The Fallen

Chapter XV

[Jeonghan]
 
The night that I fainted due to excessive use of my remaining strength, a rather weird dream appeared in front of me or so I thought it was a dream. I woke up on the soft and fluffy feeling of clouds underneath my hand and as I slowly opened my eyes, I was surprised that I was back to the fields of heavens but this place was different from where I came from because of the pristine poles that stood strongly on the four corners of the room where I was in. I pushed myself up only to see the symbol of the God glittering in front of me sign that I was indeed in audience with the God himself. I pushed myself up and stood weakly on my feet as I gave my bow and a rather strong presence was felt within the place.
 
"How are you Jeonghan?" he asked me with voice so warm and calming.
"I... I'm fine. I..Indeed very fine." I shrugged, not really aware if I was doing fine or not.
 
The last time I came here was when I caused trouble and brought a soul of a child at our place when she was supposed to be put into judgment first but I found it quite entertaining to violate the law so I did it and the elders were so furious about it that I was sent here to be punished but the God didn't found it amusing so I was allowed to let go but not to visit the purgatory as a punishment which was considered mild by the elders and since then I was known for troubles and everything and maybe because everyone was getting enough of me, they decided to throw me to the human world and do something that they know I cannot do and that was to bring Joshua's soul together with me and towards to the purgatory where he would be judged.
 
I swallowed the lump forming inside my throat as I remember Joshua. I was trying my best to send him the remaining strength that I have so he would survive but I can still smell death surrounding him and it pained me endlessly. He was a good guy and he didn't deserve death at all and I was no reaper to do such job that would hurt me because even if it was against the laws of the heaven, I found myself falling in love with the man that was mortal.
 
"Is something troubling you son?" He asked assuringly and a form of a human started to emerge from the dazzling symbol and turned to be a face of a man with kind eyes yet with authority.
"I have sinned." I said, shoulders trembling as tears started to form on my lids. I was clutching the hem of my shirt that I wasn't aware that I was wearing. I felt a hand on my shoulder and he smiled at me kindly before patting my head as if I was a kid and he was a father to me. It felt warm and the next thing I know was I was crying.
"I don't know how it happened b..but .. I swear I didn't mean to do it. I didn't mean to love him like a human and I...I didn't mean to try and..save him f..from death." I cried yet he wasn't speaking. I looked at him and his face was filled with sadness. "You can save him right?"
 
I asked, stopping myself from sobbing and waited for his response but he said nothing. Just looked at me and a weak smile forming on his face.  I know what that means and once again, tears started to spring free out of my eyes yet no sound came to me and if I was feeling numb all over.
"Loving is not a sin for it is a powerful source of strength to humans." He said out of nowhere and I looked at him hastily. "Did you notice the changes in him since you appeared right before his eyes? He changed from someone cold to someone different from it and I believe that you changed some part of him because you made him feel like there's still hope and without saying it, he believed in your words and still believes in you. He knows that he will die but because he knows that you're there, he is doing his best to prolong his stay but I am afraid to say that nothing last long in everything."
"Wh..What do you mean?" I asked between sobs.
"I was the one to send you there because he doesn't deserve the life waiting for him in the next life. I wanted you to make him someone pure so he can return with me without remembering the cruel reality that he have faced on his world and I know that you can do the job. You are getting successful son for he have changed and is slowly drifting away from darkness. You have to continue doing that so your task becomse successful. "
"Darkness?" I asked and God nodded as he phased slowly inside the cloudy room.
"He grew up within lies and so the darkness in him increased. " He shook his head and then smiled at me. "You need to rest for there is another day waiting ahead of you."
 
He vanished and a white curl of smoke surrounded me and I felt myself falling. I jerked up to see that I was back in Joshua's room and he was nowhere to be found. I hold onto my cheeks which were still stained with dry tears before I sat up and saw the door open.
 
"You awake?" It was him and once again, tears started to spill on my already sore eyes. I felt his footsteps getting nearer and then he was in front of me, caressing my face towards him with a concerned look. "What's wrong?" he asked but I shook my head.
"Get out. You're going late." I said between sobs and he grinned, ruffling my hair and standing up.
"Stop acting like a kid will you?" he mocked and I took a deep breath before glaring at him. He offered me his hand and pulled me on my feet as we walk towards the kitchen where Wonwoo was waiting bored.
 
We took the breakfast like there was nothing wrong and once again, Joshua disappeared to do his work and I was left alone with Wonwoo at home. Later that day, he came out to the living room with bunch of books on his hand and me, being unable to read any of it just stared as he checked the pages one by one and writing something on the piece of paper lying beside him. I was just watching him do that as his face contort with surprise, fear and as well as curiosity.
 
"What are you doing?" I asked him and he frowned, eyes still on the thick book and reading at it intently.
"Discovering things." He muttered silently but because I was indeed confused in this weird behavior, I hopped on my feet and glanced at the book he was reading. My eyes widen at the different illustrations of demons and some sort of weird writing written underneath it. Fear immediately lacerated me as I saw some familiar kind that were the same as the one who almost tortured me to death once.
"W..why are you reading it." I asked him, the color on my face seems draining.
"Because I have to or I won't understand how my parent's thesis worked." He said calmly.
"What do you mean?" I asked yet again and he sighed, looked at me with a blank stare.
"We happen to figure out that they are both exorcist. If you don't know what an exorcist is, then they are people who deal with all sort of dark entities, most likely demons who have possessed an object or  a person and they happen to had a study about this certain person whose name wasn't mentioned and her encounter with an incubus who turned her insane. She had a child inside her womb during the encounter and that's what I'm curious about. I mean is there a chance that a human and a demon can produce an offspring because nothing is written in here. I've looked in the internet and I can't find anything." He shrugged.
"N..No they can't have a child." I said blankly and he looked at me with brows furrowed.
"Of course they don't exi—"
"They did exist Wonwoo and I dare you not to say they don't exist because you don't know when will they appear in front of you—"
"What? Don't scare me." He joked but he closed the book and stared at it fearfully. "Does reading about them also attract their attention?"
"No. I think not but negative energy does."
"Now you're talking weird. Oh by the way, did Jisoo-hyung told you that he'll be visiting Xia?"
"No."
"Well, don't get mad at him because I told you, well if you excuse me." He stood up, gathered his books and return to his room to do his own stuffs. I was left there stunned with what Wonwoo had just told me. How come that I wasn't aware that sort of people exist, I mean those people who fight demons and how come that I wasn't aware that their parents were? I was starting to feel like the story was coming into pieces and anytime soon, I will be able to figure out why I have to guard Joshua before he dies.
 
Thinking of him dying was really painful but God trusted me with it. How come he trusted the most useless angel he had encountered?
 
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In the evening, he returned home looking pale andd rather exhausted but what alerted me was the fact that he still needed Seungcheol's help so he can return home. It was by midnight that they came and there was something weird with Joshua.
 
"Managed to get here by my car, can't drive in his own because he's feeling sick." Seungcheol muttered as he carried Joshua back inside and let him lie on the sofa.
"What happened?" I asked them as Wonwoo's footsteps came dashing downstairs.
 "I don't know either, earlier he was fine but after the meeting with our clients, he started feeling sick and even throw up what he had for lunch. I tried bringing him to the hospital but he won't and wanted to go home instead." Seungcheol looked at him sadly, patting my shoulders and giving me a concerned look. "Please take care of him in my place. I'll be going then."
 
Something was wrong with how Seungcheol behaved but I tried ignoring it as I tended on Joshua who groaned painfully when I tried touching him.
 
"What's wrong with him?" Wonwoo asked in panic as he brought a glass of water which he put on the coffee table and kneeled beside me as he looked at Joshua whose face was contorting painfully.
"I..I don't know. Why is he sweating? It's cold isn't it but—"
" I don't know either but we need to bring him into his room." Wonwoo said but the time he pulled Joshua's arm, Joshua screamed and so he had no other choice but to let go of his hand. "What's up with him?"
"Is Seungcheol still there? Call him please." I said and Wonwoo rushed to the front door where I was still hearing the engine of his car outside. While Wonwoo was away, I tried sending him another purse of energy but it burned my skin painfully. I clutched at my burned hand and looked at Joshua who was whimpering in pain and was sweating endlessly to the point that his shirt was starting to get really soaked by his sweat. Then I started hearing voices inside my head, many of voices that seem to screech inside my mind and starting to stir up my thoughts.
"It's about time." A dark voice appeared and a series of evil laughter followed.
"The revenge will be unleashed." Whispered by another word and feeling I had enough of it, I blocked my ears muttering an endless NOs.
"You shouldn't do that." I whispered to myself, trembling in fear to see the animated version of those voices in front of me.
"You can't do anything about it." Someone screamed beside me but when I went to look, no one was there and footsteps followed sign that Wonwoo and Seungcheol was there. Joshua was now making audible whimper sounds and somewhat that alerted Seungcheol so he was on his feet, running towards his friend.
 
"How can this be happening?" He asked with fear lacerating his voice and went nearer to Joshua who's nose was now starting to bleed. I run beside him, wiping the blood out of his face as he started sobbing. I fear to touch him because I know it would hurt.
"Do something!" I yelled both at Wonwoo and Seungcheol who looked stunned by Joshua's odd behavior and they went and tried pulling him to stand up.
"Joshua, can you try and walk on your own?" Seungcheol whispered on his ear as he slowly tried and help him stand up but the moment he managed to let Joshua stand, another screaming came out of him and he almost fell because Seungcheol let go of him. Luckily, Wonwoo was there and was able to catch him and noticing that Joshua's whimpered have stopped, everyone panicked because he lost his consciousness and that's when Seungcheol told us to bring Joshua inside his car and we drove off to the nearest hospital.
 
He was immediately sent to the emergency room and we were left to wait for the doctors to send the results. It feels like time was slowing down every seconds we waited and the tension was getting stronger as no one speak in fear of saying the sort of wrong words.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine." I said and both of them looked at me tiredly, nodding on my word as if they had no choice but to agree or think of the worst.
 
More hours passed by and the people inside the hospital was getting fewer as we got tired and more worried about Joshua's condition. Seungcheol had a call earlier so he had no other choice but to leave first, promising that he would return once he finished what the call told him to and I was left alone with Wonwoo, looking worried but not telling it.
 
"It's getting colder here." He muttered and shivered on his seat. "Do you mind if I leave you for now and grab some coffee for both of us?'
"Sure." I smiled weakly at him as he disappeared on the view and leaving me in silence. A few minutes after Wonwoo disappeared, the reaper that I had talked before appeared once again.
 
"You can't go against the fate." He said as he sat beside me. I didn't even noticed that he was there if he hadn't talked, his voice was still the same, deep and cold. "I know how many times you tried saving that human but the fate won't let it."
"You startled me."
"Do I?" he said crossing his arms on his chest. "Look angel, I told you to not get too attached with the human because you'd end up hurting yourself."
"It's not my fault that I don't want to get away from him..even if..he died." The sound came out bitterly as I felt my lips tremble. "Are you here to collect his soul?"
"What? Oh. Of course but only if he dies today but I believe that it is your job to do that. You are here for that task if I remembered correctly so it's up to you whether you'll be a coward and allow me to do your job. I'll be pleased of course that I am a lot tougher than an angel." He chuckled making me glare at him but he paid no mind about it.
"How come that he can see you?" I suddenly asked out of nowhere and he shrugged.
"I don't know? Probably because his life span is getting shorter? It is just weird that he isn't afraid of me when normal humans tend to run whenever they see me, thinking I am a ghost but I am just a reaper. Anyways, about his house from—"
"They're there aren't they? There are some of them staying there. I felt it."
"Oh. You're right. The council is worried that there are still those kinds lurking around in the human areas but believe me, no one can make them leave or they'll cause an uproar and more lives will be taken away, more souls to collect for me and that will not be an easy job."
"Why are they in Joshua's house?" I asked and he frowned at me.
"You don't know? You remember his human parents? They used to perform something dangerous when they were once young and regretted the outcome of it. They tried summoning a demon because they were very curious if the thing exists itself and they happened to call one of the most dangerous creatures of the place underneath. The demon lurked freely on the human world and took some lives to make it stronger and that's when those humans started to study how to make it return to their world but it took some time for them to perform the task because the demon grew stronger and his capture was getting harder. That time, the couple had a child who was hidden but the demon found out about it and started looking for their daughter to seek vengeance. She was found out and that time.. she was carrying a life with her and living a quiet life with her husband. The demon took advantage of it and started feeding onto her until she turned insane and started hurting herself. She killed her husband and was about to kill the life inside her but was prevented by the old couple whom saved the child. Hmm that's it. How come that you don't know?" Vernon deadpanned and I was shocked to hear almost the same words that Wonwoo said earlier.
"The child.. Who's he?" I hesitated, feeling that what I was thinking will be the same as Vernon's answer.
"Joshua of course that's why the demons are gunning for him. He's the child who was tainted by one of their kind and so they're doing stuffs that can make him go to them and so he will be punished. He's not a demon child mind you because if he is, I believe he will not get sick like this. They're so mad about the old couple hunting them down and trapping them inside those books which is remained sealed under their hidden library. Oh and when I came to visit there, I saw a portrait of you! How come that you're there? Angel of purity? Hah I guess not anymore."
 
I averted my gaze, feeling a bit guilty about Vernon. He was right, the angel of purity doesn't fit me anymore for I have already sinned and did something to offend the God. He stood up on his feet, stretched for a while and disappeared, passing through the wall. Wonwoo then came to view with two cans of coffee gripped tightly on his hand and he yawned, looking a bit tired.
 
We waited once again and all the time I was remained in deep thought. I didn't even remember falling asleep but when I woke up, Seungcheol was already there and was talking to the same person that Joshua consulted the first day I visited the hospital. There was a gloomy look on Wonwoo and Seungcheol's face and by the looks of hopelessness in their eyes, I guess I can tell.
 
He won't last any longer. I have failed my promise in saving him.