prompt: The angels are fearing the growing power of demons, so Heaven

decides to send a spy to Hell to keep track of their movement and plans.
(prompt by: @kjkbabe)

FIRE AND FLAME

Angels, contrary to widespread belief, are not friendly, warm, and pleasant
creatures; they do not exist to perch on somebody's shoulders or guide
people; instead, they are quite often harsh, sculpture-like skilled warriors
constructed by God as ice-cold excellence. When God needed to punish or
make an example of someone, or when he needed to kill, he sent an angel.
A whole existence devoted to worshipping the Almighty, but always with
wings dipped in blood.

Sometimes still, blood-soaked angels are roaming the heavens.

Jongkook sighs as he walks across Heaven's freezing and frosty expanses,

the crystals crumbling beneath his heavy boots. He had just returned from
combat in which he had crushed a plethora of disobedient angels. His
massive armor and dirty-white feathers are splattered with blood and
sweat, and his expression appears to be exhausted and plaintive. He is the
commander of an insignificant legion in addition to being the right-hand
man of an angel named Jaeseok. They may both be mere puppets in
Heaven's system, but he believes their job is essential for maintaining
serenity. Jongkook was not there during the very first war, and he wasn't
even formed during the period; however, Jaeseok had been. He learned
the tales of the way the sky burned, the faces of angels destroyed, or how
the third of Heaven's legion was banished in addition to the creation of Hell.
Jaeseok stood alongside the other angels, witnessing God's beloved, the
light-bringer archangel Lucifer, fall. And ever since still exist brothers and
sisters in Eternal bliss who desire to defy the orders, he does everything
within his power to obey and preserve his race at all costs from the evil
indulgences.

He cracks his joints and flutters his wings before taking a long breath and
releasing a tiny amount of his grace. The grace soothes his darker skin
tenderly, slipping beneath his armor and robe, mending his injured body
and relaxing his tense muscles. After he is healed, the radiant grace softly
envelops his white wings, stroking and purifying them of the rebels' blood,
which has darkened the feathers crimson. The tingling sensation calms
him, and he relishes the moment for just a few minutes with closed eyelids
till he detects the presence of someone else and smiles. He recognizes her
grace straight away. The other angel has just come back from her mission
on Earth, and he lets her little yet firm hands turn him around before she
beams at him. She also releases some of her grace, and the golden lights
merge to become a single entity. Jongkook draws Jihyo closer, making their
grace bind her and sending thrills through her body as her pale and frozen
fingertips fondle his wings. Jongkook's presence is so powerful that only
through his grace can the other angel's snow-white wings begin to produce
oil.

"Jongkook, we can't do this," Jihyo whispers as Jongkook leans closer,

sniffing her, inhaling the smaller angel's fragrance, filling his nostrils with
her unique scent. Both of them are on the edge, wanting to touch and
devour each other but it is forbidden. They can't humanly relieve their urges
as it comes with great punishment. Their urges can taint Paradise as lust is
one of the seven deadly sins. "They'll banish us if they find out."

"Loving you isn't sin, it's pure," he replies, leaning in even closer, their
bodies almost completely blending now. "I won't do anything to harm you,
do you trust me?" Jihyo nods; it is weird for both of them to feel emotions;
they are supposed to be perfect like marbles and cold as ice, and yet, they
are developed human feelings. At first, it was her, spending so much time
on Earth, observing the weak creatures called humans; and then she
showed things to the other angel: gentle touches, friendly then loving
gestures, and all of this evolved something more. Something almost sinful.
"I want to try something. Close your eyes, Jihyo."

Jihyo does as she is told, even though Jongkook is uncertain if what he

wants to try is working. They have never done this before, but he is feeling
things and sees how Jihyo's snowy wings are producing oil, making her
feathers harden, showing signs that maybe his idea of using his grace can
make them feel sensations they have never felt before. Feeling that kind of
high what Jihyo described while studying the humans those beings are
capable of. He wants more than just light caresses and touching her wings.
And if this works, he wants Jihyo to do the same to him as he is planning to
do to her. He believes that they are not breaking the rules by this; they are
not doing anything which makes them impure; grace is something magical,
powerful, and angelic that they usually use while in combat or healing. A
little amount of that can make them relaxed, he already knows that. But
using it other than what it is for never crossed his mind until now.

His grace which binds Jihyo until now slowly travels toward the smaller
angel's slightly parted lips and then inside. Since the grace is his, Jongkook
feels every little tingle Jihyo experiences. It's cold like their touches, the
snow, or the chilly wind up there. The golden force is stroking Jihyo's
insides, her whole body is glistening with tiny droplets of sweat which turn
ice in the cold, forming little flower-like patterns on her skin. All this while,
Jongkook never stops touching her wings, smoothing the oil on the
feathers, making them harder and sharp. Jihyo's holy oil has a sweet
fragrance, something he never scented before, the scent is stronger than
before, making him craving for more. His grace goes deeper into her,
traveling downward, and the experience makes Jihyo shake like a leaf
fluttering in the wind until her eyes widen and a moan escapes from her
throat. And Jongkook's oversensitive nose is hit by the same, strong and
sweet scent as what Jihyo's wings produce but this time, it came from a
part of her body he has never touched before.

"What... what did you do to me?" she asks after the grace travels back into
Jongkook's body and she pulls herself together.

But Jongkook doesn't even have a chance to respond after withdrawing

from Jihyo because someone emerges completely out of nowhere beside
them. It's Seokjin, a member of the celestial messengers. As Heaven is
endless, it is subdivided into areas, and Seokjin is the messenger allocated
to the territory within which they are deployed. He is also the only individual
who can communicate with the spirits of the departed humans since he
carries the words of the higher-ups. He has impeccable timing because
Jongkook is certain that if the angel appears earlier, he would see a scene
that will result in both Jihyo and himself being banished.

"I have a message for you," Seokjin looks at the angel of higher rank,
directing his words to Jongkook. "The higher-ups are summoning you, the
order is coming from one of the archangels, and Jaeseok is waiting for you
on the higher plains." He then glances at Jihyo before continuing to report.
"You are the chosen one, Jongkook."
"What's that supposed to mean?" But he receives no reply from Seokjin, so
he looks at Jihyo once more before heading to the higher plains to get the
answers to his questions. You are the chosen one, says the lower-ranked
being, but for what? And why him? He is an angel of the Lord, yet he never
met God or the archangels. But if the orders came from an archangel, then
it must be really important. Archangels usually don't care about a simple
soldier (even if he is a commander), and never interact with them. If they
want something, they tell the higher-ups, and then they relay their words
personally or send a messenger. When he finally arrives at his final
destination, Jaeseok is there, sharpening his spear while waiting for the
commander. Jongkook bows politely as a greeting, lowering himself to one
knee.

"You can stand up, Jongkook," Jaeseok tells him with his usual emotionless
tone. "You must be wondering why you are here, right? God has a plan,
and you are a part of it. The archangels chose you for the mission, and
there is a high possibility that you will never come back."

"I'm honored," Jongkook responds. "What is my mission?"

"You are going to Hell."

"To Hell," the commander repeats.

"Your job is to blend in and keep track of their movements and plans. You
should inform us in detail, and try to be not caught. As soon as we do not
hear your prayers, we will send a legion to raise you from Hell. Is the order
clear?"

"Yes, sir," Jongkook answers. Jongkook is honored to be chosen for this

important job but he would be lying if he would say that he wants to do that.
Going to Hell is equal to never coming back to Heaven. At least not intact.
If he should describe what he feels (again, he is not supposed to feel
anything), he would say that it is maybe what fear is like. Losing something
he cherishes so much; never seeing Jihyo again. "Can I ask why me?"

After hearing the question, Jaeseok's stoic face morphs into something
else when a cold smirk breaks its way on his lips. "You are the strongest in
this legion, Jongkook," he answers before the brutal truth comes to the
surface. "The archangels thought that you are better as being our spy in
Hell while they make go Jihyo back on the right path again. Do you think I
have not noticed the lustful glances you throw at each other? You should
praise the Lord that you are not banished for your sin. You are a soldier,
your only task is to obey the higher orders and pray to our God for
forgiveness and beg for mercy and for our Lord to embrace you into his
kindness."

"What about my wings?"

"Use your power to hide it, even if this will drain your grace. You have no
other choice, you are the chosen one, and maybe the only one who really
can do this. I have faith in your success and confidence that you will gain
forgiveness when you come back."

"Yes, Sir."

But the truth doesn't change anything; this mission is equal to exile. He is
sent to Hell and will never see Jihyo again. There is no way he can go
unnoticed in the underworld. Most of the demons were once angels; angels
he banished. Even the ruler of Hell, Lucifer himself was an archangel. It is
impossible that nobody would recognize him. They are pushing him to his
death; and maybe, maybe Jaeseok is right. It is all his doing, he should
have listened to Jihyo and stopped when they were just touching each
other's feathers. He did something impure which leads to his fall. He is a
sinner who belongs to Hell according to the rules, even if he doesn't think
he did anything wrong. But the worst thing is he can't even say a proper
goodbye to her; so he prays, hoping that his message will be heard by her.

Jongkook is ripped out of his armor and robe and pushed into the ice with a
swift motion. He is on all fours like an animal, gritting his teeth as he tries to
make his enormous and beautiful dirty-white wonders disappear from his
back. Even with the calming effect of his grace which tickles him from
within, healing him in the process, he had never experienced this kind of
pain before. He never felt any pain, ever. But it hurt, the sensation is so raw
and new, and he groans. His back is bending to an extent he never realized
is possible, and his bones are cracking, generating a loud melody as they
produce strange noises while his wings slowly disappear into his back. The
bone structure of the wings is blending with his own, leaving bloody
imprints on his back. The maroon liquid is flowing from the wounds where
his wings are supposed to be, reddening his whole torso and the icy
surface beneath him. He feels the process draining his grace when part of
his power binds his wings to where they are supposed to stay, while with
some of it, he treats his scars.

Jaeseok, for the first time since Jongkook knows him, shows a tiny bit of
emotion; the feeling is just there for a blink of a moment, but he notices.
The general's eyes were showing concern but he masks his slip quickly. "I
will keep your armor, robe, and spare intact and safe," he tells him. He
hesitates, but puts his palm on the back of Jongkook, sending a bit of his
grace to make the soldier stronger. "Put this on," he gives a black fabric to
the younger angel, so he can cover his naked body. "I saw materials like
this on hellspawns. Don't forget to pray, so we know you are still alive,
Jongkook." The other angelic being nods and puts on the garment.
"Remember, you are supposed to be cold and whatever they do to you,
never scream. Never. Have faith!" It is the last thing he hears before
Jaeseok pushes him and he starts falling.

They say it is not the fall that kills a being but the landing, and now,
Jongkook can understand why. He lands with a big thud on the hard
surface of a cave-like place in the middle of lots of other bodies. They are
all humans who are waiting to get into the underbelly because of their sinful
life. He looks around to get familiar with the surroundings and notices that
they are indeed in a cave but there is no exit, near a river with lots of black
boats on it. And this is when he finally realizes where is he. The black river
must be the Styx or the Acheron, and the rotten boats belong to the
ferrymen who will bring them to the underworld. The ferrymen are ruling the
deary coast, they are something like sordid gods; down from their hairy
chin a length of beard descends, uncombed, unclean, their eyes are like
hollow furnaces on fire, and a girdle, foul with grease, binds their obscene
attire. But he doesn't have lots of time to wonder because soon a ferryman
grabs his arm and leads him to one of the boats. He assumes this is the
nicest part of his journey in Hell; the cave is cold, dark, and filled with the
pleas of the filthy spirits but he doesn't feel the weight of the mission yet.
But as he gets closer and closer to the mouth of Hell, the temperature is
rising and his skin is itchy. By the time the boat reaches the entrance of
Hell, his dark skin is moistened in sweat, the heat is scorching his whole
being and everything finally becomes reality. He is, indeed, in the
Underworld.

Hell is exactly how he imagined it by hearing the tales of his general. A fiery
pit where flames lick the skin of the tormented souls whose cries echo
through Hell. There are a few resemblances between Heaven and Hell.
There is one ruler, and there are different ranks. Lucifer is the equivalent of
God, and the Knights of Hell are the counterparts of the Archangels, the
demons are the angels regardless of rank, and the tormented sinners are
on the same level as the good souls in Heaven. He comprehends this
much, but despite this, he doesn't know how many demons he should get
close to reach a knight to gather reliable information about their plans. He
is trying to memorize the place as the ferryman still paddles on the river; he
still hasn't reached his final destination. And based on the things he sees,
he changes his mind about thinking Heaven is cruel; there is nothing worse
than what he witnesses. The guilty essences are being tormented, and
their punishment corresponds to sins they committed during their life. He
notices a few boats stopping before him, demons dragging out the souls,
and how their terror begins. There are outcries from murderers who are
being cut like slabs of meat all over the place, the flesh being slashed and
hung up by demons while the sinner begs for mercy. Other demons throw
people down one by one, over a cliff that is connected to a floor below, their
bodies breaking into pieces, brains bashing to the bottom, and insides
splattering around before them being put back together to start over. The
wrongdoers who disregarded God's words and speak recklessly have their
tongues hammered with a big nail, their lips are sewn together with a
needle, and lava is poured on their tongues. For liars, the sentence is
demons keep showing rocks or burning coils into their mouths. Hell for
people committing suicide is constantly burning their souls in fire. For
addicts, it depends on their addictions and the torture varies in intensity.
But it doesn't matter how hard the sinful souls beg for mercy and
forgiveness from God, their prayers are heard but never acted on. They are
there for a reason, and no angel or God can grant them forgiveness, so
they are cursed for an eternity of misery.

But he doesn't have more time to watch as the ferryman stops rowing and
the rotting black boat stops at Jongkook's final destination. The Hell for
those who commit sexual sin. He swallows down a forced laugh; his only
sin is to let his grace make Jihyo relaxed. He never did anything physical,
he is pure, and yet he is here.

A demon with protruding mouth drags him out from the ferry, his touch is
burning him. The demon sizes him up, his lips twisting upwards, and sends
an evil little smirk to the angel. "You are a big guy, it'll be fun to watch you
suffer," he chuckles then rips off the black garment from Jongkook. "You
don't need this here." The demon with one of the other hellspawn who was
really tall had all of Jongkook's limbs spread apart and bound, suspended
him high up for display, the smaller demon poking him in places that he
shouldn't with a spear, again and again, drawing blood. Jongkook grits his
teeth and bites his lower lip so hard that it tears and becomes bloodstained.
He remembers Jaeseok's words: 'Whatever they do to you, never scream.
Never. Have faith!' So he closes his eyes and throws his head back,
enduring the torment his lower body receives, letting a tiny bit of his grace
freeze him from the inside to make the heat endurable. He is a sweating,
bloody, filthy mess, swallowing his cries as he tries to move his torso to see
if he can break free. While the sharp object stabs him, accompanied by the
demon's sadistic laugh, a very long and thin snake slowly slides up on one
of his bounded legs, closing on him, entering him within seconds, passing
through his whole body very slowly until it comes out of his mouth hours
later. But still, he doesn't scream or cry, which makes the demon
dissatisfied with the results. It is rarely happening, and he knows that if a
tortured soul endures the torments of Hell for six days without uttering a
noise, in the end, it will be rewarded and become a demon itself.

For days, no matter how hard Sechan, the demon, tries to break Jongkook
and put back him whole, so the agony can start from the beginning, the
muscled man still endures everything he does. He even chews the meat of
his body from his bones after he is an unrecognizable mess to suffocate his
hunger, yet still nothing. Sechan wishes he could read minds just like how
the Knights of Hell can, he only wishes to see if the man's mind is just as
destroyed as his body before it being whole again. But he is just a mere
demon, so he sighs again and starts Jongkook's endless punishment on
the sixth day as well. But for the first time, he doesn't enjoy his job. He
never had a soul who could endure the torture before. He told Somin about
this particular soul he is in charge of, and the only woman Knight is
supposed to visit him this day to see it with her own eyes, so he tries his all
to make Jongkook whole the best he can because he doesn't want to be
punished for not accomplishing his task. Somin looks delicate but her ideas
of fun are to cause eternal suffering. He just tied Jongkook and hung him
up again, when the loud clinking of heels is heard nearby, and when
Jongkook finally blinks open his tiny pearl-like eyes, this time it is not the
demon he sees but a pretty woman dressed in full black, licking her ruby
red lips at the sight. Somin pushes Sechan aside with a swift motion and
steps closer to the bounded, naked man. With her long fingers ending in
black, sharp nails, she presses them into his abdomen, marking him with
his claws deep and bloody before licking her fingers clean.

"Tasty," she leers. "And still, silent. He is a nice piece of meat, Sechan-ah. I
want him, clean him up and bring him to my chamber."

"Yes, Madam."

Jongkook finds himself in a building carved from hell-stones, chained by

burning cuffs, and tossed into the room where the previous woman is sitting
in a throne-like seat. He lands on his knees and palms, and the lady puts
his black high heels under his chin and slowly makes him raise his head to
look at her. "Pretty," she hums. "I'm Somin, and you'll serve me from now
on. You only talk when asked, and you do as told. What a stunning demon
will you be." Somin stands up and strides closer to the still-kneeling angel.
"You are strong, but are you ruthless too?" she whispers into his ear,
fingers slipping into Jongkook's fluffy hair and yanking it. "What's your
name?"

"Jongkook."

"So... Jongkook," she starts, "It would be a waste to hide you in the torture
chambers where you just were. I asked for permission to place you in our
army, you seem to be capable of murdering angels." She dugs his nail into
his scalp, inflicting pain but she chuckles when other than a frown, the man
doesn't show any reaction. She whistles, and Sechan and Kwangsoo, two
of Somin's servants bring in a tied man, and Jongkook recognizes him. He
is one of the angels he ousted the other day before being sent to Hell. He is
a rebel, but an angel nonetheless. "I want you to rip him apart. He became
greedy and wanted something he can't get even after rebelling against his
own God, and now he wants to seeth an uprising against Lucifer. Rip him
apart and feast on his blood, Jongkook," she takes off the hot cuffs from his
wrists, then nods toward the two demons to release the rebel angel.
"Murder him, handsome."

Jongkook glances toward his kind, then back at Somin and nods. He can
do this, he already defeated this creature once, but now he knows he has
to be very careful. He can't use his grace, fearing that accidentally he will
reveal his true identity. It was hard to hide his wings, and now that he is so
close to being a part of an inner circle of Hell, he can't take the risk of being
exposed. He needs to remember that in front of him is not an angel but a
traitor standing. A traitor who needs to be punished; he can do that. It is
what he was created for; punishing the guilty. A perfect little soldier who
kills on command. The difference is that he is not in Heaven anymore but in
Hell, and he should beg for forgiveness from God for committing more
iniquity. But maybe the Lord will understand and will be merciful because
his presence in Hell serves a greater cause.

He is not on his knees anymore; while standing up he cracks his bones, his
face emotionless as he approaches the other angel who is in a defensive
position. His moves are calculated, waiting for the other one to attack first
since whoever strikes first is easier to overthrow. He dodges the first punch
and grabs the throat of the other man, choking him while lifting the body
into the air and ripping out his tongue so this gives him a bigger chance to
be not exposed. The angel can't spill out his secret that he is also one of
them. He throws the body to the wall of the den, then slowly ambles toward
it before grabbing one of the wings of the laying being and twisting it with all
his might until he hears a rupture, causing the angel to wail in suffering. He
rips out the feathers near the bone sticking through them, then following
forcing the broken bone out of the wing, he stabs the angel in the chest
with it, carving a deep hole, so he can push his hand inside of his body,
searching for something. And when he finally finds it, he rips it out. The
golden light flickers in his palm as he is standing tall over the carcass. He
has the angel's fair grace in his hand, giving him the power to destroy
everybody in the room if he wants to. But if he destroys these demons, he
would receive no information about their plans on how to attack Heaven, so
he can't do that. So instead of murdering them, he hands the grace over to
Somin.

"How did you know where to find this?" Somin raises a brow, suspicious.

"When the ferryman rowed the boat, I saw an angel being tortured and it
was being ripped out of his chest. What is it?" He pretends to be clueless
and lies for the first time since he was created. Maybe he is being
accustomed to Hell way too fast. Somin is still cynical but she knows what
the man says is a possibility since there are also angels in the torture
chambers. Maybe Jongkook tells the truth but to just make sure, she will
make Sechan and Kwangsoo keep an eye on him.
"This," Somin opens her palm where the icy golden light flickers, almost
fading now into nothingness, "this is power, Jongkook. A power that can
destroy you, me, us, or even Hell. Too bad we can't use it since it'll fade
away as soon as removed from its vessel. Without this, angels are weak. I
want you to do this in the future but on a big scale; with this strong body, I
bet you can do even more harm."

His first free night is spent with Somin in her cave-like residence, the
woman hell-knight doing all kinds of things to his body that were so
unfamiliar, and he is sure that was also blasphemous. If he would still up in
Heaven, he is confident he would be dragged to Hell immediately for only
thinking about them. All he can did was endure it with a foggy mind,
because as soon as he thought about Jihyo and saw her beautiful face
appearing in his mind, Somin carved his skin with a knife, cutting him so
deep that in the end, he screamed in pain which only fueled the demon
more. She even asked who Jihyo was, and since then, Jongkook knows
that Somin can read his mind if she concentrates hard enough.

After a few weeks and still not in contact with the angels as it is too risky to
utter a prayer with Somin near him, watching his every move, Jongkook
gets anxious, especially since his grace is being drained by constantly
keeping his wings hidden. They want to be out of his body, ripping his skin
open wide, and all his self-restraints are needed to keep them tucked,
merged into his skeleton. Jaeseok also said that if the angels don't hear
from him, they will send a legion down to raise him from the inferno, and
yet, almost a month passed and they are nowhere. Somin is always
monitoring him, teaching him to do filthy things or about how to treat sinful
souls. She plans for him to be part of Hell's army against angels, so this
way at least he can gain access to information that he needs to deliver to
the angels through praying but unable to do so in the presence of the
woman. Somin's fiery and burning fingers are wrapping around his own,
steadying him holding the knife with which he besets the rotten soul. He
doesn't feel regret doing it; these souls are in Hell for a reason, never
entering Heaven, and he just helps clean the filth, he reasons. This is not
different than what he did for the Lord; overthrowing evil. He is doing God's
and the angels' work by torturing souls in Hell. He makes a cut in the rotting
soul's chest, then another one, transverse, and it is so clean as how blood
is rushing from it. Somin guides him to nestle the cutter tip under the
incision, gently digging it, not too deep, skimming. Then with his thumb
under the flap of skin, Jongkook begins peeling it back off the muscle and
the howlings of the tortured spirit are music to his ears. It sounds the same
as the exiled angels' cries when his spear pierces through their wings. In
the end, the soul is nothing but a perfectly opened art of clean-edged pale
flesh, puddled in a tidy pile.

A month later, he gets his own little lair where he can live. It is only big
enough for him to have alone time after combat training. His muscles
became bigger and more toned, and his skin is darker than ever, now
completely looking like someone who belongs to the fiery pit instead above
the clouds. And after the things he had done while being here, he is sure
that Heaven will never let him back in if even there is a slight chance of
escaping this place.

He is finally alone, so he is thinking about Jihyo again. Her milky white skin,
frosty eyelashes, and dark hair. The pure soul of hers or the snow white,
feathery wings he liked to touch so much. The amazing scent she emits, or
how lovely she looked the moment she let his grace inside her. She is
perfection, the most beautiful soul that ever exists. And he tainted her, his
actions putting her through the torturous procedure of being cleaned in
Purgatory, and all he can do is blame himself. He looks around carefully
before kneeling, clasping his hands together, and getting ready to finally
pray.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned," he murmurs, hoping that no one
will witness his actions and confess his wrongdoings. "I haven't prayed in a
long time but my mind is still set on achieving your great plan. I am just a
mere soldier here, just like in Heaven but I received the information about a
possible attack." But he can't finish his prayer as Kwangsoo barges in at
the moment he hears a fluttering sound belonging to the shadow of wings.
Jongkook doesn't have his real wings out but only their silhouette is visible,
and he knows that he is royally screwed the moment Kwangsoo charges
forward and cuts it with a demon blade, making Jongkook scream in pain.
His wings are the most vulnerable parts of his whole existence, and
Kwangsoo attacking even only its outline is painful. He wrestles against
Jongkook, but his strength is too much to overcome, so the only solution
Kwangsoo finds is to constantly cut the wing-like thing to inflict insufferable
pain on the angel until Sechan arrives to help him out and bind the
heavenly being. But Sechan is not quick enough, and when he finally
arrives, the silhouette of Jongkook's wings has already evaporated.
The consequence of his carelessness is that he is dragged in front of
Somin and an unfamiliar man, possibly another Knight since he is wearing
a better-looking garment than Sechan or Kwangsoo, or Jongkook himself.
"You are accused of being a holy being," the short, mustached Knight says
in a stern, thundering voice. "Somin here was suspicious of you in the
beginning, but seeing your progress made her believe your worth here. But
now, these two demons claim that you are, indeed, an angel."

"Have you ever seen my wings? Or any scars where they are supposed to
be?" Jongkook raises his brow, looking at Somin with a daring look,
showing confidence that he can make her believe him. "Ma'am," he adds,
just to be sure. "I was tortured, put together more than once, and yet,
Sechan never once saw anything which could imply I am an angel."

"I have seen your wings," Kwangsoo scowls. "I heard you pray."

"We can see if you are telling the truth," the man-knight offers a solution.
"All you have to do is to drink this potion I made. If you are truly not an
angel, I will die. But if you are, your wings are being forced to show
themselves, and that means you are here for eternal torture." The Knight,
Donghoon stops in front of Jongkook, and with his boney hand grips his jaw
and forces his lips open, pouring the potion into Jongkook's mouth and the
liquid is burning his throat.

Jongkook is gasping for air, the burning liquid is boiling him from the inside,
and when he finally swallows everything, the sensation is still not ceasing.
The burn finally reaches his grace, forcing it to release the wings' bind
against his own will, and with a loud yell, he is crunching in pain, collapsing
on the floor and screaming in agony as his skeletal structure morphs, and
bones cutting his back, breaking a way through the muscles and skin for
themselves to finally to be set free. At first, it is only the skeletons of the
enormous wings, but after it is formed and the ripped meat and skin is
dropping to the ground from the bones, the dirty-white feathers are also
appearing, being visible one by one, but at a rapid speed. His grace is
working its magic yet not enough because here, it is not functioning
properly and Jongkook doesn't know what kind of poison they forced down
on his throat but since then, his power reduced and he feels somehow
weaker than before. He shouts something the demons can't understand
through his gritted teeth, but still, Jongkook has faith that the angels will
help him. They will make all of this end. Even being dead would be better
than this, but he knows well that Somin won't let him die that easily.

And he is right; not long after he is chained up, again. The iron chain is
scorching hot just like Hell. His feet are not even touching the ground and
are spread while being cuffed to the floor. His wrists are also bound and he
is hanging up from the ceiling. His wings are outstretched wide, chained
hooks from the awning cutting through the feathers under the upper bone
on both sides. At first, his eyelids stay shut, trying to get used to the pain
radiating from his wings, but his little pearl-like eyes snap open when the
first hit of a nail-studded whip tears his naked skin. The nails get stuck into
his flesh and when Somin pulls it away with a sudden movement, his skin
stays on the studs. But after the tenth hit, he stops feeling it. All this passive
behavior makes Somin furious; she likes his toys to be responsive. Without
Jongkook being an active participant in her little torture-indulged playtime,
she doesn't get any satisfaction from it. She moves the lash, letting the long
leather tails trail against his inner thighs, then up over his hard stomach
until the edge is dipping into the column of his throat, choking him, causing
Jongkook to grunt and cough before lashing at him again. And again. And
again, until Jongkook is not himself anymore.

The next day comes again, and then another, and another, and Jongkook
doesn't count them anymore. And this time the new day comes with knives
that carve his body so beautifully. His body is healed completely now,
thanks to his grace and the endless circle of Hell. Somin likes to touch him
in the process of making him scream when the angel's insides leak out of
him. Her long fingers skim along the edge of the knives, especially the one
which is her favorite with messy edges which can rip out his skin and flesh
in the process instead of cutting it smoothly. She enjoys using this one on
him, engraving shapes into his skin and cutting chunks out of his body. The
knife is next pressed against his face, the tip digging into the hollow of his
cheeks and he sucks in a sharp breath, cutting the smooth skin. Blood
trickles down his cheek, over his sharp jawline, and makes a line of red
down his neck. Somin is plunging the weapon deep into Jongkook's gut
and twisted it, watching as his eyes widen in discomfort, before ripping the
blade from his body with a sharp tug to do even more damage.

But this still doesn't break Jongkook. She wants to see him beg for mercy,
screaming in pain and agony while tears stain that pretty face of the angel.
She wants to make him cry and break him, making him into a broken shell
of the strong angel he was. So she decides to enter his body and possess
him. She can feel that she is close to breaking him. The angel shows more
reaction after every torture, and she knows that soon, he will be begging for
them to stop. He maybe will be praying loudly, and she will watch amused
at how his own kind will disregard his prayers. How his dear God will
abandon him completely. But before doing that, she summons her two
demon servants, Sechan and Kwangsoo, ordering them to still torture the
chained-up creature as much as they want, before turning into a cloud of
smoke and entering Jongkook's body to break him from the inside. The
biggest obstacle to her success is that the angelic being has a very strong
mind, so destroying that powerful will is the biggest step in making him
weak.

Jongkook doesn't know what to do as he is attacked from inside and from

outside as well. The constant whip lashings and the deeply buried knife
make his body numb from too much pain, and the attacks come too fast
that his grace can't properly heal the wounds. All this time, he is fighting
against Somin to corrupt his mind and it is suffocating. The humiliation of
being exposed to demons, being a mere toy for Somin and her hellspawns,
extraneous things and body parts entering his body without his consent
(not to mention the snake), being touched and used for guilty pleasures,
and being forced to torture others (well, he doesn't mind the last one since
the souls are guilty) were too much. But to taint his mind as well? He can't
let that happen. The grace is making its wonder cooling down his insides
against the ruby-red smoke which is charring him, but it still can't make
Somin leave his body. A continuous itch plagues every inch of his insides
and mind, most likely because he is trapped in his marbles. It is hard to
explain what being possessed feels like but he doesn't wish this experience
on anyone. Somin is haunting his senses, whispering sinful and rotten
things, and making his memories corrupted by events that never actually
happened. She shows him Jihyo, being tortured the same way as he was,
and in the vision, he is the one who hurts her. He tries to retreat into a
blissful memory; of when he last spent time with his dear Jihyo. But then
Somin stops, just a little bit, so he can feel the physical pain even more; to
feel the knife slicing across his stomach, his blood gurgling up before she
continues playing with Jongkook's sanity. She makes non-existent
scenarios about Jihyo, making her graceful and pure, innocent being into
filth who belongs to Hell, rotting away with him. Because it is obvious, he
won't be accepted back into Heaven after all of this. His faith in God and
Jaeseok, the archangels, and the bigger cause slowly evaporate, and he
doesn't know what to believe anymore. He wants to believe in Jihyo, at
least, but she never reached out to him in the past months. Or maybe she
did but he spent too much time in Hell that he isn't functioning well as an
angel anymore. Is it possible? He isn't sure. And he is also not sure if he
should pray ever again.

Somin leaves Jongkook's body after six days and when she finally returns
to her vessel and not being a cloud of scarlet smoke, she eyes her work
with a satisfied, evil smirk on her pretty face. Sechan and Kwangsoo did so
much harm to Jongkook's body that the grace was not able to heal it
completely yet. She touches his strong jawline, caressing it with a gentle
touch before grabbing his jaw, and yanking his head up to see all the
emotions in those little crescent-shaped eyes. The angel's face is
tear-stained, little drops of water still evident on the long lashes. "You are
my favorite art piece so far, angel," she whispers. "And after I am done with
you, you'll serve me in my bed," she continues. "Can you believe it?"

Believing; he still believes, still has a tiny faith in angels. In God. In Jihyo.
"In Heaven, we believe in love," he mutters, barely audible from
exhaustion. And he loves Jihyo, so he closes his eyes and prays silently to
her. Not to God, not to the other angels, not to the archangels, but to Jihyo.
She is his last hope to end this. He just wants to say goodbye. A proper
one before it's too late for even doing that.

"And what do you love, Jongkook?" Somin chuckles. "Aside from that little
angel who was sent to Purgatory because of you."

"I would love to crack your skull," he smirks.

"You are funny," she replies and gives a kiss on his lips. "Let's see if you
are still smiling after this session." Somin signals to her underlings, then
more demons appear behind her, not just Kwangsoo and Sechan. All of
them are holding knives and spears. "Don't hurt the goods, I want his face
intact. Focus on his body and wings. Feed on his pain while I watch."

The body torment? That, he can endure a bit more. But as soon as the
orders leave Somin's mouth, the demons are swarming around him like
ants and he has no chance at all to use his grace to heal himself. The stabs
are coming fast, too fast, he can't even comprehend it. But the worst thing
is when they attack his wings. There is a demon who plucks his feathers
one by one, others are piercing it through with spears and knives, burning
them, not to mention the hooks that are still cutting through his wings,
chained to the wall. Kwangsoo and Sechan are breaking the bones of his
attachments one by one, causing him to scream in misery. He tries to send
his grace toward his wings, healing them or making them generate oil to
harden the feathers as protection but to no avail. His attractive face distorts
in agitation and pain, and the sight is the most beautiful thing Somin has
ever seen in Hell, and the sounds that are escaping from Jongkook's throat
are music to her ears. He doesn't even care anymore that other demons
are possessing his body, he has no time to think about it because soon a
more intolerable pain affects him, and tears stream down his face when he
feels countless blades cutting his wings where it connects to his body. This
is it. This is the end for him; he is nothing but a broken shell of his former,
powerful and sculpture-like perfection. Without his feathers, he is just a
mere human. He turns his head in the direction of a loud thump and he
sees his right wing on the floor, battered, bloody, and destroyed. And soon,
his left wing has the same fate. There is nothing on his back anymore
except the scars and the bloody trails.

"Kill me," Jongkook mutters, on the verge of passing out. "Kill me already..."

"You are in Hell, darling. What do you expect; mercy?"

Suddenly, a blinding bright light fills the room, and Jongkook disappears
into thin air. There is no other explanation other than finally, his prayers are
answered after months of him being subjected to constant nightmares. It is
also a miracle how this power could easily raise him from perdition without
being captured itself and he reasons his savior must have been God
himself. Or an archangel, because he knows a mere angel most likely
would end up like him.

He wakes up weeks after his salvation, in a comfortable bed in a darkly lit

room, a cup of steaming hot tea next to the bed placed on a shelf. He is
fully clothed, body intact but does not remember anything at all, not even
where he is. He only knows two things: his name is Jongkook, and he
always dreams about a mesmerizing woman he never met before. He looks
out the window and notices that the falling snow and chilly wind are making
everything frozen, yet he doesn't feel the cold at all, and he smiles. He puts
his hands together and utters a prayer, hoping for his memories returning,
so that at least he would know who is he. After praying he goes outside,
enjoying the snowflakes caressing his skin, appreciating every little thing as
if this is the first time. And maybe it is, he doesn't know.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" An unknown yet familiar voice interrupts him, and
when Jongkook turns around, he finds himself facing the gorgeous woman
from his dreams. "I like coming here when it's winter and watching people.
It reminds me of home." She glances at him, studying his every gesture,
and her supposed-to-be frozen heart clenches every time she visits the
man. She wants to be close to him, loving him the way she loved him even
though they belong to a different world now. Jongkook is damaged, and
broken beyond fixing, and the damage done to him is irreversible. The
archangels healed him the best they can, erasing his memories of Hell and
God has a cruel way of showing his love by making Jongkook human, yet
not ripping out his grace, so his memories of him being an angel can return
in time to haunt him for a lifetime. She wants to tell him the truth; she wants
him back in Paradise, and most importantly, Jihyo wants Jongkook to
remember their shared moments together even if it is obvious that
Jongkook doesn't even recall the past days and their little talks every day.
He just forgets everything while he sleeps, and maybe it is for the best."I'm
Jihyo."

"Jongkook. And yes, it's nice," Jongkook replies, looking around and
watching all the decorations and shiny lights. His eyes are fixated on one
particular decoration before breaking the comfortable silence. "Do you
believe in angels, Jihyo?" He still stares at the angel-shaped ornament.

"I do," she says, sending him a tiny smile. "And I am certain that they are
watching over you." Well, she is. And even if he will never confess, Jihyo
knows that sometimes even Jaeseok is doing the same. "Do you believe in
angels?"

"I do," he nods. "Maybe if I pray loud enough, they will finally listen to my
prayers."

"They will, believe me." She slowly takes a few cautious steps toward
Jongkook and gently touching his hand, she places a piece of dirty-white
feather there. The same feather that used to be a part of his wing. "Merry
Christmas, Jongkook!"

"What..." He is eyeing the thing in his open palm with a clueless and
confused expression on his attractive face, waiting to ask questions but
Jihyo is nowhere to be seen. He carefully picks up the little feather, holding
it with two fingers, examining it, trying to make sense of Jihyo's actions
when abruptly a scene flashes in front of his eyes.

"Loving you isn't a sin, it's pure."

And he, finally, remembers.