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"My Guardian Angel"

 

 

the story of the last Grigori

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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XXXI

ANGELUS ATER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rain begins to pour and a many different colors of umbrellas opened on the ground below, sheltering humans from getting soaked. Hurriedly they walked to get from one place to another, heedless of their surroundings. And as thunder mutes the sound of a child’s scream, no one sees her falling from the 23rd floor except for one.

 

 

 

“Hayi!!!”, Hanbin called out as he watched his best friend, horrified. Hayi looked up at him, screaming his name and even though her voice sounded minuscule, her fear seemed to shake Hanbin’s whole being. Hayi was scared. She knew she was going to die. They both knew it. 

 

 

 

 

Flashback

 

 

 

A boy of 5 cries as he clings onto a branch of a tree he has climbed in the backyard of his grandfather’s house. No one knew he went off far from the property and followed a kitten up on a tree, so he was alone. He was way up and as he looked down on the ground, he felt his stomach lurch and his insides churn as if he was going to vomit. He was afraid of heights. He kept calling for his father but he doubted if he would hear him. Suddenly, he hears a girl’s voice from under the tree.

 

 

 

“What are you doing up there?”, she asked. He knew her. She was his cousin, Aunt Bommie’s daughter and she was only a few months younger than him. “Get down now!”

 

 

 

“I…I can’t…I can’t!”, he answered shakily. 

 

 

 

“Sure you can! I’ll catch you!”

 

 

 

“You’re too small!”

 

 

 

“But I make a good cushion!”, she answered back with a smile. “Come on!”, she encouraged and lifted her arms. “Don’t be scared! Just extend your legs onto the next branch! How would you even get there if you didn't know how to climb back down?”

 

 

 

“Where’s Dad?”, he asked, instead.

 

 

 

“They all left just a while ago but they said they will be back. I can call for help but that might take some time and its about to rain! Come down quick!”

 

 

 

“I can’t! I’m scared!”, he admitted.

 

 

 

“I’m here! Don’t be!”, his cousin assured with a smile but Hanbin was still shaking. Hayi looked at the foot of the tree and tried to find a way to make it to him. Hanbin saw her try to climb after him but she was just too heavy to haul herself up. He could see her struggle so he swallowed his own fear.

 

 

 

“I’m coming!”, he stammered. “Wait for me there!”

 

 

 

The girl looked up and smiled at him. She went back to where she stood when she found him, and he slowly moved his legs. 

 

 

 

“Hurry!”, she said once he was able to move onto the branch below. “2 more branches and you can jump! They prepared sweets for us that’s why I came to find you! I’m hungry so hurry!”

 

 

 

“Don’t rush me! I might die!”, he said without looking at her.

 

 

 

“You won’t die! I’m here!”, she assured. “I’ll catch you!”

 

 

 

End of flashback 

 

 

 

With shaking limbs, the boy climbs the rail. He wipes his eyes with his arm to be able to see Hayi better. He didn’t know if it were tears or rainwater, that blurred his vision. All he could think of was making sure he could see her. His lips moved constantly, saying Hayi’s name over and over again as he steadies himself. “I have to got to her. I have to save her.”, he says out loud before he throws himself off the balustrade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We have to at least do a proper reception for you both!”, Bom argued with the couple as they drank champagne. “We need to properly welcome Dara to the family!”

 

 

 

“Bommie, its all right.”, Jiyong says.

 

 

 

“Hush, Jiyong! You have no say in this! I have to call CL and arrange it all with her! You both, just have to come!”, she said with a glare at her brother. “You already cheated her of a proper wedding!”

 

 

 

Bom turned to where Dara should have been seated and they both jumped at the sound of the door closing.

 

 

 

“Oh? Where’s Dara?”, she asked but Jiyong already stood up and followed after his wife. He passed by a bewildered Seunghyun by the door. 

 

 

 

“Hey…”, Seunghyun said.

 

 

 

“Stay with Bom! I’ll be back! Don’t let her come out!”, Jiyong shouted back but he didn’t stop from running.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the realm of the High Guards, Jinwoo, the mindreader, walked hurriedly to the Dux’s quarters and only stopped once he found him inside, wearing his armor, as if preparing for battle.

 

 

 

 

“Where do you think are you going?”, Jinwoo asked. “Mino, remember the Council told us that we aren’t allowed to go to the human world again!”

 

 

 

 

“The little girl is in trouble.”, Mino said while sheathing his sword.

 

 

 

“Did you just use your power to see Dara again?” Mino didn’t answer so Jinwoo continued to speak. “You said you could care less about these humans now! Remember you said, that whatever Dara does, you won’t get involved unless we have orders!”

 

 

 

“This is not about Dara.”, Mino turned to Jinwoo. “The little girl we saved before is in trouble.” He walked to the door but Jinwoo stopped him.

 

 

 

“You are risking so much for these humans! They have their own guardians. We have our own kind to protect!”

 

 

 

“Let go of me, Jinwoo.”, Mino spoke without looking at his comrade. 

 

 

 

“Mino, this is still about the boy, isn’t it?”, Jinwoo tightened his hold on the Dux’s arm. “Taehyun said…”

 

 

 

“Taehyun is dead.”, Mino interrupted. “Taehyun is dead because of the boy. And now, if I don’t make it to the girl, she will die as well.”

 

 

 

“Mino, don’t…”

 

 

 

“It is my fault that the boy is alive. From the moment he was born, I knew that he shouldn’t have lived.”, Mino turned to Jinwoo and eased his arm out of the other's hold. “If it weren’t for Taehyun, we wouldn’t have saved Sandara or her son. And now, he’s dead because of both. I should have given the order then and there. I shouldn’t have listened to Taehyun’s plea. I was your commander and just one word from me, none of this could have happened.”

 

 

 

“It is not your fault! Mino, please!”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry, Jinwoo, but this has got to end.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra didn’t know how it happened but while listening to Bom and Jiyong argue about their secret wedding, she was suddenly looking at the sky. It was as if, she was looking through someone else’s eyes and she was out of the room where she was supposed to be sitting.

 

 

 

She could see the angry nimbulus coming and she could feel the strong winds around her. She felt a strong surge of psyche from within her and she felt a small soft hand holding tightly, as if it was held in her own. Hayi was standing in front of her and she was looking into the horizon. The little girl let go of her and stretched her arms out.

 

 

 

“Push her…”, she hears a male’s deep voice. “Push her, Hanbin.”

 

 

 

Without a word to the siblings, Dara darted out of the room and ran as fast as she could towards the rooftop where Hayi and Hanbin were but when she reached the place, no one was there.

 

 

 

Her heart began to pound against her chest and her palms began to sweat. She felt it. She felt the same fear she did, after she had given birth to her son and she found herself face to face with her own kind. She knew that voice all too well. The same voice that had tried to talk her into killing. A voice that promised to release her full power. A voice that she had sealed within her own memory and tried to lock it away forever. 

 

 

 

How is it possible that he was back? How is it possible that she could hear him again?

 

 

 

How is it possible that he could be free when she had locked him inside her own memory and into the Keeper’s abyss?

 

 

 

“Memories always find their way back to its owner.”, Jinwoo appears from beside her. Dara turned to him and the look on his face gave her a feeling of foreboding. “Dara, let her out now.”

 

 

 

“Jinwoo, what is happening?”, Dara asked. “Where is Hanbin and Hayi? What are you doing here?”

 

 

 

“It is time.”, Jinwoo says. The thunder clouds let out a lightning that was enough to blind her before she saw two figures hovering in front of her. One was a celestial with black wings, carrying a girl in his arms, blood trickling on the side of her face. Behind him, was a man with long hair that came to his shoulders and with skin, as white as a wraith’s.

 

 

 

“Soohyuk…”, his name escaped Sandara’s lips before her own wings opened and she felt her psyche go stronger. Her eyes darted back to the boy with a girl in his arms, his face downcast but she knew it was her son. “Hanbin…”

 

 

 

“What have you done to him?”, she glared at the wraith. “How could you have escaped? I locked you…”

 

 

 

“You should have destroyed me when you had the chance.”, Soohyuk said as he placed a hand on Hanbin’s shoulder. 

 

 

 

“Get away from my son!”

 

 

 

“But it was him who called me. It was him who summoned me back. It was your son’s power that set me free.” Soohyuk smiled at Sandara. His face showed delight at the sight of her wings. “I see that somehow, I have awakened the darkness in you. Why do you try to get rid of who you really are? It would have been easier if you just did as I told you and released your true self. After all, your actions are proof enough that you are one of us. That you are the last living Grigori!”

 

 

 

Sandara saw a figure appear behind Soohyuk and a sword slashing through the wraith’s body. Soohyuk didn’t seem to be affected and Mino stood behind the wraith, gasping for air at the effort it took to control his psyche. He wanted to take the wraith by surprise so he held in his own power until it was time to strike but the sudden surge of psyche was much too powerful for his own body. Soohyuk turned to face the Dux.

 

 

 

“Long time no see?”, he greets Mino. “Haven’t you learned from the last time? You can’t kill me anymore for I am already dead. You already killed me.”

 

 

 

“How is it possible that you are here?”, Mino asked.

 

 

 

“Ask Sandara!”, Soohyuk answered and gestured toward her. “She was stupid to think that she can lock me in forever. The mindreader is right. Memories will always find its way back to its owner. The night she gave birth and I found her, I told you to destroy me, Sandara. Instead, you locked me away. All I had to do was wait for the right time.”

 

 

 

“And what time is that? What is the right time?”, Sandara asked.

 

 

 

“Humans will always be a Grigori’s weakness. We are after all, half human. Considering you are a female Grigori, you just can’t help yourself when a handsome guy passes you by, could you?”, Soohyuk laughed. “Let me correct that, because he did not just pass you by. You were his guardian angel! The moment you fell for that human, I could feel your psyche go stronger. And as you found your way back to what you most wanted to forget, you were a ticking time bomb. You see, Sandara, even if you denounce what you really are, Grigori blood runs through your veins. Being half human is as much as your strength as it is, your weakness. You grew stronger as you loved, but you were so scared of your own power that you wanted to give it up. Did you really think that once you get deplumed, you are free?” Sandara couldn’t answer and Soohyuk turned to Mino.

 

 

 

“Isn’t that why you came after her golden feather, Mino? You knew she was also getting stronger as she lived in the human world, beside the man who fathered her son. You didn’t want her to realize it, so you had to find the feather for yourself and destroy it, but did you?” Soohyuk smirked. “You thought the boy was harmless. You knew the feather was in him.”

 

 

 

“What is he talking about?”, Sandara asked Jinwoo. 

 

 

 

“Your pluma vitae.”, Jinwoo answered. “Once an angel shed’s his or her golden feather, yes, you may fall from heaven but, your feather’s life will always find its way back to you.” Sandara turned to Jinwoo, her hands as realization dawned on her. All this time, the moment she fell from heaven, Hanbin’s life was in danger. 

 

 

 

“Yes, I know! And I told Chaerin to hide it from everyone else, especially from me! Unless…”

 

 

 

“She hid it within Hanbin. We didn’t know, Sandara…”, Jinwoo looked at her apologetically. “That time I saw your son, I knew the feather was in him but destroying it, would mean that we have to kill your son as well.”

 

 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

 

 

“I thought it was safe, without you knowing. I didn’t know that you kept something so dangerous within your own self. I didn’t know that it was Soohyuk that you hid within the Keeper’s abyss. That memory was lost, the moment you fell from heaven. Your golden feather has the power to restore your memories once it gets reunited with you. We weren’t aware that it was possible that even that memory would be called back.”, Jinwoo explained.

 

 

 

“It is possible.”, the Keeper, Seungyoon appeared on Sandara’s other side. “Because you are a Grigori and your son is as powerful, or even more powerful, than you are. Your feather’s life was hidden within him and his own power was able to bring back all your memories, even the one you had tried to hide within the deepest, darkest depths of my abyss. I tried to look for it, but you see, I have failed. I have failed you.”

 

 

 

Sandara looked at Soohyuk once again and then at Hanbin. Her son was just kneeling on the ground, his black wings clipped behind him, his eyes never leaving the girl’s face. She was a dead weight on his arms. There was no sign of life from Hayi.

 

 

 

“Hanbin…”, she called but he didn’t move or show any sign that he could hear her. “What happened?”

 

 

 

“I killed her.”, he whispered without looking at his mother. “I pushed her when she was standing on the railing and I tried to go after her but…I killed her, Mom. I didn’t mean to… I don’t know how it happened… We were just… we were just so happy and then I killed her.”

 

 

 

“You son’s guilt and grief freed Soohyuk.”, Mino said as he approached Hanbin and the ground beneath them started to shake. He gave Soohyuk a sideways glance and the wraith looked proud behind the boy. “Hanbin released all his psyche as he tried to save the girl.”

 

 

 

Sandara walked towards Hanbin and embraced him. The boy leaned on her shoulder, crying, but he still didn’t turn away from Hayi. “Shhhh…you have to calm down.”, she said. “You have to control your power, my son. Your psyche is too much for these humans. Try to calm down, Hanbin. Please…” 

 

 

 

Sandara could hear the screams of panic and the rush of footsteps from the people within the building. But the loudest came from voices that she knew too well. A cry from a mother and father who just found out that their daughter is dead. Hayi’s human body has been found at the foot of the building below them. She looked up at Soohyuk when he spoke again.

 

 

 

“The Dux is right. I came to your son’s dream one night. He was looking for you. The moment he found me, he lead me out and set me free but I hid at once when you came into the room. You should have destroyed me the moment I asked you to. I was only waiting for you to unleash your power but you never wanted to embrace who you really are. You could have prevented this. My life’s promise should have ended with you. I swore that I will prove to the heavens that our bloodline isn’t evil and you were my last hope but you deny who you really are. Now, your son is the one to suffer. As Hanbin grows stronger, I grow weaker. My strength and my power is now with him. The only question now is, will he be able to control it?”

 

 

 

“Nephelims cannot control their own power.”, Sandara whispered and Soohyuk nodded.

 

 

 

“And you have created the most powerful nephelim, Sandara.”

 

 

 

With one movement, Soohyuk found himself face to face with an angry Sandara and a silver blade held against his throat. His eyes mirrored her anger. 

 

 

 

“I will never forgive you!”

 

 

 

“Me? Or yourself?”, Soohyuk asked mockingly. “This is as much as my fault, as it is yours.”

 

 

 

“Fine, then it is my fault!”, Sandara said with conviction but she wasn’t discouraged by Soohyuk’s words. “If I caused this, then I will be able to put a stop to it!”

 

 

 

“I admit that you have power, but you cannot undo what has been done. You have to stop wishing that you can turn back time and change the course of events. You have to accept things as they are, my dear. Why are you so convinced that you will become evil once you let out the darkness within you?”

 

 

 

“The fact that I can hold you right now, is proof enough that I can still destroy you.”, she threatened. “I don’t care what happens to me anymore. I am not the same sad scared girl you found before! I may be a Grigori but I am not like you!”

 

 

 

Soohyuk looked at Sandara proudly and if it was possible, he would have applauded her. This was what he wanted from the moment he found her after she gave birth to her son. He had wanted to awaken the Grigori within Sandara and unleash her full power to mock the heavens. The ground was shaking stronger this time and the winds were blowing harsher. The sound of the thunder, louder and the strike of lightning illumined the celestials faces.

 

 

 

“Mino!”, Sandara shouted and he appeared behind her. “As soon as I kill him, I want you to kill me!”

 

 

 

“As if that will help…”, Soohyuk mocked.

 

 

 

Seungyoon looked at Jinwoo and the latter answered his question even without the Keeper voicing it out, “Once Sandara destroys Soohyuk, she will lose her humanity and the Grigori within her will take over. All the power she has suppressed will come out and she might be out of control.”

 

 

 

“Isn’t she already the Grigori in this form?”, Seungyoon asked and Jinwoo shook his head.

 

 

 

“I’m afraid, this is only half of Sandara’s true nature.”

 

 

 

“You were bluffing.”, she said and pressed her blade closer to Soohyuk’s throat. “Your powers are still with you because I can still sense your psyche. Mino’s sword could never kill you again because you are neither dead nor living. You aren’t even a demon, or an angel. You may have wanted to be destroyed that time we met, but right now, you want to live longer to see just what my son can do and how much power he has. You may have influenced his mind but you can only transfer your power to me because you created me and as you stand here, at the mercy of my blade, I know you are scared. You are scared because it will be the end of our bloodline. I am the last living Grigori and once I kill you, my wings will turn black and the darkness inside me will be out.”

 

 

 

“Go ahead. Let your blade pierce through my heart and we’ll see. Even if you die, your son is still alive. He still has Grigori blood.”

 

 

 

“We’ll see.”, Sandara whispered into Soohyuk’s ear before she flipped her silver blade and pierced Soohyuk’s heart. Soohyuk’s gaze never left Sandara and the smile on his face never wavered. Slowly, he began to fade and as the lightning struck the metallic rod at the peak of the building and blinded them all, Soohyuk disappeared and Sandara began to feel the surge of her own psyche, or perhaps it was Soohyuk’s, and her black wings spread from behind her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kwon Jiyong climbed the stairs to where his family was with difficulty for as the ground shook the building, he had to hold on tight or he could lose his balance. The wind was as much a burden to him for even his sight was affected. He had to stop every now and then, or he could be blown off of the building. He could see Hanbin and Dara a few meters away from him. He also remembered the other celestials who were with them at the cliff. Jiyong wanted to scream and let them know that he was there but he couldn’t. A part of him was scared and as he looked at his son’s agonized face, he couldn’t help but falter. 

 

 

 

His son has changed a lot. He wasn’t the same 8 year old boy who was always looking for him, wanting his attention. It was as if Hanbin wasn’t really Hanbin anymore. And Dara. She was also different but he knew her. He has seen her in this form. This was the Sandara that saved him from the cliff, only her wings were still white then. He could hear their vices but he couldn’t understand anything except for one. 

 

 

 

“As soon as I kill him, I want you to kill me!”, Dara had said to the angel behind her and that was enough to make Jiyong move forward. The strong winds slowed him but his eyes never left Dara and Hanbin. He willed his whole body to reach his son and he called his name when he was a bit closer. This time, Hanbin looked up.

 

 

 

“Dad?”, Hanbin said and Jiyong nodded, as he put his hand on Hanbin’s shoulders. Jiyong looked at Hayi’s form on Hanbin’s arms. “I killed her. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Dad! Please help me!”

 

 

 

“Look at me, Hanbin.”, Jiyong holds his son’s face, as he spoke with emphasis. “Listen to me. You are the only one who can help yourself. Your mother is in as much danger as you are. You have to go back to the Hanbin that was with me. Do you remember yourself?”

 

 

 

“Dad, I’m scared!”

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