Chapter 56 - Celestial City Heist

Days blurred into one another until finally, the day arrived—the day they'd break into the Celestial City. The Goodwin residence was packed with tension, the air thick with anticipation as everyone suited up, armed, and prepared for the impossible. Jenny adjusted her gloves, Matt strapped a dagger to his thigh, Wyatt checked his gun's safety, Anastasia rolled her shoulders, Sean flexed his fingers like he was about to fight a damn bear, and Elijah? Elijah just stood there, all brooding and celestial, like a walking warning label for 'Do Not Mess With.'

And then there was Dylan.

Late. Of course.

When he finally strolled in, all nonchalant and casual, two demons in their human forms trailing behind him like bodyguards, every single person turned to glare at him. The silence was deafening.

"What?" Dylan spread his arms like they were the unreasonable ones. Then, without missing a beat, he grinned. "You know demons are early when they're late, right?"

Wyatt let out a long, suffering sigh, rubbing his temples like dealing with Dylan physically hurt him. Elijah, also unimpressed, shoved three coats at Dylan's chest with zero warning. Dylan barely caught them, blinking at the pile of thick, neutral-colored fabric like it was the most offensive thing he'd ever seen.

"Put those on and don't take them off," Elijah instructed. "They're the only thing keeping you from being vaporized on sight."

Dylan scowled. "I feel like this is a personal attack."

Elijah gave him a deadpan stare. "It absolutely is."

Dylan muttered something under his breath but yanked on the coats anyway, adjusting the last one like he was about to hit the runway. "So, what? These things make me invisible?"

"They mask your demon status and alter your face," Elijah corrected. "To any angel's eyes, you're nothing more than an unremarkable, law-abiding citizen of Heaven."

Dylan pouted. "That's tragic."

Wyatt clenched his jaw. "Would you rather die?"

"Debatable." Dylan smirked, but a flash of something serious flickered in his eyes. He knew this wasn't a game. None of them did.

Elijah stepped forward, straightening his own white coat. "A fellow angel will open a door for us shortly."

As if on cue, the front door of the house suddenly pulsed with a golden light, glowing like someone had swapped it out for a portal to the sun itself. The brilliance made everyone squint, and for a second, nobody moved.

Elijah turned back to them, his eyes filled with both gravity and something dangerously close to excitement. "Are we ready?"

Matt huffed. "Do we look ready?"

"No, you all look like a bunch of idiots about to get arrested for trespassing." Elijah deadpanned. Then, he sighed dramatically. "But I suppose we'll make it work."

Jenny scoffed. "You're the worst hype man ever."

Elijah ignored her and turned back to the door, motioning for them to follow. One by one, they stepped through the glowing doorway, each of them bracing for the unknown.

The moment Anastasia stepped through, a wave of blinding light swallowed her whole. It felt like walking into a cloud—warm, weightless, and impossibly pure. Then, just as fast as the sensation came, it vanished. The light faded, and she found herself standing in a corridor made entirely of white and gold marble. The floor shimmered beneath her feet like freshly fallen snow, yet it was solid as stone. The walls stretched impossibly high, glowing faintly as if breathing with divine energy. It smelled like the air after a storm—crisp, clean, untouched.

The others stumbled in behind her, and she turned to see their expressions. Jenny's mouth was slightly open, her fingers twitching like she wanted to touch everything. Matt, normally unimpressed with anything, looked like he'd just walked into a dream he wasn't prepared for. Wyatt stood stiffly, his soldier's mind clearly working overtime, and Dylan—

Dylan was staring at the sky-painted ceiling, slack-jawed. "Well, damn. Heaven's got a hell of an interior designer."

Elijah groaned and smacked Dylan upside the head. "Stop acting like a tourist."

Dylan winced, rubbing his head. "What? Am I supposed to ignore the fact that this place looks like a five-star hotel designed by God himself?"

Anastasia snorted. Jenny was grinning. Even Sean, normally as quiet as a shadow, was trying not to smirk.

"Focus," Elijah snapped, but his own lips twitched slightly, betraying his amusement. He turned his head as a figure dressed in white robes approached from the other end of the hallway. The angel moved with silent grace, their face unreadable as they handed Elijah a set of keys. Not a single word was exchanged, and in the next instant, the angel vanished like they had never been there.

Elijah exhaled sharply, tucking the keys into his pocket. "Alright, let's—"

A voice suddenly rang through the corridor, sharp and demanding. "You there! Stop at once!"