"One life, one death
His death, his life
An envy, a contempt
His envy, his contempt
Monster or human?
Reality or fiction?"
The Book of Lies and Truths, Elakhiel

***

The question he had always asked himself was about the right way to die. To die a good and gentle death in old age at the side of his family or to die heroically for a noble cause? Unfortunately, Caleb had not been lucky enough to find the answer, as he had suddenly found himself plunged into darkness without being able to hear or see. Of course, his death was not an accident, an assassination or a suicide. For people like him, called "cursed children" by a large majority because of their physical differences, at the young age of eighteen, he had been confronted, like many of his predecessors, with a terrible truth: that of his own end. Can you see yourself at eighteen, because you are not like the others, facing yours? Even more terrible than this news is the fact that it was scheduled by the family.

For Caleb it was the unusual color of his eyes that decided his fate. This programming was written into the law and had been in place for a few decades. Coming back to this, he had always been told that it was a curse, a sin and in the worst way. We lose our naivety with all this bullying, these rejections and as he grew up he understood a horrible truth.

The world was not a rosy place, kindness did not exist or at least that's what people wanted people to believe. The world was cruel and those people who called themselves human were no better. The one he lived in was a nightmare. Men, women, children all together mocking, persecuting men, women, children yet like them: human.

They were not the cursed children, the monsters, they were the weird ones. These horrifying and sardonic laughs that they heard every day for months, years, when they, strange humans in the eyes of others, were trying not to live, just to survive. That was the hardest part. They tried to escape, but in the face of death who could win? This hatred for eye color, hair color, or extra limbs that didn't fit the norm had become visceral. But what is normal? Here was another question for which Caleb had not yet been able to find an answer. It was a mystery, a question he might not be able to answer.

In any case, at the age of eighteen, here he was faced with this letter. This missive written by this corrupt government imposing an interview in the fortress of control closest to his home. If he disobeyed, there would be strong reprisals. And no one had ever tried not to go.

***
A soft breeze caressed the face of the young man lying in the middle of an empty space. His body shivered. He opened his eyes but could not make out anything as if he had been trapped in a tube. He got up with difficulty at the sound of a burst of laughter, an auditory hallucination no doubt, and then slowly began to walk without really understanding the place of his awakening, nor without wondering too much about his non death. Looking at his calm face, one would think that nothing would bother him, but the crease in his lips gave away his unease.

As the man walked, the atmosphere around him grew warmer and the darkness that stretched for miles gradually began to lighten. The ground, at first black, turned into a light fuchsia and then into a frightening blood red that made his legs sway. The sky turned into a hypnotic navy blue adorned with two full opaline circles, their hues giving a terrible icy sensation. The sparse vegetation of the moor formed with their shadows obscure silhouettes with human form and the wind that one could hear rustled through it. His steps became heavier, as if a weight were pressing him to the ground, and as he began to run out of breath an old voice was heard. The man paused for a moment, looking for the source of the voice, when it called him by name a second time. Intrigued Caleb asked aloud:

-- Who are you and where are you? Do you know where I am?
-- Who I am doesn't matter right now. If I tell you that I am talking to you telepathically, do you believe me? If not, you are in what is called the In-Between, a mysterious place. Even I, who has lived there for a very long time, don't know much about it.
-- believe you? I am obliged to since I don't see you. Besides, do you know what I am doing here?
-- I can't answer you, but it would be better if you left this place right away. If I hadn't arrived in time you would have died for good. Keep walking, I'll take you to a safe place.
-- I can say thank you anyway.

He continued walking for several hours, accompanied by the voice in his head and the two silver orbs that shone in the sky. As he walked, Caleb reflected on his condition, a little happy that he had not died immediately. Completely lost in his thoughts, the call of the ancestor in his head startled him, he stopped abruptly then looked up.

In front of him stood a large massive door in ochre tones carved in venerable wood1, it had a single handle carved in a spiral in the center. He cautiously approached his hand to the handle and opened it without much difficulty. A light blinded him and he instantly closed his eyes, only to open them again a few seconds later. The landscape he discovered took his breath away, and he thought he was in paradise. A tiny feeling of happiness and satisfaction arose from the deepest part of his being when he saw the vast expanse of facades all more colorful than the others. A satisfaction very far behind the strange and distressing picture of the Entre Deux.
These dwellings were grouped in several districts and majestic bay windows dressed them, letting the sun shine in an exquisite way. What shocked Caleb the most was the interminable building in the middle of them. So tall that you couldn't see the end of it, majestic, it was of a midnight blue color that matched perfectly with the cheerful colors of the houses. A blue so deep that it reminded one of the eternal cerulean sea of Ahes. This tower stood alone, high and proud like an emperor dominating the world. Around this immeasurable body, four similar glass bridges came out of the building and stretched for miles.

Subjugated by this divine landscape, he walked slowly without being disturbed by the noise of the streets and the chatter of men when he stumbled on one of the cobblestones of the street. He fell into the arms of a person and, looking up, he hurriedly took off from the chest of the man in question, who had given him an irritated look before continuing his walk. The old man explained that he was in what the inhabitants called Hö'faä, a place between Hell and Heaven. It was grouped into four different regions. The city of the blue tower was called Migdal and was the main capital of the regions. A loud voice called to him, Caleb turned around and found himself facing an individual with blond hair tied in a ponytail, four heads taller than him. Compared to his meter sixty for a man of almost thirty years. Which by the way was ridiculous to say the least.

-- What can I do for you?" he asked defensively. Wouldn't it be better to introduce yourself first? You won't get the answer by attacking people.

His already frowned brows furrowed even more before the man spat out his name with difficulty: Doloriel. The way the man's fierce eyes glared at Caleb made him smile more than anything else. He felt as if he was facing one of those haughty kids who looked down on others as if they had seen something disgusting. What a contrast, he thought.

-- I'm Caleb. Caleb Straess. What I'm doing here, I don't know," he replied. He asked the voice about the identity of the angel.
"-- Doloriel is one of the angels known as the 'Powers'. They work to fight demons and their personalities are how shall we say.... They are unbearable, energetic and far too impatient when faced with anyone other than their superiors. They are, on the other hand, good at fighting and very devoted to their leaders."

The blonde angel pinched the bridge of his nose, a sign of great impatience. The passers-by around them continued on their merry way without worrying about their exchange. When the blond man had finished thinking, he signaled the young man to follow him in the direction of the bridge. The viaduct which extended on four to five meters was made in a translucent glass of various shades of blue.
It took them a good quarter of an hour before they could arrive in front of this one made of frozen crystal, an alloy of glass and eternal ice1 with large arched windows open all along the structure. When they arrived at one of the main doors, the angel took Caleb's size and spread his long white wings before flying towards the top of the tower.