The Soul Catcher (Harry Styles)

02 - The Council

"If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sister, even when the other half of the equation is gone?"

― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

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We made our way down a beautifully landscaped path filled with all sorts of exotic flowers, plants and trees. I couldn't even name half of them and I was pretty sure I've never even seen most of them in my life either. We walked into some building that looked like the Parthenon in Greece, except this one wasn't old and crumbly, but made of marble so shiny and white, it looked like it had been built very recently.

George and I entered some kind of hall which was empty except of some elaborately carved wooden benches that all faced the front where some kind of podia was placed.

"What now?" I asked. Unsure of what do to, I just plopped myself down on one of those wooden benches and looked expectantly up to George.

"I will leave and you will wait for the Council," George told me and vanished. He literally disappeared in front of my eyes. I blinked a few times just to make sure he was really gone. Yep, poof. Like a bubble.

"Great," I murmured and looked around. I was alone in this huge hall and had no idea what would happen.

Everything was in light colours, the podiums, the benches, the floor, the ceiling, the walls. Everything. The room needed some colour, that was for sure.

The longer I sat, the more uncomfortable I felt. Even though the room seemed perfectly nice and not at all threatening in any way, I couldn't help but notice the awful feeling invading my middle, urging me to get the heck out of here, before it was too late.

But where was I supposed to go?

I hesitantly raised to my feet and turned around, aiming for the door that had led me to this hall previously. I had almost succeeded, when a soft voice called out from behind me. I turned, scowling, and found myself face-to-face with a middle-aged angel.

That sounded weird. I assumed she was an angel. Her hair was a bright blond and she was very pale. Although I couldn't see any wings, her white, glowing cloak gave off the impression of her truly being an angel.

She looked at me with kind eyes and I immediately eased the frown from my face. "Are you an angel?" I couldn't help it, the words left my mouth before I had a chance to swallow them.

The woman let out a soft laugh. "No, darling. I belong to the Council. You are Harry Styles, right?"

If she wasn't an angel, what else could she possibly be? I studied her some more, thrown back by her beautiful appearance. Angels couldn't lie, could they? So she really wasn't an angel. They probably didn't even exist.

Gosh, being dead made me stupid. Oh gosh, was that possible?

She smiled and beckoned me to come closer. I instantly followed without thinking twice, only then remembering she had asked me a question. "Yes, that's me."

"I'm Elisa," she said. Elisa was so mesmerizing, so stunning, I instantly trusted her. She radiated a light so brilliant and so vibrant, I felt totally calm for the first time since I have arrived in this hall.

"We're glad you found your way to us," she continued, hands folded before her.

It took me a minute to figure out she spoke in the plural. My eyes flickered to the podiums behind her and to my surprise, they were all filled now. I could detect five men and four more women. The women stood to the right, the men stood to the left. One podium wasn't occupied, it had to be Elisa's.