Liana sat by her window, guitar resting on her lap, fingers idly brushing across the strings. The notes lingered in the quiet room, soft and fragile, like whispers she could almost understand.
Her thoughts replayed the day — Derek's tears, Trevor's absence, the chaos of her own heart. The lingering echo of that soft voice — "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not boast. It is not proud…" — wrapped around her mind like a fragile thread.
She let out a slow sigh. "God… what are You trying to tell me?"
The room grew still. The air seemed heavier, almost humming against her skin. Her eyelids grew heavy, the strings slipping from her fingers.
A roar like oceans colliding, like thunder breathing. Alleluia. Alleluia.
She was standing on a plain of glass. Endless. Shimmering. Alive. The surface beneath her feet felt impossibly solid yet fragile, reflecting.
Above, the sky split open, not like a storm, but like a curtain of light tearing. From the tear poured gold and fire and voices. Countless voices. Alleluia. Alleluia. The name of the Lord filled the heavens like heat and wind combined. Every heartbeat of the plain seemed to echo it.
And then she saw Him.
A Rider on a white horse, eyes blazing like fire, a robe dipped in blood, crowned in countless crowns. On His thigh and robe was written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Out of His mouth came a sharp sword, and His gaze cut through the darkness like truth itself.
The armies of heaven followed Him, riding white horses, clothed in linen brighter than the dawn. Their voices rose in thunderous song, their faces radiant, eyes burning like molten gold.
An angel appeared in the sun, towering and bright, shouting to the skies: "Come and gather yourselves unto the supper of the great God!" The birds circled, wings shimmering, ready to feast on the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, horses, and all who defied him both free and slave, both small and great.
She saw the beast and the kings of the earth gathered to make war against Him. The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, who had deceived all who bore the mark of the beast. They were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. The rest were slain by the sword from His mouth, and all the birds feasted on their flesh.
Liana's knees buckled, her hands clenching the glass plain as if it could hold her from falling. Heat and light rolled over her like waves. And then — darkness.
She woke with a gasp, sweat soaking her hair, heart hammering, lungs burning. The air of her room felt suddenly thin, almost suffocating, yet the vision clung to her like a brand on her skin.
She fell to her knees, hands clasped, forehead almost touching the floor. "Oh God, my Father, I am sorry…" Her voice shook, trembling with awe, fear, and guilt. Her body shook with the weight of the unseen glory she had witnessed.
And then her thoughts turned inward, sharp and relentless: For the good that I want to do, I do not. But the evil I do not want to do, I find myself doing.
Her fingers tightened around each other, nails biting into her palms. If I do what I do not want, it is no longer truly me—it is the sin that lives inside me.
She bowed further, letting the weight of her own failures press down on her like a physical force. I see a pattern: whenever I try to do good, evil is right there with me. I love Your law with all my heart, Lord, but another force inside fights against it, pulling me back into sin even when my mind wants to obey You.
A shiver ran down her spine. Her chest heaved as if the vision of heaven were still pressing against it. Oh, what a struggle I face! Who will rescue me from this broken, failing body?
And yet, even in her weakness, hope flickered like the faintest candle. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So with my mind I serve Your law… but my flesh keeps obeying the law of sin.
She stayed there, kneeling, silent, letting the quiet fill the room. The fire, the light, the thunder of heaven — all lingered in her senses, calling her closer, terrifying and beautiful all at once. Her body still trembled, but inside, a stirring of purpose and awe pulsed through her soul.