Two Days Later
The High Hall was silent—or it should have been. Gabriel sat upon his marble throne, trying to balance the cosmic ledgers of a hundred galaxies. Nearby, Michael and Raphael were glued to the God Pool, waiting for Amora to get distracted.
Below the throne, sitting cross-legged on the plush golden carpet, was Amora. She was hunched over a glowing "God Tablet," her eyes sparkling with tiny, pulsing pink hearts.
Tablet: "I love you, Maya..."
Tablet: "I love you too, my darling..."
Sound Effect:(A very loud, dramatic, squelchy kiss sound)
"AMORA!" Gabriel shouted, a vein popping in his forehead. "I AM TRYING TO CONCENTRATE! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN WATCHING?!"
Amora didn't even look up, a dazed smile on her face. "They look so cute! Did you hear that? He finally confessed! It only took eighty-four episodes!"
"AMORA!"
"Tch," Amora clicked her tongue. "What else do you expect? I'm doing research!"
Gabriel closed his eyes, muttering to himself. "Focus. The pillars of creation need stabilizing... the entropy of the third quadrant..."
Tablet: "THE END."
Gabriel let out a massive, relieved sigh. "Finally. Silence."
Amora excitedly tapped the screen. "NEXT DRAMA!"
"NOOO!" Gabriel stood up, his wings unfurling in frustration. "That's it. I am going."
"You aren't going anywhere, Gabriel," Amora hummed.
"I... I need to use the bathroom!"
Amora raised one eyebrow over the rim of her tablet. "Since when do Angels need to use the bathroom, Gabriel? You're made of light and high-fructose grace. Try again."
"Uh... um..."
"I might be less serious than the other gods," Amora said, her voice dropping an octave, "but that doesn't mean I am stupid."
Gabriel slumped back into his throne with a defeated groan. "Fine."
The God Pool flickered, showing Elowen and Ren sitting on a park bench. Their shoulders were touching. Ren was blushing, and Elowen was leaning her head toward him. Gabriel's hand began to crackle with a ball of lightning that instantly turned dark with his rage.
"Gabriellll..." Amora warned.
"How?! You didn't even look up!"
"Love is blind, but not when it comes to protection."
"Lord Gabriel!" Michael pointed at the black ball of energy. Gabriel let it vanish into his palm instantly.
"My Lord, you must calm down," Raphael whispered. "That was a destructive ball born of pure rage. You used too much power."
Amora stood up, looking dangerous.
"Gabriel! Were you trying to hurt my couple?!"
"My reflexes aren't weak, Amora," Gabriel snapped. "I accidentally channeled too much, but I would have destroyed it mid-strike."
Michael then turned his gaze toward Amora, his voice firm and professional. "We know what we are doing. It is better if we handle this situation within the Department of Messengers. You should trust our competence."
Amora's eyes flash. "All of you, sit like good little angels. Don't tell me what to do, or I am teleporting the three of you to a Harem World."
Raphael looked horrified. "What?!"
Michael took a step back.
"Yep. Five high-school girls for each of you. Just imagine... having to share a hot spring bath with five mortals who think you're their 'Darling.' They'll be fighting over who gets to wash your back." Amora said.
"AMORA! THAT IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT! We are pure! We are the Archangels of the High Throne!" Gabriel replied.
"This is a direct assault on our divine dignity, Lady Amora!" said Michael
"Then be obedient," Amora hummed.
Another day passed. Gabriel was clutching his temples. "Amora... it has been forty-eight hours. You haven't moved."
"I don't trust you. You're like a hawk waiting for me to blink so you can zap them."
"Don't you have work? Cupids to manage? End misunderstandings among couples"
"My Cupids are fine and they are doing a little extra work in my absence. Relax and enjoy the show."
Tablet:(Another loud, lingering kiss sound)
"Make it stop..." Gabriel whimpered.
Michael suddenly smirked, leaning forward with fake interest. "You know, Lady Amora... maybe I've been too stiff. Can I join your 'cinema' for a bit?"
Raphael 's eyes went wide. "Michael?! What are you doing?"
Gabriel didn't say a word, his eyes squinting as he tried to understand the play. Is he trying to bond with her? Or is this a trap?
Amora's eyes lit up, the heart-shaped pupils returning in an instant. "Really?! Oh, Michael! I knew you had a soul under all that marble! I have the best collection. Do you want 'Enemies to Lovers'? 'Fake Dating'? What's your vibe?"
"Michael! What are you doing?!" Raphael hissed again, grabbing his arm.
Michael ignored him entirely, keeping his gaze on the Goddess. "How about a classic? Romeo and Juliet."
"Oh, that's a beautiful choice!" Amora squealed. "The balcony scene, the secret vows—"
"Actually," Michael interrupted, "let's skip to the final act. The part in the tomb. Where they both die."
A dead silence fell over the High Hall. Then, Amora's face scrunched up, and she burst into loud, jagged, dramatic sobbing. "WAAAAA! How could you?! You're so cruel! Tragic endings are my biggest weakness, you jerk! You did that on purpose! I will never forgive Shakespeare for this!"
Michael stood tall, thinking to himself: Perfect. She's too emotional to stay. She'll leave to go comfort herself with divine chocolate.
But as Amora wiped her tears with a silk handkerchief, her expression shifted. The sadness vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp intensity that made the temperature in the Hall drop forty degrees. Even the pillars seemed to tremble. Michael took a step back, his wings bristling in genuine fear as he realized he had poked a sleeping lioness.
"I am sitting here watching dramas instead of helping my cupids on Earth just to protect the bond of Ren and Elowen," Amora said, her voice low and dangerous. "Michael... if Elowen ever gets separated from Ren the way Juliet was taken from Romeo... you will see my wrath."
Michael gulped, his face pale.
Raphael turned to him. "Seriously, Michael? You should have known what kind of mental strength it takes to be a God. Even if Lady Amora is emotional, it was pure stupidity to think a sad scene would break her enough to leave.
Michael stumbled back, his wings bristling in genuine fear.
"Amora! Wrath is a Sin!" Gabriel shouted.
"So is Gluttony, Gabriel," she narrowed her eyes. "Following rules blindly is a form of Gluttony. Don't test me."
Gabriel realized he couldn't win by force. "Amora, your Cupids are doing overtime. We don't like this situation either. Let's make a deal."
"A deal?"
"I will stop calling it a 'Mission' and officially re-label it as an 'Extended Earthly Observation.' This means she isn't in trouble, she won't be recalled, and she won't be punished... yet."
Amora sniffled. "Really?"
"On one condition: she must file a detailed 'Observation Report' every single week. Every. Single. Detail."
Gabriel hid a devious grin behind his hand. The reports are five thousand pages long. She'll be so buried in paperwork she won't have time to see Ren. They'll drift apart naturally without me firing a single bolt.
"Yippee!" Amora cheered, dancing around the carpet. "My best couple is safe! You're not so bad, Gabriel!"
Raphael rolled his eyes as Amora signed the contract—Am♡ra—as always, because apparently a heart was an acceptable substitute for the letter "o."
"It's a deal then," Gabriel said.
"Yes!" Amora beamed, turning to leave.
Gabriel knew the human heart was fragile, but he also knew it was forgetful; if he could just keep her away from the boy long enough, the "broken" mortal would become nothing more than a footnote in her eternal life. The deal was struck, the trap was set, and for the first time in days, the Archangels allowed themselves a cold, satisfied smile.