“He did it; I know he did,” the old woman screamed.

  “That angry old woman lied,” he thought.

  I shouldn’t stay silent, but I can’t get involved...

  “Dad, come play with us!”

  “You know I have a lot of work... Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Do you have your homework?” the teacher asked.

  “Yes, but I left it at home...”

  When he woke, he sat up and pressed his palms to his eyes as light spilled through the balcony doors. His morning went just as it had the day before: he jumped out of bed, glanced at the clock on the main tower, and, realizing the time, hurried off to meet the lieutenant.

  Elion was already waiting at the table with a smile, this time joined by two men on his left and a woman on his right: guardians from the Third Squad. One of the men had hair even redder than Elion’s and a wild beard. The other was bald, with rich, cream-colored skin. The woman had brown skin and thick curly hair woven into a heavy braid.

  Elion introduced the woman first. “This is Lindiwe.”

  Then he nodded to the men. “And here are Daireán mac Breasal, and next to him, Vasil Vasiljev.”

  They all greeted Viktor. “May your Light shine true!”

  Elion turned to him. “And this is Viktor.”

  He gave a slight bow. “And may yours shine true as well.”

  “Come, sit with us,” Elion said, motioning to an empty seat.

  “I will, just let me grab a coffee,” Viktor replied. This time, he added sausages to his breakfast, which made Elion chuckle.

  “Training’s always better on a full stomach, right?”

  “Especially when I can’t count on lunch,” Viktor joked.

  Daireán set his glass down and steered the conversation toward the lake. “I went for a walk by the tree. Thousands of bodies.”

  “Hundreds of thousands,” Elion corrected him.

  Lindiwe frowned. “How did it even happen?”

  Viktor listened quietly as Elion’s expression grew serious.

  “I don’t know all the details, just what the captain mentioned. There were several diversionary rifts beyond the Gates. The archangels were closing them one after another.”

  “A rift?” Viktor asked thoughtfully.

  Elion nodded in agreement. “Demons cannot travel directly from Hell to Earth, to Heaven, or even to this city. They can only break through via the worlds beyond the Gates, where they create tears in space and time. These rifts can appear anywhere: in the mountains, in the air, underground, and demons always try to hide them.”

  “And our job is to close them?” Viktor interrupted, eyes wide.

  Elion nodded. “Small rifts can be handled by a single squad, but larger ones require multiple units. If a rift remains open too long, a powerful demon can create a massive gate large enough for an entire army to come through.”

  A hush settled over the table as Elion spoke. The aromas of food, coffee, and the muted hum from the surrounding tables lingered.

  “We don’t know exactly how it happened, but reports came in of multiple rifts beyond all the Gates. The archangels and high angels went out to seal them. The situation behind the Fifth Gate was the worst. By the time they arrived, several fortresses were already under siege.” He tapped the wooden table and flattened his other hand, palm down.

  “Archangel Sandalphon was fighting deep within the demon legions; when demons began pouring out from his position, we knew he must have fallen. Archangels are the most powerful beings we have; their fury on the battlefield strikes fear even into soulless demons,” Elion continued.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “But how could he fall?” Lindiwe asked, her voice low.

  “I can’t imagine how many demon lords it must have taken to bring him down. Archangel Samiel was also gravely wounded; no one knows how long his recovery will take. His injury might be the key to understanding how demons can defeat an archangel.” Elion's red hair dropped into his eyes as he shook his head.

  “When Michael arrived, it was already too late; demons were everywhere, and the only option was to close the Fifth Gate. So many of us fell...”

  Elion’s face was pale. After a moment, he composed himself, stood up, and declared firmly, “That’s why we must do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again!”

  “Everyone to the training grounds!” he ordered.

  The group rose and headed outside. This time, Viktor trained not only with Elion but with the entire platoon. In the middle of training, while Lindiwe was demonstrating sword techniques, Elion approached and signaled for a break. He leaned in and quietly said, “The captain wants to see you.”

  Viktor followed him across the training grounds. At the threshold, Elion announced their destination. “Captain Radion's residence,” and gestured him through. A spacious room opened before them, where a tall man waited. Viktor stepped inside, and Elion closed the door behind him. As it clicked shut, the clattering of steel behind them went quiet.

  Radion’s quarters were much larger than Viktor’s. At the center stood a massive solid wood table surrounded by hand-carved chairs, with other pieces of furniture scattered around. The only thing missing was a bed. This was likely the captain's office, or he had a separate bedroom. Elion had called it a “residence,” so it was likely his living quarters.

  “May your Light shine true!” the captain greeted him. “My name is Radion!”

  “Viktor Gale. And may yours shine true as well!” Viktor replied quickly, giving a polite bow.

  “Take a seat. Don’t worry, this isn’t an interrogation. I just want to get to know you better, just as I do with everyone under my command. It matters to me.”

  Viktor understood; it was the same approach he’d always taken back when he was a manager.

  Radion was the tallest person Viktor had met so far, apart from Raphael. He wore a green-blue robe embroidered with white-gold symbols. For the first time, Viktor saw him without a helmet or armor. He looked Middle Eastern, with olive skin, short black hair, and a beard and mustache trimmed into neat lines.

  The captain caught Viktor looking around and smiled. “Looking for a bed, aren’t you? This isn’t my office; this is actually where I live. Captains don’t sleep anymore. Once our wings awaken, we can regulate our inner Light so well that we don’t need sleep at all.

  I don’t have my wings out right now; I can hide them with the Lumion. They’re still here, just in a spiritual form you can’t see, but that’s a longer story. Every time a human comes in here, they look for a bed. It’s natural, but I promise you, I don’t need one anymore.”

  Radion laughed, breaking the tension.

  “Come on, let’s have a drink. Two Shiraz reds!”

  From the Light by the window, two glasses of wine appeared, the liquid red as a wax seal.

  “Nothing like a glass of red before lunch,” he said with a grin, raising his glass and sliding one over to Viktor.

  The captain settled in, put his feet up on the table, and gestured for Viktor to do the same. Viktor joined him; they clinked glasses and started talking. Viktor told him about his wife and kids, feeling more at ease as the wine disappeared.

  After a while, Viktor fell silent, curious about Radion’s own story. The captain picked up on it and began to share tales of battles, the fall of the Seventh Gate in the volcanic world, and his victory over the revenants. Then he noticed Viktor’s tension, lowered his feet from the table, and leaned in a little closer.

  “I know Elion’s been giving you information bit by bit. But if there’s anything on your mind, ask.”

  The question had been eating at him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He seized the moment and turned to the captain. “Elion said that if the Fifth Gate falls, Earth freezes. Is that really true?” he asked quietly, his voice tight with concern.

  Radion’s smile flattened, and his expression darkened. “Yes, Viktor. Losing more than half the Gates is a catastrophe. The Fifth was the tipping point: it held space and time together. As long as we have at least five, the Light can still keep everything in balance. But once the Fifth Gate falls, everything in the living world freezes. Eight billion souls are now trapped on Earth.”

  Viktor’s throat tightened, and the color drained from his face. “My family... they’re trapped? How? Do they suffer?”

  The words stuck in his throat, as if he couldn’t quite believe it was real.

  Radion answered calmly, “No. They’re all right for now. The living world is frozen; if we win the Gates back, time will resume as if nothing happened. The problem is if Hell wins and gains access to them, and you know why that would be bad.”

  Viktor took a shaky breath, searching for even a glimmer of hope. “If we take the Gate back, will everything go back to normal?”

  The captain just shook his head, his expression heavy. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Once the wheel stops turning, getting it going again is much harder. It’s not enough to reclaim just one Gate; we need all five. That’s why the city feels so heavy right now. But believe me, the archangels are surely already working on a plan to win the Gates back.”

  Helplessness gripped Viktor, but in his eyes, a new determination flickered. If there was a way, he wouldn’t give up until he found it.

  Radion sighed. “Maybe I should have waited to tell you this; Elion is wise to take things slow. But you mustn’t lose hope: even the smallest Light can pierce the deepest darkness. The truth matters, even when it’s hard to hear.”

  The terrace caught his eye; the sun was already high. Suddenly, he stood up. “Thank you for today, Captain. I think it’s time I head out.”

  Radion stood as well, placing a hand on Viktor’s back as he walked him to the door. “If you ever need anything, my door is always open.”

  Viktor said goodbye and, exhausted, made his way back to his quarters. I have to do something! I can’t just leave it like this! I have to help somehow. I’ll train tirelessly every day! The door clicked shut behind him. Then he smacked his forehead with a rueful laugh. “Third time's the charm,” he muttered. “Tomorrow I'm asking about that damn alarm.”