“Wings?!” I stammered, utterly bewildered by the sight. These wings sprouting from my own back could have hardly been more alien to me, yet they carried a paradoxical and peculiar sense of familiarity. Each feather on each wing emanated a soft, comforting glow, giving off an aura with which I had come to be intimately familiar: Divinity.
These wings were a physical manifestation of my divine power—it was the only explanation that made even a shred of sense. As the reality of this transformation sank in, I was engulfed by a wave of overwhelming emotion and a profound humility.
“Oh, most holy heavens,” someone near me murmured in a voice suffused with awe.
I glanced up. It was the high pontiff. He had left his seat and now knelt upon the ground in front of the stage.
“Such transcendent power. I had always known Her Highness bore our Heavenly Guardian’s blessing, but to behold such a high miracle wrought with His ineffable glory with my own eyes...” He spread his arms wide, as if in rapture. “Oh!” he cried, his voice quivering with overwhelming emotion. “Beloved child of God, I stand before you, your humble and devoted servant.”
In his eyes, I saw myself reflected as an object of near-fanatical devotion. Then, disregarding the dignitaries on all sides, he bowed his head deeply in respect.
“Divinity,” “blessed child of god”—these words resonated through the hall, shocking all those present. Although we had planned to reveal the nature of my power at the closing ceremony, this was, in some respects, better timing than we could’ve ever hoped for.
There was no time for me to take in the moment. Flora was fading fast. The chaos around us became a distant murmur as I turned my entire focus to her. Drawing in a deep breath, I willed my wings to spread and rise, reaching their full breadth, and they obeyed immediately, as if they’d always been a part of me.
I was now straying into unknown territory. I’d been learning to coax the power flowing from me into bending to my will, and before that, I’d exerted it unconsciously. But this was different. This was a deliberate use of my abilities on an unprecedented scale. There was a real risk that using them in such a manner would dilute the efficacy of my power.
But I had faith in God’s grace. If He had blessed me with these wings and the knowledge to wield them, then surely He had also endowed me with the power to save Flora.
“I am not letting you die, Flora,” I declared resolutely. I clasped her hands firmly, channeling the energy within me—no longer chaotic, but calm and controlled, crystallized as it was into the intricate wing formations on my back. This will work. Emboldened, I let out another prayer. “O Heavenly Guardian, I beseech thee—heal my sister’s wounds; relieve her of this torment!”
A pillar of light formed around me, accompanied by a poignant and sudden sense of loss. I glanced back to see two of my six wings disintegrating, their radiant essence transforming into a cocoon of pure, white light. They crumbled away, delicate shards of light flaking off and fading into translucence.
That’s all right. I don’t regret it. All this power, I bestow upon you, Flora. I have faith that my powers shall someday return, but your life is irreplaceable.
“All I have, I give to you, sister. So please, wake up,” I whispered gently. As my first pair of wings faded completely, warmth returned to Flora. Her hands, once as cold as ice, were now bathed in warmth like a gentle sunrise. Relief washed over me as I saw my prayers taking effect. My brow relaxed, but my determination did not waver. I continued to pour my energy into Flora.
The second pair of wings dissolved. Flora’s breathing steadied, her pulse became regular, and color returned to her cheeks. Her lips, previously tinged blue with the icy touch of death, now looked pink and full of life. Only one pair of wings remained—would it be enough? I had resolved to give her everything I had, yet I hadn’t anticipated it would come to this.
Just how severe were her injuries? Were they graver than they seemed? As my last pair of wings began to fade, panic set in. If I used them and Flora remained unhealed, I would be left with nothing.
“Work... Please work!” I clenched Flora’s hands as tightly as I dared, as if that would amplify my efforts. As the last pair of wings dissolved into nothingness, the halo surrounding us dimmed. Tiny specks of white light floated around us, the remnants of the divine glow, disappearing like fragile soap bubbles upon contact with the floor. My Divinity exhausted, I snapped back to reality and assessed Flora’s condition. I gently palpated her neck and face, then brought my ear down to her chest—she yet lived. There was nothing I could say about her vital organs or skeletal structure or anything of that sort, but I seemed to at least have pulled her back from the brink of death.
“Thank God,” I breathed out in relief. We weren’t out of the woods yet, so it wasn’t quite joy I felt, but it was at least something marginally more comforting. As I watched Flora now, a wry smile crept onto my lips. It was hard to believe that someone who was now sleeping so peacefully had been on the brink of death mere seconds ago. As the relief at my sister’s survival sank in, the clamor of the hall returned to my ears.
“Is she...alive?” I heard someone ask.
“Can someone explain what just happened?” another added.