Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Chapter 13

Vladimir’s POV

I woke up like it was yesterday, with my tears flowing down my cheeks. I can’t explain the pain in my heart. It’s like even the word hurt is not appropriate. I can’t explain it, all I can feel is pain, that I wanted to die with it.

It was even a miracle that I woke up. I never thought I would. All I know is I was supposed to die. But I didn’t.

I woke up in my own room after days. It was Via that I first saw who told me everything that happened. A lot of half-bloods died or should I say been wiped-out except for the king which to my knowledge was put in the council’s underground area since it wasn’t destroyed. He was there for punishment though I think he actually doesn't need it anymore. His eyes were gone from a burn and he’s been telling us it’s because of angels.

I don’t know exactly what happened and I can’t even tell it. The council was destroyed, but the noble is still in its place lying like nothing had ever happened. The vial is still there though it was sealed by a powerful magic that even us cannot explain. Well, I can, it must be the work of an angel. I saw a feather dropped on the floor beneath the coffin, thinking or hoping that it might be Cassy.

Ruin told us that a lot of people saw what really happened. They saw vampires, lowkies, and it was even broadcast on television but when we all woke up people already believed that it’s an earthquake and tsunamis that actually destroyed the places. We all woke up by the way, and when we did we remembered everything about angels.

We remembered that the world is filled with guardian angels, one for each human. I remembered everything. I remembered a lot that it hurts.

A lot of vampires died too, and all the lowerbloods that sided with Ashlon died along with their houses. Though, Ashlon didn’t die. He was actually seen by my Mother in the council’s underground with chains around him and his eyes were burned too. They must have stared at the angel’s light, their true form, thinking that they can hold it but no they cannot, no one can.

We bleed a lot, lost a lot of our kin but we still stand. Ace’s brother died, and it’s actually a miracle that Ace lived. He told me that he sustained a lot of damage but he woke up without even a scratch. The twins are also fine but their mother died. Stan is fine, he was restoring the council with his family. We are fine, though my father is lying in a coffin restoring his strength that would take years.

Our family helps in restoring the place for the people but I just can’t focus. I keep on looking for Cassy. They knew now. They all know about angels that my mother even told me she’s going to redeem her grace. I can't feel her, can't even smell her blood so I decided to look for her after helping the town.

I remembered everything from my memories, if she told me everything right so I went to church. The place where I have seen her with the kids before. I stared at it. I remember everything but not the way to summon an angel. It’s like she didn’t let me know about it so I couldn’t find her. I need answers, I need to know everything that happened to her.

I passed by the side of the church, if my memories served me right it was Mira of the Gemini Covenant who told me how to summon an angel before but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t in this town. So, who could it be?

I arrived in front of the gift shop but unfortunately it wasn’t a gift shop anymore, and there was no strong force that kept me outside so I’m sure that person was no longer here though I still tried.

I went inside, it was now a bookstore. A man approached me as he sat and read. He was reading an old book with no title written. I caught a glimpse of it before he closed and looked at me, it was a handwritten book.

"Yes?"

I stared at him for a moment and felt like I had seen him before, but I just couldn’t remember where or maybe it was just I felt like for a while he was glowing.

“Ah, I just want to ask something,” I said. "I remember this place used to be a gift shop, and I just wanted to know where the m-" I stopped when I noticed the frown on his forehead until it turned into a laugh.

“You must be living a thousand years to be able to know that this was once a gift shop,” he smiled. “What do you need, Chival Fear?” He stared at me like he wanted me to melt.

“Who are you? How did you know my real name?”

“You were pretty famous in our house back then,” he grinned. "You just made a very powerful angel fall."

"You are an angel?"

"I was once an angel, not anymore."

"What happened to you?"

“When an angel fell in love with a human,” he started. I watched him as he arranged the books on the side. He put the book he was reading back on the shelves. “There are two choices; first, the angel's memories will be erased, he will be born again to gain his wings and become a guardian angel. It’s like a reincarnation.”

"Second?" I asked, curious.

"He will become a fallen angel."

"What does that mean?"

“Fallen angels become an oculus, an immortal person who sees everything. They can see every creature God made like ghosts, goblins, dwarfs, you name it. They can see them all.”

“You are an oculus, a fallen angel? You choose to be— “

“I choose to live with the memories of the human I loved,” I saw pain in his eyes for a while. "I choose to live like this, it's hard that's why I kept myself in this book shop for years."

“Why, I can’t understand? What’s wrong with seeing them all? Angels see all- “

“Yes, we do. We see all things in the world. But that’s not the deal,” he sadly smiled. “I got punished for choosing to live like this instead of gaining my wings again. I love her, that’s why I won’t allow anyone to erase the memories I have with her. Those were the only things I ever treasured. In return ... ” He shrugged, saying he doesn’t really have a choice.

“I get to see and feel every bad dream of people. I act as a dreamcatcher for every person I stare at.”

"That's-"

"That's what?" he laughed. “Can’t find the words, Chival?”

I nodded and felt sorry.

“Yeah, it was awful but I got used to it. I should because I wanted this. She’s a writer by the way ... ” He pointed to the old books on the shelf where he returned the book he was reading. "These are actually her work."

I thought of Cassy, now that I know. If ever, what would she choose?

“Thinking about her? Sorry, that wasn’t applicable to her,” he apologetically smiled. "Because the rules were made by her."

“What!?” I asked in shock. “She’s an angel. How could— “

“She’s no ordinary angel, Chival. She’s an angel of memories as well as your guardian angel. When she fell in love with you, the afterlife started to be in chaos.”

"What, I don't understand!" I said, confused. "Explain it."

“Look, the afterlife has two powerful angels. The Angel of Memories and the Angel of Reincarnation. They worked together to have balance in the afterlife. Syne collects the soul and memories, Uriel uses those memories to reincarnate people.”

“I still don’t get it. So what? ” I sighed. "What happened to her?" That’s all I want to know. That’s all.

"You were supposed to die as a human," He turned to me and I saw that he took two plastic cups and started making coffee with the maker.

“You don’t have a guardian angel when you start to grow up. She wasn’t aware of the reason so she acted as your guardian angel to find out the reason and she was supposed to collect your soul and memories that day.” He stopped what he was doing for a moment as if he’s remembering everything.

“One, four, three. Have you heard her say that? You were supposed to be the one thousand four hundred three souls that she should have collected but she saved you for that reason. Name it selfish or selfless but she saved you because she thought that you shouldn’t die like that, giving you her blood. In return, you became what you truly are and you started seeing her ... and falling for her.”

‘Who wouldn’t fall for her?” I said that made him smile. "I love her. I do.”

“Please, I just want to know what happened to her. Where is she now? Is she back in heaven?”

“I hope so but she cannot fly back to heaven, Fear. It was your fault.” He looked at me.

"Tell me!"

“The afterlife is in chaos. People stop reincarnating since she left. Heaven is waiting for her to come back. But she can’t.”

“Why? It’s so hard to grasp it all.”

“Look, her wings are broken. Her grace is in your eyes. Do you think she can fly back to heaven?”

"She got punished for saving you, for giving you her grace, and for fighting for you."

"What punishment?" I suddenly felt afraid for her. "Is she gonna die?"

"That, I cannot answer." He handed me two coffees.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why are you giving me two-"

He looked at my right side and smiled meaningfully. "Give the other one to the beautiful lady beside you."