After some time,
Enid slowly opened her eyes.
At first all she could see was a white ceiling stretching above her. Her mind felt foggy, like she had been asleep for a very long time. The quietness of the room was strange after everything that had happened.
Then the memory came back.
The diner.
The Dark One.
Being thrown across the room and smashing into the wall hard enough to feel bones break.
She suddenly sat up on the bed.
Her hands immediately began checking her body. She pressed against her ribs first, expecting pain, then moved to her shoulder and arms. The last thing she clearly remembered was how badly hurt she had been.
But now there was nothing.
No pain.
No stiffness.
Her body felt completely fine.
"My child, you have woken up."
The smooth voice came from nearby.
Enid's head snapped toward the sound.
Sitting in a chair beside the bed was a woman with long blonde hair and calm blue eyes. Her expression was warm and peaceful, like she had been quietly waiting there the entire time.
But that wasn't the part that made Enid freeze.
Behind the woman's back were large white wings folded neatly like those of a bird.
And above her head floated a glowing halo.
Enid stared at her.
Her brain tried very hard to process what she was seeing.
Then the conclusion formed instantly.
"Oh my god…"
She pulled the blanket up slightly while staring at the woman in complete shock.
"I'm dead."
"Yes," the woman said gently.
"It is unfortunate that you died so young. You still had a long life ahead of you."
Her voice remained calm and reassuring.
"But you died defending Earth. Your actions were heroic."
She folded her hands neatly in her lap.
"Because of that, you have gained entry to heaven. A place where you may rest forever, free from suffering."
Enid blinked.
Her brain slowly processed the words.
"Okay… wait," she said, raising a hand slightly. "Before I accept that, I have a question."
The winged woman looked at her patiently.
"What exactly do people do in heaven?" Enid asked.
The woman smiled softly.
"You will rest," she explained. "You may sit among the clouds, feel the warmth of the sun, and live in eternal peace."
She gestured gently upward.
"You will watch the sky, enjoy the serenity, and exist without pain or worry for all eternity."
Enid stared at her.
Then she slowly leaned back against the pillow.
"…So you're telling me," Enid said carefully, "I'm supposed to sit on clouds and look at the sun forever?"
"Yes," the winged woman replied with a peaceful smile. "Isn't that noble?"
For a moment Enid simply stared at her.
Then her face twisted in horror.
"No!" she blurted out, throwing her hands up in panic. "I don't want that!"
She slid off the bed slightly, shaking her head like someone had just handed her the worst life sentence imaginable.
"I didn't even get to enjoy my youth yet! I haven't gone to half the parties I planned, I haven't traveled anywhere cool, and I definitely didn't get married!"
Her voice was getting louder with every word.
"And now I'm supposed to just sit on a cloud and stare at the sun forever like some retired grandma spirit?"
The woman watched her meltdown quietly.
Then she burst into laughter.
It wasn't a polite giggle either. It was the kind of laugh someone had when they had held it in too long.
"I can't take it anymore," she said between laughs. "This is too cruel."
Enid froze.
Her eyes narrowed slowly.
"You're laughing," she said, pointing accusingly. "You literally told me I'm dead and sentenced to eternal cloud watching and you're laughing!"
The woman tried to control herself but failed.
Then she snapped her fingers.
The wings disappeared.
The halo vanished.
And the blonde woman sitting beside the bed changed.
Ethan sat there now, leaning back in the chair with a grin that clearly meant he had been enjoying this far too much.
"Sorry, Enid," he said. "I thought it would be fun to pull a prank."
Enid stared at him.
For a second she looked like she was about to punch him.
Then she suddenly lunged forward from the bed and hugged him tightly.
Her arms wrapped around him as she buried her face against his shoulder.
Her voice came out softer.
"I missed you."
Tears had gathered in her eyes without her realizing it.
Ethan's grin faded into something gentler. He awkwardly patted her back a couple of times, not quite used to handling emotional moments.
"There, there," he said. "You did a great job, Enid."
For a moment the room was quiet except for her sniffing while holding onto him.
Then Ethan added lightly,
"Although the heaven plan was still a pretty good prank."
Enid pulled back from the hug and glared at him, clearly debating whether to hit him or not. In the end she just wiped the tears from her eyes and muttered something under her breath while Ethan stood up from the chair.
Together they walked out of the room.
***
In the hallway, Wednesday, Selene, and Lucy were sitting quietly.
The moment they saw Enid and Ethan coming down the corridor, all three of them looked up.
Enid stopped in front of them.
"So what happened?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure we lost."
Ethan leaned casually against the wall.
"All credit goes to Wednesday," he said. "At the last moment she opened a door to the dimension I was trapped in. I escaped, then I beat that guy and closed the portal."
"Although the process was a little… bloody."
He glanced out the nearby window.
"And the entire village disappeared in the process."
*****
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