“I am duality.” Ariel’s wings trembled, eyes fluttering between spotted feathers. Like a falcon. Like a predator. “Designed in the image our creator manifested before the beginning, when the universe was still an ambitious idea. Where you are made of stardust and recycled matter, I was created in the likeness of the canvas you were born to decorate—lightness, darkness.” His mouth was still his, parting delicately for each word. “Sentinels guarding Earth, shepherding you.”
