I wasn't really allowed to be down on earth from the Highest Council, but I used to sneak down when I knew that it was safe. I lived on Atziluth in Jathzirah, the highest layer of heaven, and had been taught about the seven layers of hell. It was the lowest layers creatures that fascinated me the most, the creatures known as vampires. It was also that layer that had the cleanest air of the seven and was closest to Earth.

I went down to earth, and sat and watched people from a place up high where they could not see me. 
That was when I saw him; a tall, black haired man who appeared to be around twenty-five years old. He was both beautiful and terrifying where he stood and looked straight at me. I knew that he could see me, but not how he could know that I was just there, among the shadows of one of the lower skyscrapers roof. It aroused a curiosity in me.
I silently got down from the roof in protection from the dark shadows in the alley. None of us broke eye contact until I stood with both of my feet on the ground. Then he turned his back at me and walked away. I shadowed him at a distance; he was very easy to distinguish from the other people because the magnificent way he walked and the black clothes made of a fabric not existing in this world. He turned into a park and I lost him, he just disappeared. But I went on at one of the pioneers in the hope of finding him again.
”One didn’t thought that Jathzirah’s highest angels allowed to come down to earth was,” an intimidating voice hissed in my ear. 
He came from nowhere and pulled me in among the trees.
”W-who are you? And how did you know that I was up on that roof?” I asked terrified.
He was so beautiful; it was difficult not to look at him. I knew he wasn’t human, but I didn’t know what kind of creature he was. 
I met his gaze and got the feeling of falling, it was impossible to look away. The only thing that reached me from reality was the scornful laughter that left his lips.
”You angels aren’t supposed to hunt us, you’ll get in trouble,” he said with played kindness, “curiosity has it’s prise.”
Finally he released me with his eyes and looked away for half of a second.
“Yo-you’re not... human,” I said quietly with hesitation in the voice.
”One is not human, neither an angel. See if you can figure that out.”
He leaned forward and halted an inch from my face. His breath fragrant both inviting and intimidating at the same time and made me dizzy; as if trying to clouding up my mind.
”Who are you?” I whispered, scared, and stepped away from him.
”My humble self, my beautiful angel, am no less than the Mad Hatter, or, if you prefer; Donghae,” he replied softly and chuckled.
“The Mad Hatter?” I repeated doubtful.
I had heard of him before in Atziluth; a dangerous and mad hatter who drained the poor humans, and even some angels of their blood. Angel blood mixed with vampire blood was devastating because it just made the vampire stronger. I had received the order to flee if I ran into him.
”What is it, scaredycat? Aint gonna run away like your comrades?” he mocked.
I just stared at this crazy but amazingly beautiful vampire.
”Is there even any possibility for me to escape?” I asked without the least hope in my voice.
Donghae just looked at me with hungry eyes and shrugged his shoulders before he took a step closer to me and spread his black wings. I had nowhere to go and I knew that the Highest Council would see me if I width my wings to flee. I let him enfold me in the darkness of his and felt a wave of pain shot from the shoulder to the ear when his razor-sharp fangs punctured my skin. 
When he finally released me, he had drained me of so much blood that I could hardly stand by myself.
"Are you still fascinated by us vampires?" He asked teasingly. 
I just stared at him, unable to do anything else. These monsters were really both fascinating and frightening at the same time. I just nodded in response to his question. I shouldn’t have; my world started to spin. 
Donghae laughed at me again, but not scornfully or evil in any way, but soft and warm, as he grabbed my arm so that I would not fall over.
"We don’t want to get hurt, do we? It would be stupid if we lost a major thing, or fell into the hands of these worthless humans," he murmured.
I did not understand what he meant, not even what he was talking about. 
"The sun is coming down, we don’t want to be revealed either, do we?" he said smiling.
"Oh no! I have to go back!" I exclaimed in panic. 
Suddenly, Donghae was just gone, like he was before. But I really had no time to look for him now, so I ran back to the skyscraper on shaky legs and tripped over my feats several times before I arrived. I made it up on the roof and teleport myself back to Atziluth.

"Henry-ssi?" someone said. 
"Over here, Shatiel!" I replied.
A very beautiful woman with long blond hair and hazel eyes appeared in the doorway. 
"I don’t understand you, Henry-ssi, why do you visit that place when you can get a hefty penalty if Prime Minister Sevortharte find out about it?" she asked while looking worried at me, "you will not receive a milder punishment just because that you are one of the morning stars."
"I know Shatiel, but the earth and the humans are interesting. Sevi can go and pull something old over him.” 
Shatiel looked as if she wanted to sink through the floor. 
"Watch your tongue, Henry-ssi," she said in a warning tone before she left the room. 
It really didn’t bother me, but I followed her into the living room anyway and the TV to watch the news.
A sound from the receiver made me jump.
“Can you please answer for me, Shatiel?” I asked polite.
Shatiel nodded and went to the other side of the room and pressed a button. Sevi appeared on the television.
"Good evening Sevi, what makes me the honour to get to talk to you?" I asked with sarcastic kindness. 
"I’ve heard a very disturbing rumour about you Michael, the Angel of Fire, of the four elements. It really doesn’t fit one of the morning stars of heaven to set foot on earth whenever they feel for it," Sevi said in disapproval.
" It sounded more as a mere accusation than a rumour to me, Sevi," I protested, I really disliked the tone of his voice.
"I am sorry Michael," Sevi said, "the disturbing rumours says that the fire angel Michael slip down to earth."
I just snorted and glared at Sevi. The old fart knew indeed that it was true, but he had no concrete evidence.
"I’m sorry for calling you so late, good evening then Michael." 
I just nodded and Sevi hung up.
“I told you, Henry-ssi, you should be more careful or not be on earth at all," Shatiel lectured me.
“You know, Shatiel. You’re very noisy for being the Angel of silence,” I told her and smiled.
“Henry-ssi!”
"Yea, yea, I’ll be more careful in the future, good night." 
I got up from the armchair and stretched my body with a yawn. Shatiel was about to say something, but what I will never know because I was leaving the living room and went off to my much too large bedroom. A new journey to the earth would be off by tomorrow, and hopefully a certain figure would be there.

I went down to earth day by day, but he was nowhere to be seen. The days became weeks, and the weeks became months,
But I wasn’t giving up because of that; instead I kept waiting and watched the surroundings. After two months without a trace of him he just stood there, at the same spot as before, watching me.
Just like the last time he held his gaze on me until I had my feet on the ground, then he turned around and walked away.
This time I didn’t care about being careful; I ran to catch up with him, but it was meaningless. At the gates he had disappeared again.
I choose a path that was almost empty and started running again.
“Isn’t it disrespectful, so to speak, to chase after One?”
I got dragged in among the trees and bushes, just like before, in an incredible speed and there he stood before me.
“Oh, we want to play more, you, creature of god who fears us should do,” Donghae whispered with a velvety voice and cold smile.
“I… I’ve been searching for you,” I murmured.
“There must be something wrong of the ears One have. The angel really looked for One have, it says. Even if the penalty hard will be if the Angel discovered gets,” he said with the same voice.
I just nodded, incapable to speak.
“Blood one drank from the angel, so difficult it was to stand for it. But enough the angel didn’t got anyway?”
This time I shook my head.
Donghae looked at me with surprised pleasure and smirked before he wrapped me in his darkness, but he didn’t bite me. Instead I felt the tip of his tongue wander on the thick artery on my neck; witch made my blood boil and rush through the veins. Then he let go of me, just like that.
My legs collapsed and the ground came closer in a way to high speed. He just laughed and caught me before I hit the ground.
“Entertained One are by this angel whose name not yet belongs to One,” he chuckled.
“Pu-put me down! I can stand by myself!” I said embarrassed and felt how my cheeks got warm.
“One didn’t qualify the angel for that,” he said without making any effort to put me down.
I thought it was extremely embarrassing to not be able to stand up when I was close to this madly beautiful vampire, but what could I do about it?
Without a word Donghae sat down on his heals with one knee in the grass and put me down on his lap to get to my throat. I shivered when I felt his lips, the warm breath and then the fangs against my skin. 
“Bite me,” I whispered, “drink my blood if that’s what you’re after.”
I didn’t stand a chance against him anyway; he already had enchanted me with his charm and strength.
“Trouble One will collect if problems we’ve got to hide,” he murmured against my throat and let his fangs sink through my skin.
“I know,” I gasped.

When Donghae finally let me see the daylight again I was grateful that I already sat down. My whole body was shaking and I felt dizzy from blood loss.
“Feel it now the angel does, right?” he said and his lips, “the body of yours from desire is burning. A delicacy we are.”
I just nodded stiffly; so it was the feeling of desire that made me shiver like a leaf. How the heck was I supposed to get back to my teleport on the rooftop?
“Ticking away the time does, hurry back we should to not exposed get,” he murmured in my ear.
“Will I see you again?” I asked a bit cautious.
He smirked and nodded before he lifted me up in his arms again and got up from the ground.
“Please put me down,” I begged him.
“As shaky the angel are in the body impossible it will be to stand,” he said in that velvety voice of his.
Even though he said that he put me down.
I could stand straight without any problems, but when I was about to walk my legs just gave up.
“Warned you One did,” he chuckled and put an arm around my waist, “but support One can give the angel.”
He supported me all the way to the gates even though I already stopped shaking. But I still was dizzy because of the blood loss so I really was grateful that he didn’t let go of me.
“Different paths we now have to take,” he murmured and disappeared.
I still had a few hours until I had to be back at Atziluth so I took the time I needed to get back to the skyscraper.
A few months passed in the same way; I went down to earth to see Donghae, who almost every time was there, and followed him to the park. We hid by the trees and bushes and I let him drink my blood just to see him disappear. Without noticing it, I had slowly fallen in love with this vampire who had given me his name but not gotten mine.

“Henry-ssi, I really don’t like that you travel as much as you do. What if Sevortharte-sii discovers you, if he hasn’t already,” Shatiel said in a worried voice.
“If Sevi already knew he would plant evidence and put me to trial. My cousin Raphael would never let that happen, neither our beloved Angel of Water, Gabriel. She would obviously succeed to find the Angel of Earth, Uriel, because we’re supposed to be there for each other,” I chuckled.
“Henry-ssi, this is nothing to laugh about!” Shatiel hurled.
I laughed again and looked away towards the door to the teleport room, something I shouldn’t have done.
“Henry-ssi! What happened to you?” she cried and looked terrified.
“What do you mean?” I asked a bit surprised and looked at her while she came closer.
“You-your neck…” she whispered and reached out her hand to touch me.
I automatically flinched and laid one hand over the bite marks. At the same time I pushed her hand away from me.  
“You have been bitten! Why didn’t you say anything? You’ll have to go to the hospital,” she said worried and once again she tried to get closer to me.
“No, not the hospital. Absolutely not!” I protested, “Then Sevi really will get a reason to get rid of me.”
Carefully Shatiel put one of her hands over mine and her other on my cheek and smiled.
“I know, Henry-ssi, but I don’t talk about any hospital. Correct me if I’m wrong, but your cousin, the Wind Angel Rafael, isn’t he a doctor?”
I just starred at her in shock.
“I don’t believe that he ever would turn on you and let someone put you in jail?”
I shook my head.
“No he wouldn’t, but I can’t visit him now. That’s just plain stupid. I’ll go to him tonight when I’ll get back.”
Shatiel pulled her hands back as if she had got burned.
“I’m so sorry that I touched you with my dirty hands, Henry-ssi,” she mumbled embarrassed and walked out the room.
I didn’t do anything to stop her even though she did nothing wrong. My goal was to get down to earth.

When I had finally gotten down on the roof to my skyscraper, Donghae already stood there waiting for me. As usual he didn’t let his gaze waver from the second he saw me, but this time he didn’t leave when my feet were on the ground but waited for me to walk over to him.
“Late we are today, happened something probably did,” he stated when I stopped in front of him.
“I just got a bit held back,” I mumbled in embarrassment.
He started towards the park and I had to half run to keep up with his quick strides. When we got there, we followed the main passage for a while before turning down on an empty path.
“I know it’s a bite late but,” I started a bit insecure, “My name’s Henry.”
“Already know that do One, Henry, Fire angel Michael; one of Elements the four, Morningstar from Atziluth,” he said and smiled.
“But… h-how…” I stuttered.
“Everything One knows, everything One can,” he cut me off and laughed.
“If you already knew, how come you never said anything?”
“Name of yours One known since first time eyes of one on the angel lay, but speak it One cannot before name bearer spoken out loud the name itself,” he explained and pulled me with him in among the trees, “but understand One does not why the angel keeps seeking One out, when knows he does, that stronger angel blood makes One.”
His expression as he spoke was one of both confusion and enchantment.
“I don’t understand this either, I don’t think anyone does. An angel isn’t supposed to be capable to feel, to have emotions, so why does my body burn from desire? Why does my blood boil just by the mere thought of seeing you, of being close to you?”
Donghae smiled at me again, but it was an ice cold smile that dressed his beautiful lips, and he enveloped me in his arms. I knew what was about to come but I couldn’t help but enjoy being so close to him.
“Dangerous it begins for One to be, to close be to this creature so beautiful, incautious One have been,” he whispered in my ear before he pressed his lips against my neck.
I couldn’t understand at all what it was he meant and I took a sharp breath when his fangs once again punctured my skin and reopened the yet unhealed wounds on my neck. I could feel when every single drop of blood left my veins and how my body rapidly grew weak in his arms.
He pulled back faster than I expected, he hadn’t drunk as much as he usually did.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked carefully.
He just smiled at me and turned around to leave me. There was no way I’d let him leave now! I grabbed his arm and turned him back towards me again, wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and pressed my lips against his.
“Mostly forbidden what We now do be, the worst punishment Us await if revealed this truth will become,” he murmured against my lips before he once again had his lips against my neck.
“I know, but you drive me crazy,” I whispered back and closed my eyes.

On my way from the park, I straightened my clothes and brushed off all of the bark I’d gotten on them. I couldn’t just look like something the cat dragged in when I got back, that would be just as bad as bringing the Mad Hatter to Sevi and ask for his blessing in marriage.

I teleported back to Atziluth and got a bit surprised that Shatiel wasn’t running around like mad and searched for me all over the place like she used to, which was probably just luck.
I went to the bathroom to take a shower and got pretty shocked when I looked into the mirror and saw my hair.
“Lucky I didn’t run in to someone,” I spoke to myself with a sigh and started the quest with plucking leaves and sticks out of the nest on my head that were supposed to be my hair.

About an hour later I had found Shatiel and told her I’d be going to Raphael’s house and flew there. I didn’t bother to knock but just pushed the door open and went straight to my cousin’s office. That was where he usually was at this time of the day because he had a lot of work to do when he came home.
I stopped outside the door and knocked.
“Come in!”
I pushed the door open and stepped inside which surprised him.
“Henry, what are you doing here?” he asked softly.
“Didn’t Shatiel tell you I was coming?”
Hangeng shook his head and looked me over from head to toe.
“It’s pretty unusual that you pay me a visit Henry. Did something happen or have you cause trouble again?” he asked.
“You nailed it,” I muttered and looked away, “How did you know?”
“You only come to me when you have things to hide from Sevi,” Hangeng replied, sighing, “come here and tell me what happened.
I crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the desk to show him the my neck.
“Ehm Hangeng… can angels fall in love?” I asked carefully.
“Of course we can, but we’re not allowed to show it. Who’s the unlucky one?”
I pulled down the zipper on my jacket and revealed the bite marks.
“Oh my god,” he whispered and stared at the wounds, “don’t tell me…”
“The Mad Hatter,” I cut him off and went straight for the plunge.
Hangeng almost flew out of his chair.
“Are you completely insane Henry?”
“Obviously, yes.”
“Out of all vampires from Anagura you have to fall for the absolute most dangerous one,” Hangeng muttered.
“I’m sorry Hangeng, but I need to ask you for a favor,” I started.
“Let me guess, you want me to heal you and hide the wounds?”
I nodded.
He placed his hand on my neck over the marks and started chanting something in an old language that was long forgotten by everyone else. I could feel his astral powers seep in to my body through the wounds and sat completely still.

“Henry, you’ve got anaemia. Are you really taking care of yourself like you should do?” Hangeng asked out of concern when he was done healing me.
“Ehm… yes... but…” I didn’t know how to formulate the sentence or even what words to use.
“Henry,” Hangeng cut me off with a stern voice, “Are you so stupid that you give your blood to that crazed vampire?”
I felt my cheeks go red and I avoided his gaze, instead looking down at my own shoes.
“How do you think I got those wounds?”
There was a loud cracking nose as skin collided with skin. My cheek was stinging and I looked at my cousin in shock. He was standing up and his chair had been pushed all the way back to the wall from the force.
“Are you completely insane? It’s like asking Sevi to figure it out and rip your wings from your back!” he scolded.
“But… but… Hangeng,” I tried to speak.
“Don’t you understand anything? Sevi want our elemental powers, he’ll do anything to get to them. Even plant evidence if that’s what’s needed to start a trial,” he cut me off again, but calmer now.
“I… know…” I mumbled, “but I can’t help it.”
“You’re such an idiot Henry.”
Hangeng heaved a sigh and rounded the desk to wrap his arms around me and pull me in to a big hug.
“You’re irresponsible and idiotic, but you’re still my cousin. What should we do with you?” he asked and sighed again.
“I don’t know Geng, I don’t know,” I mumbled in to his white doctor’s coat.

When I got back home, Sevi’s men waited for me inside the living room. Their grave, almost satisfied, facial expression alarmed me.
“Did something happen?” I asked cautiously.
Two of the three stood up and approached me.
“Michael-ssi,” one of them said.
“You’re hereby arrested for breaking one of our strictest laws,” the other continued.
“And one of the most horrible taboos,” the third said who was still on the couch.
I shied away from them, the warning bells ringing loud and clear inside my head.
“What is this?”
“What do you think Michel?” a smooth, velvety voice spoke from behind me, “we have all the evidence we need against you to hold a trial.”
I spun around to face my unpleasant guest and saw Sevi come out from the shadows with a smirk on his thin lips.
“Prove what? What did I do?” I asked and stayed calm, looking at Sevi with questioning eyes even though my blood ran cold from fear.
From somewhere I could hear my own voice as I spoke to the Mad Hatter Donghae down on earth, our latest conversation from just earlier today when I had kissed him. Then the conversation with Hangeng came.
“What… is this?” I asked, my voice were trembling and I looked around only to spot one of Sevi’s men with a recorder in hand.
“We’ve been keeping you under surveillance the past weeks Michael,” Sevi said smoothly, “and I do know what you’ve been up to when you’ve been down on earth, without permission, and that the angel of Wind, Raphael, is covering up for you.”
“I don’t understand,” I said in confusion and fright, my eyes searching for Shatiel.
When my eyes found her she instantly looked away and murmured a quiet;
“I’m sorry Michael-ssi.”
I understood at once that she was the one who had leaked information.
“Why?” I asked her but got no answer.
“Don’t you understand Michael? How do you think Shatiel started working here, in your house?” Sevi asked with a frightening smile, he did remind me of a lunatic.
I looked at him slightly shocked as it slowly dawned on me.
“Exactly, thanks to me. She’s been my spy all this time,” he said with a nod, “and if you hadn’t been one of the elements, you’d already be dead. But now we do need a trial to transfer your powers to a suitable candidate.”
“Like yourself?” I growled between gritted teeth, “I know you want our powers.”
Sevi arched an eyebrow and sneered at me.
“I’m the Prime Minister, not a Morning Star.”
“And what makes you think I’m going to accept your evidence and say that they’re real?” I said and crossed my arms over my chest.
“If you confess I will leave Raphael alone. That way you will give your cousin his freedom.”
Sevi sounded threatening and I glared at him before I gave in and confessed.

A few days later the date and time for my trial came and I was stuck in my house. The only ones who came to visit me were Raphael and Gabriel.
“Isn’t Uriel with you today either?” I asked a bit disappointed.
“I’m sorry Henry, he’s like gone with the wind,” Hangeng said.
“How are you?” Gabriel asked carefully.
I looked at her surprised. Sure, Gabriel was a caring person, but I had never heard her sounding worried for someone else.
“Well, I’m a bit worried… and frightened, of course,” I answered and gave her a small smile.
“Don’t think you can trick me…” muttered Hangeng quietly.
They stayed for a while but had to go all too soon and before I knew it the trial was just on my doorstep.
I don’t remember much from it, just that it was long and horrible. My legs had been trembling so badly I barely had been able to speak. I confessed everything but left out my visit with Raphael and I got convicted. I got judged to wing-clipping.

I got transported from my house to a cave like facility where my wings were strained with chains. Even my wrists were chained and I felt like I was hanged on display. Wing-clipped was just a word; they literally ripped the wings from the shoulder blades and healed the wounds.
“Well well well, Michel, do you regret that you trusted your secretary?” Sevi asked scornfully, “or have you already realized that wasn’t the only reason you got caught?”
I didn’t answer his question; I was so scared I couldn’t get a single word out.
“It’s time for you to become wing-clipped.”
My eyes widened as I stared at Sevi with terrified eyes. I didn’t know what to do, how was I supposed to get out of all this? My blood froze every time someone mentioned the clipping.
I felt how the chains in my wings got pulled on, harder and harder, until they were stretched. A wave of pain washed over me when it pulled on my shoulder blades and to Sevi’s joy I screamed. Pain and fear spread through my body and I got panic. I tried to pull my hands free as they got stretched in the opposite direction from my wings but I was stuck. I couldn’t get away no matter how hard I tried. I looked up at Sevi and saw the scornful smile that was still there, in both his eyes and on his lips.
Then I heard someone scream and I saw black feathers fly around in the room. Sevi looked shocked and the pull on my wings stopped. Before I could even grasp the situation I was free from my shackles and pain got replaced with new pain. I could feel how my blood were running down my back from a pair of new wounds, but I still had my wings. I rose and stood face to face with Sevi who looked very aggravated.
“How could this happen?!” he yelled in rage, “Why isn’t his wings ripped out?!”
“Because someone found me not guilty,” I snapped at him and hovered a few centimetres above the floor.
I kept my eyes on Sevi the whole time and saw from the corner of my eye that someone got closer to me. I called upon the fire within me and created a small fire ball in my hand, prepared to throw it on the angel who dared try to catch me again.
“Stay away from me!” I yelled at Sevi as he tried to reach out and grab me.
A pair of black wings appeared out of nowhere and broke my concentration. My fire ball disappeared along with the concentration and I couldn’t help but stare at that back.
I got so distracted that I never noticed that someone came up behind me, grabbed my arm and pressed an arm over my throat, threatening to choke me. I yelped and tried to break free.
“Just stop it, you won’t get free anyways,” a voice hissed in my ear.
Whoever it was pressed me down on the floor and I folded my wings together to not get any damage to them, the other angel were so much stronger than me. I could feel the adrenaline pump in my body and the fear came back in full force.
The fallen angel with the black wings turned around with Sevi in a firm grip, I recognized his face.
“Let him go,” he hissed, “or death will be your beloved Minister’s faith.”
The other angel loosened his grip on me and I pushed him off with my wings before I got up from the floor.
“How…” I started to ask.
Donghae threw Sevi away like a ragdoll and grabbed me before he embraced me in his darkness.

When the darkness disappeared I had no idea of where I was anymore. I thought we would appear back in the cave, but we were on a completely different place.
“How did you know where I was?” I asked.
“Back Henry never came, worried One got and wind angel Raphael One visited,” Donghae replied softly.
“Raphael.. Hangeng? He helped you?” I asked with a sceptical tone in my voice.
Donghae nodded but I had a very hard time believing it because I knew how Hangeng was when it came to fallen angels. He never helped them unless it was a life or death situation.
“What am I supposed to do now? I can’t return to heaven, Sevi will wait for me with a whole army,” I mumbled to myself and locked my gaze on my feet.
“With One the angel can come, and eternity We can seek,” Donghae said.
I took his hand and smiled at him, we would definitely live for an eternity, the only question was if we’re going to do it together, but that was something to get worried about later.

The End