A/N: For some reason, I feel like this chapter went by a bit fast. However, I try to use foreshadowing as much as possible for you readers to try and guess what happens. There's an important one in this chapter. Figure it out, and if you can guess it, feel free to let me know. Actually, please let me know with your feedback. If it happens to be wrong, I might as well fit it into the story anyway. I go by what you readers like.

"You see, you overheard their war plans."

"Okay, whose war plans did I listen in on?" I questioned.

"Demons."

"Okay, so I heard their war plans. Is this war going to affect me in any way?" I asked, sitting down cross-legged against the ground. It was a wonder you could even have a spot to stand on solid ground - it looked like you would just fall right through. Quite the opposite.

"Yes, why wouldn't it affect you?" Aviel seemed confused, as if he thought I knew everything. I knew nothing, of course, but I don't think he knew that. "Never mind," he continued.

"Whatever," I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "What are you, anyway? I mean, you could 'poof' yourself places and shut out every light, including the sun. That's very impressive."

Aviel stood, blinking his eyes in confusion, as he slipped his Cross around his neck and adjusted his coat. The adjustments were not a benefit to him, because he just removed it soon after. What amazed me was how the giant, black, feathery wings could fit under that coat. I mean, it fit so snugly around his body that you wouldn't even see lumps emerging from his back. One hand was clamped around the Cross, while the other threw his coat to the ground and came to rest at his side. "I believe you should know what I am now, right?"

I never believed in Heaven or anything to do with religion before, but now, with an Angel standing right before my very eyes, I knew it was real. "An...Angel?"

"Of course. I don't have these wings for nothing."

"Then where's the Halo? I've never heard of an Angel without one." I think I hit a nerve or something. His smile faded to a huge frown and his wings drooped, dragging on the ground.

"I have not earned it yet. I doubt I ever will," he said through clenched teeth. "I'm the only Angel without his Halo. I have been the only one for two-thousand years."

"Damn, you're old!"

"I do hope that you do not talk that way to others of your kind."

"Of course not, that's rude. I can say it to you because, once you bring me back home, I'm never going to see you anymore."

"I am afraid you don't understand," Aviel sighed, lifting me up by the shoulders and holding me up in the air. It was strange; it didn't hurt like it would normally. "You cannot go back home. They'll get to you, kill you, bring you back to life and kill you again!"

"Is that really what they'd do?"

"No. I had to put some exaggeration in there, didn't I? No, they'll just kill you. That is why I brought you here!" Aviel set me back on my feet, where I was comfortable.

"If I can't go back home, where do you expect me to stay?"

Aviel pondered the question for a moment, his hand on his chin as if he was deep in thought. "I believe that is for our Leader to decide."

"Your...Leader? You guys are not an independent type?"

"Of course not...! We have always had a Leader. His name...Joseph."

"Take me to your Leader then, Aviel!" I laughed, playfully slapping his shoulder.

"Please do not touch me, Felix. Follow me." He picked up his coat, calmly strolling away. Every part of this place seemed to be the same; I had no idea how he knew where he was going. It was as if our legs were moving but you weren't moving at all! It finally occurred to me that I actually have a life to get back to. "Hey, Aviel?" I asked. "I have things to get back to at home. I really can't be here long."

Aviel stared straight ahead and kept walking as he spoke, "Don't fret, Felix. Time does not pass the same way. If you were to spend ten years here, you would come home exactly twenty-four hours later than when you left. You will have plenty of time when you can come back. And alas, we have arrived!" Aviel held out his arms, gesturing to the humungous city that lay ahead of us. Tall buildings topped with flags poked around in a star-filled sky, a different background than the space we were in before. To make sure, I glanced behind me and even more buildings were behind us. We had never passed them; it seemed as if we just...appeared here. An increasingly high number of Angels (at least I assumed they were Angels) were casually walking around.

"Wow, this is..."

"Amazing, I know." A voice not belonging to Aviel came toward me as I spun around and looked. There stood a man who had messy, long blond hair, worn in the same style as Aviel's - only a light, beautiful yellow. He wore a white, high collared vest, opening up in some places to reveal pearl necklaces and pendants hanging everywhere. Bracelets wrapped around his left arm, sort of resembling bandages. From behind him trailed to chains with circular pendants on the ends; the scarf hanging about his neck was a long, sullen grey. And, lastly, his features were complimented with a shining pair of bright, sea-blue eyes. It was a truly a sight to behold. "Felix, I welcome you. It's a pleasure to have you." He politely bowed, looking me in the eye. "I am Joseph. If you would, please follow me to your quarters. Aviel, you are dismissed."

Aviel nodded, solemnly walking away into the smallest building in this place. I could feel myself being dragged across this 'town;' my feet were not moving. Joseph was holding my by my hand and pulling me to yet another building; comparatively much bigger than Aviel's. "I heard about the deal with you and those demons," Joseph spoke up. "We will need to keep you separated from them. You'll stay here as we fight in this war. It was destined to happen, please don't feel like it is your fault." A large set of double-doors opened up before us, and Joseph gave me a light push inside. "There are things for you in there. Get yourself situated...then find me in the dining hall.

"You can't rewrite this," called a gravelly voice from across the way. "It is your time. You can't run away forever!"

"Of course I can! It is my job!" The other yelled back, running as fast as he could away from the first man. "I've been running for years and years on end and as long as I don't allow you to catch me, I will be safe!"

"You need to come back, Thade! Now! You know what will happen if Joseph were to find you, after what you've done. You'd be much better off just staying!"

The first decided it was best to follow after him and the other continued running, not planning to come to a stop anytime soon. "My brother doesn't care about me if I were to keep going or if I were to show up back home. He's always hated me, Bazaar. That's the only part you don't understand."

Thade's foot seemed to catch on something, and he began to fall forward. His hat flew off of his head, along with his scarf. His expression was one of terror as he fell down a deep, dark crack in the ground. Bazaar ran up to the edge and glanced down, but Thade was already too far down for him to be able to do anything. "Oh, no...How am I supposed to break it to Joseph?" Bazaar bent down and picked up the fallen hat and scarf, bright colors in contrast with the dark shades of black and grey surrounding the area where he was standing. With a great sigh, he turned around and sullenly roamed back to the palaces, preparing himself for the lecture that Joseph was most likely going to give him.

He came across Joseph in the dining hall where he was setting his table for himself, his brother, and two other guests. One of those seats would have been for nothing. "Bazaar, hello!" Joseph shouted as he looked up and spotted him. His eyes glanced around the room, looking behind Thade, in the corners, and even toward the ceiling. "Where's Thade?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to come here and talk to you about, okay?" he said. "He was running, trying to escape his punishment that was set for tonight, so I chased him. He...He fell down that crack where we are not permitted to go. I...I couldn't save him. I did manage to grab these, though." In his outstretched hands were Thade's hat and scarf, which Joseph solemnly picked up and placed on top of Thade's seat at the table.

"So...Thade is dead?" Joseph sobbed, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"I'm afraid so." Bazaar and Joseph both turned around simultaneously when I walked into the dining hall. When I saw Joseph sobbing, holding his head in his hands, I ran up and set my hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me, is everything all right here?" I asked. Joseph didn't look up. The other Angel, who was standing beside us, stepped forward and spoke up.

"His brother, Thade, just died. He fell to the Underworld, where no Angel can survive. I am sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to leave. Joseph is not in the best mood right now, so if you can go back to your quarters or find someone else to tag along with, that will be just great."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Joseph. I will see you later." I walked briskly on through the halls until I bumped into another Angel, or what I thought was one. I looked up to see a tall, pale man, looking so cold and vulnerable. He was dressed nicely; in a tailcoat and tie. His eyes seemed dark and sunken into his head, giving him a deathly look. "Sorry," I muttered under my breath. "I should have been watching where I was going." I continued on my way until I felt a strange weight on my shoulder. I turned around and faced the same man I had run into before...and he didn't look too happy. I blinked, standing in silence as I looked up at him - then he placed his hand on my chest and pushed me into the wall, very much like Aviel had done when I first arrived, except with an even greater force. With as hard as I was pushing my breath was choppy and difficult. Again, the lights went out, but it was only around us. Odd sounds emanated from the surrounding walls; sounding much like the high winds that occur during a tornado. A few short moments passed and we were gone.

The area where we showed up in next seemed to be in yet another world like Neverence, but much different. Here, everything was black as if we were stuck in a giant black void. Everything was black; chairs, tables, stands, rugs (although I didn't see the point of rugs in a place like this), and houses. It looked much like a normal town that I would live in if you excused its looks. I was pushed forward by the Deathly Man's hand. "Go," he had said. I didn't understand where it was he wanted me to "go," but common sense said that I should keep moving forward. His hand stayed on my back as I walked, gently pushing me but pushing harder if I were to slow down even just a little. I was led to a strange, black room, a high-armed chair at the end of a hall. It looked much like a King's hall in those fairytales that the parents read to their young, innocent children.

The man seated in the chair had a mysterious look about him. He almost looked fake, but if Angels exist I'm sure this man could too. His feet weren't covered in boots like the passers-by I had looked at on the way. They were covered in short-haired gray fur from the knees on up, and long, sharp yellow claws were where the toes should have been. It was much like the talons of an eagle...His eyes were those of a snake, with bandages wrapping around his head and covering the right. Red hair flopped about on his head and his mouth seemed to be drawn on his face with the way it wouldn't change expression. Maybe this was just another part of Neverence...in that case, these guys would be friendly, right? But alas, there are bad people no matter where you are. "Felix Olemstead?" The Kingly man boomed.

"Yes...?" I replied shakily, still being held in place by the Deathly Man.

"You are to be executed."