“Sometimes; the line between good and evil can become so drastically blurred that it is impossible to tell them apart. In those moments, we all try to choose what we believe is right, but even the best intentions still leave lasting scars.” -Author

In the beginning, they looked down upon the human world; some with love, others with caution, but all with power.

“They’re fragile, yet there’s something profound about them,” Michael murmured in awe, his eyes softening as he watched humanity below. He was a beautiful Celestial, bathed in light, his golden hair seeming to carry the very warmth of creation, and his eyes alight with compassion. “Can’t you see it, Kako? They have love and hope within them, a kind of strength even we can’t fully understand.”

Kako’s voice rumbled, sharp and deep. He too, was a Celestial of unimaginable beauty. His silver hair glowed like the stars of heaven, and his eyes were as red as a blood moon. “Strength?” He scoffed, his eyes rolling back. “You mistake chaos for strength, Michael. Look closer. Their passions will lead to ruin, not peace.”

Michael stood straighter, his eyes filled with hope like that of a child. “Dear brother, don’t you get it? The feeling’s that these creatures are able to possess are more beautiful than our physical forms could ever be. What if we were to mix our physical beauty with their inner one?”

Kako’s eyes narrowed. “Giving them our essence is a burden, not a gift. Even a feather can be damaged with too much light. It’s dangerous.”

Michael held his gaze, unwavering. “Or it could ignite something beautiful. I want to share what we are with them– to lift them, to bring them closer to the light… but not so close they break.”

“They’re already tearing each other apart over petty grievances,” Kako retorted. “Do you really think granting them divine powers will bring harmony? It will only deepen their division. They don’t deserve our gifts; they’re not equipped to handle them.”

Silence fell, heavy and charged. The other Celestials watched with apprehension, their loyalties split between these two towering figures.

Finally, Michael spoke, his voice steady. “Then let me prove it. Let me descend, and I will choose among them with hearts strong enough to bear the light. Their capacity for compassion, for love, will carry them through. We will bring forth a new race, one that embodies the best of us and the best of them.”

Kako’s lips curled in disdain. “And I suppose you think their anger, their jealousy, their endless thirst for power, will– what? Just disappear?” He shook his head, his face deepening with a growing rage. “No, Michael. You might choose the best of them, but their worst traits will poison any gift we offer. Humanity will take our power and twist it into something monstrous.”

A murmur swept through the Celestials gathered around, the divide deepening. Some turned toward Michael, their faces alight with hope. Others cast wary glances toward Kako, sensing the truth in his warning.

“Come, dear brother,” Michael said cautiously, grabbing Kako’s hand. “Let us not fight. Let me prove to you that what I say is good.”

Kako forcefully pulled back his arm. “No, brother,” he spat. “This plan of yours will bring destruction to both the human and Celestial realm. I will not sit idly by as you ruin everything we hold dear.”

And then, the heavens shook. With a resounding crack that echoed across the realms, Michael stepped forward, raising his hand in a sign of peace. “Then let it be decided in action. Those who wish to bring light will follow me to Earth and share our gifts with humanity. Those who would stand against this– choose another path, but do not stand in our way.”

Celestials who agreed began to stand with him, their postures straightening as Michael gave them confidence to fulfill their desire. The others remained, wary of making such a rash decision.

For a moment, it seemed the storm might abate, that reason might cool their tempers. Suddenly, Kako laughed, a harsh, chilling sound that reverberated through the heavens. “So be it, Michael. Their emotions may be beautiful to you, but they are volatile and unpredictable. Mark my words, I will prove it.”

And with that, the divide was set.

Michael descended first, gathering those Celestials who believed in humanity’s potential. They became known as Angels, and their descent lit the skies with streaks of radiant light. They sought out the purest of human souls, those who embodied the very virtues Michael cherished. From these unions were born children with remarkable abilities– healers, protectors, warriors of light. They became legends in their own right, revered by humanity as guardians.

But Kako and his followers became known as demons, as they cast off their former grace and embraced the darker aspects of their nature. In their fight to defeat the Angels, they created a new magic: one that fed on chaos, fear, and pure hatred. Over hundreds of years, the use of it blackened their souls, deforming their physical beauty into something terrifying. Branded as the most monstrous form of magic to ever exist, it was named “The Devil’s Magic,” and humans soon gave it their own name:

Witchcraft. 

The Demons, too, ended up choosing their own human partners, but with a very different purpose. Their unions were driven by a desire to prove their point, to show the chaos that would become of mixing Celestial power with human frailty. Where Michael saw humanity’s light, Kako only saw corruption. He sought out the most evil and twisted among mankind, those who could amplify the dark traits he despised. Together, they bore children who wielded terrifying powers– abilities that were feared rather than revered. And Kako, never content to simply observe, taught his followers how to use Witchcraft.

Humans began to call these half-Celestial children “Mongrels,”– beings caught between two worlds, bearing Celestial gifts but bound by human hearts. For a time, they were seen as wonders, proof that gods and mortals could merge. But their power was unpredictable, sparking fear in the hearts of man. Fear is a powerful force, and it wasn’t long before admiration turned to caution, and then caution became hatred.

In time, a mortal king rose to power. Known as King Varek, he was a cunning ruler, but his life somehow extended far beyond the natural span of man. Some whispered that he had once been blessed by a celestial; others claimed he was a god himself. Whatever the truth, he wielded power over life and death, and he saw the Mongrels as a threat to his throne.

It was Varek who decreed the “Bloodline Charter.” He branded Mongrels on their cheeks, declaring their lineage for all to see and binding the brand with a torturous Celestial magic. To him, they were not creatures of wonder or divinity but pawns to control. Mongrels were forced into lives of servitude and outcast to the Veil district, a place where the world’s cast-offs were thrown to wither.

The Bloodline Charter was brutal. Mongrels could not marry without Varek’s consent, and he enforced laws designed to stunt their population. Mongrels became the hidden class, feared and despised, cut off from society and constantly monitored. They were branded at seven years old, just as their powers began to awaken– a brand created by a capability that descended from the Angels. Their children were taken, their lives dictated, and their every breath controlled.

The King found out early that the contrasting power deriving from someone of Angelic descent having a child with someone of Demonic descent, proved too much for a half-human’s body to bear. Their children never survived past the age of seven, always dying by the time their powers awakened within them. By orchestrating such marriages, the King was able to ensure that the population of these half-blooded Celestials remained stunted, preventing them from becoming too significant of a threat to his power.

But despite the King’s attempts at total control, a unique prophecy arose. The Angel Prophetis, an ancient seer, foretold the birth of a child of both Angelic and Demonic blood– a child who would be a bridge, not a weapon. It was said that her fate would shake the very foundations of the world, uniting the realms of light and darkness in a way no soul had ever seen. It was a prophecy that was dangerous if heard by the wrong ears. 

“A silver child shall be born– her blood both divine and damned. Her eyes shall glow with the shadow of a blood moon and the brightness of ethereal light.

She shall carry the fate of two worlds within her veins. Her beginnings will be entwined with that of a tyrant, who will darken and scorch their corner of the Earth.

The tyrant shall fall by her hand, but not before the child walks the narrow path between light and darkness. A great shadow, ancient and relentless, shall seek to claim her soul, and the essence of the Original will burn bright within her. It’s soul is to be entwined with hers.

This will grant her the strength to endure, when all others fail.

Through this child, the great rift will be bridged– a new era of unity, born of bloodshed, will rise.

But beware– for prophecy is a double-edged sword. 

The knowledge of her existence will cause a greater separation. Her path will be one of blood and fire, her allies few, and her enemies countless. In the end, she may be the one to bridge the chasm– or to widen it beyond repair.

Do not feel helpless, for golden strands and blue orbs will be her equal. This will become the peace in her chaos, echoing for her return.

However, a portion of herself will be blackened forever– festering into the light and deforming it... for when one is far away from the gray line that separates good and evil, it is easy to spot the difference; but, the closer one gets to that line, the bigger that gray is.”

This child's name is Noemi. And somewhere, in the heavens above, Michael and Kako watched, their fates entwined with hers.