As it is for all that is on Earth, my time has arrived as well.
It was frightening, but at the same time…liberating.
I can’t pronounce on what kind of life I’ve lived, but I personally would like to think, it was due to my rather decent nature, that I’ve succeeded into getting into Heaven.
And it was wonderful.
I’ve got assigned a task to do in this new realm, which wasn’t anything special.
I had to take care of a certain library, in one of the regions of Heaven.
But that was just a job, it wasn’t my life.
I had a few grandparents, and relatives here…but there was an issue.
My wife, kids and parents were in Hell.
Not because they committed directly sins, but because of being involved in debt related issues…
And they had to do certain, unsavory things to pay back what was owed.
But it’s not an issue.
Since I am working in a library, I have plenty of research materials to inspire myself from.
There are precedents, although rare, about individual missions into Hell, to bring souls to Heaven.
One would need an expertise in the arts that are spread in both Heaven and Hell, and access to a purifying point, which is public information, since angels, saints and souls in general need to be purified before being let into Heaven.
It is frowned upon indeed, but I don’t care.
My family made a mistake, and paid for it back on Earth.
Eternal suffering and struggles are not what they should get, because they were simply tricked.
So I began preparing.
Extra-shifts, doing favors, doing missions, patrols instead of others, soon I started to get recognized.
From a simple pure-soul, I’ve gained the rank of an angel.
Then after a century of guardian-angel work, I’ve became I fully fledged scholarly expert angel.
Which simply meant that I didn’t have to take care of the library, but I was leading it.
It seems like a cycle, and that I am back at where I started, but I got a lot of privileges like this.
Forbidden texts, and arts are all free for me to peruse.
And that’s how I finished my preparations.
Soon, I was flying towards a gate to Hell.
It was guarded by a legion of angels, but they let me pass simply, after all, they were protecting us from whatever is on the other side of the gate, not for prohibiting others entering it.
After entering the gate, I was sent directly to Hell.
The jump wasn’t that bad, but the moment I entered this new realm, I felt heavy.
Gravity was much stronger here, and whilst the energy was much more abundant…it was mixed.
It was a proper realm on its own, Hell that is, and not a flaming world.
It had a redder hue to it, but mostly because there were more giant red stars here than in other places.
Also, the suffering came from the perpetual warring and fights of the souls here, and not from literal torture, albeit torture did happen often.
Thus I started my journey to find my wife, kids and parents.
It wasn’t an easy journey.
Angels are seen as a delicacy in Hell, as we can actually die here, whilst they can’t.
Through hard work I managed in a few centuries to find all my family members…
Fortunately they were all together.
Unfortunately, they’ve been working for a Marquis of Hell, and that won’t make it an easy discussion to have.
“Marquis Naberius, hope I find you in good mood.”
I said, entering its palace.
“Ah, a scholar angel, what a pleasure!”
A booming hoarse voice could be heard.
Soon, the Marquis could be seen.
“Please, do come in.”
He said, leading me to one of his palace’s halls.
“So, what do I owe the pleasure?”
He asked.
“I’ve got several family members working at your estate.
I would like to move them to Heaven, and for that…I need your permission.”
I said.
At this the Marquis smirked.
“My friend, I would love to help you, but your family has been running errands for me for centuries.
I doubt Heaven will take them in, even after purification…
Also, you are willing to risk it?”
He laughed.
I chuckled and threw a bag in front of him.
“Heaven will turn a blind eye for a good cause.”
I said.
He opened the bag, and laughed.
The entire palace shook due to his laughter.
“Good, good, with this, I can poach a legion or two worth of warriors from them!
At least, until they revive!
Done, scholar, you can take your family whenever you want.”
He said, as a rune flickered, before bursting into flames.
That’s how he erased his mark from my family.
I nodded and left.
In a small house, at the outer rings of the estate, my family was having lunch.
I could hear my twins rowdiness, and their sister’s chiding.
My wife was giggling, and my parents were talking about an errand they had to make soon.
I was about to knock, when my hand stopped.
Will they even recognize me?
It’s been centuries…
I am worried…
As I was thinking these useless thoughts, the door opened.
“Hey you, we saw you from the window, what are you do…. Dad?”
One of my twins opened the door angrily, before freezing.
“Idiot, what are you talking abou…Dad?”
The other one came pushing the first one out of the way, before freezing.
“Hey squirrels, long time no see.”
I said.
“Hubbbyyy!”
My wife shouted, pushing everyone away, and jumping straight on me.
“Dad, you are late.”
My daughter said, but she was smiling as well.
“Son, you lost weight…”
Mom chimed in.
“You look like a shining librarian.”
Dad chuckled.
“I am here to take you home.”
I said.
“Home?”
They all asked.
“Heaven. I’ve got a nice place there.”
I said.
“You can take us to Heaven, but we are already…”
My wife murmured.
Yes, they were demons already…
My wife became a succubus, my parents both were djinns, the twins were metal and earth elementals, while my daughter was a mermaid…
“Don’t worry, we will solve this small issue.”
I said, laughing.
“Will Heaven accept us?”
My daughter asked us.
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“You sure? I think this is quite the breach of rules…”
My parents chimed in.
“It will turn a blind eye, no worries.”
I said.
“Are you…”
The twins started asking.
“It will. No worries, now let’s go.”
I said.
They came happily, since they also felt that they weren’t contracted anymore.
The legion of angels ignored them after they were purified, and I settled them nicely in my house.
We lived happily together ever since…although from time to time, there are some unsatisfied voices from others.
But we don’t care…