The sun is already dancing high in the sky, and I sit on the balcony of my apartment. I hold up the detective’s service card to the sun and see his name shine through. Detective M, Genfi. What did the M stand for? Michael? Miche? I set the card down beside me and sigh. One more year until the big council meeting. Juno said I’ve been doing well so far, but I need to push harder. The "half-human" experience is fun… but it’s lonely and I feel so out of place. From the looks of it, things are getting better here on Earth. Just not super easy to tell I guess. I'm no god. I can't create a utopia.

  I get up and make my way to the living area. Before leaving for my next mission, I need to go see Aarav. He promised to meet up with me today.

  I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and open them up again. I’m no longer in my living room, instead I’m sitting beside Aarav. We’re on a stable cloud, surrounded by many other others. Almost as if we're in a cotton candy machine. I don't know why he makes his space look like this. I've never bothered to ask. Pink, purple, and orange tinted clouds surround us. “Took you long enough,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m so sorry, I just finished a mission. Kinda needed some time to recupe and sit back for an hour or so. By the way I need you to get the cops off my back from that one. They want me for court dates and statements. I got no time for that. But anyway, I'm not even that late. Just needed a small break.” He turns to me with a deep frown on his face. “Kahira, I think you need to slow down. Everyone’s quite impressed with your progress already. You’ve changed the minds of many gods and goddesses. I even heard Hades praise you! Enjoy the experience a bit. Or you’ll wear yourself out soon. It's not like there's much you can do in the little time you have left.”

  Before I can ask questions or protest, the clouds start to whirlwind around me, and I am forced to close my eyes. When the wind stops, I open my eyes. I’m in the middle of a thick forest. The sun is still bright in the sky, but the trees restrict the light. It’s completely silent and the atmosphere frightens me. I’m not easily scared. After ninety nine years of doing this job, you become desensitised to everything. The air is moist, and the ground is wet, which means it has just rained.

  The silence is broken by a sharp scream, far off in the distance. Quickly, I start running and following the sound. There is no time to waste! As I run through the forest, I can tell that this is cursed land. With every step I take, I can sense dead bodies and bones buried under the ground. Multiple souls are roaming this area, and they’re angry. While I sprint, I can sense their energy. Anger, hate, regret, sadness, and fear. Many horrible things happened here, and something horrible is happening right now.

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  He’s right. It's not like I can turn the tides much more than I already have. And I am quite burnt out. “I’ll try, but I don’t want all my efforts to be for nothing. I only have one year left, and I want to make it count.” I stretch out my arms and yawn. This places really makes me want to lie down and take a nap. I have no need to, but it really does put me in the mood for one.

  “Listen Kahira, you can be open with me. I’m here to support you and guide you.” I scrunch my nose and shake my head. “The last time someone was open with you, you abandoned them.” Aarav tenses up. “I don’t think you have any right to speak about my past. You weren’t there. You don’t know what happened. And I already asked you to refrain from speaking about Ketura.”

  I shouldn’t have said that. As regret starts sinking into my stomach, an awkward silence settles in. “You met someone that you need to help,” Aarav breaks the silence. “Huh? Isn't that basically everyone I meet?” Aarav sighs and rolls his eyes. “You’re as daft as ever! The detective. Juno and I have decided you will protect him.”

  "Protect him from what? Can't an angel do that?" Aarav lays back on the cloud and shifts into a more comfortable position. “The angels are busy. And would it not be easier for you to work with and control a human? He is a police officer, so he can hand over the criminals to the human justice system. You won't have to complain to me and bother me anymore." What he’s saying does make sense… if you're stupid. Why would I get a cop to help me when I have the most powerful beings on speed dial? And it’s hard to believe there is no ulterior motive to this. “I don’t know… If it's part of the overall mission then obviously I have no choice.” He smiles, and thanks me. "We will send you more information as the plan is discussed in more detail with Juno. You need not worry."

  The clouds begin to lose their bright and cheerful colours. They become a dull grey with dark tints of purple. Aarav’s mood is sombre, and he sits up, a grave look etched on his face. “I am going to send you back to Earth now. Something bad is happening. As soon as you get back, you’ll be in the place where you need to be. Someone who's not supposed to die yet, is about to meet their demise… and I’m sorry, but this is going to dredge up a lot of memories you have suppressed. Good luck, Kahira."