was waiting for him to move first.

“Hello?” he called out quietly, “It’s alright. You can come out now. I mean you no harm.”

A few seconds passed. Slowly, it edged away from the column just enough for him to see that is was, in fact, a little girl. Her hair was the color of the night sky; dark and braided down to her knees. Her skin was pale, made even paler by the contrast of her hair, giving her an almost ghostlike appearance. Her dress was the radiant white color he recognized from their chase, yet it was worn and tattered. Was it really the dress? No, the fabric itself wasn’t that bright, but the girl herself seemed to be giving off a faint light of her own.

Her eyes met his for an instant, but she quickly broke off contact and slid father behind the statue. She seemed to be afraid of him. However, Damen had looked just long enough to see that her eyes were a startling icy-blue color. He’d never seen anyone with eyes like that. That’s the color that people say belongs in the eyes of angels.

But that was impossible! There hadn’t been an angel—not even a fallen angel—sighting for over a thousand years! Why would one be here, now, of all places?

“Who are you?” he asked as he took a step forward. In reply, he saw her take another step back. She looked downward guiltily and bit her lip as if she were struggling to find words. At last, she spoke slowly, her words so soft and quiet that they were barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry, but Master forbade me from helping you.”

So, that was it then? The only person who might be able to help him escape was a pawn of the Master too? Just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse.

If what the fortune teller had said was true, than he’d have to “catch a falling star” if he ever wanted to break past the Master’s spell and leave the castle. Could the “falling star” mean a fallen angel? This girl wasn’t going to be much help if she was truly bound to the Master, but was the answer to catch her and force her to help?

He wasn’t much of a religious follower, but wasn’t it some sort of sin to capture an angel, fallen or not?