When Marceline opened her eyes again, the first thing she noticed was... softness. A warm breeze brushed against her skin, carrying with it the faint scent of wildflowers and honeyed sunlight. She blinked rapidly, adjusting to her surroundings as she pushed herself up onto her elbows.
They were standing in what could only be described as perfection incarnate: an endless expanse of golden fields under a pristine sapphire sky. White doves soared overhead, their wings catching rays of light that seemed to shimmer unnaturally bright. Everything here felt too perfect—too clean—too... fake.
"Oh... no," Marceline muttered under her breath as she glanced down at herself. Her armor was gone, replaced by a flowing white robe trimmed with gold thread that sparkled unnervingly in the light. Even her ever-present Holy Aura seemed more pronounced now, glowing softly around her.
"D@mn it!" she snapped, slamming her fist into the ground—and instantly regretting it when soft clouds puffed harmlessly beneath her punch instead of dirt or stone. "I knew it! We're in f#cking heaven!"
She glanced around until her eyes landed on her companion—tú nearby. "Guess they let you in too, huh?" But before either could speak further… they saw Him*
He stood at the top of a radiant staircase that stretched endlessly into the sky: Lumiel, God of Light himself. His form glowed so brightly it hurt to look directly at him; golden light poured from every inch of his being like liquid divinity made flesh. He wore robes spun from pure starlight that rippled as if alive and his face… well, it wasn’t really visible—just an overwhelming presence that radiated smug superiority.
"Ahhhh" Lumiel spoke in a voice that sounded like choirs singing in unison but somehow still managed to sound obnoxiously condescending. "Marceline! My most faithful servant… and your companion as well! Welcome to my eternal kingdom."*
"Servant?!" Marceline snarled instantly, stomping forward while shoving tú aside without even looking at him. "Servant?! Oh-ho-ho NO you don't get to call me that after everything you've pulled! You remember me? Huh?! Do ya?! 'Cause I sure as h#ll remember YOU!"*
Lumiel tilted his head slightly, his glowing form flickering faintly as if amused.
"Ah, yes… choking on the Sacred Manna—truly an unfortunate moment." He let out a deep laugh ho ho ho that echoed across the entire realm. "But you must admit… it was rather humorous."
That did it.
"Get ready, Lumiel" she snarled, slamming her gauntlets together with a deafening CLANG! that sent ripples through the air. Her Holy Aura burned brighter now "‘Cause this time I ain’t chokin’ on your cracker—I’m makin’ YOU choke on my fist!"
Lumiel: "You dare raise your hand against me, Marceline? After all I have given you? After all I have blessed you with? You would challenge your God—the source of your very existence—like some petulant child?"
The endless fields of white and gold began to dim, leaving only Lumiel shining like a star in the void. Then, with an almost casual grace, he began descending the staircase.
He reached the bottom of the stairs, towering before her now. Although his form still radiated light so bright it obscured any features, there was something distinctly unnerving about the way he tilted his head slightly to regard her—as if genuinely curious whether she would follow through on her threat.
Lumiel: "Do you truly believe yourself capable of facing me? Of striking down the one who crafted your soul from pure light? You forget your place, mortal."
"Ohhh nooo," she said sarcastically. "Big scary God’s gonna smite us! Hey tú," she added with a sidelong glance and a crooked grin.* "You with me on this? Or am I solo-ing God while you stand there?"
Lumiel raised a hand—his palm shining like the sun itself—as if preparing to unleash some unfathomable holy power.
