Don and his friends, Javan and Seraphina, sat beside the campfire. The sound of burnt branches crackling under the fire and crickets chirping made Don a bit more relaxed as he talked with his friends. 

"Don, Can I ask how you ended up with us and under Zeradkiel's wing? You're, like, the only nephilim I know of," Seraphina interviewed. 

"Well... How do I even begin?" Don audibly pondered, "Nobody was there to take care of me. My mother died when I was nine years old, and my father was nowhere to be found. Zeradkiel pulled me away from earth, and then yadda, yadda... I didn't even know I'm a Nephilim until Zeradkiel told me when I was thirteen."

"...I'm sorry about what happened," she whispered, "Don't mind those jerks. You're a cool guy, Don."

Don smiled solemnly, "Thanks. I appreciate that, Sera."

Archangel Ariel came over and smiled at the younger angels. She joined them and noticed how close Don and Javan were. 

Ariel turned to Javan and asked him casually, "How long have you and Don known each other? I've never seen you two separate ever since."

Javan grinned and replied in a proud tone, "Don and I have known each other since the first day of mentoring, Ma'am. We're like brothers!"

Ariel smiled and turned to Don, "What do you think of your brother?"

Don grinned back amicably and answered, "Javan is very stubborn and headstrong, but he's very loyal, trustworthy and honest."

Ariel then focused again on Javan, "How about you?"

Javan grinned widely. 

"He's the second coolest person I've ever known," He bragged, prompting Seraphina  to roll her eyes. 

Seraphina gazed and queried puzzlingly, "Why second?"

"Well, I'm the first in being the coolest," Javan answered. 

Don, Seraphina, and Ariel laughed in unison from Javan's statement. 

Don stopped and apologized to Ariel, "I'm sorry about the fight with the other angels."

Ariel smiled motherly and nodded, "It's fine. But be careful not to get into fights, Child. You are fortunate Gabriel didn't saw you."

Don frowned at the mention of Archangel Gabriel. He was one of the worst old angels to deal with.

The group diverted their attention to another Archangel who swooped in and waved at the young angels affably. 

"Hello Zack!" Seraphina happily said to the Archangel. 

Archangel Zeradkiel bowed his head and looked at them with smiling eyes. He was having difficulty speaking English since he came from the section of Heaven they called "The pearl of the orient" and was transferred into a different department as a promotion. Don sometimes has to teach him some rather much more complex  english words the adult Archangel doesn't know yet or can't pronounce properly.

Don liked making fun of his accent and very simple vocabulary, but he respected and looked up to Zeradkiel as well as a parent figure.

He ruffled Don's hair and greeted the rest, "Hello kids!"

"What is it that you want, Zera?" Ariel asked as she stood up formally, "Are they already calling me?" 

"Yes, we can't think of better strategies without our brain, you know!" Zeradkiel chirped with a smile, cheering her up.

Don pondered how Zeradkiel could still be so optimistic with the war going on all the time.

Seraphina sighed, "Aww! Zeradkiel just came here, Ariel!"

"War is tomorrow, Seraphina. We need to prepare as much as we can," Ariel informed as gently as she could. "You all should prepare too, mentally. It's time to go back to your group."

Seraphina nodded and reluctantly left with the archangels. 

Later, Don and Javan laid on the grass and stared at the night sky. 

"I've been thinking. Do you think we are replaceable, Don?" 

Don glimpsed at Javan, "I don't think so. Why do you think that?"

Javan closed his eyes and sighed heavily. 

"Like, they can make other angels easily. Are we just pawns for the war? Can we really live forever?" He contemplated, "They said demons learned a way to kill us. Is what they said true?"

Don pondered for a bit and responded, "Look, let's not get stressed with the war. Let's think of the future where this is all over. Do you remember going to the human's carnival after completing our mission?" 

A smile crept at Javan's face as he happily recalled the carnival. "Their rides are the best! You know, I thought I would hate you  forever for bringing me onto the roller-coaster of death?"

Don chuckled as he remembered, "Yeah?"

"It turns out it was actually a pretty cool ride. I still kinda hate you because of that. I almost barfed on the ride!"

"Yeah... Can you imagine being a human?"

"...Huh? Why do you think of that?"

Don closed his eyes wistfully. 

"They get to go on Carnivals, Parties, Celebrations. Doesn't that sound more fun than being in heaven?"

Javan shrugged, slightly unmoved, "I don't know, Don. Heaven may be boring for us, and the other angels may bring us down sometimes, but it's... safe, I guess."

Don rolled his eyes. 

"It's not just that. It's just…Humans get more freedom than we do. Their purpose in life is according to them, not like us. They have more options than we do...You know?"

Javan just stared at Don, still a bit confused. 

"I only like going to their carnivals and movies, honestly." Javan commented, "Some humans things are really nice and interesting, I get what you mean. You didn't get a chance to live like a human like other Nephilims."

"Yeah, yeah. After this war, let's have fun at the carnival again. Let's have Seraphina join us too!" Don excitedly said. 

Javan agreed, "Yeah. Maybe she'll like the food!" 

Don blinked his eyes for a minute.

The green grass burned into embers. Enormous flames engulfed the trees, turning all the branches and leaves into ashes that spreads into the air. Don coughed up a lung and rubbed his eyes. His pure white clothes  and skin became dirtied with soot. The bright blue sky has dimmed into hadean shades of red.

His ears was ringing. The ringing was louder than his shallow, rapid breathing. His heart was beating out of his chest. He  felt that time slowed down significantly.

He took a deep a stuttered breath. He closed his eyes shut and opened it again. Time moved faster as he looked around the angels and demons fighting for their lives. Despite all the training, he felt like a lost puppy in the middle of a lion's den.

He jumped back as an angel evaporate into nothing as a demon's sword stabbed right into his chest. 

"It's not possible. Angels cannot die..." Don muttered to himself as sweat fell from his forehead. 

He wanted to go back home.

But he needs to find his friends. Fast. 

Despite this, he forced himself to be unafraid and fought back the demons. He tried to look for his Javan. He stabbed and killed many countless demons with his holy spear as his eyes searched around desperately. 

He then saw his companion as he sliced and diced demons. He ran to him quickly to warn him, but he was too late. 

Don witnessed Javan being stabbed mercilessly in the chest and killed by an unknown unholy spell in their scimitar's blade. Javan quickly fell into the ground, nothing but a shell of flesh. His spirit is no more. 

Everything was suddenly silent as he trembled and screamed the name of his fallen brother. Don's vision was dimmed by fury, and the overwhelming feeling of distress rushed over his mind. 

Fueled by extreme anger he never felt before, Don cried out as he rushed into the demon who killed his brother. He clashed weapons with the demon with the gold eyes and tried to kill him off. 

The demon pushed him off and almost impaled him when Ariel's booming voice somehow managed to get the demon's attention.

"Azazel!" Ariel cried out hoarsely, "Stay away!"

Don's eyes widened. Staggering feelings of anger and grief overwhelmed him as he discovered he was face to face with his own father. 

The father who abandoned him when he was born. The father who left his own wife to die and his son to nobody. Lastly, The demon who killed Javan. 

Don snapped back to reality and realized he was standing for almost an hour in the middle of his living room. He rubbed his palm on his face and stared at his car outside the window.