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"My Guardian Angel"

 

The story of the last Grigori

 

 

 

 

a gratia excidistis

“Fallen from Grace”

 

 

 

 

 

The majestic wall of rocks across the narrow road was back and the mansion has disappeared. Without noticing, Taehyun wasn’t with them anymore and Dara was left kneeling on the ground. Her eyes seemed focused on the dirt below her and a feeling of foreboding engulfed her heart. 

 

 

 

“Seunghyun…”, Dara willed for her voice to reach the human’s mind. “Take Hanbin away from here.”

 

 

 

The unassuming human looked at Dara’s back but she hasn’t turned to him. Her back was hunched, her eyes downcast. 

 

 

 

“Go! Now!”, Dara commanded and Seunghyun lifts the boy in his arms. “Don’t let them find him. Please, Seunghyun.”

 

 

 

Seunghyun didn’t know what to say but he followed her command. Jiyong’s eyes were fixed on Dara’s back but a movement from his right caught his attention and he saw Seunghyun slipping past the trees with Hanbin. He felt Youngbae’s grip on his shoulder and the other shook his head and placed a finger on his lip. Slowly, they followed Seunghyun away from the clearing where Dara, Mino, Jinwoo and Seungyoon stood.

 

 

 

“Dara’s still there!”, Jiyong hissed at Youngbae when he caught up to him. They have run all the way back to the cottage and Seunghyun was putting Hanbin inside his car.

 

 

 

“Jiyong, we have to get you out of here.”, Youngbae said.

 

 

 

“More importantly, we have to get your son out of here.”, Seunghyun added.

 

 

 

“No…”, Jiyong shook his head. “I’m not leaving without Dara!”

 

 

 

“Jiyong, I know this is confusing for you but you have to go with your son!” Youngbae tried to calm the other down but it seems all that mattered to him at the moment was getting back to Dara.

 

 

 

“Dara asked me to do this.”, Seunghyun added. “I heard her voice in my head and it seemed urgent.”

 

 

 

“I need to get my answers, Seunghyun.”, Jiyong almost begged. “I need to go back and see her! I need her!”

 

 

 

“What about your son?”, Seunghyun asked but Jiyong could only look at the boy before turning and running back to the clearing, without giving an answer.

 

 

 

“Seunghyun, go now! I’ll follow after Jiyong!”, Youngbae says but halts on his tracks then his body falls to the ground.

 

 

 

“Youngbae!”, Seunghyun called out and ran to him but when he reached the other, Youngbae was looking at him with wonder.

 

 

 

“Where am I?”

 

 

 

“Youngbae…”

 

 

 

“Who’s Youngbae?”

 

 

 

“What?”, Seunghyun asked, not understanding anything at the moment.

 

 

 

“I’m Taeyang. Who’s Youngbae? And where am I?”

 

 

 

“, your human again?”

 

 

 

“What?”, Taeyang seemed confused and Seunghyun looked around but he could find no sign of the angel until, he suddenly felt a calm come over him.

 

 

 

“I’m free.”, Youngbae spoke in Seunghyun’s mind. “Take this human and the boy back to the city. I’ll take care of Jiyong. Go now, Seunghyun.”

 

 

 

Back in the clearing, Mino stood up and turned towards Dara. Jinwoo stood behind him, unable to read what the Dux had in his mind. 

 

 

 

“Do it…”, Dara whispered and Mino tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

 

 

 

“You weren’t even supposed to live.”, he spat out.

 

 

 

“I know.”, Dara turned to him, her eyes pleading for him to do what he has to do. To put an end to this guilt that she felt for Taehyun’s death.

 

 

 

“Taehyun asked us not to kill you but he’s gone. He’s dead. You and your son, you drove him to his death! You killed him!”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

 

 

Dara closed her eyes, prepared for the High Guard’s blade to pierce through her heart but then, there was nothing but warmth and a familiar scent of one human she had vowed to forget.

 

 

 

“Jiyong…”, she whispered, without turning to the human.

 

 

 

“You’re never getting away from me again.”, Jiyong whispered back.

 

 

 

The High Guards and the Keeper watched as the Grigori’s black and white wings surround her and the human. The ground beneath them shakes and began to break, separating the celestials.

 

 

 

“We have company.”, Jinwoo says. “Fallen angels.” The celestials turn to the woods and sees two others that seemed human on the outside, but their psyche says otherwise. The High Guards felt the great power they possessed. One was blonde, his eyes closed, his hands on the ground as he uses the power of the earth to separate the celestials from the Grigori and the human. The other was female, her lips moving fast, but they recognized the incantation.

 

 

 

“We can’t fight them.”, Jinwoo informs Mino. “Were already in so much trouble, Mino. We’re not even supposed to be here, remember?”

 

 

“Are you going to just let them go?”, Seungyoon, The Keeper, asked. Mino seemed to be fighting an inner battle with himself.

 

 

 

“There was no order, Mino.”, Jinwoo put his hand on the hilt of Mino’s sword and pushed it down on the ground. “You can’t let grief take over your judgement and forget your duty. Taehyun sacrificed himself and we both know that he wouldn’t do that if it wasn’t necessary. He wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t certain that they boy is harmless.”

 

 

 

“What am I supposed to do?”

 

 

 

“We have to go back.”

 

 

 

“Taehyun’s gone, Jinwoo.”

 

 

 

“He is. But he will always remain with us.”, Jinwoo touches Mino’s shoulder as he tries to comfort them, both. “He will always be with us.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9 years ago…

 

 

 

“You have beautiful flowers.”, a girl’s voice said from behind her and Dara almost fell over from shock. The girl immediately held onto her forearm so that she wouldn’t get hurt. “Careful! You can’t get hurt! I heard pregnant women shouldn’t fall on their behind or they might drop the baby!”

 

 

Dara couldn’t help but smile at the innocent way she thought. How old was she? She looked like she was just about 15 or so judging from the villagers she had seen when she chanced to tag along with Jiyong to the market. Come to think of it, she has never seen this girl.

 

 

“How did you find this place?”, Dara asked instead.

 

 

“I live on the mansion over the hill.”, she pointed to their left but when Dara looked, all she saw were trees and probably more trees beyond. Jiyong never spoke of any other people living close to them. He said this place was secluded and so they never bothered with fences. She looked at the girl again, trying to decide if she was dangerous or not. “I always see your garden but I never had the chance to say hello to you until now. Because now I know. I am quite certain!”

 

 

“Pardon?”

 

 

“I am like you!”

 

 

“I don’t really understand.”, Dara turned away. Jiyong warned her that when someone talks to her, she should never tell anyone about who she really is. Well, he told her not to talk to anyone even when someone talks to her but, how to escape this now? She thought to just avert the topic as she walked to the other flower beds. The girl kept on following her. “Would you like to take some flowers back home?”

 

 

“I have been watching you and the human live here.”, The girl says instead. “You almost fooled me but the fact that you can see me and talk to me proves it too. We never reveal ourselves to humans. Its in our law. So only someone like me, can see me.”

 

 

What the girl said made a lot of sense. Dara knew of that law of course, and she had broken it many times. Then the realization that she could be found hit her, and she was suddenly scared. She wanted to run away from the garden.

 

 

“Please leave…”, Dara took a step back. “I don’t want to hurt you so please…”

 

 

“You won’t hurt me and I won’t hurt you.”, the girl says sincerely. “I am a descendant of the Angel Barachiel. You are pregnant, and that is probably why I was drawn to you.” She raised her hand to gently lay on Dara’s enlarged belly and Dara took another step back, still unsure even if she really wanted to trust the girl.

 

 

“Its a boy.”, she sweetly says.

 

 

“You shouldn’t be here.”, Dara insists. “Please, I can’t be found!”

 

 

“Then please let me be your guardian!”, the girl knelt in front of Dara.

 

 

“This is really unnecessary…”

 

 

“Dara, its getting late!”, Jiyong called out from the house. “Who are you talking to?”, he asked, walking towards her. Dara looked at the girl again and when Jiyong reached them, he was just looking at Dara. “Why are you talking to yourself again?

 

 

“You can’t see her?”

 

 

“Her?”, Jiyong asked and Dara nodded. The girl looked at Dara, not sure if she should reveal herself but it seems Dara has decided on something now.

 

 

“You said you were drawn here because I was pregnant.”, Dara spoke and although Jiyong should find it bothersome, he has seen Dara talk to herself so many times that it seemed this was natural. “I put this particular spot under protection. How did you find us?”

 

 

“I look over the people in this small village. You’ve seen how few women live here but I kept coming back since a strong power seemed to be pulling me in. All I could see were the trees and the flowers and the river up north. Then a few days back, one of the High Guards paid you a visit. You were caught off guard and I suddenly felt your psyche. You were strong even though you were holding back.”

 

 

“Dara, who are you talking to?”, Jiyong pulled on Dara’s arm. “Didn’t I tell you to stop doing this?”

 

 

The girl suddenly laughed then Jiyong fell on his back as soon as he heard her. “Where did she come from?!?!?”, he asked, pointing to the girl. “Who are you?”

 

 

“Well, I have many names but since I said I lived over the hill, you can just call me Mynydd.”

 

 

“No, I’ll call you Minzy.”, Dara says with a smile on her face. “Jiyong, she’s a descendant of the angel who protects the unborn and the mothers.” The girl extends a hand out to the human and helps him to stand. She was about Dara’s height, with short red hair and with an innocence that  radiates from her eyes.

 

 

End of flashback

 

 

 

Today, that innocence was gone. 

 

 

“You do remember me now, don’t you?”, Minzy asked.

 

 

“You were the girl in the church.”

 

 

“And before that?”

 

 

“Vaguely.”, Dara answered. “You saved my life once again.”

 

 

“More like I saved that human’s life once again.”, the younger one sneered. “I told you that I’ll tell you everything that happened when you’re ready. Do you even want to know, my dear Grigori?”

 

 

“I want to know if Jiyong is safe.”

 

 

“He will be.”

 

 

“Where are we?”, Dara asked. “And my son…”

 

 

“Your son is safe with the human. They are going back to the city as you willed for him to do. When I arrived at the clearing, it was just you and the boy’s father. How brave of you to let the Dux drive a sword into your heart.” Minzy’s words were clear to Dara. Right after Taehyun died, she spoke to Seunghyun in her mind to take Hanbin away from them. She knew that Seunghyun did as he was told but she wondered why Jiyong stayed and even tried to save her from Mino. She already accepted her fate. The fate that she had been running from since she was conceived. If not for her, none of this would have happened. Taehyun would still be alive. No one will be in danger.

 

 

“I deserve to be punished.”

 

 

“Isn’t living away from your son punishment enough?”, Minzy asked and Dara could only look at her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In one of the rooms of the cold mansion, a lady wakes from slumber. She remembered being the captive of an old friend, but now, her wrists were free from chains, and body didn’t hurt as much. 

 

 

“The spell is broken.”, Seungri spoke when her eyes opened. “I’m sorry, Chaerin.”

 

 

She looked at the man sitting by her waist and her hate wasn’t left unnoticed. Slowly, she eased herself up to sit. “You have to rest here for a while.”, he added.

 

 

Seungri’s face snapped to the side as soon as Chaerin’s palm connected with his cheek. She then leaves the human’s body and stands over her captor with her wings spread wide but then, she falls back down on the floor.

 

 

“You are in a fallen angel’s lair and you are still weak.”, Seungri informed her and stood up. “Stick around if you want to see Dara. But if you don’t and you want to escape, wait a little while for your strength to come back.

 

 

“Why, all of a sudden?”, Chaerin asked. “Why did you set me free?”

 

 

“I have no use for you.”, he shrugged before turning to leave the room. His words were like daggers to Chaerin’s heart. 

 

 

 

 

Seungri walked away from Chaerin and stood by the balustrade on the second floor overlooking the living room. She looked just as he remembered her. Dara had the physique of a fragile figurine, the face deserving to be immortalized in stones and canvass but her psyche and will power, put men, humans and angels alike, to shame. Only those who knew her would know of how powerful she is. And at this moment, even Dara herself was oblivious to it.

 

 

 

Seungri thought that they should rectify that.

 

 

 

A sound from behind him made him turn and he found the human that was with Dara. Of course, he knew the guy. He promised Dara that he would take care of him. 

 

 

 

“Seungri…”, Jiyong spoke from the doorway of the room he was supposed to be sleeping in. “What are you doing here? Where am I?”

 

 

 

“I live here.”, was all that Seungri said. “If you are looking for her, its best not to intervene at this moment.”

 

 

 

“Why? Where’s Dara?”, Jiyong walked over to the other and stood to watch the 2 ladies below them.

 

 

 

“She’s collecting answers to her questions. Stick around if you want to know what happened the day you got separated.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flashback

 

 

 

“We seem to be having a lot of people around now.”, Jiyong spoke while having dinner with Dara. He looked outside, through the glass walls of the patio where Minzy and two other men stood. One was a bulky blonde warrior who could stop a war with his smile and the other, a sulky teenager-looking man that was always… sulky. “Is it all right for them to be here?”

 

 

 

“Daesung…”

 

 

 

“The blonde?”, Jiyong asked and Dara nodded.

 

 

 

“He’s only here for Minzy. I’m sure he won’t cause any trouble. Have you seen the way he looks at her?”

 

 

 

“Not really…”, Jiyong says and Dara glares at him. “What? I’m too busy looking at you to notice other stuff! What about the other one?”

 

 

 

“Seungri?”, Dara asked and Jiyong nodded. “He’s a friend. He never wanted to go back after he found me.”

 

 

 

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