• Angels are believed to be biblical creatures ascended from heaven. They are the guides and sometimes, the conscience of the human beings they watch over. Sometimes, they are thought to be fictional. Well, let me tell you something. Angels do exist. Not just in Hebrew scriptures, but also in real life. I am Azrael, the angel of death. I am the sentinel of the gates of heaven and the pits of hell. Humans doubt the existence of angels because we do not physically intervene with a human’s life. Well, not until now......
    * * * * *
    I am bored. So utterly bored that I might consider breaking the rules just to have some fun. Being an angel who delivers souls to either heaven or hell can be quite tiring. However, this is the task given by the Commander up above, so I just can’t ignore my responsibilities. I looked down to the world of humans, scanning and probing for something to satisfy my boredom.
    Hmmmm…...a silent cry of the heart…..a suffering dignity……an inflamed soul. That was unusual. All these emotions wrapped up into one body. But the curious thing is that all of these prevailing feelings are being kept inside. Intrigued, I searched for the source.
    There, a raven-haired boy with soulful green eyes sat alone on a bar stool, drowning his problems on an expensive bottle of alcohol. He just sat there, unmindful of the upbeat music and the flirty glances of the girls around the bar. He tipped the bottle to his mouth again and coughed a little. He was a mirror of a broken man---a man with a mangled dignity, a scarred heart and a poisoned soul. A man who would normally end up burning in the pits of hell. But this boy is a different case. I can see the darkness that surrounds him, but amidst the chaos and confusion is a light yet to be discovered. Maybe he’s suffering from a broken heart. From a broken family. Or from a fragmented life. Whatever the reason is, it hinders him from seeing what is hidden, forbidding him to be truly happy.
    ‘Enough. That is enough’, I unconsciously thought to myself. I didn’t know why, but I feel….anguish just from looking at him, just from seeing him injured and suffering. I have seen people who have far worse fate than his, so why am I feeling so involved? Why do I want to comfort him? Why do I want to feel bad for him?
    As if complying with my words, he stood up, ignoring the beautiful girls who approached and tried to talk to him, and began his way out of the bar. As he went outside, he glanced up in the sky, as if looking at me. For some unknown reason, I felt a sharp throb well up inside my chest. His piercing green eyes hit me like a stubborn thunderstorm, powerful and never letting me go. His eyes were the color of emeralds, like the color of an oak leaf being held against the light. His gaze is like a green maze; one could just stare and fall forever into the green-silhouetted abyss. Yet those eyes were also full of shadows---shadows that hides he’s deepest, darkest secrets. Shadows which hides he’s true self from the outside world. Shells that made him more intriguing.
    I was captivated.
    The rain began to fall on his face and he defiantly let his head fall. A mournful expression, like he was expecting to receive an answer from heaven. He got to his expensive looking car and drove away
    What a fascinating human. For some reason I felt compelled to follow him--------------------
    “Azrael!” a shrill and musical voice called from behind me, interrupting my thoughts.
    I turned and search for the nuisance and immediately found her----- Ephira, my accomplice and constant companion. She was also given the task of delivering souls but chooses to be the “side-kick” in our partnership, probably because of her cheery and childish disposition which is unusual for an angel of death.
    “How many times did I tell you not to sneak up on me?” I said, annoyed at the fact that she almost made me lose my focus on the boy.
    She sighed, “Always the grumpy one. You know it couldn’t hurt to loosen up for once.”
    “Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” I retorted, not in the mood to be fooling around with her
    “Oh, I see…you must be really in a bad mood today,” I didn’t bother to respond so she sat beside me and stared at my face.
    “Hmm…you seemed so…flushed today,” she said, completely startling me,” Hey, this is the first time I have seen you with colors on your cheeks! Did something happen? And why are looking at the human world anyway? C’mon, tell me!”
    “I….it’s nothing. Really,”
    “You’re expression doesn’t say so.”
    “Just let it go, okay, Ephira? I’m not really in the mood to chat,” I grumbled and crossed my arms.
    “Hmph! Fine, then. Go ahead and suffer in silence. I’ll just be here if you’re willing to tell me everything, which, I suppose, will not happen in a long time,” Ephira said and childishly stuck her tongue out. Sometimes, she’s more of a human than an angel. She’s stubborn and childish like a normal human teenager but she’s actually thousands of years old and to top it off, she’s older than me.
    Sometimes, Ephira can get really annoying but I don’t get why she always smiles the way she does every time, even though many of the older seraphs criticize her behavior as inappropriate for being an angel of death. Sometimes, I just want her to leave me alone. But I know deep in my heart that she and the others are the only ones who keep my sanity in check.
    With Ephira behind my back, I returned my attention back to the shimmering orb of the human world.
    He is now driving erratically, swerving from side to side. All that alcohol must have affected his consciousness. Loud, fast-paced music filled his car, like he was trying to wake up the dead. He was driving at a dangerously fast rate…so fast that I can barely keep up.
    In a sharp motion, just a sharp flick of the vehicle’s wheels, the car unexpectedly---or perhaps, expectedly, crashed, hood first, to the large acacia tree.
    I stared in horror as the boy lay bloodied and unconscious on his seat. With some kind of adrenaline rush, I quickly and unthinkingly flew to wear he is, unmindful of the consequences I will face later.
    The car was beginning to burn by the time I got there. The smoke and soot rising will bound to attract the villagers nearby so I scooped the unresponsive boy in my arms and headed to the nearest hospital. I was about to lay the boy on the hospitals entrance when a thought came to my mind. ‘What now? Am I going to leave him alone in the hospital? Surely, the nurses and doctors will take care of him but who will help him get back to his family? But if I don’t come back to heaven, I will surely be punished….but will I be really punished for helping a human?’ I argued with myself, thinking about the consequences I will face if I choose to stay. But of course, I’m doing a good deed here and I think the Commander wouldn’t mind….. I smiled to myself. Maybe this is an excuse to get out of heaven for a while or maybe an excuse to get closer to the boy, to understand him better. Whichever reason it might be, my selfish part always wins.
    After several screenings and observations, the doctor diagnosed his wounds as inconsequential but he might suffer to post-traumatic amnesia because of his head injuries. After that, he was wheeled to his room and put into bed.
    Thinking about what the doctor said, I was quite baffled and at the same time pleased to hear his loss of memory. This might just turn into my advantage. If he remembered his past, he might hurriedly embraced it again as soon as he regain consciousness. However, if he doesn’t remember a thing, it would give me plenty of time to get to get to know him. Speaking of his past, I remembered what he did tonight and wondered why he was such in an erratic mood. Curiosity taking the best of me, I presses my hand softly on his head and began to scan his forgotten memories.
    In his mind’s eye, I can see a child with black hair and soulful green eyes stare at a black and white coffin fixated in the altar. He was in a church with other people who had their handkerchiefs on their eyes. The place was full of sorrow but for some reason, the boy was not crying. He just stared at the coffin and occasionally glancing at the man beside him. The man was immersed in crying, his handkerchief almost completely wet with tears. Then he spoke.
    “Aiden, why are you not crying?” the man said,” Have you no sympathy to your mother? Have you no love?’
    Aiden looked at his father and apathetically said,” Mother told me not to cry when she was gone. I’m just fulfilling my promise.”
    “You are a lying b*****d, Aiden! You care nothing for anyone else around you, you only cared for yourself. You were the one who killed her! I told her not to adopt you, now look at what happened!”
    The boy’s eyes widened in disbelief,” I did not kill mother, father. You know better than that,” he said in a small voice.
    Then, the scene shifted, showing the mother shield her son from a thief’s knife with her own body, and then she collapsed on her son’s arms with her son sobbing and crying. She wiped the tears away and slowly whispered to her son’s ear, “Son, do not cry over me. Don’t cry because I am gone, because the truth is, I am never gone. This physical body of mine might rot and change but my heart will forever stay with you. Promise me you’ll never cry over me again. Promise me.”
    “Yes, mother,” the boy tried to stifle his sobs. The woman smiled and wiped her son’s tears again before her arms fell limp on her sides. The father arrived just in time to see her wife already dead in the arm of his son.
    Then, the scene abruptly changed again, showing the boy already in his grown up state, signing his name in an application form.
    “Well then, Mr. Aiden Luke Ashenbert. You may see the President upstairs,” the perky, blonde attendant said while shuffling his papers.
    The boy quickly dashed upstairs, and faced the man before.
    “So you finally decided to come work for me, you worthless leech,” the man said, a scorn smile on his face.
    “Yes, father,” he said, bowing low.
    “That’s it. You should bow before me. Who cared and nurtured you? Who dressed you with fine clothes that you wear now? Who provided you a house to live? And despite all that, you managed to kill the person I loved the most in the world,” the man hit his back with a cane.
    Aiden coughed blood but stayed silent. The man only smiled,” You are intelligent Aiden. One of the most intelligent men I have seen. But you are still a filthy b*****d living under my roof. If you can prove your worth, I’ll let you run the company one day. But if you don’t, then we’ll just see what will happen to you.”
    The scene changed again, this time Aiden is with a girl. The girl was walking away while Aiden was pleading, almost on his knees.
    “It’s over, Aiden,” the girl said, and continued to walk away, leaving him stranded and soaking in the rain.
    The scene shifts, and now Aiden was being scolded by his father.
    “This is not good enough, Aiden!” he yelled and threw a folder at Aiden’s face, “How are we suppose to win against our competitors if we launch our next product with this piece of trash?”
    “I’m doing my best,” Aiden said quietly.
    “Well, your best isn’t good enough. Maybe I should have chosen another successor. Someone far better than you. Now get out of my face!” his father violently shooed him out of his office.
    Aiden hurriedly went to his car and went to an expensive bar, driving as fast as his car could take him.
    My consciousness snapped back to reality. I didn’t know hard his life was. That was where he’s yearning…his desperation for help and comfort came from.
    I looked at him, his face now peaceful in his sleep, and silently whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll be here for you.”
    He twitched and his lips showed a slight smile. Something in his subconscious must have heard me. I smiled in returned, though he can’t see me, and laid my head on his bed, finally giving in to unconsciousness.
    I was awoken with a tugging motion on my arm. I jerked my hand away, not wanting to be woken up, though it may have been too late. I opened my eyes and searched for someone to be blamed, when a pair of emerald green eyes stared back to my half-open eyes. My mind was instantly awake. There he was, staring at me with a curious glint in his eye.
    “Tell me, who are you and what is this place you have brought me to?” he said and paused for a second,” And, who am I? I can’t seem to remember anything that happened…..”
    I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought he was going to scream at my face,” You are at a hospital, being diagnosed for your injuries because you had a car crash last night in a street near an abandoned beach resort. I found you and brought you here in the hospital. You had minor injuries and you are now suffering from post-traumatic amnesia because of that wound on your head.”
    He fingered his head gash and winced, “By the way, do you know who I am? Or perhaps anything that may indicate something about me?”
    I thought about it and said, “Well, I have something here that might be yours.” I gave him his credit card which was the only thing I recovered from the mangled car. The others must have been lost in the crash.
    “Hmmm….I’m Aiden Luke Ashenbert…..twenty years old….that’s it?” he asked.
    “Yes. That’s the only thing I can find on your car,” I responded.
    “And you don’t know me personally…?” he asked, now looking me in the eyes.
    I internally blanched. Should I tell him the truth? If I did, then he would pursue his past and I would never get the chance to know him…..to be with him. But….should I lie?
    “No…I believe I don’t,” I lied. My first lie. I bit my lip, there would be big consequence for this.
    “Well then, I guess there’s no helping it. By the way, how did you manage to find me?” he said while fingering his unkempt hair, careful not to touch his wound.
    “Uhmmm….I was just walking by…” I said. I didn’t think he would question me this much!
    “That would be impossible since the place is isolated. You said it was near an abandoned beach,” he retorted. Cunning boy.
    I thought of some explanation or excuse but I couldn’t think of anything that wasn’t a lie. I already lied once, twice would be out of the line. So I settled for the truth, though it might scare him or drive him to think I’m crazy.
    “Well…this might sound weird but I’m an angel who watches over you from heaven. I went down to earth as soon as I saw your car crash,” I sighed and looked at his face carefully. He was intently staring at me while trying to hold back laughter himself.
    “Okay, you’re an angel. I get it now. You’re one of the hospital nurses, aren’t you? Trying to play a prank on the new patient,” he laughed and I blushed, embarrassed. This was a bad idea. I should’ve stuck to lying-----but before I can finish my thought, Ephira----the all annoying Ephira-----came flying through the window.
    “Well! I had a hard time finding you and you were just here in the human world, roaming around and neglecting your duties,” Ephira childishly said then, for the first time, noticed that I wasn’t the only one in the room.
    Sure enough, Aiden gasped and cringed away from me and Ephira, as far as the room can allow him.
    “You believe me now?” I told him while rolling my eyes at Ephira.
    “Y-yeah,” he said, still backing away.
    “Uhmmm…did I scare you,” I asked, conscious of the way he cringes back.
    “N-no….well, maybe a little,” he said, and then he stopped recoiling. He went nearer and, unexpectedly, touched Ephira’s wings,” Wow. They’re real. I can’t believe it,” he smiled then asked me,” Where’s yours?”
    “Uh, I kept it hidden,” I said then blushed at the way he smiled.
    “Uh-hmmmm…..can I talk to you for a moment, missy,” Ephira interrupted and my annoyance just shot up to another level.
    “Please excuse us for a second,” I said to Aiden, who nodded in return.
    Ephira guided me to the window while Aiden’s eyes widen as we took off to the sky. Ephira flew to a nearby abandoned and I aimlessly followed her, my mind still on Aiden’s smile.
    “Okay, let’s get down to business,” Ephira said, hands on hips, “What were you doing in the human world…talking to a human?”
    “Nothing. I just got bored,” I weakly retorted.
    “Oh, you got so bored that you told him about our existence!”Ephira squealed with rage
    “I’m sure he already knows about angels-----“I was abruptly cut off. Ephira was mad; her cherubic face glowed with anger.
    “But he never believed we physically exist! What were you thinking, Azrael? I thought you were the smart one. You know well that we never intervene with a human’s life,” she said while my retort died in my lips. Yes, it was forbidden for an angel to immerse herself into a human’s life. The consequences were unimaginable. But……
    “I just want to know him better,” I whispered to no one, head down, palms on the side.
    “Whatever. You do what you want. I hope your infatuation with that human won’t grow into something else,” she defiantly said while she glared at me.
    “What? You think I’ll fall in love with him?”I said a frown on my lips.
    “Well, I hope you don’t because you know very well that it will effectively humanize you. And when you die, there’s no guarantee where your soul will be heading,” she said while taking off, leaving me there in despair. I never needed a friend like I do now, but then, she’s already gone.
    I wiped my tears away and quickly came back to Aiden’s room.
    When I got there, he was already finishing supper.
    “So, what did you guys talk about?” he said while discarding a banana peel to the tray.
    “Nothing. Just trivial stuff,” I said while simultaneously trying hard to make myself believe it was trivial.
    His eyebrows knitted, realizing something was amiss, but then deciding not to push me. Good for him.
    “You know you never did answer my first question,” he said while throwing away a used towel.
    “And what was that again?” I asked.
    “Your name,” he smiled, “You never did tell me.”
    “Oh,” I thought for a while,” Well, this may sound unusual but they named me Azrael.”
    “Hmm…unusual, indeed,” then he smiled wider,” But it’s beautiful.”
    I blushed and smiled in return.
    Forgetting about what happened earlier; we just talked and talked until the sun began to set.
    “Hey, the sun’s already out. You should go to bed,” I said, noticing the evening’s darkness for the first time.
    “It’s just 6 pm. And I’m not sleepy yet,” he said stubbornly.
    “The doctor told you to rest early. You shouldn’t push yourself,” I said, already getting his bed ready.
    “……will you be here,” he asked in a serious tone, making me stop what I was doing.
    “Yes, of course. Who would take care of you when you sprain yourself late at night?” I chuckled, partly to humor him and partly to comfort myself from the fact that I had nowhere else to go.
    “Oh, good. I was just going to ask you something,” he shuffled next to me.
    “Yes?” I continued preparing his bed.
    “Tell me. Why did you watch over me in the first place? Are you really my guardian angel?” he said, curiosity in his voice.
    Why does he always ask the most difficult questions? I sighed and thought of an answer. Obviously, I can’t lie to him again, so I decided to tell him the truth, though a little embarrassing.
    “Well…honestly, I’m not anybody’s guardian. I’m an angel of death. I’m the one who delivers human souls to either heaven or hell.”
    “You aren’t here to deliver my soul, right?” he nervously said and I cracked a laugh.
    “No….not exactly.”
    “So, why then?”He pushed.
    “Well, let’s just say I got a bit bored and I decided to look at what’s happening in the human world. I was scanning through every thought and every emotion of every human, just looking for something that might pique my interest, then, you caught my attention. But then, for some reason, I felt obliged to help you when your car crashed and now, we’re here,” I sighed, “Well, I know in have no right to but, I’m honestly curious about you and I want to know you more……” I trailed, realizing that I said too much.
    “So for short, you…liked me?” he said looking into my eyes but I avoided his gaze.
    I shyly nodded.
    “You know, there’s nothing wrong about liking someone, Azrael,” he said and suddenly gripped my wrist, forcing me to look at him in the eye. He smiled and I blushed.
    Then unexpectedly, he pressed his lips into mine.
    I don’t understand what I was feeling. I don’t even know what’s truly happening. All I felt was the warmth surging throughout my body, like I was basking underneath the sun. The heat didn’t burn me, instead the heat felt…nice.
    “I like you too, Azrael,” he said and pulled away.
    “………What just happened?” I asked, still immobile, still in confusion about what I’m really feeling, still feeling the crazy sensation on my lips.
    “It’s called a kiss,” he smiled sheepishly and pulled me in closer.
    And we just stayed like that, not talking, not explaining ourselves. Even though, we might not understand what we really feel, it’s clear now that we can’t go on without each other. Maybe Ephira is right. Maybe I am falling for a human. Or maybe this is just some dream from my imaginative mind. Whatever. I don’t care. If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.
    I felt the sun’s warm rays escape the room’s thin curtains. I stretched and opened my eyes. I was lying on Aiden’s arms, snuggling on his white cotton sweatshirt. And he was already awake, reading something on his hand which I couldn’t make out.
    “Oh, good morning, sleepy head,” he said brightly and offered me some assistance to sit up.
    “Thanks,” I said and thought, “I should call a nurse to get you some breakfast.”
    “Already did that.” He smiled and showed me his already-empty plate,” By the way, check this out.” I scooted near him and read the paper he was reading before. My face blanched. I didn’t know this could happen so quickly.
    “Isn’t that great? I’ll finally meet my family and hopefully, they’ll help me regain my memories, “he enthusiastically said.
    The paper was a hospital’s aid to people who have amnesia. The will publicize those people who hadn’t yet met their respective families. They will broadcast those person’s names and photographs on television and on radio. All that was needed was a name, an age and a photo.
    “Hey, are you alright?”He said,” You don’t seem to be happy about this.”
    I was dejected. My time with him is now becoming very short. Even though I planned this out, it will always turn wrong in the end. It was wrong to lie. Because no matter what I did, the outcome will still be the same. I can’t stop him from finding his family. My effort was just a futile attempt. In the end, he will never stay. I’m fed up of lying. Even though it was just one lie, it was very consequential. I have to tell him. I can’t bear to lie to him anymore.
    “Listen, Aiden,” I said, my eyes downcast,” I lied to you about not knowing you personally.” He stopped reading the paper and turned to look at me.
    “I knew you. Before you woke up, I scanned your forgotten memories and learned about your past. I can also grant you your memories but I didn’t bother telling you.”
    “But, Azrael….why…?” he said in a baffled tone, “I could’ve found my family by now. I could’ve been back to my old life. I wouldn’t be rotting away in this hospital, just waiting and waiting for someone to claim me like a lost-and-found object.”
    “You have to understand, Aiden! I wanted to get to know you-------“he cut me off before letting me finish.
    “And you would. Do you think I won’t recognize you for your help? Do you think I’m a person who throws away someone after the all help they’ve given? I would’ve given you a chance. A better chance.” He said and looked away,” Did you lie about liking me, too?”
    My eyes widened at what he said,” Of course, I wouldn’t lie about that! I like you, Aiden! I like you so much; I’m falling in love with you!”
    Now it was his turned to widen his eyes but then he shook his head,” I don’t know what to believe anymore. I thought angels don’t lie, but obviously they do.” He said and walked out of the room.
    I just sat there, crestfallen. I know he would hate me. I know he wouldn’t want to talk to me, see me or do anything that has got to do with me. I don’t belong here. I should never have gone down to earth and intervene with his life. Because despite of all the happiness I felt when I’m with him, I still managed to disappoint the person I cared the most in this world.
    I cried a few silent tears and spread my wings to fly away.
    Away from him…..away from this place……away from everything else.
    The time passed by and I’m still flying, not quite sure of where to go. Because the only haven I know, is beside him. I tried to forget him. I tried to remove him from my mind, but despite the effort, I never managed to disown him. He was too precious, too important on my insignificant life. For that very reason, my wings carried me back to the hospital, for no reason. Perhaps, to apologize to him. Or perhaps, to see him one last time. But when I got there, I was only greeted by an empty shell of what was once a jam-packed room.
    Where could he be? I probed every human thought and emotion for any clue of where he is. And finally, after several futile attempts of tracking him, I heard a silent cry for help….just a silent cry that’s barely coherent at all. But I immediately knew that was him. I have been probing his mind so much that I barely knew my own.
    I followed his mental voice, and was surprised to see that he was not in an plush mansion but in a shabby, abandoned warehouse.
    I can hear the gruff voices surrounding the area and the sound of clunking metal. I peeked around the corner and silently gasped at what I saw.
    Aiden was tied into a chair; his shirt and face soaked in blood. And there were seven, well-built men with heavy artillery dangling at every loose fold of clothing. They were surrounding him, carrying poles and machetes, as if guns weren’t enough to torture a half-paralyzed, 20-year old boy. The tallest one who was munching a potato chip began to speak.
    “ Are you sure this is the President Ashenbert’s son?”he said while discarding an empty potato chip container.
    “Of course he is, you twit! Can’t you read the ad? It’s Aiden Luke Ashenbert, not Barney the Purple Dinosaur, dumbass,” the one with many piercings whacked the potato-loving goon’s head.
    “He isn’t talking to us. Maybe we should change our ‘strategy’ instead,” the eager one who looks like a hyena-human hybrid encouraged the rest of the team.
    “No, you ugly moron. Boss said that we hurt this little b*****d as little as possible or else he’s gonna hurt us,” the one with the Armani suit said and then glanced at the redhead technician before lighting his cigar,” Hey, Matt, is that thing connecting yet?”
    “Yes sir, 100% online,” the redhead said, putting a cigarette in his mouth.
    “Good, let’s give his father a phone call,” the Armani guy said and took the makeshift phone’s receiver.
    “N-no…don’t,” Aiden suddenly said, straightening his painfully stiff position. He was more alive than I thought.
    “Oh, and the sparrow talks,” the Armani guy snickered and scooted near to Aiden’s face, his cigar almost touching Aiden’s nose.
    “What do you want?” Aiden boldly asked, ignoring the pain on his left shoulder.
    “It’s just simple my boy. Your father’s company has been ruling the trading world for 50 years now. The Mafia only wants to bring it down so that we can dominate the stocks. Pretty simple, no?” he puffed his cigar, making Aiden cough.
    “And you’re going to get that through me,” he said, rolling his eyes,” Too clichéd, even for the mafia.”
    The Armani guy lost his cool and kicked Aiden’s chair, making him fall down on the cold, rough cemented floor, “That’s how the mafia works, kid. Deal with it.”
    Aiden tried to get up but was only hampered by the hyena-human hybrid, laughing as he struck the boy hard on his gut, “That’s what you get if you insult the mafia.”
    “Get off of me,” Aiden helplessly said, enduring one gut-curdling kick to another.
    “Make me,” he laughed.
    All the others roared in laughter too while they watch and occasionally gave Aiden a swift kick or a punch, or something worse.
    I was horrified. Seeing the boy I was only grieving for a while ago being kicked by an absolute lunatic was more than I can bear. Anger swelled up to me, encompassing any emotion I have ever felt before. With a swift motion of my hand, the mentioned lunatic paused for a brief second then unexplainably collapsed to the floor.
    “What the hell----?!” the supposed leader gasped, almost choking on his cigar, “Did you bring some back up, kid?” he said while dragging Aiden’s bruised arms up to face him.
    Aiden merely shrugged and said,” I have no idea what just happened.” But I already knew that he figured it out.
    With a smile on my lips, I executed the next three men.
    The remaining three---namely the leader, the pierce guy and the redhead technician--- got all their guns and pointed at the surroundings,” Where is it coming from.?”
    “Where is what coming from? Look at the bodies. There aren’t any holes or wounds. The attacker must have used some kind of weapon who doesn’t break the skin. And their already dead since they aren’t breathing-----“
    “Oh shut up, Matt! I can see them lying lifeless. I don’t care how they died! How to stop this madman is the only thing I care about,” the Armani guy tensed, his eyes clearly show desperation.
    I smiled again to myself. I can feel the crazy adrenaline rush coursing through my veins. Or, then again, maybe I am going insane. I don’t care. The most important thing is to protect the one I loved.
    Slowly, I stepped out of the shadows and faced the now flabbergast men head-on.
    “W-what are you???!” he said while the others backed away. From my peripheral vision, I saw Aiden smile at me.
    My wings hindered the broad daylight that escaped through the warehouse’s shanty roof. They were pitch-black, like the souls of the three men I was about to kill.
    “I’m an angel of death, can’t you tell?”I smirked while I reaped the roots of their souls from their bodies, transporting them to where they belong.
    As soon as I stole those souls away, I felt myself crumble.
    “Azrael!” Aiden rushed to my side, his hands still bound in chains, “Thank you. That was stupid of me to come with them without telling you.”
    “I understand-------“I was suddenly cut off when he pulled me into an airtight embrace.
    “No. You shouldn’t. You’re always too kind for me. I should’ve listened to you; instead I rejected everything you said.”
    “It was my fault for lying in the first place,” I squeezed him tighter, but that was when I realized I was changing. I saw my hands form into transition; from flesh to sand.
    No.
    This is what Ephira warned me for. Loving a human made me interfere with his death and interfering with any human will bring consequences in the end, which only means one thing.
    The angel must die.
    I have broken too many rules, killed too many people, defied too many warnings. But it was worth it. To feel the one you love touch your heart, to send it beating into frenzy, was more than enough. For the first time in my utterly empty existence, I was happy.
    “Listen, Aiden. That part is not important right now. All you have to do is to find your family,” I said and raised my hand to his temple,” I know I should have told you this but now I’m giving your memories back to you.” I closed my eyes and let his past life travel back to his consciousness. I can hear him gasp as he recalled every painful memory he had with his father, every agonizing break up of every girl he thought he loved, every moment he spent in loneliness, thinking only about his deceased mother. And every moment he cherished in the hospital, with a young girl in his arms. I smiled and felt the tears spill to my cheeks.
    “Okay now. Listen very carefully. I want you to go back to your father. That is the only place you can be safe,” I aid while quickly undoing his chains, trying to hide the tears.
    “What about you? Will I see you again,” he said, his eyes begging for me to stay.
    I wish I could stay. I wish I could stay with him forever. But I couldn’t compete against the decision of time, but if I say no, it would only make him suffer,” Yes. Go. I can find you anywhere,” my last lie to him. But the second part was the truth. Yes, I can find him because my heart will always be with him.
    He pressed his lips unto mine for the last time and briskly ran until his silhouette was the only thing left.
    Soon, he was gone.
    The silence filled the empty room, the dust moats danced in the air while being beatifically reflected by the light. I stared at my dissolving form, slowly moving my fingers to wipe my tears. Sand was dripping anywhere; my hair, my hands, my arms, everywhere. Drip. Drip. Drip. Like a candle wax amidst the flame.
    I heard a cluster of wings, and an equally black-winged angel descended, looking at me with disdain.
    “I told you, Azrael, but you wouldn’t listen. In the end, you suffer with your consequences,” Ephira said in an unusually melancholic voice.
    A small laugh escaped my lips. She stared at me like I was really insane,” I don’t regret what I’ve done, Ephira. Say anything you want but it’s still your loss.”
    She stared at me, bewildered and resentful,” You have already defied many rules, effectively humanized yourself and interfered with a human’s death but still had the gall to tell me it’s my loss.”
    I only smiled at her, not patronizingly but thoughtful,” Yes, I might have sentenced myself to death but I gained something else you or any other angel would never have: how to be truly happy. I now understand how humans lose their minds because of love, that we considered a trivial thing. I know now that the greatest thing you’ll ever learn is to love and be loved in return.” I didn’t listen to anything she said anymore. My strength is fading yet I feel so content in just lying here and doing nothing. I feel satisfied even though I can feel every flame of life in me being extinguished.
    Suddenly, a blanket of light encompassed me, filling me with warmth. And for some reason, it didn’t hurt. I slowly closed my eyes as I felt the last flame inside me die.
    * * * * *
    The raven-haired boy sat alone on the cold floor with his knees up to his chin, he’s eyes wandering around the room. The room was he’s own home’s music room. He’s father brought him here after he was found almost passed out on the front door. His father saw the hospital’s broadcast and immediately went there to search for him. But when he got there, he was greeted by a note that stated his son being kidnapped and ordered him to bring the one million dollar ransom to a certain warehouse in exchange for his son. He was specifically instructed to go alone or else his son will get hurt. But despite the threat, he sought his best men to assist him during the exchange. He was a clever man.
    But the exchange never took place. Before he and his men could move, he found his son exhaustedly dragging himself to the front door which he practically collapsed. He wondered how his son got away but that didn’t matter right now: all that counts is that he’s safe and back to his old home again. He deeply regretted mistreating his son all these years and as soon as his son woke up, he asked for forgiveness which his son immediately granted.
    ‘And now we’re back to square one,’ the boy said still waiting for his angel to come.
    Out of the blue, a rapid beating of wings echoed throughout his room and he swiftly turned and smiled to where the sound came. And his smile abruptly changed into a frown.
    “What are you doing here?” he asked the other black-winged angel who descended slowly to the room’s large window pane,” And where’s Azrael?”
    Ephira sighed and waved a single black feather which had an obvious difference from her own. The feather was jet-black but had a pearly sheen reflected around it and the tip was embossed with a shade of gray.
    He took the feather and immediately deduced what happened,” What have you done to her?!!”
    “Hey, don’t look at me, human. She’s the one who gave herself a death sentence. And it’s all because of you. I just came here to tell you this ‘cause I know that’s what she wants,” Ephira said while preparing to launch herself out of the window.
    “Wait! Are you saying that she died to save me,” he said, not clearly hearing himself think coherently.
    “That’s what we get if we disturb a human’s death. You were lucky she fell in love with you. If it wasn’t for her, you would be rooting away by now,” Ephira said then thought,” By the way, Azrael’s lifespan was added to yours. You’re not immortal or anything but you just have to live a little longer than an average human.” And by that she just took off, leaving Aiden confused.
    ‘She said she’ll be back, right?’ he thought then clasped his hand to his head.’ Lie. It was her final lie so that she won’t have to hurt me.’ He can remember her sapphire blue eyes that could captivate any heart it would hold. Her long and pale hair that resembles winter’s first snow. Her adoring smile which always shows kindness from the heart. All of these, he can remember but it only causes him a million heartaches.
    Lying face down on the bed, Aiden buried himself deeper while spilling his torrent of tears. His chest heaved of sadness and the emptiness of not having her with him anymore. It was like being plunged deep into a cold ocean, where there’s nothing to hold on to but yourself. Just sinking and sinking, until he can no longer see the light of day.
    For a long time, he did not resurface.
    ~1 year later~

    “I sure am glad to see you again, sir,” Roger Barlow, the director of the Ashenbert Orphanage smiled as he saw the raven-haired boy entered the common room,” But may I ask why you wanted to establish an orphanage instead of business-related firms?”
    Aiden smiled in return and gazed at the children happily playing in the sun,” Of course, I must choose a successor for my company Mr. Barlow. Any children won’t do. They must be trained and educated to the standards of becoming the new president of the Ashenbert Company.”
    “But won’t it be much easier if you just got married and had a child?” Mr. Barlow said, still baffled.
    His face fell, his eyes full of melancholy,”…..it’s a rather long story, Mr. Barlow. A story I have no intention to share with anyone.”
    “Oh….I see,” Mr. Barlow nodded and stared at the children.
    In the corner of his eye, he caught a small squirming movement at the back part of the common room. He turned to see what it was and almost gasped at what he saw.
    There was a small girl sitting at the floor, hugging her knees to her chin while solving a white-on-white jigsaw puzzle. Her eyes were a tantalizing color of deep blue which she kept downcast, aware that someone was staring at her. Her lush pale hair was stretched all the way at the back, making a curtain-like boundary around her. Her cherubic face was hidden beneath her bangs but her beauty was still visible. Mr. Barlow noticed Aiden’s gaze and followed his gaze to the girl.
    “Ah, that girl is one of the best students in here. She is exceptionally intelligent and artistic and often times, spending her time alone reading books or solving puzzles.”
    “…I see,” Aiden responded without looking at Mr. Barlow and slowly approached the little girl. The girl looked up at the green-eyed stranger approaching her.
    “Hello there, little girl. Why aren’t you playing with others out there?”Aiden said and smiled at the girl.
    “I don’t want to. I’m waiting for someone,” the girl responded.
    “And who might that be?” Aiden asked.
    “……I don’t know. But all I know is that it’s someone who would make me happy,” the little girl childishly said, turning her attention back to the puzzle.
    Aiden smiled wider then turned to Mr. Barlow,” I’m going to be the one who will personally take care of this child. I will teach her with everything I know and I will hold responsibility for her. Will you kindly agree with that Mr. Barlow?”
    “Of course,” Barlow said and bowed.
    “What’s your name, little girl?” he asked while the girl knitted her eyebrows and paused for a while to think.
    “…I don’t think I have a name. They just call me A, but I don’t know why.”
    “Okay then, from now on, your name would be Azrael,” Aiden said and held out his hand,” I’m Aiden Ashenbert.”
    “Hmmm…..Azrael, I like that” she said and placed her palm on Aiden’s outstretched hand, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ashenbert.”
    “Please, call me Aiden.”
    “Ok then….Aiden,” she smiled so beatifically that it pierced through Aiden’s soul.
    Happy for the first time in a very long time, Aiden smiled back.
    And that was the start…..the new beginning of everything………..