Vee woke to absolute silence. In the world of the living, the quiet of morning normally paired with the sound of rustling trees, of leaves skipping across sidewalks, and birds chirping outside her window. An enjoyable quiet, one full of peace, but also plenty of reminders that the world had continued spinning overnight. Purgatory, however, had no such reminders.
In a place defined by its absence, this was hardly surprising. Nothing lived in this world; at least, nothing was supposed to. Still, despite everything Vee knew, she'd still woken up here yesterday morning.
Her overwhelming confusion had stuck with her for most of the day. The presence of her body was confirmation that she hadn't passed away in her sleep; her connection with her angelic abilities proof that she hadn't accidentally slipped into the Dreamscape. Wandering campus, she'd recalled lectures and teachings about the nature of death, about what happens when a soul refuses to pass on. The only way to enter Purgatory, Vee had been told, was to die with unfinished business so powerful that you refused to let go.
Yet, her presence here disproved that idea. Did that mean the Church was wrong?
Vee pulled her covers closer, sighing in frustration as she tried to hold onto the warmth as long as she could. So much had happened in these last few months; learning Amara was a demon, nearly dying in a fight with her, then teaming up with her to stop a horrid cult. What made everything worse, though, was how alone Vee felt. Angels were few and far between, and her existence had so many dramatic implications. She desperately wished she had someone that she could talk to, but she knew no such person existed.
From outside Vee's bedroom, a sudden noise snapped her from her thoughts. A small thud, like something being dropped, followed by a frustrated voice.
"Shit!"
Vee groaned into her pillow; she'd almost forgotten that Amara was here. Whatever was happening in the kitchen, it was as good an excuse as any to get out of bed. After quickly rummaging through her closet, grabbing some properly warm clothes this time, Vee opened her bedroom door and walked out.
On the other side of the counter, Amara was kneeling in the middle of the kitchen trying to clean up a spilled box of cereal. She wore small athletic shorts and a racerback sports bra, her pajamas of choice for almost as long as they'd known each other. Vee had seen Amara wear this plenty of times at sleepovers, but now the outfit seemed to fit her differently. The shorts seemed smaller than usual, hugging her curves tighter than they used to, and the bra seemed to strain against her larger bust. In this moment, Vee finally realized just how much Amara's body had changed these last few months.
Amara was grumbling to herself as she cleaned, and Vee leaned on the counter before speaking up. "What happened?"
"I was hungry, so I figured I'd grab some food, and I found some cereal. So, I'm holding it with my tail, digging through your fridge to find something to drink, when I grab a big jug of water and it shocks me! Why do you have a gallon of holy water in your fridge?!"
"I'm an Angel, Amara. I feel like, of anyone, I'm the least surprising person to have that. The holy water made you drop the cereal?"
"Yes! Your stupid holy magic always makes my body seize up. I guess that's my fault for thinking your apartment was safe for me, right?"
Vee moved around, joining Amara in cleaning up the spilled food. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you about that, I was pretty tired last night. You're not hurt, are you?"
"I'm fine, mostly just caught me by surprise." Amara glared at Vee briefly, then spoke up again. "You have any other traps I should know about? I'm not going to, like, accidentally sprinkle my dinner with holy salt or something?"
"To the best of my knowledge, the water in the fridge is the only thing left. I don't normally keep holy stuff in my apartment, that's just the last remnant from... from when I was preparing for Halloween," Vee said quietly. She didn't like thinking about the week before their fight, as she had poured every ounce of her strength into a plan to try and kill Amara.
"If you're going to invite me over, maybe have fewer deathtraps next time? I already know you don't want me around, even without all this holy nonsense." Amara's voice was harsh, her words bitter.
Vee froze, the words hitting her harder than she'd expected.
Why is Amara acting like this? Ever since we ran into each other yesterday, it's like she's an entirely different person.
There was a part of Vee that felt she deserved the harsh words, but it was still surprising to hear them coming from Amara. Ever since they'd first met, Amara had always been the voice of reason and support among their friends; that had been a big reason why Vee had spent so much time with her. Chloé had always been nice, but too shy to speak up, while Tessa had been the angry upstart of the group. Had Amara always acted like this back then, Vee doubted they would have been friends.
"Amara, what's for dinner tonight?" Vee asked quietly.
"Aww you don't trust me! There's the Vee I know and love." Amara said, playfully prodding Vee with her tail. "It's hand-seared chicken, by the way. You?"
"Spaghetti carbonara." Vee didn't bother continuing the conversation. She grabbed some cereal for herself, then moved to the couch to eat it in peace. Her thoughts wandered back to yesterday, to the moment she'd found Amara in Purgatory. Against all reason, she'd been somewhat excited to spend time with Amara again. Now? That feeling was nowhere to be found.
The girls ate their breakfast in silence. Vee wasn't particularly interested in talking with Amara, and instead let her eyes wander around the corners of the apartment, examining the various Enochian runes that kept them safe. They were still glowing strongly, keeping the entropic forces of Purgatory at bay.
"So, what's our plan?" Amara asked, finally breaking the silence. "Still up for inspecting the circles today?"
"It's our best lead, isn't it? I'm all finished eating, if you want to lead the way," Vee said. She quickly put the bowl back on the counter, then grabbed a jacket for an extra layer against the cold. She looked at Amara, wearing nothing but her skimpy pajamas, and spoke up again. "You sure you don't want something else to wear?"
"Nah, I want the flexibility. You have no idea how annoying clothes are when I have my wings and tail out." As she spoke, Amara began stretching her arms above her head, her tail and wings stretching out as well. Against her better judgement, Vee couldn't help but look at just how big Amara's extra limbs were. Her wingspan alone was enormous, her tail much longer and thicker than Vee had realized.
"You can't just put them away?" Vee asked.
"I mean, I could, but why would I? We're the only people on campus, I might as well enjoy the freedom." Amara opened the door, stepping out into the hall before inviting Vee to join her.
Outside, the pale visage of Aurelius University stared back at them. The campus was as lifeless as ever, the only movement the strange wisps of students back in the real world. Amara took the lead, picking a direction and confidently heading off. They walked side by side, though Vee made sure to leave a few feet of space between them; she was hoping to avoid any accidental scrapes with Amara's wings.
