CHAPTER 49
Angels and Demons
Jaejoong and Dara were able to follow the grey soul without any problem. The grey soul totally ignored them and continued on its way. Jaejoong thought the soul was going to leave earth's atmosphere. But the grey soul headed to a group of thick grey clouds that was floating lazily in the sky. The clouds were moving to whatever direction the wind blew. They reminded Jaejoong of storm clouds, minus the lightning, hard wind and rain. When they entered the clouds, they beheld a ten-meter-wide eye of a cyclone surrounded by spinning clouds. But unlike most eyes of cyclones, this particular eye wasn't producing strong winds. The air wasn't even cold or damp. And instead of the usual horizontal position, it was vertical.
The grey soul floated toward the vertical, spinning cyclone eye. It entered the eye but never came out of the other side.
"It's a doorway!" muttered Dara.
"I am quite sure that is the gate to Athenaeum!" Jaejoong carefully flew toward the gate. He could see that there was a corridor inside. But it resembled the tunnel of a tornado. The grey soul was also gone.
"Let's enter!" said Dara.
"You are coming with me?"
"You are my husband, I won't leave your side," she said stubbornly.
"But this place only allows those who have equal parts of good and evil. What if the gate doesn't permit you to enter?"
"It’s possible that I have also become half-good and half-evil. If not, then, I will wait here outside until you come out."
Jaejoong studied his wife. He had known long ago she was a brave woman. But he was also beginning to understand that she was also quite adventurous. But the fact remained that his body was much stronger than hers. He was carrying her and if he entered the gate, her body would be the first to enter the gate and feel the tornado-like corridor waiting for them.
"Get behind my back, Dara, and hold onto my neck. I will act as your shield in case something attacks us. Ready your wings so that you would be able to fly away if things go awry."
She nodded and followed his instructions. They had flown before using this position, and Dara knew how to fit her body between his wings without impeding his flight.
He took a deep breath before flying toward the gate of Athenaeum. He felt like he was going through a thick jelly.
"Jaejoong, it's rejecting me!" Dara cried out.
He felt her fingers slipping from their hold. He tried to hold on to her to keep her with him, but a strong force pushed Dara outside of the gate. It was clear she wasn't allowed to go inside Athenaeum.
"Dara!" he called out to her.
"I'm okay!" she answered as her wings kept her afloat. She was now outside the gate. Unharmed.
"But it is clear someone like me can't enter that place. I will just wait for you here." She also signaled him to go on.
"Just make sure that you get the information we need!"
"I will try to make this as fast as I could," he said before facing the tornado-like tunnel. As he continued forward, he felt another force him further inside and into the realm of Athenaeum!
Jaejoong disappeared from Dara's eyes. She again pressed her hand on the gate of Athenaeum. It felt like rubber, allowing her hand to push it but preventing her from getting through. It seemed her good and bad sides weren’t equal enough. Though she wasn't sure which one was more dominant.
She sighed. She had no choice but to wait here until Jaejoong came back. But she couldn't continue flying like this. She'd soon get tired. Her wings were not made for long flights. They would soon give out. But she couldn't see any solid place to land.
She found herself studying the thick grey clouds. She suddenly remembered that clouds were made of tiny water droplets! She smiled and quickly waved her hand. Using her powers, she made plants and vines grow around and into the cloud. Before long the cloud became covered by her plants.
Her magical plants would grow as long as there's a source of water. And since these are aerial plants, they were capable of floating on air. The only limitation for this power was that she couldn't grow fruit bearing plants and trees. She would need to carry their seeds to grow them instantly.
She settled herself on the plants and vines that had now shaped themselves into a couch. If she grew hungry, she would just call for Yabu to bring her food. No matter where she was, any Finder would hear her voice the moment she sang the magical song which was among the gifts she received from the Elders when she was born.
She fixed her eyes on the gate of Athenaeum and prepared herself for a long wait.
"Would you mind if I wait with you?" asked a familiar voice.
Dara looked up and saw Hyesun floating before her.
"Did Lightside send you here to act as a spy?" She nodded.
"But I am also here because I am concerned about Jaejoong. No grey soul had ever left Athenaeum. He needs to have a pure white soul or a dark soul to be able to leave that realm. And that would be impossible to happen since Jaejoong would always be a half- angel and a half-demon." She sounded worried.
Jaejoong had already told Dara how Minho and Hyesun became part of his life. That the two were assigned to become Jaejoong 's guardians, and both trained Jaejoong how to fight and survive. But it was only these past few days that Dara was beginning to discover that the two former guardians had also formed an emotional bond with her husband. She could even say that Hyesun was showing deep maternal concern.
She smiled and gave Hyesun a place in her couch.
"Thank you," Hyesun said and sat beside her.
"Is Minho here too?" she asked.
Hyesun nodded and pointed a finger to a large thick cloud a few meters from them.
"But he is still pretending to be a cloud," she said sarcastically.
The cloud dispersed, and Minho revealed himself. The demon's brows were deeply furrowed.
"I am a spy! And spies never approach, talk or even show themselves to their target like what you are doing!" he fumed. "A spy must simply observe and record information!" he insisted as he approached them.
"Your cover has been blown, Midnight spy," chided Hyesun. "Why don't you go back to your bosses and make your report?"
"I have nothing yet to report!" he folded his arms across his wide, muscled chest. "And since you have blown my cover, I have no other choice but to remain here and await Jaejoong 's return."
"You can't sit here. This couch is only for girls. And you are too heavy, we might all crash down," snapped Hyesun.
"And why would I want to sit beside you?" Minho retorted.
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