나의 수호 천사

"My Guardian Angel"

The story of the last Grigori

PRAECEPS

"EDGE OF THE CLIFF"

The pungent smell of his surroundings caused him to wince and slowly, he moves his fingers. His body still felt as if there was a dead weight on him, keeping him low on the ground.

“Where am I?”, he asked in his thoughts and slowly opened his eyes. A wilted pink rose welcomed his gaze and as his eyes adjust, he sees other roses scattered on the floor. Panic fills his whole being as he remembers the woman who let him in her home and he was carrying a dozen pink roses. He was asked to wait inside a Victorian decorated salon that was surrounded with fresh pink roses that he wondered why the customer had bought more. But then, as time ticks by, he also noticed that he was getting numb from his head, down to his arms and torso until his legs gave way and he fell on the floor.

Last thing he was able to see was the face of the woman. She was beautiful, with hair in curls, creamy white skin and a smile that can make any man weak.

Weak…

“I am weak…”, he thought. “I can’t move.” Dainty hands took the flowers in his hand and a whisper that sent chills through his spine before he lost consciousness.

“You are mine now, Taehyun.”, the woman said.

The hair on his arms stand erect as he remembered her voice. With all his might, he lifts his body off the stone floor. He didn’t even bother with the cold. His eyes scan the whole place. He was still in the salon.

He feels his strength coming back as he stands, already walking to the door but stopped at the sight of a child, curled in a corner, fast asleep. 

He knew the child. He was Dara’s son.

Taehyun immediately goes to the boy and noticed his red nose and the tear stains on his cheek. “Hanbin…”, he calls but the boy didn’t move. Taehyun shook him gently until the boy slowly opened his eyes and was about to scream but the angel covered his mouth at once. He gestured for him to keep quiet and Taehyun took a deep breath to let some of his psyche calm the little one.

“Don’t you remember me?”, Taehyun asked when the fear in the boy’s eyes dissipate. Slowly, the boy nods. “You can’t be too noisy. I will bring you back to your mother, all right?”

Tears well up the boy’s eyes and once the angel took his hand away, Hanbin immediately embraces him. “I’m scared.”

“I’m here. We’ll get out of here.”, he cooed into the boy’s ear while smoothing his hair back. “I promise, Hanbin. Thank you for destroying the flowers.”

“Oh?”, Hanbin looked at Taehyun. “I didn’t really know what I was doing. I thought you were dead!”

“The flowers seemed to have put me under a spell and you broke it.”

“Where are we?”, Hanbin asked. “Where’s Dara? Where’s my dad?”

“I don’t think they are here but we will look for them.”

The boy nodded at Taehyun, completely trusting him. 

Meanwhile back at the flower shop, a flustered Bom looks at the men around her. Jiyong was looking at the boy, who looked exactly like him when they were young, like he’s scared. The boy, Mino if she remembered his name correctly, just mentioned that he was the same as Dara? 

What did he mean?

She didn’t understand. 

“Bom, Dongwook is coming for you with Hayi.”, Jiyong spoke without looking at her.

“What? Why?”, Bom was even more bewildered. “Did you call…”

Before she could finish her question, she hears a honk of a horn from outside. The 3 boys looked at her and one of them touched her arm. Suddenly, the beating of her heart calmed.

“We will help your brother look for his son. You have to go home to your family.”

“But…”

“Just do it, Bom!”, Jiyong commanded.

“It will be all right.”, Jinwoo assured. “You have to go. Your daughter is waiting. Tell her that his friend is safe and that he will be with his father.”

She felt as if her body had a mind of its own, and she found herself nodding. Taking one last look at Jiyong who also nodded to her, she turned and stepped out of the door. The turn of events made her feel unsure but yet secured about Hanbin and Jiyong. She didn’t question anything as she stepped into the car and embraced Hayi.

“Hanbin will be all right.”, Bom whispered against her daughter’s ear. “He will be fine, Hayi. We just got to have faith.”

“Thank you, Jiyong.”, Jinwoo said and the latter looked at him.

“Don’t ever do that again!”, Jiyong exclaimed. “You cannot just enter my brain without my consent!”

“I had to, for your sister’s safety.”, the angel explained. “Besides, she listens to you.”

“How you managed to bring Dongwook here is the last of my concern but I hope that my sister and her family will be safe!”, the human looked at the other occupants of the room. “Now tell me, how are we going to save my son? Where is he? What happened to him?”

“He’s awake.”, Seunghoon suddenly spoke and 4 heads turned to him. “Your son is with Taehyun right now.”

“How do you know, Seunghoon?”, Jinwoo asked. The angelus stepped out of the counter and got a dozen of dead pink roses from the pail. He grabbed the petals and crushed them, then on his hands, words began to appear. A method angel messengers  use to communicate when they need help. "Of course! Taehyun knows how to talk to the angelus!"

“That's right. It is Taehyun who usually talks to us, so he knows. With me, I prefer using the flowers because its convenient and I can find it everywhere." Seunghoon informs them. "He says, the boy is safe. He just has to find a way to get them out of the place. His powers are still weak. He says they seem to be close to the sea.”

“We have to help them.”, Mino spoke and Jiyong looked at him. Without waiting for the latter to voice the question in his head, Mino already answered. “You remember where you first met Dara?”

“Me?”, Jiyong pointed to himself and Mino nodded. “Yes, I think that was close to the cottage where I retreat for some alone time. Why?”

“That is where your son is. Close to the cliff where you almost died that day.”

“Died? I don’t remember wanting to kill myself!”

“You didn’t, but the reason why Dara saved you was because a demon wanted to take your life while you took a dive.”

“I know nothing of any demon! I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You don’t, but she did. She wouldn’t risk her own life just for a boy who was foolish enough to want to kill himself.”

“Jiyong, we have to go. Your questions will be answered soon. You just have to have faith.”, Jinwoo tried to calm the human with his own power but it seems that Jiyong was far from being calm.

“You really have no choice, Mr. Kwon.”, Seungyoon smirked. “Because the demon who wanted you for herself, is taking your son in your stead.”

“I’m going to clean up.”, Seunghyun volunteers but Youngbae stops him.

“You already did the cooking. I should clean up.”

“And how do you suppose are you going to do that?”, the human asks. “Do angels wash dishes in heaven?”

“You still don’t believe us, do you?”

“I do but…”, he hesitates and Youngbae pats his back.

“I understand, Seunghyun.”, Youngbae takes the plates from the human’s hand and takes his place before the sink. “And just so you know, we watch humans for over centuries, we practically learn just by observing.”

“Mind you, I even know how to make your mother’s chocolate pudding.”, Dara adds with a smirk while cleaning the table. “You’ve had a rough day, Seunghyun. Go to sleep. This is a lot to take in.”

“There’s only one bedroom. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No, you don’t have to. We don’t sleep.”

“Right, an angel thing, I suppose.” Seunghyun teased and both nodded. “You do shower though, right?”

“We do get dirty while we’re in human form so, yeah.”, Youngbae adds and Seunghyun just smiles.

“Okay, I’ll make prepare the bathroom for you both. Its on the second floor just beside the bedroom. You can go up anytime.”

After Youngbae and Dara thanks him, Seunghyun leaves them both. Dara stands beside Youngbae and helps but she suddenly drops a plate as a pain like she never has felt before starts from her belly.

“Are you all right?”, Youngbae asks. Dara doubles on the floor, clutching her torso, her face in a grimace. “Sandara…”

“What happened?”, Seunghyun comes running back down.

“I don’t know. She just suddenly…”

“The hospital is a bit far from here, Youngbae!”

“I don’t think we need the hospital for this. Let me just…”, Youngbae touches Dara’s head to try to read her mind but then he quickly retracts it after he screams in pain.

“What? Youngbae!”

“She blocked me…I can’t get in her head.”

Youngbae and Seunghyun looks at Sandara who lay on the floor in fetal position. Her eyes tightly shut and she was biting her lip, probably to stop herself from screaming. They hear her moan before she lets out one piercing scream and lay still.

“What happened?”, Seunghyun asks, slowly reaching out to touch Dara’s shoulder. 

“My son…”, Dara speaks slowly and softly, with her head bent like in total defeat. “My son is in danger.”

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter