After what felt like an eternity of waiting, it was finally Kara's turn to face judgment.
"Kara Williams, thou may give account of thy life now," one of the angels said, her voice calm and clear.
Kara looked up at the angel. She had long, flowing golden hair, and though she appeared human, there was something unearthly about her—an ethereal glow surrounded her, and her robe was as white as freshly fallen snow. Elegant wings stretched from her back, feathered in gold and silver.
Despite the grandeur, Kara scoffed quietly. This has to be a joke.
"What exactly do you want me to say?" she asked, her tone edged with defiance.
The angel only smiled gently.
"Tell us about yourself and how you lived your life on earth."
Kara sighed.
"Okay. My name is Kara Williams. I'm 19. I'm from California. I just got into college. I lived with my mom... I don't have a dad. He died four years ago—" her voice dropped into a whisper, "—after all our prayers."
The angel heard her, but made no comment. Instead, she continued,
"How did you live on earth?"
Kara chuckled bitterly.
"Ha! You don't really care how I lived, do you? You just want to know if I was a Christian or not." Her eyes narrowed. "Well, the answer is no. I wasn't. I grew up in a Christian home—my dad was devout, and so was my mom. We didn't joke with God back then. I prayed every day. I believed... even when nothing made sense. I was told that if I prayed and believed, I would receive everything I asked for.
"But that was a lie. When I turned fifteen, my dad got lung cancer. I prayed harder than I ever had. I locked myself in my room, crying, begging God for help. Thirty minutes later, I heard my mom scream. He was gone. Just like that.
"After that, I gave up. I stopped believing. I lived life on my own terms. God stopped being real to me." Kara's voice was flat, emotionless.
The angel looked at her with compassion and turned to the Book of Life, opening it slowly.
From the shadows, Lucifer growled, his voice laced with impatience.
"There is no way her name is there. You're wasting your time."
The angel ignored him and searched the pages carefully.
Indeed, Kara's name wasn't in the Book of Life.
But to everyone's surprise, it wasn't in the Book of Death either.
The angel paused. Her brows furrowed, uncertain. She looked at Kara, then back at the glowing pages.
Silence fell over the entire hall.
And then, once again, a voice like the sound of many waters echoed through the chamber.
"Angel Haniel, let her in."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even Lucifer and his cohorts went still.
"Master… what is going on? Don't tell me God is still fighting over this soul. What is in her?" one of the demons muttered.
"Lilith!" Lucifer snapped. "Don't question Him! Keep your mouth shut if you don't want to suffer more than you already do!" His voice trembled with fear and anger.
Angel Haniel turned slowly and gave a subtle nod to the other angels, signaling for the next soul in line. Then she stepped forward and extended her hand to Kara.
Kara, wide-eyed and speechless, took it.
The gates of gold shimmered and opened before them.
As Kara stepped through, light engulfed her. Warmth, peace, and something she hadn't felt in years—hope—washed over her.
She wasn't sure why she was allowed in.
But for the first time in years, she felt seen. Known. Loved.