“ Do you understand why I have to do this?” the angel said to me, soft. She was weeping as she twisted the knife. I still thought she was beautiful. All the blood spilling out made me warm, made me cold.

“ I can’t allow Metatron to rule Heaven,” she said. “ I can’t allow life to exist in this world anymore. Everything has been destroyed by my grief.”

And I knew why she was grieving.

“ If you have to die, let me be the one to kill you,” she said. “ It’s better this way. Isn’t it better than this way? Rather than the prison she would trap you in, up above...”

Tears spilled from her eyes, landing on my face.

“ Rather than being eaten by the monsters I made to wipe out humanity...”

My vision was fading out. Her words were far away.

“ Isn’t it better to die at the hands of someone who loves you?”

I reached up, arm numb, to feel the scar on her cheek. I was getting tired. I was in pain.

“ Next time...” I tried to say, voice slurring. “ Next time, I’ll definitely save you...”