He opened the door.
Creak…
The ancient wood groaned softly, breaking the stillness of the evening.
Jack's breath caught
Thump-thump… thump-thump…
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Bathed in the silver glow of the moonlight stood a vision so otherworldly, it seemed the stars themselves had descended.
A woman no… a presence stood before him.
Her silvery-white hair flowed like liquid starlight, glistening with each gentle breeze as if the night sky itself had woven her tresses. The shadows dared not touch her, as if in reverence.
Her golden eyes, streaked with flickers of violet flame, locked with Jack's and in that gaze, he felt himself being stripped bare. Her stare pierced through the veil of flesh, straight into his spirit.
It wasn't just a look… it was a judgment.
Fwoosh…
A soft gust of divine wind brushed past him as her four wings unfurled.majestic and serene. Each feather shimmered with hues of gold, snow-white, and deep crimson, glowing faintly with a holy radiance. They didn't just move, they sang, like a celestial hymn whispered through light.
Her battle robe, ethereal and flowing, danced with the night. It shimmered like woven clouds laced with stardust, its edges traced with golden filigree that pulsed faintly like living threads.
Upon her brow sat a diadem shaped like celestial wings, its glow soft but undeniable like the heartbeat of the cosmos itself.
Jack stood there, frozen in awe.
Time halted.
The world beyond the doorstep dimmed, muted only she remained.
His lips parted, breath shallow, lungs forgetting their rhythm.
Thump… Thump…
His heart echoed like distant war drums in an empty battlefield.
The weight of her presence bent the very air like reality itself hesitated before her. Every instinct in Jack screamed both reverence and caution.
This was no mere visitor.
This was a revelation.
A whisper of the divine, wrapped in flesh and flame.
And Jack
He could only stare, feeling the vastness of her existence press down on his soul.
Then
"Hey Jack, don't just stand there like a statue. Aren't you going to let my best friend in?" A voice familiar, playful, grounding broke the spell.
Jack blinked. The heavy fog of awe lifted slightly as he turned his head.
Ava stood beside him now, her arms crossed and a teasing smile playing on her lips.
"W-What?" Jack stammered. "She's your… friend?"
Ava's chuckle was light, almost musical. "Yup. Everyone, meet my bestie though she's way too dramatic with her entrances."
The divine figure this being of moonlight and majesty tilted her head ever so slightly. A faint smile curved her lips. It wasn't cold. It wasn't distant.
It was measured, like the serene ripple of a still lake after a single drop.
Without a word, she stepped inside.
Step… Step…
Her movements were soundless, yet each one seemed to echo in the hearts of those watching.
As she passed, the very air shifted carrying a weightless calm, a hush that blanketed the house like a sacred veil.
The warm, cozy glow of the home dimmed slightly, not from darkness, but from the overwhelming contrast her presence brought. Her light wasn't just illumination it was commanding, as if the walls themselves bowed in quiet reverence.
At the dining table, chairs scraped back.
James stood slowly, his calloused hands clenched instinctively. Emma, ever calm, found her breath caught halfway.
Sofia's eyes were stretched wide, her mouth forming a perfect "O".
No one spoke.
No one dared.
Click.
The door shut softly behind them Ava's hand still resting on the knob.
"She came to visit," Ava said casually, as though she'd brought home a stray cat rather than a celestial force.
"Had some curiosity about the four of you."
Her tone was light, but Jack could sense the undercurrent. This was not an ordinary visit.
Jack's voice, still fragile and uncertain, finally broke the silence. "Y-You're Ava's… mysterious friend?"
He looked up again at that radiant figure who had yet to speak, yet had already spoken volumes.
Her golden-violet eyes met him again.
And for a moment, all sound faded. No footsteps. No breath. No time.
Only her gaze. And the storm of truths it hid.
The celestial being gave a gentle nod to an elegant dip of her head that somehow conveyed more than words ever could. Behind her, her four radiant wings folded in perfect synchronization: a whisper of air, a hush of divinity, like the settling of ancient feathers on a temple floor. The motion was so fluid, so effortless, it seemed to ripple through reality itself.
Her golden-violet eyes moved slowly, intentionally scanning each person in the room. She didn't just look at them. She saw them. And in her gaze, they all felt something stir like forgotten truths surfacing from the deep.
Then Ava spoke, her voice cutting through the awe like the flick of a match in the dark. "She's not just here for tea."
She turned toward the frozen family, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "My friend here... she's become Jakartha Academy's temporary principal."
Thud.
That single sentence hit the room like a stone dropped into still water.
"Principal?!" Jack, James, and Emma echoed, their voices overlapping in disbelief.
"Yup," Ava replied, popping the p. "She's got the authority. The robes, the credentials, the terrifying power level all checked. And don't worry..."
She grinned. "She's not here to judge. Well"
A quick wink. "Not entirely."
A small tug on Jack's sleeve. "I-Is she really... you know... Another an Angel after Ava?" Sofia whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Jack looked down at her, then back up still half-lost in the weight of that presence. His voice came slow, reverent. "She's no ordinary angel... She's something else. Don't you see those four wings? She's on a whole different level."
Ava crossed her arms, her tone suddenly more serious.
"She's here because she knows I don't waste my time."Her voice seemed to grow heavier, filled with intent. "She got curious when she learned I was guiding a family of four through the Ascendant Path."
Her eyes flicked to each of them. "And when someone like her gets curious... She doesn't just ask questions. She doesn't send letters." A slow smile crept across her face. "She moves entire skies to find out why."
For a moment, the room was silent again save for the faint hum of something divine lingering in the walls.
James, still stunned, cleared his throat. "And... we're the reason she came here?"
Ava nodded solemnly. "She wanted to see for herself what kind of people could stir the interest of a being who's watched over empires, judged kings, and walked through heaven and hell."
A pause.
Then, Ava added softly, as if revealing a sacred truth:
"You've caught the eye of someone who rarely looks down."
Jack looked at the angel again. She still hadn't spoken but she didn't need to. Her very presence whispered a thousand silent epics:
Of battles waged beyond the stars,
Of galaxies that rose and fell under her gaze,
Of ancient truths woven into the folds of time.
She was power wrapped in grace, judgment cloaked in serenity.
And somehow… She was Ava's best friend.
They returned to the table, the quiet sound of chairs being pulled echoing faintly scrape… shuffle… silence. Conversation resumed, though softer now, almost reverent. Laughter came more measured, voices dipped with restraint, as if they'd all just stepped into a sacred hall dressed in mortal disguise.
The air held something sacrosanct, not fear, but awe. Like a cathedral spun from moonlight, wrapped in celestial silence.
Jack glanced around the table. His father still looked like he was gripping invincible reins. His mother's brows furrowed not with fear, but calculation. Sofia kept sneaking glances, her wide eyes unable to hide the wonder. And Jack?
Jack felt something stir deep inside.
A flame.
A flicker.
A quiet thrill that curled around his ribs and nestled against his heart.
This was no ordinary visit.
This was a turning point.
A moment the world might forget, but fate would always remember.
And somewhere within that stillness, beneath the weight of the angel's watchful gaze, a single thought echoed like a heartbeat:
Who was she?
What hand would she play in the future that was quietly forming around them?
Only time would tell.
But for the first time,
Jack didn't fear the unknown.
He welcomed it.
----------
To Be Continued…!!