Chapter 5

**The Heavenly Debate**

**Athena's Point of View**

The council chamber is straight out of a fantasy epic, with a massive circular table, towering pillars, and walls adorned with more of those animated tapestries that seem to have a life of their own. One of them is currently miming a wrestling match between two cherubs, and I make a mental note to avoid eye contact with any more fabric in this place.

The moment we step inside, I'm hit with a wave of noise. It's like stepping into the middle of a heated family argument at Thanksgiving dinner, but instead of your loud Uncle Bob, there are angels—glorious, shimmering angels—bickering like toddlers over the last slice of pie.

"*It's not just about the scales! The color matters too!*" one angel with fiery orange wings shouts, slamming a fist on the table.

"And I'm telling you, Aeris, the dragon population must be managed according to their temperament, not their hue!" counters another angel, his wings a deep forest green.

"Temperament? You wouldn't know a dragon's temperament if it bit you on the—"

"QUIET!" Arion booms, his voice echoing through the chamber like a thunderclap. Instantly, the arguing angels shut their mouths, but they're still glaring daggers at each other across the table. I'm impressed. If I ever need to silence a room, I'm calling Arion.

"Councilors," Taye says, his voice calm but firm, "we have more pressing matters to attend to."

All eyes turn to me, and I suddenly feel like a new kid at school, except this school is filled with immortal beings who can probably smite me with a thought. No pressure, right?

"This," Taye continues, gesturing toward me like I'm the grand prize on a game show, "is Athena Mikaelson. She's in Lanom because—"

"Wait, Mikaelson?" interrupts an angel with silver wings, looking up from a stack of scrolls. "Any relation to *that* Mikaelson?"

"Uh," I stammer, "not unless my dad has a secret family he's not telling me about."

Taye rolls his eyes, clearly used to this sort of interruption. "Athena is here because of an unusual circumstance. She saved a life in her realm, which should have resulted in her passing on. However, she has not fully crossed over because…"

I brace myself, waiting for the big reveal. Maybe I'm some kind of chosen one, destined to save Lanom from impending doom. Or maybe I'm just really bad at dying. Either way, I'm all ears.

"She is comatose in her realm," Taye finishes, his tone somber.

There's a beat of silence. Then, "Wait, what?" I blurt out, not quite grasping what he just said. "So, I'm… like, in a coma?"

Taye nods, and the council starts murmuring amongst themselves. I catch snippets of their conversation—words like "stuck," "between worlds," and "no precedent." It sounds very official, but I'm still reeling from the fact that my body is lying somewhere on Earth, possibly in a hospital bed, while I'm here, arguing with angels about dragon management.

"Hold on," I say, raising a hand like I'm in school again. "So, because I'm in a coma, I can't go to wherever I'm supposed to go?"

"Exactly," Arion says, his expression softening just a little. "Your soul is in a state of limbo. You can't pass on until your body either recovers or… or doesn't."

"Fantastic," I mutter, sinking into the nearest chair. "So I'm basically trapped in a celestial waiting room."

"It's not so bad," Lirael says cheerfully, taking a seat next to me. "You get to hang out with us, learn the ropes, maybe even help us out with some tasks. Think of it like an internship… with wings."

"An unpaid internship," I grumble, but Lirael just chuckles.

Taye clears his throat, drawing the council's attention back to him. "We need to decide what to do with Athena. She cannot remain in Lanom indefinitely without purpose. It could destabilize the balance between worlds."

"Destabilize?" I ask, feeling a bit alarmed. "Is that like, 'end of the universe' bad or just 'mild cosmic inconvenience' bad?"

"Somewhere in between," Taye says with a completely straight face. Oh, great. I'm a walking time bomb.

The angels begin arguing again, this time about what should be done with me. Suggestions fly across the table like arrows.

"She could assist in the celestial archives!"

"No, she should be trained to guide lost souls!"

"Perhaps she could help with the dragons. They do seem to like her."

That last one was from the angel with the rainbow wings, who is eyeing me like I'm some kind of dragon whisperer. I shake my head vigorously. "Uh, I don't think I'm qualified for dragon duty."

The council dissolves into another round of bickering, and I start to zone out, my mind spinning. I'm stuck in limbo, my body is in a coma, and these angels are arguing like it's a PTA meeting. 

As they continue to debate, my gaze drifts to the ceiling, where a fresco depicts an epic battle between light and darkness. It's a masterpiece of divine art, full of drama and tension. But all I can think is, *This is my afterlife?* Trapped in a celestial boardroom while the most beautiful beings in existence argue over who gets stuck with the weird human girl.

"Enough!" Arion finally thunders, bringing the argument to a halt. He turns to me with a resigned expression. "Athena, until your fate is determined, you will remain in Lanom as an observer. You will learn from us, assist where you can, and we will monitor your condition on Earth."

"Sounds like a plan," I say, trying to sound upbeat. "Can't be worse than being in a coma, right?"

Lirael grins and nudges me. "Look on the bright side, Athena. You get to hang out with us, and who knows? Maybe you'll even learn to fly."

"Flying lessons?" I ask, perking up a bit. "Now you're talking."

The council begins to wrap up, with angels filing out one by one. As I get up to follow, I hear Aeris muttering something about "dragon scales" and "temperament," and I can't help but laugh.

As we exit the chamber, Taye gives me a look that's somewhere between sympathy and encouragement. "We'll figure this out, Athena. In the meantime, just try to enjoy the ride."

I give him a half-smile. "Oh, don't worry, Taye. I'm planning to enjoy this afterlife to the fullest. Or at least as much as a comatose Brooklyn girl stuck between worlds can."

He chuckles softly. "Welcome to Lanom, Athena. It's going to be… an experience."

And as we head down the corridor, I can't help but feel a strange mix of hope and dread. Sure, I'm stuck in a celestial no-man's land, but hey, at least I've got angels, dragons, and flying lessons to look forward to. Could be worse, right? 

With any luck, I might even figure out how to survive this whole afterlife thing. Or at the very least, how to avoid getting roped into any more angelic arguments.