A Not-So-Holy Alliance

Gabriel stared at the celestial shrine before him. Its ancient stones shimmered faintly in the moonlight, casting delicate beams across the surrounding forest. The air carried a strange hum, almost musical, resonating deep within his chest. This place was sacred—untouched by Heaven or Hell for centuries.

And it could possibly hold his key to his salvation. We'll, at least, that's what he thought, needing something to kling onto while hope seemed impossible.

"I will reclaim my halo," Gabriel whispered to himself, his voice filled with conviction.

The soft sound of crunching echoed above him. He tensed, looking up to find Lily lounging on a thick tree branch, a half-eaten apple in one hand and a smug grin plastered across her face.

"Not if I can help it," she said, tossing the apple core over her shoulder and leaning forward as though enjoying the view of his struggle.

Gabriel's jaw clenched. "Lily. Of course, you're here."

She shrugged innocently. "Oh, don't be like that, Gabe. I'm just here to supervise. You know, make sure you don't... accidentally ruin anything important. This shrine is kind of a big deal, you know?"

Gabriel crossed his arms, glaring. "You mean you're here to sabotage me."

Her grin widened. "That too."

"I don't plan to sabotage this sacred shrine, which I'm assuming you've been tasked with making sure that doesn't happen. By the way, how is my old friend Seraphina, still insufferable, I can imagine?"

Lily shrugged, but her shoulder never reached the top, like some invisible force weighed heavy atop. "Ah, she's okay I guess. Bit of a stickler, but I've served under worst, as you might know."

"Yeah, well," he muttered, already on his heels, "No thanks to you."

Gabriel stepped cautiously toward the shrine. Massive stone pillars, worn by time but still standing tall, bore inscriptions in an ancient language that shimmered faintly. A circular pedestal in the center seemed to pulse with energy. This place held power, but it also felt... off.

"This thing reeks of Heaven," Lily said, hopping down from the branch to inspect a pillar. "It's all... glowy and self-important."

Gabriel ignored her, running his fingers over the inscriptions. They hummed beneath his touch, and fragments of words began to form in his mind: Purity reclaimed, through trial and flame.

"This shrine has a trial," he murmured.

"Of course it does," Lily said, plopping down onto the pedestal as if it were a bench. "Heaven loves their little 'prove your worth' games. It's like they're allergic to straightforward solutions."

Gabriel scowled. "You wouldn't understand. This is about redemption."

"Redemption?" Lily snorted. "What's next, a motivational speech? 'Believe in yourself, Gabe, and maybe one day you'll be less of a stick in the mud!'"

"Why are you here?" Gabriel snapped, spinning to face her. "You already have my halo. What could you possibly gain from stopping me?"

Lily's teasing smile faltered for a moment, and something unreadable flickered in her eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Entertainment," she said lightly, standing up and dusting off her hands. "Watching you flail around is way more fun than choir practice. Also, I kinda have to stop you from 'desecrateing the sacred Celestial Shrine.'"

Gabriel's eye narrowed. The voice she used- a cheap imitation of Seraphina's- exasperated him beyond measure.

"What? That's how the old stick sounded," she insisted. "Come on, say I'm wrong."

Gabriel turned back to the pedestal, choosing not to rise to her bait. The trial awaited, and he wouldn't let her distract him.

As soon as Gabriel stepped onto the pedestal, the ground beneath him shifted. The air shimmered, and the forest dissolved into golden light. When the light faded, he stood in a vast chamber, its walls adorned with glowing runes. The room exuded calm, yet tension simmered beneath its surface.

"What, no fireworks?" Lily said, appearing at his side.

Gabriel groaned. "Why are you in here?"

She waved her hand nonchalantly. "I got bored waiting outside."

"That's not—" He stopped, realizing that arguing with her would only waste time. "Fine. Stay out of the way."

The runes along the walls began to shift, rearranging into a glowing script. Gabriel squinted, trying to read. "To reclaim what is lost, you must embrace what you fear most."

"Cryptic," Lily said, peering over his shoulder. "Heaven's really leaning into the drama."

Gabriel ignored her, scanning the chamber for clues. In the center of the room, a pool of shimmering liquid glowed faintly. It rippled as though something beneath its surface was moving.

"What do you think's in there?" Lily asked, nudging him.

He stepped forward, and his jaw tightened. Her presence was impossibly annoying. Couple that with that fact that this was all her falt as well, the fury inside burned uncontrollably, yet his mind settled on the one thing anchoring him: hope. "Only one way to find out."

The moment Gabriel's hand touched the edge of the pool, the room shifted again. The walls dissolved into darkness, and he found himself standing in a distorted version of Heaven. The once-bright clouds were dim, and the golden gates loomed ahead, tarnished and cracked.

"This is..." Gabriel trailed off, his voice trembling.

"Familiar?" Lily finished, leaning casually against a pillar that hadn't been there a moment ago.

Gabriel's fists clenched. "It's a trick. This isn't real."

"Sure looks real," Lily said, inspecting the cracks in the gates. "But it's kinda poetic, don't you think? Your perfect little paradise, all broken and sad."

Gabriel glared at her. "If you're not going to help—"

"I am helping!" she said, throwing up her hands. "I'm providing valuable commentary. You're welcome."

Before he could respond, a shadow emerged from the gates. It was tall, winged, and painfully familiar. Gabriel's breath hitched as he stared at the figure.

It was him.

Or, more accurately, a twisted version of him. The shadow wore his face, his wings, but its eyes burned with a fiery intensity that sent chills down his spine.

"You can't escape me," the shadow said, its voice echoing ominously. "You can't run from who you are."

Gabriel froze, his mind racing. Was this what the trial meant? Facing himself?

Lily, for once, was silent, watching intently.

Gabriel stared at his shadowed double, his fists clenched. The weight of the trial pressed down on him, but he refused to waver.

"I am not... you," he said firmly, stepping forward.

The shadow smiled, its teeth sharp and glinting. "Oh, Gabriel. You missunderstand me," said the shadow, taking slow, calculating steps forward.

Clat, clat.. then a final... clat.

"I am... you."

Behind him, Lily muttered under her breath, "Okay, this is actually getting good."