Within a palace of the ether, nestled safely upon the crown of the gods, is where I lived. From atop the sky itself, I stared down at the world so far beneath the clouds, envious of the contentment of the earth dwellers. I was still young then, and the knowledge that the realm below was dangerous and unstable was freshly engraved into my mind by my mentors. It was safe way up there, at the roof of the world. Nothing could ever harm me there... nevertheless, that sanctuary was dull and boring. I wanted so badly to explore the marvelous land below that there were times during which I had even considered disregarding the rules and warnings, and descending that long fall alone, without prior notice. There was an earth dwelling girl I had seen on several occasions whilst looking downward and had become infatuated with at my young age. I was head-over-heels, and certain that we were meant to be. I would come to know that the girl's name was Alexandra... such an enchanting name. She was a beauty in every way, and I simply had to meet her face to face. By this time, mind you, several years had left me older, but none wiser, than I was when I had first been warned about the potential consequences of falling to the world's surface. I was certain that I had wanted nothing more at that time in my life than to take a leap of faith and pray that my descent be swift and painless. I cannot blame anything or anyone but myself for my hesitance to leave the safety of the heavens for the dangerously enticing world below. The truth is that, one warm Summer's eve, I had been peering down at the world when I caught a glimpse of the maiden I had thought of with so much affection. As I did, her eyes met mine. This was not met with swift terror on her part, but instead, she smiled, blushed, and turned her head away quickly. That night, possibly by brevity of thought, I had gone to the edge of the safe haven, with the intent to make the jump, head first, desperately seeking to meet my maiden, Alexandra, at the bottom. I had walked around the corner of the wall to the place at which I would jump, and standing there, in front of me, was the man I saw as my father. The head of that citadel in the sky stared at me intently, sternly, and yet with acceptance, and even admiration. He told me that what I was going to do was very brave, to fall into a place where pain was almost inevitable. He told me that he was supportive of my decision, and that, even with all of the darknesses of the world I was planning on becoming a part of, it was the most beautiful and exciting place any person could ever go. I stood there, overlooking the drop to the world below, and slowly leaned forward. I was almost off the edge, when, out of fear, I darted back up. Standing erect and tense, I almost started to cry. Do you know what it is like to desire something so deeply, yet still be uncertain as to whether you truly want it or not? Whether it's worth the inescapable and axiomatic troubles associated with it. I stood there for ten minutes, the head of the citadel standing behind me, waiting for me to make my move. I began to doubt myself, and thought to turn around. Then she came to mind; the whole reason I was here in the first place. I grew brave and took a step forward, and then, with her face in my mind and my heart, fell. I don't remember the fall very well. All I remember is that I felt the rush of wind over my face, and then I felt a splash, cool and refreshing. I surfaced from the water and looked around. The world was dark for the moon did not seem to be lighting this night. After crawling out of the little pond I had landed in, I circled in disbelief. It was simply too esoteric to describe how much more beautiful this place is when you're actually here than it is from only viewing it from the outside. The sun rose after a few hours of me simply trying to keep my anticipation controlled, and the crisp morning light set the perfect scene for me to arrive at the doorstep of the home I had come to believe was Alexandra's. I rapped at the door for a few moments, and it creaked open to reveal her figure, shadowy in the unlit chamber of her home. She stepped forward with tired eyes, and looked up at me. Once she did, her eyes lit up bright, she seemed totally awake. "My name is Seraph," I told her, "I come from the palace in the sky." Our conversation continued throughout the whole day, and she had told me how she had frequently noticed me scanning her world below, and had always hoped to meet me in person. That was many years ago, and we're both much older now, with three children of our own, two of them having their own children. I've experienced and explored so much of this beautiful world since that one fateful morning, and it was all because I overcame my terrors, and was no longer afraid to fall.
