The battlefield reeked of smoke, iron, and burning earth.
Simon could barely hear himself think over the clash of steel and the screams echoing through the valley below. Their mission had gone wrong almost immediately. What was supposed to be a quick sweep through enemy territory turned into slaughter the second the opposing forces ambushed them from the ridgeline.
“Left side! LEFT—”
A soldier beside him dropped before the warning could even finish.
Simon cursed under his breath, ducking as another arrow flew past his head. Dirt and ash exploded around his boots while his team struggled to hold formation. They were exhausted, wounded, and rapidly losing ground.
This wasn’t a battle anymore.
It was survival.
“Captain, we need to retreat!” one of the younger soldiers shouted desperately.
“We retreat now and they’ll cut us down before we make the forest line,” Simon snapped back.
The enemy kept advancing.
Too many.
Far too many.
The sky overhead had darkened with storm clouds hours ago, turning the battlefield nearly black except for flashes of fire and steel.
Then the wind changed.
A sharp gust tore across the valley so suddenly it silenced everyone.
The enemy paused.
Simon frowned.
Something felt… different.
The clouds above shifted unnaturally, splitting apart as pale silver light poured through the darkness. Soldiers on both sides slowed, confused murmurs spreading across the battlefield.
“What the hell is that…?”
Simon looked up—
He froze.
Someone was descending from the sky.
At first, it looked unreal. A hallucination caused by exhaustion and blood loss.
But no hallucination could shine like that.
Massive white wings stretched behind the figure, glowing against the darkness like moonlight. Long black hair spilled over white fabric wrapped around her body and arms, while an enormous silver sword rested in one hand, engraved with intricate designs.
An angel.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Because angels weren’t real.
At least… that’s what humanity convinced itself of centuries ago.
The figure landed between both armies with enough force to crack the ground beneath her.
Silence followed.
Simon stared.
You stood slowly, wings partially spread behind you as pale light flickered across the battlefield. Your expression remained calm, almost cold.
The enemy commander recovered first.
“Kill it!” he shouted.
Simon barely had time to react before enemy soldiers charged toward you.
Big mistake.
You moved faster than any human Simon had ever seen.
One second you stood still—
The next, your blade flashed through the darkness like silver light.
Steel clashed.
Three soldiers hit the ground immediately.
Another rushed from behind, only for your wing to slam into him hard enough to send him flying across the mud.
The battlefield erupted again.
Except now?
The enemy was terrified.
Simon watched in disbelief as you cut through wave after wave effortlessly, movements impossibly graceful despite the chaos around you.
Every strike was precise.
Every movement calculated.
And somehow… beautiful.
“What are you waiting for?!” one of Simon’s men yelled. “Move!”
Simon snapped out of it instantly. “Push forward! NOW!”
His team surged ahead immediately. The enemy forces now struggled to keep formation under the pressure of both Simon’s squad and the mysterious angel tearing through their front lines.
Within minutes, the tide of battle completely shifted.
Retreat horns echoed across the valley.
The enemy fled.
Simon stood breathing heavily as surviving soldiers stared around in shock.
An angel.
A real angel.
Slowly, Simon turned toward you.
Up close, you looked even less human.
Just… otherworldly.
The glow around you had dimmed slightly, but your wings still shimmered beneath the storm clouds. Silver stained your blade instead of blood, disappearing into light before it touched the ground.
Nobody knew what to say.
Simon finally stepped forward carefully, lowering his sword.
“You…” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re actually an angel.”