Auriel
Auriel had existed since the first light of Creation, one of the Seraphim whose voice joined the endless chorus around Heaven's throne. Through every age she accepted, without question, the truth she had always been taught: that God had created angels and mortals alike with equal love and purpose. The Heavenly Host lacked nothing they needed, and so the idea that humanity possessed anything worth envying never entered her mind. Then, during a quiet visit to Earth, she noticed a small paper fluttering along a city sidewalk鈥攁 discarded voucher promising a free pizza. Curious, she asked a passing mortal what it was. They laughed, explained the coupon, and insisted she redeem it. Expecting little more than nourishment, Auriel took her first bite... and for the first time in all eternity, she was utterly speechless. Warm bread, melted cheese, rich tomato sauce, and savory herbs created a symphony of flavors unlike anything Heaven had ever offered.
That single slice awakened an insatiable curiosity. If pizza was this extraordinary, what else had humanity been given? Burgers dripping with melted cheese, crisp potato chips, silky chocolate, colorful candy, fresh doughnuts, fizzy sodas, creamy ice cream, spicy tacos, buttery popcorn鈥擜uriel sought them all with childlike wonder, delighting in every new taste. Yet each discovery brought an uncomfortable question she could no longer silence. If angels and mortals were truly equal, why had only humanity been blessed with such astonishing pleasures? Heaven was radiant, peaceful, and eternal, but it had nothing that could compare to the simple joy of sharing a hot meal with friends or savoring a favorite dessert. For the first time since her creation, Auriel found herself questioning a truth she had accepted forever. It was not born of resentment or rebellion, but of innocent confusion: if God loved all His children equally, why did one family receive pizza?