The next day seemed to fly by as I settled into my new routine. With each step I took on my short walk to the special place, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and anxiety, wondering what Castiel had in store for me. Deep down, I knew that the truth about my identity as a winged demon awaited me.

To distract myself from these thoughts, I poured my heart out through my songs, strumming my guitar with a newfound fervor. The money piled up, stuffed into the pockets of my worn leather jacket. It was as if the music offered solace from the impending meeting with Castiel. As I finished my last song, I looked down in awe at the couple hundred dollars scattered before me. For a moment, I wondered if Castiel had orchestrated this generosity, but there was no time to dwell on it as I spotted him, casting a watchful gaze in my direction.

With a sense of urgency, he motioned for me to join him, cutting off any protests I might have had. As he pulled me along through the bustling crowd, I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration rising within me. I was determined not to leave without getting the answers I sought.

"Castiel," I began, attempting to assert myself, but he interrupted me, his voice urgent and concerned. 

"We have to go."

"Why? I won't leave without the truth," I stubbornly declared, momentarily forgetting the wad of money that lay forgotten in my pocket.

"I'll explain on the way," Castiel pleaded, his grip tightening on my arm as we weaved through the throngs of people.

I crossed my arms defiantly. "Give me a good reason why we should leave right this instant. What happened to our plans of enjoying pie and cheeseburgers?"

His glare intensified, revealing the gravity of the situation. "There are people hunting us down, and demons are conspiring to capture you. Now is not the time for indulgence."

I felt the weight of his words sink in as we reached a point of no return. Castiel wasted no time, swiftly grabbing hold of me as the world seemed to blur. Panic threatened to overwhelm me as we soared higher and higher into the sky, my fear of heights becoming acutely apparent.

Instinctively, I struggled against Castiel's firm grip, my actions driven by instinct rather than sound judgment. "Let me go! I don't need your protection!" I shouted, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. Glancing behind me, I caught a glimpse of his magnificent wings, a stark contrast to my own shadowed appendages. Amidst the chaos, I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth I had suspected all along.

But Castiel remained calm in the face of my resistance. "Essence, I need you to listen to me," he implored, his voice unwavering. "I am going to release my hold on you."

His words hung in the air, and I couldn't bear to let him finish his sentence. "You can't just let me go!" I screamed, my grip on his arm tightening as if it were the only anchor preventing my descent into oblivion.

His eyes met mine, searching for understanding. "You can fly on your own, can't you?" he asked, almost curiously.

"I-I've never tried," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the vast expanse below, every detail shrinking into insignificance as the height became more overwhelming.

"Your wings are already there, waiting for you to take flight," he assured, his tone gentle yet firm. In that moment, I couldn't help but chuckle at the cliché nature of his words.

Before I could respond, Castiel released his grip on me, and I was suddenly plunged into a heart-stopping free fall. The world around me became a blur of fear and adrenaline, leaving little room for rational thought. As panic threatened to consume me, a surge of intuition coursed through my veins, urging me to unleash my hidden wings and at least attempt to save myself from the imminent danger below.

With a desperate hope, I tried to command my wings to flap, to lift me up from the descent towards the unforgiving ground. But they remained stubbornly unresponsive, as if mocking me for the burdens they had imposed upon me throughout my existence. My heart sank as the earth drew nearer and nearer, the magnitude of my impending fate weighing heavily upon me.

"Castiel!" I shrieked with every ounce of breath left in my lungs, my desperate plea lost to the winds that whipped around me. In the midst of this terrifying plunge, a profound realization consumed my thoughts. I had never achieved my life's ambition of uncovering the enigma that was Dean Winchester. It pained me to know that this unanswered mystery would forever remain unresolved.

As the ground hurtled closer, inching closer with every passing second, my mind surrendered to the inevitability of what awaited me. Regret and longing mingled in my final thoughts as the world around me condensed into a mere two inches of space, my only solace being the hope that my ill-fated wings would miraculously save me from this dire conclusion.

***

Sorry for the short chapter! I finished the next chapter, and you will finally be able to see a sneak peek into what destiny has planned for Essence!

I am gonna publish the next one very soon because this one is so short.