AZALEL POV
I yawned. Gosh!
This is too damn long! I grumbled inside my heart. Reuben was away because he had another assignment from our leader, Barachiel. I have completed all my tasks today so here I am. Waiting rather impatiently for another soul who will leave this world today.
I'm sitting in the corner of this neoclassical restaurant and admires the beauty of this place. This place is surely old but it is well maintained. The bronze-gold curtains are made from the best silk which I was pretty sure that they're handmade. The utensils are made from a fine metal as well. The room is tidy and neat. Their staffs are also very friendly. No wonder streams of loyal customers will always go back for the freshly made food and their hospitality. The owner surely puts his best effort to run his business so far.
But, well, I'm here now. Not for admiring some old decorations. I'm here for another work to do. Sending another soul package to heaven. So, I'm waiting and watching humans doing their casual things with their kind. Chatting, eating, drinking, and some of them are doing a light kiss. Hmm... Maybe if this is not a public area, they would do lots of things. More private, more intimate, more…
Wait… what I was thinking? Arggghh… ok!
I sighed and watched the clock ticking. Hmm... two more minutes from now. One more minute…
Thirty seconds…
Now, I'm counting down. Six, five, four, three, two, one…
"Aaaaaaaaaaaa… Nooooo… Mr. Wilson!!!"
A scream was heard from a private table in another corner of the restaurant. Not too far from where I'm standing now. I smiled. Here we go. Ok, besides setting up the weather and season on earth, let me remind you that I have another side job. Picking up a human soul who has decided to go to heaven as soon as possible when their time is over. This is an easy job, though.
These souls usually will separate automatically from their physical being and most of them are still confused by what had happened. It's my responsibility to tell them the truth. Either they're ready or not and send them directly to their owner.
So, when this old man, the one who has been assigned to me, was laying down on the floor while some people around were still trying to save his lifeless body, I just stood by and called out his name. Soon, a transparent form came out instantly. It looks like a thin white smoke but in a human appearance. The spiritual body seemed bemused. But then, after he saw his own body on the floor and his gaze turned on me, he knew.
"I'm already dead, am I?"
I nodded. See? This one is considerably smart; he knew what was going on without me having to tell him everything.
"Are you ready? He's waiting for you..."
"GOD?"
I smiled. "You know who…"
"See you there…"
I raised my hand and opened a portal for him. A dazzling ray came out from above and shone upon him. After a millisecond, he's disappeared. Ok. I'm done. Now, let's go back to my headquarter. But then…
CRASHHH!!!
I heard someone drop and broke something behind me. I turned around my head and what I saw, made my eyes widened. There, a tiny lady trembled in fear and her finger was pointing at me.
"Y… y... you! Who are you? "
I frowned. Wait?? She can see me?
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ILIYA POV
"AAAAAAAAAAA… Nooooo, Mr. Wilson!!"
I was cleaning up the table when I heard the scream. Then, in that second, I saw a man in his fifties fall off suddenly on the floor.
Mr. Wade Wilson. He was our regular customer and everyone loves him. Including me. He's one of the beautiful souls that always leave a trace of happiness in our hearts. He's so kind and warm. His kindness and smiles radiate to everyone around him. I heard he is also a very good employer for his subordinates. When he celebrated his birthday last year, all of his employees collected money for buying him an electric car. For me, he's like a father to me. He knows each of us who works here and he always gives us a bigger tip. Today, he came here with his new secretary because his former secretary has retired. However, I never thought that today will be my last day to serve him as our customer.
Still, what shocked me the most was when I saw someone in a black cloak who picked up his soul so easily and sent him away in a flashing light. HIM!!!
His face… his gesture… I wouldn't be mistaken this time!! It was him!! Moreover, he can summon a magical portal so effortlessly easy in front of my eyes!!
… this is unbelievable!!
My body trembled in panic and fear. Unconsciously, I dropped the glass in my hand without blinking. The sound of shattered glass echoes in the whole room. I don't even care when everyone looks at me with a furrow in their eyes.
"Y... y... you!! Who are you?"
… . … . … . … … .
I was still stunned in my place when that guy walked towards me. At that very moment, I found everything around us froze. All movements stopped. Nobody blinks, eats, drink, walks, or chats. Everyone is frozen in their place. What the hell is going on here?
Why is it only me and him who can move freely?
I was still dumbfounded when he suddenly arrived in front of me. I gasped and moved backward. His beautiful face looked at me. His lazy eyes glared at me intensely. And his expression wasn't happy at all. Uh oh, this is not good. Not good at all. I gulped.
What should I do now?
"You!"
"Y... Ye….Yes?" I replied shortly but deep down inside, I'm extremely nervous.
"Follow me…"
My eyes fluttered when I eventually decided to follow him around to a quieter place with not too many people around us. Then, he pulled out something from his pocket. It looks like a small pen but I know, it wasn't.
"WAIT!! What will you do to me?"
I stopped him and held his hand tightly. His pupil widened; the shock is written all over his face.
"You!!! You can touch me??!! How??"
What kind of nonsense is this? Of course, I can. My eyebrows furrowed with his question or statement. Well, I don't care for it since the only thing that I need to know is what he is planning to do with that thing.
"What's this?? " I asked him once again.
He pulled his hand from my grip harshly and smirked. He was ready to push the top of that thing now. Somehow, I don't know why but I know that I have to stop him.
I stared at him intently. I've seen him before. He is the very same guy that I met in my childhood memory.
"Something that will make you forget… "
"About everything you have seen today… "
He raised his thumb now. Ready to push the button anytime. Just then my memories flashed in. It rolled like an old movie. Reminisced me of the moment when my ability was awakened for the very first time. A day when I decided to shut my mouth as good as I can be.
"Wait!! It was you, right?"
His thumb stopped in the air. Waiting for my next lines to come out.
"It was you who terminated the demon who scratched my car window when I was a kid!!"
His eyes furrowed for a while, but then he retracted his hand and stared at me intensely.
As he stared and (seems like) recognized something, he gasped.
"Impossible!! It was you??"
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1994
ILIYA POV
Its claws screeched my car window harder. Now, the cracks were getting bigger and wider. I whimpered but no voice could come out from my mouth. I can't move my muscles and my limbs are numb. I was too scared to death. I could see its sharp teeth showing a huge grin.
CRACKK!
It's broken now. My car window now has a small tiny hole with lots of cracks around it. One more blow and that monster would reach me out.
"Akh.. Akh…"
But then, its eyes widened when I saw a speck of light through its chest and it howled painfully before then, it dissipated slowly like a cloud of black dust blown away by the wind.
I took a deep breath. Relieved. I'm still alive.
The next scene I saw was a man fully covered in a black cloak. He's tall and beautiful with a pair of lazy eyes. He also holds a spectrum of light inside his hands. The one that he used to terminate the demonic creature before.
"Tsk… Tsk... Tsk… demon… They're such a miserable and annoying creature…"
Then, he looked at me, smiled, and disappeared afterward. I will never forget that day ever since.
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