╚»★ 𝕷𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖍 ★«╝

More importantly, it seemed that god was missing and nowhere to be found. I stormed the heavens and only visited him once and now I was back here again. Maybe he was on a vacation, chilling. I pat my pockets and sigh with relief.

I have two things only but I would need more supplies to cause any major destruction. As I walk out and shake the sand clock, I catch a glimpse of black hair and downtrodden mouth.

"Hey! You there!" I hollered and waved my hand. He comes over. It was the angel from before, who was being...bullied one could say when I first entered Eden.

Eve watches him with curiosity, wondering how I know him. "You know all the angels? I thought Gabriel and Raphael were there..."

I scoff. "That's because they don't let him be seen as such."

He stared at the ground and shuffled his feet as he wrung his hands, whispering something.

"What? Hey, you gotta speak a little louder if you want people to hear you," I raise my eyebrows. He looked dejected or scared. Or both.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "Why did you...call me?"

"I figured maybe you are bored or something," I shrug as I look at the sand grains falling slowly.

"Not really," he whispers. "I...don't belong here. Or anywhere."

I snorted. "Well I would know something about that. But what do you mean anywhere? Isn't this your home?"

He doesn't respond but instead glances and stares fascinated at the sand clock. "What's that?"

"It...tells time," I settle on an answer.

"Why would you need it?" his eyes are curious as they take me in. "You're...planning something aren't you?"

I must have looked shocked because he smiled a small smile.

"I guess...I notice?" he laughed awkwardly. "Well. I'm not sure what exactly you want to do by coming to heaven. It isn't exactly...the best."

I doubled in laughter as I thought about it. No, paradise didn't exist. Anyone who thought that was living a facade.

"It isn't. I came to ask for my rights but I don't think I am going to get it."

He shrugged and I suddenly remembered something.

"Hey...so...god doesn't seem to be here, does he?" I whispered. "It's just...I came here twice and I haven't even been noticed so far now. How...is that?"

The angel shrugged. "I don't know. Honestly, maybe he's preparing some kinda punishment...?"

I hummed as I surveyed the garden and looked at him. "Well I have work to do, wanna tag along?"

"I don't think it's the best idea..." he looked conflicted. "Well, it's not like anyone wants me here either."

He nodded as I shook the clock and watched him. "There might be repercussions."

Eve looks elsewhere, hesitating. "I...don't know, Lilith. I don't know what you're planning, but what if it isn't worth it?"

I shrug. "I don't have anything to lose because I never had anything in the first place. I came to the heavens to take my place...," I trail off.

Eve nods in understanding. We both have nothing and yet we are here, fighting for something that never belonged to us. Where would we go? Even the angel seemed like he didn't have a place in this world.

I showed him my leg as his eyes widened but we were swept by the winds and storm before he could say anything. As I sunk within the folds of time I realized I didn't know his name. Yet.

***

We transport to the same place but a couple of hundred years behind. I frown in annoyance. This was bad.

"Well I was hoping we could move a little more forward in time," I sigh and then remember the repercussions as I look at the angel and Eve. "Are you two okay?"

They check themselves and nod uncertainly, but I can tell the travel has left them queasy.

"I hope you two don't face consequences for something that I started," I mutter. "Not that I care. You better take care of yourselves, I can't have more people on my hands when I can barely look after myself."

They remain silent but I hear a small chuckle from the angel. "What is it?"

He shakes his head in amusement.

"Eve, tell him to shut up," I huff in annoyance.

"I haven't come here to obey your idiotic stuff," she shoots back. The angel mumbles something and I turn around.

"What?"

"I said I use ze/zem pronouns," he looks away, shuffling his feet. Ze, I correct myself. 

"Oh. Sorry for not knowing that," I apologize. I suddenly remembered that I didn't know zir name. "What's your name by the way?"

"Zeki."

Eve looks at zem in wonder. "That's a lovely name, Zeki."

I nod along, giving a small smile. It's a whisper when ze say zir name but it was beautiful.

***

I find the store almost immediately, and weave my way in. "Hey."

The owner peers up at us from his moon spectacles. "You again."

I look shocked and check the date and time on the calendar behind him. "How do you know me? We haven't met."

"No, but my grandmother told me about you. How you would come to collect knick knacks that nobody wanted and paid in gold," he smiled in amusement. "Not my business to ask but none of you seem to belong here."

He frowned and then shrugged, turning to his shelves and switching on the lights so we could get a good look at the things. "People believe magic doesn't exist anymore," he continues, as he pulls up an old register and writes my name down.

"Well, it really doesn't...they're mira..." Eve elbows me hard and I scowl at her. "What?"

She mouths something but I roll my eyes as I see Zeki shaking zir head at me. "Don't be stupid," ze whispers slowly.

I nod. "Yeah...so, we would like something...that could bring down storms."

The owner laughs and I catch his name on a wooden tag attached to his shirt. Eli. "Like...what?" he scoffs. "Storms can't be avoided."

I pull out a pouch and clank it on the glass counter top. "Yeah, don't give me that."

He looks at it and then swipes the pouch swiftly, but I catch hold of his wrist as he looks at me deadpanned. "Storms can't be avoided."

"You just said magic exists," I grit my teeth. "If your magic can't solve this, it's pretty useless."

He shrugs and lets go of the gold as Eve tugs at my arm again. I look at her exasperated. "What do you want?"

"How did you get gold?" Eve whispers into my ear and I move away from her to put some space between us.

"Later," I brush her off and turn to Eli. "If you don't give me the thing, I'll slash your old throat."

I pull out my knife and point it at him, glowering.

"Why does she embarrass us like this?" Zeki muttered.

"See?" Eli points at zem. "Listen to zem. And if you let me go, then I can show you something similar."

I let him go and take my gold until I'm sure that he shows something. Coming back, he plants a sheath on the table, and I frown. "A sword?"

"Yes. It brings down any magic covering a place," he confirms. "You plunge it into the ground and the mist or magic clears away."

"But that doesn't mean we are immune to something that may harm us," Eve points out and I admire her quick thinking.

"It will," he assures. "That's what magic does isn't it? It shields something but that means it's also hiding something."

"What if it clears and the magic attacks us?" I show him my leg and scowl. "I didn't know this sand clock would have repercussions."  

My left leg is now metal and I remember Eve first screaming when she saw it. I realize my healing tendencies are slower, compared to whatever is happening right now. 

He examines it closely and then frowns. "Your time skipping is unsafe. You're skipping to a time where you're not supposed to exist, actually. The universe knows that and tears your body apart when it realizes you're here. You also stay longer than intended- long enough for time to sense you and do...things to you."

"That doesn't make any sense," I confirm. "Why would it do that?"

"What will you give back time for being in a place you're not supposed to be?" he shrugs. "The model was a bit faulty but yeah, it's the best thing we had. That and the sword."

"So there is nothing...that would hide us from time?" Eve asks him frowning and I am surprised at her quick thinking.

"Not really. You're already being shielded from the people here. Otherwise it could cause massive chaos. You can't be shielded from time itself. Anyways, go ahead and look at the sword."

He nods at the sword in my hand and I unsheathe the sword. "Woah."

The silver glimmers in the faint light passing through the windows, the small studded red stones glaring at me. I push the gold back at him as he thanks me. "Let's hope this works."

We get out of the store and it's only then I notice Zeki in traditional clothes and Eve with her wounds, clutching her side, the strips of cloth now red. "We need to get you some clothes and herbs. Can you walk?"

Eve nods painfully. "I think so. The cuts aren't deep, thankfully."

Zeki looks at her. "Lean on me," ze tell her as she supports her weight on zem.

"C'mon, I know a place. To your question, Eve, about how I got the gold...of course I pick pocketed someone."

***