Chosen Realm

Chapter 8

Soojin's P.O.V.

I sat down near the gates of hell, waiting for Inaya to return. Time seemed to crawl by, and boredom began to seep in. Just as I was starting to wonder what was taking her so long, Lilith approached me curiously.

"What are you doing near the gates of hell?" Lilith inquired, her tone laced with suspicion. I retorted, asking her the same question, but she evaded a direct answer and swiftly ran away.

"Oi, don't leave your little brother in suspense!" I called out after her, frustrated by the lack of response. I sighed, realizing that I would have to wait for Inaya's return to get any answers.

Finally, Inaya emerged through the forcefield, running and gasping for breath. Concern washed over me as I asked her what had happened. She struggled to speak, catching her breath before explaining that Veronika was safe.

Relief flooded through me, knowing that Veronika was unharmed. But then Inaya mentioned that they might be followed. I furrowed my brow and asked, "They? Who are you referring to?"

Just then, Emil popped out from behind a tree, exclaiming, "Yahoo!" Veronika appeared next to him, and my surprise only grew. "Oh!" escaped my lips once again, astonished by their sudden arrival.

Emil turned to Veronika and asked if she had anything to say. Veronika retorted with a sassy remark, questioning if she had to say anything at all. Emil insisted, and I patiently waited, curious to hear her explanation.

Veronika reluctantly apologized for leaving me behind. I pouted, uncertain if I should accept her apology so easily. Veronika warned me that if I didn't accept, she would hit me. Sighing, I gave in and said, "Okay, okay, I get it. I accept."

She remarked, "You're real stupid, you know that, right?" I shrugged and replied, "Meh, I've been told worse things. Like 'nugget'—?"

Inaya interjected with a mischievous grin, confessing, "Oh, that was me. It was really funny." Veronika turned to Inaya, curious about her identity.

Inaya introduced herself as an angel, which surprised Veronika. She questioned how an angel ended up coming from the Pride Kingdom. Inaya shrugged and admitted they didn't know why it had happened.

Emil chimed in, suggesting that Inaya might be harboring many negative feelings. Inaya pondered why she would have such negative emotions. Emil proposed that they should speak privately, and although Inaya was reluctant, she eventually agreed after a bit of low-key begging from Emil.

Together, we ventured deeper into the forest, seeking a more secluded spot to continue our conversation.

Inaya's P.O.V.

Emil started to explain that his mother had forced him to kill me to avoid marrying her. I listened silently, absorbing the details of his predicament. When he finished, I simply replied, "Okay."Emil seemed taken aback by my response and asked, "Okay? That's it?"

I nodded and said, "I need some time to fully forgive you for killing me." I could see the understanding in Emil's eyes as he nodded in return. "Take as much time as you need," he assured me.

As we walked back to where Soojin and Veronika were waiting, I suddenly experienced a vivid flashback from my past life. It was a painful memory, revealing my father's abusive nature and my mother's passive role in allowing me to suffer. My eyes turned red momentarily as anger and resentment surged within me.

Before I could process the overwhelming emotions, Soojin yelled at me, snapping me out of the flashback. My eyes returned to their normal color, and both Soojin and Emil looked at me with concern.

Emil asked if I was okay, and I replied honestly, "I don't know." I didn't feel ready to share the details of the flashback just yet.

Trying to change the subject, I turned to Veronika and asked about our mission to kill the witch. Veronika responded casually, saying that we had a witch to eliminate. Soojin couldn't believe she had forgotten about it, and Veronika apologized, admitting she got distracted.

Curious about the witch and what it would take to defeat her, I inquired further. Veronika explained that this witch was different from the others—she possessed incredible manipulative powers, capable of making anyone do her bidding. Therefore, we needed a strategy to ensure we wouldn't fall under her control.

Soojin asked about the type of strategy required, and Veronika suggested that we position ourselves in all four corners of the witch's location—a tower not far from the Pride Kingdom. She added that Soojin and I, as angels, could fly up and hide there.

I interrupted, explaining that I couldn't fly due to an accident in my past that had left me grounded. Soojin defended his flying abilities, claiming they weren't that bad. However, I expressed my desire to try despite my past trauma and the feeling of not belonging in heaven.

Soojin had previously attempted to heal me with magic, but it hadn't worked. Veronika encouraged me to give it a try but warned me not to force myself if it caused pain. I couldn't help but feel a warm, protective affection from her words.

Veronika instructed Soojin to fly up and locate the witch without engaging her directly. If he spotted her, he was to return to us immediately. Soojin eagerly agreed, addressing Veronika as "mam." She jokingly scolded him and threatened to kill him, but Soojin playfully pushed back, testing the limits of her patience.

Emil interjected, urging us to focus on the task at hand, playfully referring to us as "love birds." It was time to get down to business and confront the witch.