Fun, slightly horrifying concept
What if the reason Redemption wasn't working was the following:
When Sinners are sent Down, any little speck of good in them is yanked out and taken Up. Soemtimes if it's just a spark, a little flicker, it's merged with others to eventually form a Cherub.
Othertimes someone led a life that was filled with so many conflicting good and bad deeds, that they are literally halved, and a version of them is sent Up.
The kicker is that no one knows this.
So if all traces of Good are gone, how can you redeem a soul? If one was, would they merge with the other now sentient version of self? Or remain distinct, and in a state of existential crisis?
Can you imagine the horror of a Winner realising part of themself, or a loved one, has been suffering in hell this whole time? While the Good part was enjoying Heaven?
I think that would be harder to take than the exterminations.
Charlie would be heartbroken.
And this is where I slip in the idea that Emily is her Good twin. Although Heaven just scooped out the Angel bits, and didn't think too hard about how traits could be spread across the pair - the love, the rage, the care and hate.
Cue chaos.
