"Goodness, gracious!"
The girl gasped in horror and Jisoo paled suddenly realizing what she said "That mouth of yours should be cleansed!"
"I-I'm sorry." She bowed in apology, her cheeks red in embarrassment. "I did not mean to, it was on impulse." She covered her mouth.
Good god! Did she just curse in front of an angel?! What if she permanently seals her mouth?!
"I hope not to hear such words from your mouth in the future, miss." The girl scolded as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Y-yes, I will try my best to censor my words," Jisoo uttered nervously.
Jisoo was currently being attacked by paranoia. Did heaven found out she had been using her magic in the past to prank people? Was she getting punished for that?! But they were only light pranks, she did not hurt anyone. And honestly, those people deserved it.
No, maybe this angel was not here for her, maybe she was just going to ask for directions? She was getting ready to ask the questions in her head when the girl suddenly moved.
She raised her hand above her head and a silver scroll materialized in her palm as if she had drawn it from thin air. She opened it and cleared her throat before reading its content.
"Kang Jisoo, 18 years old, Amateur Caster, Demian University student and a High School Junior, am I right?" She said smiling like Jisoo hadn't cursed in front of her.
Jisoo's face paled after hearing what the girl had just said. She 'was' here for her.
"Y-yes?"
"My name is Saeron, 108th angel of the 21st division. I have come to deliver a message to you from the Dominions." Her smiling face turned grave.
"You have committed a huge crime against the heavens by releasing the demons of the seven deadly sins from the gates of hell and therefore given a sanction to cast them back. You will accept this decree or face the dire consequences of your malefaction."
"W-what?! You must be mistaken. I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't even met these demons you're talking of-" Jisoo trailed off at her words her face turning paler than it already was.
"Yes. Do you remember?" Saeron said "You chanted a spell from the forbidden book at the antique shop earlier. That spell caused the seven most dangerous Demons to break out from their prisons in hell."
Jisoo's heart dropped as cold sweat trickled down the side of her cheek. She gulped. So it was not a dream?
"I also wish it was just a mere dream of yours, miss. But I'm afraid it was not." Saeron uttered gloomily "You really did release the Demons of the Seven Deadly Sins."
"But I did not mean to!" She cried frantically "I thought the book was not real, please, I never meant to release them."
"I know… " Saeron replied a sad smile plastered on her lips But you still did something you should not have and it is only fair that you take responsibility for it, may your actions be intended or not.
"A-am I getting sent to hell?" Jisoo asked in fear almost squeaking.
"No. I am making you choose between accepting your punishment or not. Saeron said.
"W-wait I have a choice?" Jisoo's forehead creased in puzzlement.
"Yes," Saeron explained. "Facing the sanction means accepting the fact that you made a mistake and therefore ready to do what it takes to put everything back to normal. Choosing the latter, however, will force us to leave you alone in this world along with billions of people who will be facing the wrath of the demons you have just released."
Jisoo went silent for a minute pondering about the decree and the consequences Saeron was talking about. The angel was right. Even though she did not mean for anything bad to happen it was still because of her that the demons have escaped from their prisons.
She made a huge mistake and now she was being asked whether to accept the punishment alone or with billions of innocent people.
Jisoo felt her knees weaken, she dropped on the ground sitting in front of her iron gate. She grabbed her temples in despair, eyes wide in shock as hundreds of frantic thoughts entered her head, the guilt eating at her heart.
"What...have I...done.." She mouthed as tears streamed from her eyes.
Because of her, billions of people will be doomed! Why was she so stupid? She did not just break an unwritten rule for witches, she has freed demons from the book that her white witch ancestors have supposedly burned down to protect humanity.
'You are stupid Kang Jisoo! Stupid! STUPID!'
_____________
It was morning and the warm rays of sun pierced through the glass window passing through the gap between the curtains of Jisoo's room. A winged figure of a girl materialized from the rays, her wings disappearing as soon as her feet touched the blue carpeted floor. A smile as bright as the sun spread on her face as she slowly walked towards the sleeping girl in front of her.
Saeron moved silently beside the bed of a white witch in her slumber. Her worried eyes observed the girl's now calmer breathing compared to last night. Jisoo had trouble sleeping after they met that she was only able to relax and fall asleep when she had used her magic on her.
The girl's eyes fluttered open meeting her soft gaze. She sat up looking startled to see the angel first thing in the morning.
"Good Morning, Miss!" She greeted cheerfully.
"Freaking Macaroons! What are you doing here?!" Jisoo asked eyes as wide as saucers.
"I am here to explain your mission or your sanction whichever you want to call it," Saeron uttered, her eyes glinting with excitement "I was sent here to be your guide. Although I cannot be with you always I will still try my best!"
Jisoo was hoping she was just dreaming last night. But of course, not everything goes the way you want it to be. The spell she chanted was real. The glowing circles and fiery pillars of light were real. The Demons were real and so was the Angel in front of her.
Right, the sanction 'You can do this, Jisoo. It was so easy for you to release those demons, how hard can it be to cast them back into hell?' She told herself in assurance.
"Shall we start?" Saeron asked "First, we will have breakfast!" she said, her warm smile giving her a sense of comfort.
Jisoo stood by the door a smile plastered on her lips as she watched Saeron pour cat food into Charles' container. The cat let out a thankful meow before digging its head into its bowl of breakfast. She was going to do it herself but Saeron insisted on feeding the cat as she had grown fond of it since breakfast.
"You have a very brave familiar," Saeron told her as they walked out of her house. They were now on their way to the bus stop "You must feel very safe at night to be guarded by one!" She said making her chuckle.
"Yes, I do." She grinned at the thought.
Jisoo first found Charles in the forest, the Norwegian cat was famished and its wings were broken so she took it in, mended its wings and fed it. It stayed with her ever since and was now, as Saeron called it, her familiar.
"What a very smart fairy cat too, I heard their kind are proud of their wings but it was willing to hide them for you."
Jisoo watched as Saeron silently walked with her on the street. The angel's eyes were filled with excitement, her lips curved up into a cheerful smile as she watched in awe the places they pass by. She looked like a child who had never left her home and was seeing the world for the first time.
Jisoo cleared her throat "So what do I have to do?" She asked disrupting the silence "My first mission, what is it about?"
Saeron's busy eyes landed on her, beaming at the question as if she had waited for a long time to hear it from her.
"You have to find the Demons."
Jisoo's eyes widened at the answer she got "B-but I thought I was just going to cast them back. Like chant another spell so they would return to hell or something."
"Casting the Demons back is not as easy as releasing them." Saeron explained, "It will take a lot of time and preparation for you to do that kind of spell so the best thing we could do for now is to locate them first, that way we could stop them from wreaking havoc while you're preparing for it."
"B-but, how do I do that? I don't even know where to start, how will I be able to locate a demon?" She asked frantically, her head going overload with the information she got.
Of course, it wasn't going to be easy. She mentally sighed.
"That is why I'm here. I'll show you where you can find them. She grinned "Hold my hand, please."
"What? Why?"
"Please do it. It won't take long, I promise."
"O-okay." Jisoo uttered doing what she was told.
Saeron snapped her fingers the moment their hands touched and her eyes widened at the fast-paced shift of their surroundings. A second passed and they were now standing in the corner of a familiar street.
Jisoo gaped in awe as she looked around the area, realizing what the angel did. Saeron had just teleported the two of them near the school.
"This is…" She uttered unable to complete her sentence.
Saeron nodded her head. She turned towards the school building "I sense a lot of negative energy from Demian University right now so I think this is the place where the Demons are." She told her.
"W-wait a minute" Jisoos eyes almost bulged out from their sockets "ARE YOU SAYING THE DEMONS ARE AT OUR SCHOOL?!"
"Well, the negative energy I'm sensing from the place right now is overflowing, so I'm pretty sure you'll find them there." Saeron nodded surely.
"HOLY SHI---"
Saeron's eyes widened in horror as she hastily covered Jisoos mouth "Your words, Jisoo! Please mind your words!" She told her frantically. Her eyes looked like they were ready to cry.
"Aashdgsdsjhdaa" Jisoos face turned red as she nodded.
Saeron hesitantly pulled the angel's hands away from her face, a sigh of relief escaping her lips "That was close."
"S-sorry." Jisoo uttered, feeling a bit embarrassed that she was caught cussing by an angel, for the second time at that.
She gave the university a look of concern. Sure she had a long list of things she hated about school but she just transferred there and she never wished for it to be occupied by demons.
"How in the world-- why are they here?!"
"Their powers are currently weak so their spirits can't travel far. Being close to each other makes them a bit stronger that's why they are in the same place." Saeron explained.
"Does this mean there will be no classes?" She asked biting her lower lip.
She has fallen very far now with that question, the world was doomed and having no classes was what she thought of first.
"Of course not." Saeron chuckled before her expression turned solemn. What kind and naive angel she is, she thinks she was joking.
"Weak powers mean they can't create a physical body in this world so they will need human hosts to dwell in until they've fully recovered their strength."
"So you're saying I'm not going to look for the actual demons themselves but instead the humans they've possessed?"
"Yes." Saeron nodded before continuing "You have to be careful, Jisoo. They might not have fully regained their abilities yet but because they are in the same place they are still strong enough to cause trouble."
Jisoo bit her lower lip anxiously "I understand." She replied her hands feeling cold all of a sudden.
"You must go now, or you'll be late."
Saeron's notice made Jisoo glance at her wristwatch in panic. Her eyes widened at the time, she really was going to be late! She only had 5 minutes left before the gate closes.
"Y-yes. I got it." She nodded frantically at her before running towards the gate.
"Jisoo!" Jisoo turned around anxiously at Saeron's call. "Please be careful!" the winged girl uttered worriedly.
"Y-yeah!" Saeron watched as Jisoo dashed towards their school, praying that the girl makes it before the gate closes.
A sudden gasp escaped out of her mouth when a thought crossed her mind. She ran to follow the girl but she was suddenly pushed back as if an invisible force was keeping her from entering the place.
"Oh no …"