Days slipped by quietly, unnoticed by the ones living them.
What began as simple conversations slowly turned into a rhythm—shared games, late-night talks, small moments that lingered longer than they should have.
While the Heavens debated laws and consequences…
On Earth, the distance between Elowen and Ren was disappearing, one moment at a time.
And far above that fragile peace, where emotions were weighed against rules and love was treated as a flaw—
The High Hall was anything but calm.
Lord Gabriel, a towering figure with massive wings that spanned the width of the room and a face like carved marble, rubbed his temples with a weary hand. He looked utterly exhausted. Around him, the other council angels stared in disbelief at the figure standing before them.
"Amora," Gabriel groaned, his voice vibrating through the floor. "This is important. Angels are supposed to be protectors and messengers. Not... love birds. There is a cosmic balance to maintain."
Amora tossed her hair, her pink aura shimmering like a sunset. Her voice was melodic and sweet, even as she tried to scowl. "Oh, really? Because that lightning bolt didn't feel very 'comforting' or 'protective' to me, Gabriel."
"Sometimes," Gabriel said, his eyes narrowing, "pain and punishment are necessary."
Amora stepped closer, a playful yet sharp glint in her eyes. "Nice visual effect. You can fool the non-council members by calling it lightning, but as a Goddess, I can verify the truth. That bolt was a mild shock and a containment bubble designed to trap her and drag her back here. Am I right, Gabriel?"
Gabriel remained silent, but behind him, Azmeal, Evren, and Aven exchanged shocked glances.
"Wait," Evren whispered. "So... Lord Gabriel just wanted to show us the cost of breaking the rules? He didn't actually want to hurt her?"
Lord Raphael sighed, looking at the trainees. "Since you three now know the truth, listen well. Lord Gabriel is one of the purest deities in the cosmos. Fear must exist for the sake of order, and while he is merciful, he cannot let an angel break a fundamental law without consequence."
Gabriel waved a hand dismissively. "Azmeal, Evren, Aven... leave this hall. We are having a Meeting of the Gods."
"Yes, My Lord!" The three chimed in unison, bowing quickly before scurrying out of the hall.
Once the doors clicked shut, Amora turned back to Gabriel. "You sure do love your angels, don't you? But Gabriel, some rules are just stupid. Ignore them."
"Angels cannot fall in love with mortals," Gabriel stated, his voice regaining its iron authority. "It disrupts the very fabric of the universe. She knows this, and she deserves punishment."
Amora pouted cutely, her lower lip trembling just enough to be distracting. "But she's so young! How can you punish a young, innocent angel for doing the right thing? Love is the highest law!"
Raphael and Michael exchanged a look, staring at Amora as if she had just suggested the sun was made of cheese.
"Amora..." Gabriel sighed heavily. "She is five hundred and seventeen years old."
Amora blinked, her confidence wavering for a split second. "Uh... um... So what? That's still young for an angel! You yourself are over two thousand! You're basically a fossil!"
Gabriel's wings flared slightly, the sound like the rustling of heavy iron silk. He didn't look angry; he looked like a mountain that had been insulted by a butterfly. The weight of his centuries settled over the room, making the air feel thick and ancient.
Raphael face-palmed so hard the sound echoed. "That is not how aging works for celestial beings, Lady Amora."
"Please, Goddess," Michael added. "Do not interfere with our department. This is a disciplinary matter for the Messenger Corps."
Amora stomped her foot, her pink aura flaring into a bright neon. "IT IS MY JOB TO PROTECT COUPLES! And they are the cutest couple I've seen in a century! I won't let you ruin the continuation of the 'Sweater Scene'!"
"But—" Gabriel started.
"My apologies for interrupting, Lord Gabriel," Raphael cut in, "but just leave it. What else can you expect from the Goddess of Love? She prioritizes 'vibes' over 'vows'."
Gabriel growled under his breath. "Fine. Rachel, Michael... keep an eye on her."
"Lord Gabriel?" Michael asked, surprised. "Are you giving up? But the boy—"
"Until she is standing right there, we cannot strike," Gabriel whispered, his eyes flicking to the God Pool. "We wait for the moment she leaves to check her 'Memory Vault.' We strike when she is distracted."
"Eh?" Amora's face turned red. "Are you saying to my face that you'll disobey me? How dare you! I am a Goddess! I am ancient and powerful!"
Gabriel looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Yes, yes. And if I disobey, what are you going to do? Strike me with more rose petals? Oh, the horror. My armor will smell like spring for a week."
Amora was speechless, her face heating up. "You... you can't ignore me! I will... I will curse you!"
"With what? A box of chocolates?"
"No! I will curse you with... the Shojo Curse!" Amora screamed. "You will be forced to listen to the inner monologues of dramatic high school girls 24/7! You will hear every 'Does he like me?' and 'My heart went doki-doki' for eternity!"
The Angels flinched. Gabriel's stoic expression actually cracked. Even Michael stepped back, looking genuinely disturbed.
"Okay," Raphael shuddered. "Now that is a real threat. That's too much, even for you, Lord Gabriel."
Amora crossed her arms triumphantly. "Then stay away from my couple! Or start practicing your 'doki-doki' faces!"
Raphael leaned in and whispered to Gabriel, "Sir, can't we file a case for departmental interference?"
"We could," Gabriel whispered back, "but it's useless. Couples are officially her jurisdiction. It's a clash of two departments; it would take a century to pass a new divine order. By the time the court decides, those two will already have a baby."
"Does that mean we lose?" Michael hissed.
Gabriel sighed, his expression weary. "She won't. Because she knows that even if it takes a century, the High Law is what will eventually win. If she loses that case, the idea of an Angel × Human union will be nothing more than a dead dream for her. She doesn't want to risk that. She's taking advantage of the fact that while we can win the long-term war, we cannot afford to lose this lethal short-term battle. She's playing the clock, and she's winning."
Suddenly, Amora's voice cut through their huddle like a bright pink ribbon.
"Hey! What are you three whispering about over there?" She looked at them with wide, innocent eyes, a stray heart-shaped pupil flickering. "Are you discussing bribing me with candy? Because I'll have you know... I really like candies. But it won't work! Not this time!"
Gabriel slowly face-palmed. "Amora... we are not bribing you with sweets."
"Maybe she hasn't even thought about the Court part yet," Raphael muttered under his breath. "She's literally thinking about lollipops."
Amora made no move to leave. She settled onto the golden floor like a stubborn, glowing pink cloud, her eyes fixed on the Council with a look that said she wasn't going anywhere.
Meanwhile, Elowen was spending time with Ren in her blue dress completely unaware that she was the center of a celestial tug-of-war. Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael stood like statues of marble and iron, their eyes cold and calculating. They were hunters now, waiting for the single second Amora's guard would drop. The moment the Goddess blinked, they would strike—plucking Elowen from her mission and erasing the "broken boy" from her memory forever.