It was already dawn but Elix is still awake. Tears are on his eyes as he looked at the screen of his phone.
Sleep if you can, I'll kill myself! Why did you not answer my call? Did you have another girlfriend? It was his girlfriend's message.
It was already two years since started going out. They were in long a distance relationship since their second month. It was then that she started showing her true colors. She started asking for videocalls for almost every minute. He made sure to assure her in every possible way he can. He even provided her his passwords for every multimedia account that he has. And that is something that he deeply regretted. She started messaging all of his female friends on his social media account's list, pretending as him. Even his own cousins and relatives have been accused of being his lover. He regretted courting such a girl as he thought of all the embarrasment that she caused as his relatives doubted his characteristics. Her doings escalated to malicious comments to all of the female accounts associated to his profile. And most of all, she cursed his family like they're loathesome people. Some of his friends unfriended him and some confronted him in person. His embarrassment and frustrations on her actions have erased every piece of love he can keep on his chest for her.
His phone rung as Monica's name popped up on the screen. Her angry voice welcomed his ears. "I've been trying to call you for the past hours. Why have you just taken my call?"
"You know I have been working in the kitchen!" He whispered in anger, still considering that it's still dark and his parents are still asleep.
"If you have just taken my video call then you would've proof! You fucking bastard, just admit that you have another lover! You have, right? How can you do this to me!
"I already said I don't have one! Why can't you trust me?!" His frustrations raised along with his voice.
"Bastard, I have trusted you, and still holding on to that trust. Yet you're trying to betray me! You're going to kill me, do you understand that? You are killing me with what you're doing! If I'll die because of you, I'm going to come back and haunt you!"
Tears ran down his cheek. His frustration turned into guilt and fear as he imagined Monica holding out a blade on her hand and ready to tear her wrist. He covered his mouth with his palm to stop his sobs from coming out.
Tears ran down Ashnah's cheek as Elix's emotions channeled to her. She felt the golden warmth slowly took place on her heart. It slowly flowed on her palm. Before she knew it, words came out of her mouth and manifested as glowing words on her palms.
No need to for you to feel the guilt
You tried to hold the love you built
It is not love but obsession
What she longed is just possession
It is okay to walk away
It's okay for you not to stay
Protect your peace, your broken soul
it's you who you need to console
The golden sphere on her hand was absorbed by his body.
She just realized she was holding his hand with her other free hand. She was about to take back her hand when the tar-like smoke began melting and it revealed the surroundings. The surroundings regained their colors. The things are on their places and so is the broken window--it was fixed. But instead of being in the car with Uncle Rod, she is together with Elix.
"Thank you, Ashnah. I couldn't get out. I didn't know how to thank you," his tears keep flowing.
She was still baffled of the situation. But she tried to act normal. She checked if she has any handkerchief. When she found none, she reached to the table napkin and gave him some. "Wipe your tears. Cry if you must. We can talk all you want." She smiled at him, hoping it has given him any comfort.
"Thank you, Ash." He began pouring out his heart with the rest of what happened. She have known this man since high school. And she could say he was one of the nicest guys she have ever known.
'If I am her, I would have taken care of such a man.'
***
When they finally finished talking, Elix went on his way for his interview. She stayed behind cause she need to meet Uncle Arnold again. She had already messaged him; she's just waiting for him to come.
It didn't take a quarter for him to come. He was with two more companions. One of the companions is a short woman with her platinum hair and the other is an asian guy, probably a japanese based on how his face was molded, edgy prominent bone structures. Both of them are wearing black suits with some label pin on their left chest portion. It seems to be their uniform.
She looked back to Uncle Arnold, asking what's with the situation.
He introduced his companions. "Ashnah, these are my colleague, Fina," he gestured to the blond woman then to the man, "and Jin."
She shook both of their hands.
"We were supposed to meet up in Fina's place, however, since we got held up, they got worried and went their way to meet us instead," Uncle Arnold briefly explained.
"I've been meaning to meet you," said Fina. The smile on her lips is comforting.
Ashnah smiled, not knowing how to respond. She keept glancing at Uncle Arnold.
"She's your Uncle Rodney's sister," Uncle Arnold said, understading what is happening.
"Oh," was all Ashnah can say.
They took their seats. Uncle Arnold and Fina got to the counter to order. Both Ashnah and Jin were left on the table. She got awkward on how he was looking at her--like some new specimen that he needs to inspect.
"Is there something on my face?" she couldn't help but ask. She tried to smile but its turning into an awkward one.
"You have a strange gift. Unlike us, your gift might be deemed useless in the battle between of spiritual world at first glance, but you have defeated the demons and I heard you have done it not just once," he crossed his arms on his chest and lean on the backrest. Uncle Rodney and Fina came. They took quick glances of both of us before finally taking their seats.
"What do you think?" Uncle Arnold asked.
"Her gifts is pretty rare and strange. It belongs to the weaker bracket. Her spiritual aura at first glance seemed depleted. But if we're going to check on it closer, it is compacted inside the shell--her body," Jin explained in a manner a student would when doing a report.
"So? What's her ability?" Uncle Arnold looked serious as he asked again.
"She have the gift of words," Jin said, his eyes not leaving hers. "More likely, she's like a Poet of Souls, a Soul Interpreter."
Both Uncle Arnold and Fina nodded, taking grasp of the situation.
"It is strange indeed," Fina agreed.
"If her spiritual aura is really compacted and powerful, the council might not give her peace unless she joined the organization," Uncle Arnold said, his face creased with worry.
"What do you mean?" Ashnah finally managed to butt into their conversation. All pairs of eyes went to her. "Y-You told me I can decide on that, right?"
Jin sighed. "Really? You promised that to her?"
Uncle Arnold sighed in exhaustion. "I will assure her safety. If she does not want anything to do with the org, then I'll take care of things myself."
Jin's brows drew in suspicion. "What do you mean take care of things yourself?"
Fina was still calm. "Let's not get impulsive, Arnold." She turned to Fina. "Would it be fine if I'll talk to you without these two?" She asked her sincerely. When she turned to both, annyonace reflected in her eyes. Her eyes returned to Ashnah. "It may not seem it but Arnold's a hot-headed impulsive brute. And the kid's just dumb sometimes despite his looks and gift," she smiled sweetly, too sweetly actually but it got both of the subjects to retaliate in unison.
"What?!" Uncle Arnold exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?!" Jin's eyes widen with shock.
Ashnah smiled at their simultaneous reaction.
Fina just ignored their lament and focused her attention to Ashnah's answer.
Ashnah agreed to talk to Fina alone.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Uncle Arnold asked, concerned in his eyes. "Tell me me if you ever felt uncomfortable, okay?"
She nodded to reassure him. After being reassured, both Jin and Uncle Arnold went their way.
"I'm not sure how far Arnold have told you about the reality of this world," she looked at her as if trying to read out her core.
"Well, I think he probably at least told me the very basic."
"I see," she nodded. "Then I'll tell you about the organization then. The Gifted may appear anywhere else but it's just a front. Aside from hunting demons for everyday, we also searched for individuals who have the gifts of a warrior," she paused for a while, thinking for a better way to explain the things she is about to say. "Hmm... I think religious people call this ability as exorcism."
"If you're going to base the gifts on the ones mentioned in the book of Truth, only one kind of classification falls under the fighting type, which is the exorcism. Others are basically considered by the hunter's world as weak. That's why Jin called your ability belonging to the weaker bracket. At least in our history, no one was yet able to qualify to join our organization with your gift's bracket," she took a gulp of her drink. Then she continued, "Although I belong to the administrative work mostly, I was deemed as the backbone of the organization, at least in our nation's main branch. I have the gift of visions. And I was able to see the glimpse of how your gift manifest in fighting against your enemy."
"How does it work?"
"I'm not quite sure exactly. But if my observation was correct you're able to portray the demon prey's emotion, exposing the root of their problems. And as that happens, you purify them in the subtlest way. And based on how I see you do it in my vision, it was due to your sympathy with them."
"Sympathy?" Ashnah said her thought. "I just thought that I have been there."
"Exactly. The moment that your emotions aligned with their prey's emotion, it seems you draw out the root of their soul and unconciously purify them."
She nodded, prodding on her words.
"We need you to join our organization," she said, her eyes reflecting her determination. "Currently, this city has the highest rate of the crimes in the world. Although other parts of the world also have their own large numbers of criminal cases but as per according to the Statistics Department, the demonic aura in this city is the largest. And right now, this city's demonic aura was still considered as dormant. We believe that someone with high intelligence have planned through this thoroughly. And we probably are on the ring of their plans already. What we can do is prepare however we can. We need to find as many gifted warriors as we can."
Ashnah felt the heavy burden of Fina's words. She knew that by saying yes, she cannot just get out of the situation whenever she wants.
"I know you might see it as burdensome but we think it'll be for the best if you join the org. We have made some plans already with how we can hold you here. Arnold and I will be able to provide you details on how you can control your gift. Although it might be quite hard since we're under different categories but we have connections on the low level tiers who can possibly provide us more information on your abilities. I think we just need to maximize the coverage of the training."
Her hand clasped Ashnah's. "We badly needed your help, but we won't be sending you on the battlefield without any preparations."
Ashnah sighed. Her mind is in haywire right now. She couldn't think well.
"You can think about this later on. I'll give you five days. But just to warn you. Jin might not look like it but he is somewhat like a blabbermouth sometimes. Whether we like it or not, the org will know. I cannot defy the org if they task me for your cooperation. Arnold may be on your side but given the situation, i just deeply hope you'll consider joining the org. The last thing that we need is an internal conflict."