chapter twenty-six 

The Guardian

Alice was constantly looking outside during her work time. She felt a bit anxious from yesterday due to the unknown presence that was watching her. She wondered all the night, who could have been. If it was an angel, there wouldn’t be any problem, right? Maybe, maybe not. She wasn’t sure how those threat demon-apprentices. There was a small possibility on her thoughts that if that presence was an angel, do not take her as a threat, but still what she was, what her aura emanates, said something different. And if it was a demon, the only answer was that the exam was near. Even if her tutor haven’t told her a single word during the last month, that was the only proper answer she could think of. She couldn’t rely on Azazel words, yet, she couldn’t depend on him and she couldn’t wait for news about him. He was a demon after all, not only he had the duty to help her, not only he had to guide her, but also he had other responsibilities. After all, he was the champion of the armies in Hell.

“Alice”                          

A voice made her wake up from her thoughts.

“You look absent-minded,” that voice was from Kai, “You´ve been standing there for about five minutes already. Are you ok?”

Alice wasn’t aware of her actions so far. She got distracted. She got so deep into her thoughts that the girl forgot was she was doing.

“I´m fine,” she nodded in response, “Is this the order for the table #5?” the girl pointed the coffee and the juice in front of her and Kai nodded. She took both and left to serve the order.

The mentioned boy looked at her in wonder. Alice wasn’t the type of girl who gets distracted easily, something must have been bothering. He was sure about it. Maybe it was some demon duties, but Jongin wasn’t sure of it.

He sighed. It was complicated. He never expected to believe in that, about demons are angels exist. He, at first, when he met Sulli and she told him and the rest her identity, Kai thought it was a joke, but Sulli proved them wrong.

All the different duties he had watched Sulli do were complicated for him to comprehend, because never in his entire life Kai had believed in ghosts and, even less, in angels and demons. From little Jongin had grown with the thought fairy tales didn’t existed, that all those fantasy stories are just that, fantasy, unreal  fiction. Not only he thought this way, but also his friends, all of them Lu Han except. Due to the boys background they had grown up facing reality; the cold and harsh one, where life is a tightrope, which can be broken any time if you show neglect. They had to be brave to survive, they had to be courageous, they had to be perseverant, they had to be steadfast, they had to be brave.

Now, as Lu Han, as Sehun, as Chanyeol, as Tao and as Baekhyun, he believed in them, but only the specific part of demons and angels.

“Something had been bothering her. Do you know what it is?”

Lu Han turned to look at his friend. The latter also noticed Alice being absent-minded all this time. He had noticed her looking constantly the streets, the people passing by; sometimes she even confused the orders. He was worried, because she had never been like that. Alice haven’t let her thoughts, her insecurities get into her life-style. Yet, this time she had.

Lu Han was sure of it. Something had happened yesterday. She must have seen something yesterday that made her turn like this. And that something must have been really important to her if she´s behaving like this.

“Maybe, but I´m not sure”

“You should ask her” Lu Han got a bit surprised by Kai´s statement, “So far, I believe out of the five she trusts you the most and think about it as a way to get to know her more,” Kai winked as his friend and left to serve other tables.

 Lu Han chuckled softly. Sometimes, in the eyes of his friends, he was just too obvious, but he didn’t care. He relies on them as much they rely on him.

“Be careful,” Sehun said as he stood next to Lu Han, “Maybe what had been bothering her is really dangerous for us”

Sehun had also noticed the sudden change in Alice´s behavior that evening. Sehun had been watching Alice from the very first time and he noticed she was colder towards the costumers and most of the time she had been standing at the back looking outside, like she was deep in her thoughts. And as well as Kai and Lu Han he felt concerned for her. Even if he didn’t show it, he was. Because, somehow Alice has reached him, somehow Alice, with her little actions, had gained his trust. Not only she, but also Sulli, long ago, but he hasn’t showed it. He preferred things like that. He preferred acting cold towards Sulli, because it was his personality.

Sehun was also aware that Lu Han got closer with her. He was ok with it. Thanks to Alice´s sincere personality Sehun had been able to trust in her all this time. He was sure that the demon-apprentice would never betray them.

Lu Han nodded in response. He´s willing to take the chance. He´s willing to know more about it and her. Because he cares, he really does.

-

Lu Han brought Alice to the park near to their apartment. The park where he found her by herself in the swings and they talked.

He was sure somehow that place would help him. It was a calm place after all.

“Why you bring me here?” Alice asked as she inhaled the cold but refreshing air.

“You´ve been really absent-minded all this evening,” Lu Han added as he put his hands on his pocket´s jacket, “I believe this place will help you to relax a bit”

Alice sighed. How Lu Han can read her so easily made her shiver. She, in fact, needed a bit of distraction. She needed to relax. She needed to get away from those thoughts that had been bothering all this along.

They sat on the bench silently. Neither of them said a word for about five minutes. Lu Han was aware Alice needed time to get herself together, only she and her thoughts.

Lu Han turned to look at the mentioned girl and noticed her gazing the ground as she played with her fingers quietly. He took the chance to ask her.

“What had been bothering you is related with what happened yesterday?”

She nodded.

“Mind telling me?”

Alice lifted her gaze and turned to look at him. Lu Han was wearing not a smirk, but a soft and sincere smile she had never seen before on him, and it attracted her. She felt mesmerized by that caring smile. Alice felt the urge to touch his cheeks and his pinky lips, but she couldn’t.

And if she was going to explain what had been bothering her, she needed to start from the begging.

“Do you know about the Hell´s council?”

Lu Han nodded. “Sulli told me that they are the ones who judge apprentices and also they are the ones who chose the tutors for your kind”

“That´s true” So far Lu Han knows a lot of things about Alice´s kind, the apprentices, thanks to Sulli. She wondered how much did he knew. “My tutor was sent back to Hell a month ago because an unknown reason, it was an order from the council. Not only my mentor, but also the others. But in the case of the apprentices we had the chance to stay. Maybe some did, maybe some not,… but I-“

“-You decided to stay here”

Alice smiled and nodded. “During all that month that had passed by I haven’t receive a single word or news from my tutor.”

“Yesterday,” she continued, “I noticed someone watching me. And that someone wasn’t human, I’m sure about it. And because I´m still not able to differentiate demons and angels auras yet I couldn’t tell which of them it was.”

Lu Han nodded softly in response. “If it was an angel, there wouldn’t be problem, but if it was a demon, there would be, right?”

It amazes her. They was Lu Han can understand this problem so easily amazes her, but still he´s a bit oblivious about certain things.

“Maybe,” Alice mumbled, “Even if it was an angel, I believe there would be problems, but not as much if it was a demon”

“Why?”

“Because if it was a demon, the only proper and reasonable answer I can think of is that my exam is near, that soon I’ll receive news from it and that I must take it,” Alice sighed. Lu Han was still confused about it. Why the presence of an unknown demon will mean something related with her exam? Alice noticed it in his confused gaze. “That aura wasn’t from an apprentice. It was either from a full-demon or a full-angel. And if you didn’t know, not any full-demon is allowed to come to earth; the only ones who can are the apprentice’s tutors.”

Realization hit Lu Han. He understood completely. If that aura was from an apprentice´s mentor that means the problems with the council are already settle. That Alice soon will get news from her tutor, the council, and most important, her exam to became a demon.

What if she passes the exam? Would he be able to see her again? For moment, Lu Han thought about it. He, in fact, didn’t want her to pass it, even if it was selfish. He wanted her to stay with him. But in life, we won’t always get what we want, he was aware of it. It was Alice´s responsibility; it was a duty she´ll have to face sooner or later.

“Lu Han,” she touched his shoulder, “Thanks for listening”

This talk helped her. Alice felt lighter; a heavy weight had disappeared from her shoulders. Telling someone about her problems had really helped her.

“No problem,” he added with a smile.

Alice knew that from the moment she explained to Lu Han about all of this, and him understanding them perfectly, one of the walls she had built had fallen. Lu Han got to uncover one more of her disguises, but there were lots more. But little by little he´ll be able to uncover all.

For a moment they looked into each other’s eyes. They felt mesmerized by each other´s gaze. But it soon broke due to the girl feeling an unknown aura getting near. She looked around searching for it; it was in the park, really close to them. It wasn’t from an apprentice. It was another kind.

Soon realization hit her. It was from-

“Reveal yourself. I know you are there,” Alice said looking deep into the tree in front of her.

Lu Han stood up next to Alice. He wasn’t sure about what was happening, but he wasn’t afraid at all.

Soon a male started coming from behind the tree. A good looking one. His eyes were pretty big, he had pale skin too and he wasn’t too tall, but he wasn’t too short. He had a gentle but penetrating gaze. His aura was a really kind one. Alice was sure that this person in front of her was an angel.

The angel in front of Lu Han and Alice didn’t say a single word. He just stood there watching the latter. He put all his attention on the mentioned female.

“Were you the one who I saw yesterday?”  He nodded.

“Mind telling us who are you?” Alice said softly. So far, the angel hasn’t judged her. She was sure that he was aware of her being a demon-apprentice. Alice was expecting something. If she behaves kindly with him, if she shows a bit of her kind and calm nature, the angel will not try something bad, he´ll treat her equally.

The angel sighed. He got aware of her intentions fastly. She, even if she was a demon-apprentice, didn’t mean harm at all. And that really confused him.

“My name is D.O,” he added, “I´m one of The Guardians Heaven”

 author's note 

If could guess from the trailer...the other members who were not mentioned at the begging will appear later in the fic ^^ & here we have D.O's appearance as an angel!

Can you guess about the others? :D