The first thought that came to her mind when she opened her eyes: then why does she feel such emptiness?
Something was wrong.
She got the impression that she was not herself. She felt as if someone had taken something important away from her, especially since her heart hurt so much. Only after a while did she realize why this was so. After all, she was no longer an angel. The archangels had taken away something as beautiful as her wings, condemning her to humanity. What puzzled her most, however, was why did they leave her memories? Did they want her to suffer more by knowing the past? Was this their punishment?
The last thing she remembered was testifying before the Archangels of Rafael's and Jack's actions, and admitting to making love with an angel, even though it was forbidden.
But what then happened to her, and where was she now?
She looked around the room, realizing that she was lying on a large bed, covered with satin sheets. All around her were cream-colored walls, decorated with valuable paintings. In the corner was a gramophone that played peaceful ballads, and opposite her was a table filled to the brim with delicious food.
Tentatively, she slid off the bed and walked slowly to the table. She grasped the sushi in her fingers and put it in her mouth, relishing the taste. A smile appeared on her face. She turned around and noticed that there was a large mirror behind the bed. Looking at her reflection, she carefully examined her body and face to make sure she still looked the same.
Indeed, nothing had changed.
At the same moment, the door opened and Jack entered the room. An incredibly handsome angel, at the sight of whom she smiled radiantly. However, her face faded just as quickly when she remembered what she had done to him. She had turned him in before the Archangels, telling them about all the deeds he and Raphael had committed!
Shouldn't he be punished now? Did he hold her here to exact revenge?
- Jack," she whispered, slowly backing away. She didn't know what he wanted from her. After all, he must have hated her after she hurt him. He wanted to do everything to keep their relationship safe, and she betrayed him. The reason she stabbed him in the back was that she could no longer watch him sow evil in the town, watch him turn to the dark side, watch him fall....
- Don't be afraid of me, Alison. I'm not going to hurt you. Do you really think I could do anything to you? To you? - He asked, cautiously approaching her. She paused, realizing he was at the bedside and could not retreat further. - I was furious, so I shouted without thinking. Even if you had done something much worse to me, I would never take revenge on you. I would not be able to hurt you.
She watched his face carefully for a moment. She knew him so well that she could read every lie from his lips. It seemed to her that this time he was telling the truth.
- After all this, shouldn't you be punished? Why am I with you?
- You helped me get free, that's why we are together. You may not remember it, but that's not relevant," he announced, facing her and putting his hands on her shoulders. - Alison, it is Rafael who is now the danger that threatens you. He is the one who plans to take revenge on you. You need to know that I will be by your side all the time, trying to protect you. All you have to say is, do you still trust me? I know that a lot has happened between us, I have also changed, but for me, you are still the most important. That will never change," he announced, looking straight into her eyes.
He spoke with such conviction that she had no doubt about it. Besides, he was someone she loved madly, so she couldn't spurn him.
She nodded, and he took her face in his hands and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
He was well aware of what he had done. He stripped Alison of her human memories so that she would not suffer. Then he brought back her moments from when she was an angel so that she would think her powers had simply been taken away. He wanted the return of his real Alison, who was not afraid of anything and could face any danger.
He simply wanted her back...
*
She felt bad at the thought that after what she had done to Jack, he had just forgiven her. It confirmed to her how strong an affection he had for her. She thought that after all those bad deeds, he had shed all feelings and that he didn't do it to be with her, but because he derived satisfaction from it. She was mistaken. Now she understood that he was grasping at every way to make sure no one would separate them, and she had stabbed him in the back. She wanted to remain an angel, so she couldn't bear all the crimes and decided to turn them in. She confessed to the Archangels who had been behind the attacks in the town all this time, turning the place into a slaughterhouse.
Raphael did it for fun, as he was bored with being an obedient angel, and Jack did it to make a deal.
Before she decided to turn them in, she hid the crimes for a long time. She loved Jack so much that she was unable to betray him, but when one day she saw a row of dead bodies, she couldn't stand it any longer. There were more and more suicides in the town, as they both messed with people's heads, forcing them to take their lives. They hid themselves so well that no one was able to guess who was behind the crimes.
They only found out when Alison turned them in. When she gathered enough courage to betray her beloved. She didn't want him to lose himself even more in what he was doing. She couldn't watch him destroy himself, destroy his soul.
After all this, they were brought before God's court. There they chose a punishment for them. Rafael and Jack had fallen, so it was decided to send them to prison, and Alison was given a second chance.
She didn't understand why the Archangels didn't take away her memories and by what miracle she had freed Jack from the place that was his prison. However, she supposed that he had his fingers in it, playing with her mind. He wanted to hide something from her.
Previously, Alison had been an angel, so she knew what he was capable of. Even though Jack had fallen, that didn't mean his powers had been taken away. He was simply forbidden to enter heaven. He was no longer a son of God. Furthermore, he was spurned.
*
Holding Alison's hand, he led her up the stairs.
She knew this place very well. They used to frequent this place, especially when George sold his soul for eternal life, thus becoming Jack's subordinate. At first, Alison tried to live with it somehow, but the more bad things happened, the more she couldn't cope with it.
They entered his apartment, at which George opened his eyes wider at the sight of the girl.
- Alison, you're back," he announced, to which she nodded. She eluded the boy and entered the room. George was a photographer and took many pictures of them, claiming they were too beautiful to waste. Now she wanted to find them to look at the photographs again, and even keep a few of them.
One by one, she began to open the cabinets, not caring that she was a guest. George had always asked her to make herself at home, so she didn't see it as a problem. Since he was letting her, she wasn't doing anything wrong.
George entered the room with Jack and smiled at the sight of her. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at his beloved Alison, who did not express satisfaction that his subordinate was looking at her this way. He understood he was silently drooling over the girl, but he turned a blind eye to it, confident that she would never look at another man.
- George, where do you keep all the pictures? - She asked, looking at him impatiently. The boy scratched his head and glanced again at the fallen angel, horrified at what he was called.
- They are in a photo studio that has been closed for over a hundred years," he replied confusedly, feeling Jack's piercing gaze on him. - But next time I can take them from there, it's no problem.
- Since Alison needs them now, go get them. There won't be a next time. - George vigorously nodded his head and ran to the cabinet, hastily taking out the old keys. In the blink of an eye, he left the apartment to return as soon as possible with the photos.
Jack threw Alison a sharp look. She didn't know what he meant, so she uncertainly retreated backward, causing her to run into the wall. She clung to it and gently raised the corners of her mouth when he appeared at her side instantly, overpowering her with his hands to keep her from running away.
- Call him George again, and I'll want to continue my revenge," he warned the brunette, looking at her straight in the eye. His gaze was menacing, but she understood since Jack had fallen, he had been unable to control his anger. Although he tried, he was no longer the same as before. After all, he had done many bad things, so it wasn't easy for him to control his dark side.
Maybe in time, Alison could do something about it?