• Heaven on Earth
    It was 10:30 p.m. when it happened. My friend had dragged me to a party to ‘have fun’, when I had wanted to stay home and study. When we got there, I was given some punch. I had no idea that someone had spiked it, though I should’ve realized it when I tasted it. I drank two cups and danced like there was no tomorrow. Then, we went outside and horsed around, when someone threw something into the road. I ran down the street, laughing. “I’ll get it!” I cried. I bent down to pick up the thrown item, when a flash of lights appeared. “Trinity!!”
    Trinity… A bullet of pain shot through my head as I sat up. I looked around and noticed I was in a small room. The walls were white with small delicate roses dancing along the border. In the room, there was a small nightstand beside the bed with a small lamp and a note. It said: Look in the closet.
    I slowly got out of the bed and walked towards the other side of the room. There was a small vanity and a door beside it. I opened the door and immediately noticed a light blue dress dangling on a hanger, waiting for me. I changed into it and loved how it looked. It was strapless with ruffles that cascaded down to the floor. To my right, I noticed another door and walked towards it. As I moved to open the door, a little girl peeked inside and smiled when she saw me.
    “Oh! You’re awake! That’s great! Come with me!” she said.
    “W-wait! What’s going on? Who are you? Where am I?” I asked.
    “You humans are always so confused. Follow me! You’ll find out soon,” she replied.
    Reluctantly, I followed her out of the small room into a large hall. She grabbed my hand before she started running. Then, she jumped up and a pair of brown-speckled wings appeared, as she flew towards the ceiling.
    “Don’t let go! I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to hang on! I’m taking you to meet our mistress,” she said.
    I gulped nervously as she rose higher and higher. Once we reached the ceiling, she punched in a code and the ceiling changed into a wall with grand, mahogany doors that appeared. The knobs shined brightly as sun shined on them. I noticed the mysterious girl trying to press her necklace against the keyhole.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “Well, I’m trying to unlock the doors, but I can’t get my pendant to fit,” she replied.
    “How can it? Your pendant isn’t a key.”
    “You don’t know a thing! My pendant has a special code that allows me to unlock the doors when someone new comes!”
    “So I’m not the fir-”
    “Got it! Now we can get in!”
    She opened the doors and flew in. The room was beautiful. The walls were painted a deep red with gold designs of angel wings splattered across the entire wall. There were velvet chairs and statues of different angels.
    “Cordelia, how many times do I have to tell you to knock before coming in?” a soothing voice said, interrupting my thoughts.
    I turned my head, only to see a woman. The windows behind her, made her look like she was glowing. It emphasized her brilliant blonde hair and cerulean eyes. Her wings were long, beautiful and pure white.
    “Is this our new guest?” she asked.
    The girl named Cordelia nodded before bowing.
    “Human! You should bow before our mistress. You must show respect to our queen,” Cordelia whispered.
    “Now Cordelia, be nice. She must learn what has happened to her before she learns of her mission,” the woman cut in, “Rise. I am the mistress of this palace. This palace that we call home, is the Castle in the Sky.”
    “Are you angels? Am I dead?” I asked.
    “Heavens no, child,” she replied, “You are simply in the life between life and death. Each child brought to us is to complete a task before deciding to live here, go back to Earth, or to truly die.”
    “What happens to the bodies on Earth if a child is to stay here?”
    “The bodies become classified as dead, but your soul never goes to Heaven or Hell. However, some unlucky souls are sent straight to The Tower of Flames rather than here.”
    “What’s the tower of flames?”
    “It is where our spirits have been kidnapped and have their wings ripped off. The life leaves their eyes and they become mindless slaves who work for… the Lord of the Dark.”
    “What is the task that I must complete in order to leave?”
    “The task is different for everyone. The amount of time and level of difficulty is different every time too.”
    “How will I know what my task is?”
    “You will see a sign. I do not know what the sign is, but they say that when you see or hear it, you know your task.”
    “I don’t believe this is happening. This can’t be true. No one has told me about a life between life and death. This must be a dream.”
    “This is no dream, Trinity. You truly are here.”
    “Why am I here? How do you know my name?”
    “I know your name because I know about your life. You’re a smart girl. You always made straight A’s and you were athletic. You were kind, considerate, and every boy’s dream girl, but you were friends with the wrong people. They influenced you to go to a party. They dragged you there and got you drunk for the first time. You played around outside when someone threw a purse into the street. You weren’t thinking and you ran into the street without bothering to check for cars. You were about to pick up the purse, when you got hit by a car. They called your name as they panicked and called nine-one-one.”
    “How… How do you know this? That can’t be true… I couldn’t have been so stupid!”
    “Cordelia, I’d like you to bring Miss Trinity back to her room. Tomorrow, you will learn to fly.”
    ‘I don’t even have-”
    Then, a pair of pure white wings appeared from my back. I shrieked.
    “Calm down child! Those wings appeared when you came here.” I covered my face. I couldn’t understand what was happening. An arm wrapped itself around as another arm helped me walk back to the entrance. It was Cordelia who was helping me.
    “Cordelia, am I becoming a monster?” I whispered hoarsely.
    She said nothing and just flew me back to my room. She was about to close the door when I heard her whisper, “You are not a monster Trinity. You have been given a gift that no one else has. You should embrace it.”
    “Cordelia!” I shouted.
    The door shut just as I shouted her name. The tears poured out.
    “Someone… save me…,” I whispered.
    “There is no need to be saved. You are safe, for now,” a voice called out, “Now sleep. Your fate will be sealed after tonight.”
    That was the last thing I heard before I fell into darkness. When I woke up, the door opened and I could hear soft footsteps.
    “Trinity, come with me. You have a ceremony to go to,” they said, “Do not cry. We are not monsters. We help those who truly need it. Monsters only hurt.”
    I looked up and saw Cordelia. She smiled kindly before going to my closet. She pulled out a pure white dress that matched my wings. I looked to my side and saw that my wings had disappeared.
    “Cordelia, I heard a voice last night,” I said.
    She paused before saying, “What did the voice say?”
    “I don’t really remember… I remember it said that my fate would be sealed after last night.”
    “‘Your fate would be sealed’? That is strange. I think we should inform Mistress,” she said.
    “Why? Is it a sign?” I asked.
    “It’s possible, or it could be a warning. Please put on your ceremonial dress while I go inform the mistress.”
    Cordelia left the room quickly. I touched the dress. It was a spaghetti strap dress that reached just above my knees with lace at the hem. Next to the spot where the dress once lay, was a corsage decorated with a red carnation. I put it on and exited the room. I looked up and saw the doors to the Mistress’s office open. I started running and jumped. I could feel the air fly past my face as my wings came out. I flapped them and watched as I rose higher and higher. When I entered the office, Cordelia was talking to the mistress. When the mistress saw me, Cordelia turned to face me and she looked at me, full of surprise.
    “How… how did you get up here?” she asked.
    “I flew. How else?” I shrugged.
    “My, my, this girl knew how to fly before her lessons. She truly has potential,” the mistress cut in, “We should probably let this girl go to her ceremony, yes?”
    Cordelia nodded before flying out the door. I followed her out and when our feet touched the ground, she immediately questioned me.
    “How were you able to fly without anyone teaching you?” she asked.
    “I recalled how you ran and then jumped. I remembered how your wings came out, but I didn’t know how you flapped your wings, so I thought about flapping my wings and it worked,” I replied.
    “So you learned from what I did yesterday?”
    “I suppose. That’s pretty much what I did.”
    “That’s quite impressive. I have never seen a girl like you learn from seeing that just once. However, don’t think that your little stunt will make us go easy on you during your training.”
    I smiled as she led me towards a garden. It was, indeed, on a cloud. I was amazed by the flowers. I had never seen them before. I was about to take a closer look when Cordelia tugged my hand.
    “The ceremony is usually quick, so that those of us who have tasks to complete can attend this without losing too much time,” she informed.
    I nodded my head as she took my hand and led me onto the stage, where the mistress awaited my arrival.
    “Ladies and gentlemen! Spirits of the past and present, we have a new spirit among us! As mistress of this castle, I bestow Trinity Burton, with this sword! This is the only sword in its existence! It will protect her and give her strength. When the time is right, this sword will give her a new power!” she shouted.
    I watched as everyone stood up and shouted. They cheered until the mistress walked towards me and handed me the sword.
    “Be careful with this sword, Trinity. It obeys you and only you. This sword will not allow anyone else to wield it,” the mistress warned, “If put in the wrong hands, this sword can wipe out our very existence as well as the rest of mankind.”
    I wrapped my hands around the grip of the sword. I pointed the blade towards the sky with new confidence and said, “I have a new motto and I’d like to share it with you. It’s a quote from Albert Einstein, The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch without doing anything. I will protect everyone with all I can give!”
    I smiled as everyone cheered. I looked to my right to see Cordelia smiling. To my left, the mistress was nodding her head with approval. Then, she led me off the stage and took me to my room. Cordelia quickly followed. I turned and saw that as we made our departure, the crowd began to dissipate. Once in my room, the mistress asked, “Do you remember what the voice said? The voice that you heard last night, what did it sound like?”
    “Well, I think it said something about my fate being sealed and that I was safe, for now…,” I answered.
    The mistress looked at me quizzically. Then, she stood up and said, “Please meet me in my office after your training.”
    As she left, Cordelia approached me and said, “I must train you now. Are you ready to practice? We will start with a beginner’s training sword and work up to your sword.”
    I nodded. We spent the entire afternoon training. I was taking baby steps as we worked up to fighting with my sword. It was difficult at first, but it started to get easier. For an eight year-old, Cordelia was an amazing fighter. She fought with skill and hadn’t broken a sweat until we reached fighting with my sword. I mustered up all the strength I had left into that fight. I had gotten large scratches on her armor and her shield was beat up with large scratches and a particularly large dent. I was now lying down on my bed, resting, before going to see the mistress. Then, the voice struck again saying, “So you have a new power… You are no longer safe… You have chosen whose side you are on. Protect those whom you hold close. They will be gone sooner than you think.”
    “I haven’t chosen anything! I don’t understand! Why would those close to me disappear? Who are you?” I shouted.
    Cordelia rushed in as the voice said, “I am… the Lord of the Dark. Your fate has been chosen. You are among the Light. Goodbye, Trinity.”
    “Lord…Lord of the Dark?” I echoed.
    Cordelia’s eye widened as she wrapped her hand around mine. She pulled me out of my room and flew me to the Mistress’s office.
    “Mistress! The voice, is the Lord of the Dark! He’s been talking to Trinity!” Cordelia exclaimed.
    “The Lord of the Dark? What? I’ve never heard of this before! How could this be?” Mistress shouted, “Cordelia, shut the doors. Trinity? Talk to me! What did he say?”
    “His exact words… were ‘So you have a new power… You are no longer safe… You have chosen whose side you are on. Protect those whom you hold close. They will be gone sooner than you think.’ He said I was among the Light. What’s this Light?” I asked.
    “The Light, are those sent here to the Castle in the Sky. The Light is everyone here now, who used to be here, and those who will be here,” she replied.
    I nodded my head slowly as I let this information sink in.
    “What did he mean when he said I had a ‘new power’?” I asked.
    “Your sword. He wants your sword, your life, and your wings. Trinity, he wants you. You have everything he needs to destroy mankind. He wants YOU to be his apprentice, not mine. You are his most powerful weapon and his largest threat. He wants to test you. He will put your abilities to the test and capture Cordelia and I. If this happens, tell everyone that I put you in command. Don’t worry about what they say. Protect them, protect yourself and most of all, protect the Castle in the Sky.”
    “What? I have to face him? I have to be a leader? You and Cordelia will disappear? I don’t understand!” I shouted.
    “You don’t have to, but the time will come when you will understand what I am talking about, okay?” she whispered, soothingly.
    It was rude, what I did. It was awful and cruel. I had slapped her.
    “How could you say that? You’re the only people in my life that have ever cared about my whereabouts! How dare you even think about leaving me! I’m going!” I shouted.
    I flew out of the office and left the castle entirely. I didn’t bother looking back. I needed to be alone. I couldn’t possibly think about losing the only people who cared for me. My father was always away and my mother died when I was seven. I missed seeing them every day when I came home. Eventually, I came upon a lake. I saw a small cabin and decided that I would stay there for the night. I entered the cozy cottage and plopped myself onto the bed. I looked around and noticed some bread. My stomach decided to growl loudly, so I greedily took a bite of the loaf. Just as I finished off the loaf, I heard the door open. I froze. I slowly turned and I saw a girl around Cordelia’s age enter.
    “Who are you? Are you from the Light, like me?” she asked.
    “I… I am from the Light. Why are you here? Do you not live in the castle?” I asked.
    “I got away… Cordelia, my sister, and our mistress were captured by bandits. They work for the Lord of the Dark.”
    My eyes widened. Mistress had warned me that this would happen. Now it has happened.
    “Mistress said there was someone who could lead us, to save them, but she didn’t get the chance to say who. Everyone thinks it is Muriel, because when the mistress dies, she will be our new mistress. I have this power… I can tell things about people by first glance… Muriel is not the one that Mistress speaks of. It is you,” she continued, “You are strong, faithful, smart, and you have the sword Mistress gave you at your ceremony. You have been blessed with a gift from the heavens. That is no ordinary sword you wield.”
    “I can’t do it! I’m not strong enough! It hasn’t even been a day since I started my training! It’s impossible!” I cried.
    “I am young, but I am wise. You truly are the one Mistress speaks of. You are able to do it, all you need is confidence. You could be ready by tomorrow. And your army is waiting,” she argued.
    I looked at this girl. She had a flare of determination in her eyes. Her expression showed how she refused to give up. I smiled.
    “You are very determined, but I am not the one you need. If this Muriel is next in line for the throne, then Muriel shall lead. I am just an inexperienced spirit with a special sword.”
    ‘I am determined to get my sister and our mistress back! Muriel does not have powers given to her from the heavens! You have a gift no one else has! Please open your eyes! Only you can save u! Why is that so hard to see?”
    “Am I the only one who can save them?”
    “Yes. Or all hope for getting through this and saving the spirits and mankind is lost.”
    Her determination left her eyes and it was replaced with worry and sorrow. I looked at her before leaving the cabin with a heavy heart. I ran and jumped up. I flew back to the Castle in the Sky and saw there was a fire. Part of the castle was crumbling and in flames.
    “This happened while you flew off in anger. They took the opportunity of your disappearance to take them,” a voice said.
    I turned around and saw Cordelia’s sister.
    “Everyone is trying to put out the flames, but they are more worried about how they will save Cordelia and Mistress. As Cordelia’s sister, Chloe, I will train you in her place, if you accept,” she said.
    Determined, I answered, “When do we start?”
    Chloe smiled, “Right now. We will announce you as leader when you can defeat Muriel. Until then, we must complete your training. Luckily, you’ve already flew through the hardest part of the training.”
    Until dusk the next day, Chloe taught me how to cast spells, dodge in the air, increase my speed with heavy armor, as wells as healing myself. The castle was no longer in flames and cleaned up, despite the hole in the roof. Spirits of all ages were on battle fields or in the sky, fighting. I noticed someone with fiery red hair as she flew around inspecting everyone’s battles. When she noticed my presence and Chloe’s, she flew over.
    “You two! Why are you not training? Do you not wish to have our mistress and Cordelia return safely? That’s odd for you since Cordelia is your sister… Chloe,” she hissed.
    “Trinity, this is Muriel,” Chloe explained.
    She had a fake smile plastered on her face, “Muriel, Trinity is the one our Mistress wanted to lead. She was bestowed a gift from the heavens. Her gift is the sword that only allows her to wield it.”
    “How can this be? She is still in training!” Muriel shouted.
    “Actually, I finished my training today,” I cut in.
    “Fight me. Prove it!” Muriel demanded, “If you chicken out, I may just let you go rather than sending you to the Tower of Flames as a sacrifice to have our dear Mistress and Cordelia return.”
    “You’d sacrifice your strongest ally to get the back? Wouldn’t you prefer everyone safe?” I questioned.
    “We won’t know you strength until we fight, now will we? Besides, I’d prefer YOU dead.”
    She smirked triumphantly. I couldn’t believe she said that. I drew my sword and hit her in the stomach with the hilt. I did it all so fast; even I had a hard time following my movements. The fight had started. I quickly did a back flip to create some distance. Where I had hit her stomach, was a small dent. She looked at me once before drawing out a two-handed sword. By now, everyone had created a large circle around us.
    “This is the first time anyone has ever challenged Muriel. They know how strong she is. They’re curious if you are as strong as you say you are,” Chloe whispered.
    I was hiding in some trees nearby where the fight had started. It had been quite some time since it had all started. The sun was long gone and the stars were twinkling above. I was healing a gash when I heard leaves rustling. I froze. I turned around and looked above and below me. I figured just to be safe I should fly up. I checked the gash to see it was no longer bleeding. I heard more leaves rustling and I knew whatever was making the noise, was getting closer. I propelled myself towards the sky. Two arrows narrowly missed the soles of my feet when I flew. I was panting hard. It was clear that we were both tired, but neither of us wanted to give up. I figured it had been a good two or three hours when we no longer had the energy to fly. We were both standing on the ground in what seemed to be the last phase of the battle.
    “Ready to give up? Have you had enough?” she asked.
    “I will never give up to you! I promised the mistress that I would protect everyone with everything I could give. And I won’t ever break it!” I shouted.
    I felt more energy flow into me as I said those words. I couldn’t give up. I looked Muriel in the eye. We charged at each other and got into a heavy battle. The sounds of our swords clashing were so loud, I’m pretty sure you could’ve heard them from a mile away. I got some cuts on her and one gash on her arm, but she had gotten multiple cuts one my arms and legs and my previous gash was beginning to open and bleed again. Luckily, I hit her in the stomach again with the hilt and she cried out in pain. She fell to the ground, and her face was scrunched up as she held her stomach. I had won. Everyone stared as I helped Muriel to her feet. I walked her over to a bench before I began healing her wounds. Around five minutes later, I began to heal my own wounds. I faced the other spirits.
    “Does anyone know how to get to the Tower of Flames? We must devise a plan so everyone may fight, but return safely. I’d also like all spirits who can heal go with Chloe. I’d like to set up an infirmary for those injured in battle.”
    “There is a portal… hidden in the castle that we only use for emergencies and rescue missions… But I don’t know if the bandits found it and destroyed it,” Muriel whispered weakly.
    “Bandits?” I asked.
    “Bandits are ex-spirits. They are mindless and destroy anything that gets in the way of their goal. They only follow the Lord of the Dark,” Chloe informed.
    Muriel stood up.
    “Everyone, please help Chloe and the other medics set up an infirmary,” Muriel ordered, “Trinity, I’ll show you the portal and we will devise a plan.”
    I nodded my head. The next day, we all knew the plan and where the portal was. However, the portal had a password which had to be said in Italian. We planned that Muriel, Chloe, and I would go to the castle and sneak in and call for back up if it seemed absolutely necessary. It was dusk and it was the time when the Tower’s defenses were weakest. I arrived at the portal and saw Chloe and Muriel devising a back-up plan. When they saw me, they nodded as I stepped forward. I faced the stone wall and took a deep breath.
    (*) “Le porte delle tenebre, aprire un percorso per salvare quelli persi. Fino alla soverchia luce al buio, tu rimarrai qui,” I said.
    I watched closely, but I saw no change in the wall. It looked like the spell didn’t work. Slowly, I touched the wall and it reacted like water and ripples appeared. I drew my hand back.
    “I-is it supposed to do that?” I asked nervously.
    Muriel nodded her head before stepping through the portal. I looked at Chloe and noticed that she was biting her lip.
    “You’re nervous too?” I asked.
    She nodded.
    “Why don’t we step in together? That way our first time is together,” I suggested.
    Her face lit up immediately. We took one step after another. It felt weird at first, but when we weren’t focused on our steps beings in rhythm, we realized that we weren’t in the sky anymore. Here, everything was on fire, yet never seemed to burn.
    “We shouldn’t fly here, or else our cover will be blown,” Muriel advised.
    She gave us tattered clothes. The material was rough and itchy. It had holes and it was torn.
    “Do we have to wear these?” Chloe asked.
    “If you don’t want to die or be captured, then yes,” Muriel answered.
    Reluctantly, we put on the clothes and hid our previous garments in some bushes by the portal. We walked towards the tower and noticed some spirits walking towards it. I was about to call out to them, but Muriel covered my mouth.
    “You will give away our position! Their wings are gone. Look closely,” she whispered.
    I squinted my eyes and saw long scars on their backs where their wings would normally be. My eyes widened.
    “H-how did their wings disappear?” I asked, horrified.
    “They… cut them off. Slowly and they make sure it’s painful,” Muriel answered, “From what the rumors say, they cut them off.”
    I could feel my knees grow weak. I couldn’t bear the thought. I looked down and saw tears were flowing out of Chloe’s eyes.
    “Chloe? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” I asked.
    “They… They took my sister’s wings… I can hear her screams and cries. I can hear our Mistress’s shouts for them to stop… Trinity, my sister is no longer a spirit… Her wings are gone… Her strength and her will have been ripped from her,” Chloe whispered.
    “Muriel! We need to move quickly! Chloe says that they ripped off Cordelia’s wings!” I whispered.
    Muriel’s eyes widened.
    “There is a secret passageway that can lead us up to the top of the tower, but I heard there are booby traps,” she warned.
    “The faster, the better. We need to hurry!”
    We ran towards the side entrance and hid behind the trees. There was a cellar door with a keypad.
    “Muriel, there’s a keypad! Do you know the password?” I asked.
    “We’ll see. If not, I can hack it,” she answered. She made sure there were no guards in sight before running over. It was only second later before she opened the doors and snuck in. we were about to follow her, when I saw a guard approaching. Luckily, Muriel closed the doors just in time and the guard never suspected a thing. I made sure there was no guard before squeezing Chloe’s hand and running towards the cellar door. Once inside, Muriel snapped her fingers and a flame appeared in her hand.
    “Hurry! And be careful! Follow me and take the EXACT same steps I do,” she warned. She hopped and ducked, but we couldn’t see what she was dodging. I was the last in our little trio to ensure everyone’s safety. However, a pair of strong arms wrapped itself around my waist and a pair of thinner arms covered my mouth. They pulled me into the wall and I appeared in my room.
    “I’m… home?” I said.
    I looked around and saw everything was just as I left it. I heard the door open, and I saw my mother.
    “Mom? Is that you?” I asked.
    She smiled warmly and nodded her head yes. I couldn’t stop the tears of joy that fell from my eyes. I missed her. It had been ten years since her death. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Then, another pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around me and my mother. I looked up and saw my father.
    “Dad! I missed you!” I shouted happily.
    He chuckled like he always did when I was happy over something silly. I smiled and hugged my mother a little tighter. I never wanted to let go.
    “I missed you Trinity. You’ve grown up so much since I last saw you,” she whispered, “I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished.”
    “I want our family to stay together forever. Trinity, can you promise me that you will never leave us?” My father started.
    “I’ll never leave. I missed you both so much!” I promised.
    “I’m so happy I got to see you both again,” my mother said, “Now we can be together forever.”
    Suddenly, her grip tightened and so did my father’s.
    “Mother! Father! Y-you’re hurting me!”I cried.
    “That’s the point my sweet,” my mother taunted.
    “We’ll start with you, and then kill your other friends. One by one, and we’ll start with that little girl,” my father sneered.
    “Chloe! NO! Stay away from Chloe! Don’t touch my friends!” I shouted, “You will regret this!”
    “You wouldn’t kill you parents, would you? Or are you a heartless brat, like those other spirits who lost their wings and their strength and will along with it?” my mother asked, “We saw right through you and your weaknesses. Your life ends here.”
    “No! I refuse to die like this! I don’t want to die in the hands of the likes of you! You aren’t truly my family!” I shouted.
    “Too late,” my father sneered.
    My world turned black after that. When I opened my eyes, I saw Chloe leaning over me, crying. Muriel was patting her back sympathetically.
    “I lost her! I lost her and my sister!” Chloe shouted, “I am too weak to protect my friends and family!”
    “Chloe, we didn’t see her disappear or hear her. There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Muriel whispered.
    “I healed all her injuries! Why isn’t she awake? I don’t understand!”
    “She may have been injured too much and bled to death before we could reach her.”
    “C-Chloe… Don’t cry. I am here,” I whispered.
    She lifted her head.
    “Trinity?” she said softly.
    “I don’t believe it,” Muriel said. Her voice was full of disbelief.
    “I realized something, though. I believed seeing my mother, when she died ten years ago. I believed it was her, even though she was truly dead. I let myself believe in lies. I can’t trust my family. Not until I leave this place,” I stated.
    “Alright, let’s go. We’re almost to the top of this dreadful tower,” Muriel said.
    We exited the room and proceeded up the staircase. When we reached the top, we saw Mistress hovering over the edge of the tower. Her wings and hands were tied behind her back, which connected to a weak wooden post. She looked helpless and worried.
    “Mistress!” we shouted.
    She looked up and smiled sadly.
    “I’m so glad I got to see you girls in my last moments,” she said.
    “Your last moments? What do you mean?” Muriel asked.
    “Goodbye girls. Be strong. I’ll watch you from above. Trinity, please take care of our home. They don’t have anywhere else to go. Muriel, protect them and help Trinity watch the Castle in the Sky. Chloe, be strong and as independent like Cordelia. I’d like you to train our newcomers and take over her position. I’m sorry, girls,” She said weakly.
    The sight was awful. She coughed up blood and she started to fall. She gave us one last glance before the old, rotten post began to break.
    “You’re too late. She will die, and there is nothing you can do about it,” a voice said.
    It sounded eerily familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I had heard it before.
    “This is the first time I’ve actually seen you in person. Have I done well, master?” Muriel said.
    The mysterious figure nodded, “I couldn’t be more proud, daughter,” they said.
    “Muriel, who is this?” I asked.
    Chloe tugged me back towards the door.
    “That’s the Lord of the Dark,” she whispered.
    My eyes widened. I looked towards our mistress. Her face was covered with surprise and regret. I ran over to her.
    “Let me help you! I don’t know what to do!” I cried.
    “Trinity, I have to die. I’ve been in reign too long. I’d like you to take over once this is all over. Take care of them,” she pleaded.
    “What about my life? My real family? What about the rest of my life?”
    “It is up to you, but I really need someone like you to protect them.”
    “How sweet. Mistress is begging for stupid Trinity to take over,’ Muriel cut in.
    I growled, “You gained our trust. You traitor! How long has this been happening?”
    The post began to break even more. Muriel smirked.
    “Since the day she ‘stumbled’ upon the Castle in the Sky,” the Lord of the Dark cut in.
    I could feel myself boiling with anger. I ran towards the Lord of the Dark and drew out my sword. I swung as hard as I could, but he disappeared.
    “Huh? Where did he go?” I wondered.
    Muriel’s eyes were covered in tears.
    “Father! Why did you escape without me?” she cried, “You cruel man1 I did everything you wanted me to! How could you, you coward!”
    The post broke and our Mistress began to fall. I ran to save her, but Chloe held me back. Her eyes told me, that it was the right thing to do. I shook my head and jumped over the edge of the tower. It’s all a blur, but when I opened my eyes again, I was in the infirmary at the Castle in the Sky.
    “W-where am…I?” I asked, groggily.
    I turned my head and saw our Mistress lying in the bed a few feet away from my own. Her monitor bleeped, showing her strong and healthy heartbeat. I felt a small sigh of relief escape me as the doors opened.
    “Trinity! Guess what?” a little girl shouted.
    It took my eyes to focus on who it was, when I finally recognized the little girl as Chloe.
    “Hey there kiddo, what happened?” I smiled weakly, riffling her hair.
    She smiled before whispering, “I’m not supposed to tell you, but Cordelia’s alive. She can’t fly anymore, but we were able to bring her back. My sister is safe, but she is sad about her wings. The doctors think it will be eons until they grow back, but until then, she cannot attempt to fly. The only thing left to prove she had wings are the two little stubs, from where her wings once were.”
    “I’m glad she’s back. Don’t worry, I’m sure her wings will grow back in no time,” I said, reassuringly.
    A doctor came in and did a couple tests before releasing me. Chloe never left my side. When I was walking towards the exit, Chloe tugged on my sleeve and said, “Do you wanna go see Cordelia?”
    I nodded my head. She guided me towards a small room and saw her just sitting there.
    “C-cordelia? Sister, you have visitor,” Chloe whispered.
    “What do they want? To give me more grief? I don’t need your pity,” she barked.
    “I am not here to give you pity, Cordelia. I… was worried when you and our mistress disappeared. I’m happy that you are safe, aren’t you?” I said softly.
    She turned around and her eyes widened with shock, before narrowing her eyes and giving me a cold glare.
    “Why did you leave? This wouldn’t have happened if you had accepted your fate! The Lord of the Dark is still out there! He always will be! We cannot escape the darkness of our world!” She exclaimed.
    “Chloe, you never told me, what happened after I jumped?” I asked hesitantly.
    “I… I grabbed my sword and pointed the blade towards him. I lunged forward and he disappeared and reappeared behind me before I could even blink! I tried fighting him, but I was so beaten up in a few minutes, I fell to the ground. I watched helplessly as he grabbed Muriel and vanished.”
    “You let him escape?” Cordelia shrieked.
    “I couldn’t move! Trinity couldn’t do anything because she jumped after our mistress to save her! I tried, but I couldn’t do the job I wasn’t meant to do.”
    Cordelia growled before mumbling, “Leave. Get out of my sight. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
    “What?” Chloe asked.
    “LEAVE!!! Get out and don’t come back!” She shrieked.
    I noticed hurt flash in Chloe’s expression, before she ran out of the room. I chased her down to the basement where the portal was. She ran into the wall where the portal normally appeared and I helped her up.The portal was began to shine.
    “I think that since, the Dark has been defeated by the Light. The portal no longer has a reason to exist. The battle is over. We are safe,” Chloe guessed.
    We left the basement and headed to the garden, where my ceremony was held. I got on the stage and explained how Cordelia’s wings were ripped off, how we found the Mistress, only to find out she needed to die, and how Muriel was actually the Lord of the Dark’s father. They were all stunned. I told them I would stay to help them repair and find a new Mistress. Things went better from that point until everything was done and it was time for me to choose.
    ‘Will you stay or leave?” Chloe asked.
    She looked at me with her big eyes, pleading me to stay. I was all she had left. I shook my head no, and asked, “How do I return to Earth?”
    She looked at me before saying, “You have to close your eyes, count to ten, and say the password to the portal in Italian.”
    “Goodbye Chloe. Thank you for letting me go willingly. Remember, I am always going be by your side, and my reward isn’t nothing, but the memories you’ve given me,” I whispered.
    I closed my eyes and slowly counted to ten before reciting, “Le porte delle tenebre, aprire un percorso per salvare quelli persi. Fino alla soverchia luce al buio, tu rimarrai qui.” (*)
    I opened my eyes to a white room.
    “Trinity!” my father yelled, “Nurse! Doctor! She’s awake!”
    “Dad? Where am I?” I asked.
    “Trinity, you’re at the hospital. You were hit by a car,” he informed.
    “Hit by a car?”
    “You were at a party.”
    All the memories of the Castle in the Sky and the Tower of Flames filled my head. A doctor rushed in. He did a quick check up before telling me, that I could go home in a couple days, after they finished some more tests. Those few days passed by quickly and I was home just in time for lunch. Later, when I was about to go to sleep for the first time back home, I heard a voice say, “Thank you.”
    I smiled before closing my eyes.”You’re welcome. I will remember you always.”
    Epilogue
    I can’t really say I left the Castle in the Sky, but everytime I go to sleep, I am transported there. The mistress finally woke up and everything seemed to only get better and better. I train the newcomers and I am the co-leader of the Castle in the Sky.
    As for my life in reality, I am now 23. It’s been 7 years since I first came upon the Castle in the Sky. I have a daughter, who loves to listen to my story about the Castle in the Sky. She may be two, but she pretends she is me and is fighting off the Lord of the Dark.
    Every week, I go to Cordelia and Chloe’s graves to pay my respects. Sometimes when I go to bed at night, I hear my mom’s voice saying, “I’m so proud of you. I wish I could have been with you every step of the way until college, but I always knew that you would succeed in life no matter what. I’ll see you in heaven.”
    (*) Doors of darkness open up a path to save those lost. Until the Light overpowers the Dark, you shall remain here.