"Kara! Kara! It's the first day of senior year!"
Nareen's voice rang from downstairs like an alarm bell.
Kara jolted upright, heart pounding. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand.
August 16, 2023. 11:00 AM.
"What the..." she gasped, disoriented, when her bedroom door creaked open.
"Sweetie, what are you doing? You're not even dressed!" her mother stepped in, concern on her face.
"You were so excited last night. Did you have a bad dream? Talk to me. You can share it with mummy." She touched Kara's forehead, checking for fever.
But Kara's mind was racing.
"Say nothing about what happened here."
Angel Michael's words echoed through her like a warning.
Forcing a smile, she gently took her mother's hand.
"Mum, I'm fine. I overslept, that's all. I was too excited, couldn't sleep well. Just give me fifteen minutes—I'll be down."
Nareen hesitated. Something felt off... but she decided not to push it.
"Alright, sweetheart. Don't be late!" She closed the door behind her.
Kara exhaled deeply and walked into the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, searching her own eyes.
"What is truly going on? Was all that just a dream?" she whispered.
A cold, smooth voice answered her.
"Yes. A ridiculous, awful dream. Hurry up and get ready. Today, you slay."
Kara froze.
She knew that voice. Even though it was softer, more cunning now... it was him.
Lucifer.
"Why do his words sound so... tempting?" she thought.
She stared at herself for a long time before finally shaking it off and stepping into the shower.
Back in her room, she opened her wardrobe and remembered the outfit she'd picked out the night before—a striking blue mini skirt, matching crop top, and tall blue boots.
"Oh my God. This outfit will turn heads! You'll look amazing. Prom queen is yours this year—you were cheated last time, remember? Becky stole that crown from you."
Lucifer's voice was laced with sugar.
Kara smiled a little. It had been her dream, her one big high school goal. And it was true—Becky won, even though Kara had wanted it more.
"Lead those you misled back to God..."
Kara's smile faded.
"How could that be real?" she muttered. "Heaven? Hell? My dad..."
She reached for the outfit—but stopped.
Suddenly, a vivid image flashed before her eyes.
Her father—Nidal Williams—engulfed in flames, reaching out to her, eyes filled with sorrow.
"Kara, Kara! You made it. I'm so sorry you have to see me here. I didn't live the right way... I knew God's laws... but I gave up. I sold my soul. I did all kinds of things... I'm just glad you made it..."
Tears welled up in Kara's eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
"It was real. All of it... was real."
She turned back to the wardrobe, now with a different urgency. Desperately scanning through the clothes, she pulled hangers aside, searching for something modest—something that reflected the second chance she'd been given.
Suddenly, a long pink flay skirt fell from the top shelf.
She caught it just in time.
It was the skirt her grandmother had given her.
It was soft, beautiful... and decent.
Kara smiled, wiped her tears, and paired it with a simple white shirt. She brushed her hair neatly, applied light makeup, and looked at herself again.
This time, she felt peace.
She ran downstairs, her skirt flowing behind her.
"Kara, honey, you took a long ti—" Nareen paused mid-sentence, stunned by her daughter's appearance.
Kara stood there, glowing—not with glamour, but with grace.
"You look... different." Nareen said softly, blinking.
Kara smiled.
"I feel different, Mum."