Vladimir's POV
I woke up inside the bookshop. Fermine stared at me for a while then he turned his gaze back to the book he was reading.
"So, how's sleep?"
"When did I start sleeping and dreaming?"
"When you held her hand," he replied simply. "She has that amazing power."
I thought for a while what to say but I just can't find the words I need to express what I am feeling. I was like floating above the clouds and suddenly I fell without anyone catching me. I just don't know what to feel.
Am I too selfish to think I don't like it? That it wasn't the one I wanted to do. Okay, I don't know what to do but I felt there's something to do, not that. We can still make another plan. I mean, there's always a plan b, right?
Wait, I don't know. I'm confused. I cannot think straight.
Why, why does all this have to happen? Why just can't we be normal like other people? Why can't we stay human, live like humans, grow old together, die, and be reincarnated again?
If only I could be born again. If only I could be reincarnated as a human.
"If," I started finding the words that made Fermine look at me. "I die, and be reincarnated. Is there really no way for me to remember everything? I mean, will all my memories be erased?"
"Yeah, your memories will appear as dreams but you can never remember them as your own memories."
"Are you certain?" I can't believe it.
I was hoping there are some lapses, or cases where one remembered everything from his or her past life. "How about the girl you loved? Have you seen her in this lifetime? Has she been reincarnated?"
"I've seen her centuries ago."
"And, what happened? Tell me!"
"She remembered me."
"See, she remembered—"
"But she didn't choose me," he interrupted. "I watched her fall in love with another human, watched her grow old with him, and die again. And waiting for her to be reincarnated again in this lifetime."
"But she remembered you. That's enough, that's enough for me to know that at least we— "
"She remembered from her dreams because I looked like the guy she knew from her dreams though she never remembered the feelings she shared with me. Yes, it could be possible but life is full of uncertainties," he explained. "And, don't think she'll be human. Even if you reincarnated as a human. She will always be an angel. So am I."
"Damn!" I said, frustrated.
"So, I advise you to just make every minute count, because you will never know when to see her again, even if you live a thousand years, or a lifetime of years."
I went home after that, still thinking of what to do. Maybe, I should really trust her. I love her, I do. And it's up to her.
When I got home, the place was so still like an angel passed by. My mother wasn't home, maybe she's in the council. There's a lot of things to do and to fix in our world so she often went home. She usually stayed there at the council to talk with the others.
Vanna wasn't home too, so was Van and Via. I know I was the only one inside our house yet I felt like someone was staring at me. I slowly climbed into my room, while feeling the whole surroundings. I cannot smell anything, cannot even feel the presence of someone yet I know that someone is staring at me.
At first, I thought it was Cassy, ​​but no. It was a different feeling. Someone I don't know.
Something, I have just felt right now. I looked around, but I still can't see it.
It must be an angel staring at me. But who? Wait, angels?
I stared at the doorknob, took me a second to open it. I prepared myself in case some angels wanted to fight. But again, I saw nothing. Instead, I saw a medium-sized canvas lying on my bed, wrapped with a white paper.
I was about to open it when I noticed the piece of feather on the side. Before I could pick it, I heard a familiar voice.
"It's a gift."
I knew the voice. I will never forget it.
"Uriel." I looked back, but didn't see him. I think he was sitting on my bed and the canvas... that's - "The painting," I whispered.
It was a painting, but not any ordinary painting. It was a painting with me and Cassy as the subject. It was so serene. She looks so perfect, and me - I stared at my face. It's me, I quite smile. So this is me, I have never imagined or seen myself before, not that I can remember. I've seen paintings of me when I was a child, but never saw my face for a thousand years.
"It's a painting, obviously," Uriel shrugged. "Though it's painted by Syne."
"She painted this?" I can't believe my question. Making the painting more special than anything, I always wanted to see my face in her eyes, so yeah I've seen it today. But somehow I know I lost her. "Where is she? Why are you here? How did you find me?"
"If you are wondering, well I could never find you before because she sealed you with her grace but now that she redeemed it, you know it."
"She redeemed it? How?"
"It's hard to explain, it's not also the reason why I am here."
"What is it then?"
Uriel stared at me and sighed. "I cannot find Syne. I am hoping she's here."
"What !?" I asked in shock. "You can't find her, she's an angel like you. What do you mean by—"
"Yeah, she's an angel ... that's why ..."
For the first time I felt like he was also tired like Cassy. Is the afterlife really in that chaos for him to be that tired, or what did he do to look like that?
"We angels have the power to hide ourselves from other angels when we are in the human world, well not really all, just angels with special powers like us and archangels."
"And, why do you think I know where she is?"
"You don't know where, you just have seen her, right? " Uriel smirked. "Don't lie. I know you've seen her in your dreams. She got her grace back, she is capable of doing that again," I saw Uriel's face turn to sadness. "I mean no harm, really. You already know, right? The reason why I wanted to kill you. I believe you already understand that."
"Yeah," I nodded. "If I die, will everything be in its place again?"
"Do you want to die?" he said, straight. "Do you really want to?"
For the first time, I didn't know the answer. I thought I wanted to die but then again I realized that if I did die, I may not be able to see her. I may not be able to know her again. I wanted to save her, but I don't want to forget about her. I wanted to remember everything about her.
"Look, I need to see Syne. I know she already healed her wings so I need to see her. I really need to before the host of angels finds her."
"Host of Angels?"
"Peacekeeper of Angels. The Archangels, my brother Michael, are already looking for her."
"What if they found her? Will they kill her?" I worry. "Tell me, what should I do?"
"Maybe I would like to tell you to die so that everything will go back to its place but you just can't die without Syne's permission."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Syne gave you her blood which means the only person who should kill you is her or else things will never go back. You are the end for the afterlife to begin again."
It was shocking to me but what's more shocking was when he, an angel bowed down to me.
"She saved you, not only twice, but more than you could think of. Will you then please save her? Save her, and the rest of the afterlife."
"Tell me," I pleaded. "If I know how I would do it. Tell me, tell me how could I save an angel?"
"I know how to, but I'm afraid you can't do it."
"I will do everything I can. I can do it, what— "
He cut me off and dropped the words I never wanted to hear, "Kill her."