Luhan had done it again. Gone and saved another human.

But how could he not? He was a guardian angel…

Was…

But it was something beyond his control – he just couldn’t help it. He’d tried to cut himself off from it but he couldn’t.

He knew better than to just jump in but he couldn’t hold back, not when it was in his nature to protect. It was as if there was an invisible force that pushed him, drove him... the strange feelings within him just wouldn’t let him be.

Angels weren’t supposed to feel but he was no ordinary angel.

Not that it was something he was proud of. It was his father’s fault… he knew it was bad- he’d been told about it over and over again. It was something he tried to suppress but somehow he just couldn’t…

All his life he had struggled not to fall prey to those feeling and that was why he’d been very, very careful. And then…

Just one mistake. But oh, such a big mistake…

Yes, Luhan knew he deserved what he was getting.

The heavens could never accept him because he had lost his wings and not only that, he’d killed. An innocent human, one he was supposed to protect.

He could never get them back and without them he would never be allowed back. Then again, he deserved to he shoved aside and hidden from the sight because of what he’d done. What was an angel without his wings? Nothing but an insult… let alone someone who was a murderer.

The Elder had been kind enough to let him stay here, let him grieve and repent. And Luhan had done exactly that. He had locked himself up in the darkness – a reflection of the darkness of his soul – and kept himself hidden, keeping a low profile so he wouldn’t attract any attention, human or divine.

Sometimes though, he wished the Elder hadn’t just hidden him but had left him to die when he still could. At least that way, he wouldn’t have met her and she would have stayed alive.

He was dangerous in his ignorance and she had suffered the consequences. He’d been told over and over again that he would end up blackening the name of the heavens – just like your father – and he’d done exactly that.

But Luhan was not his father… he was different and he’d prove that.

Yet, despite all the promises he’d made to himself, he’d still ended up breaking them all – as he always did because he could never learn… he could never control it. He was supposed to stay away from humans; and yet, whenever someone needed help, he’d come out to save them…

It was still a huge risk, though he was very careful, keeping himself hidden from their sight, never revealing his presence – good thing humans could not feel an angel’s presence unless he let it known himself.

Xhizer. That’s what they called him, but he was no savior.

It merely served to remind him of all that he had done, it reminded him he didn’t deserve any of this.

Lost in his thoughts, he looked down at the girl in his hands and something stirred within his chest. A jarring beat, breaking the chain of his thoughts.

There was just something so entrancing, so enchanting about her.

She looked so fragile, so peaceful, it was almost breath taking. Unknowingly, Luhan leaned towards her beautiful face, entranced, especially by those lips that were tugged slightly upwards in a smile as she rested in his arms, safe and sound. She felt like home. Like the heavens…

 Luhan leaned closer still, almost inches away from her, her breath fanning his face.

He was about to touch her lips with his own when she stirred slightly, slowly opening her eyes. They met his eyes for a brief moment and something just clicked.

But before he could react, she’d fainted again.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. It couldn’t possibly be true. But…

Angels couldn’t possibly have human soulmates. They weren’t allowed to meet humans… and yet…

No, he won’t accept this, it wasn’t possible. He couldn’t have a human soulmate.

Suddenly in a hurry to get away, Luhan carried her uphill and laid her in the middle of path she’d been following before she slipped. She’d know where to go when she woke up.  

His work done, he turned to leave. But before he left, he couldn’t help but take another look at her face and…

Beat.

Luhan grabbed his chest, horror crashing through him as something stirred within him.

Oh no! No, this was bad.  He had to get away, put as much distance between them as possible because he couldn’t let it happen, not again.

He wouldn’t accept a human, even if she was his soulmate. He was not his father, he would never fall for this, ever.

The beat inside his chest was still hammering jarringly, mocking his resolutions as feelings roused inside him again.

He couldn’t let this happen. 

………………………………….

 It was too dark when she woke up.

Mei hated darkness because it reminded her for the bad times. It reminded her of the pain of losing her parents and waiting there, next to their bodies, praying someone would come and pick her up.

Darkness was nothing but bad. It haunted her nightmares and she was afraid of it.

So naturally, when she woke up in the middle of nowhere in the jungle at night, she freaked out. She remembered falling and then, she’d lost consciousness. But that had been daytime and now, it was past twilight. The darkness was spreading and she did not like it at all.

She checked herself and thankfully, she wasn’t injured except the scratches she’d gotten when she fell and saved her face. She pulled out her cellphone to get some light but to her horror, its battery had died. Great, so now she couldn’t even contact her friends.

Trying not to panic, she gingerly stood up and looked around. She was on the wooden walkway that served as the trail for those who didn’t want to hike. Wait, how she’d gotten here?

She distinctly remembered getting off track, following a bunny of all the things and then, snagging her foot in something that sent her flying in a parody of Spiderman, except she had no strings to stop her fall…

A vague, dream-like memory of being caught came to her, giving her a pause.

Had someone caught her? Had they brought her here? Why had they left her, lying on the pathway if…

Wait. Could it be… him?

She glanced around, trying to peer into the darkness but she was obviously very much alone.

Determining that wasn’t at all helpful though. Because while she’d managed to push her fear of the dark back in her excitement, the realization that she was utterly alone brought it back with a vengeance and she started hurrying along the path way.

Her steps started getting faster with every passing second until she was running, feet blindly following the pathway as the time passed and her surrounding grew darker. Maybe if she hurried, she could get to the camp before it was completely dark.

Ten minutes later, there was no end in sight and it was pitch black. She could hardly make out her own hands in front of her and the sense of utter helplessness started overpowering her. She couldn’t see and in the silent night, there was nothing she could hear.  

Flashes of that night started coming back to her as her breath shortened and she ground to a halt. The screeches of the tires sliding on concrete become loud, so loud it was all she could hear, the sound of the car windows breaking, of metal twisting…

She clamped her hands over her ears in a futile attempt to shut them out.

Her mother’s voice asking her if she was alright just before she died, the smell of gasoline and burnt rubber overpowering her senses as scenes from that horrific night began flashing on the dark screen of the night.

Mei closed her eyes to banish them but they kept coming and she sat down, eyes tightly shut and arms hugging herself, just like she had done when she was child, and started praying that the nightmare would end.

She didn’t know when she started crying or how long she sat there before she felt the soft touch of a light wind, a beautiful scent wafting in, banishing the smell of petroleum and burning tires. Mei opened her eyes, lashes stuck together because of her tears, as a dandelion caressed her face, moving with the light wind. It brought her out of her memories and she saw a beautiful white light across from her at the end of the path, lighting her way and surroundings.

‘Anyone there?’ She called out shakily but no one replied. Instead, the light started moving ahead.

Not willing to stay any longer in the darkness, Mei started following it because it felt safe and warm. From her place, she couldn’t exactly tell if it was someone carrying the light or just some light hovering in midair but she was thankful nonetheless.

They kept moving for quite some time, the light ahead of her and Mei trailing behind, until she noticed they were headed towards the camping site. And then she saw the end of the pathway, breathing a sigh of relief.

The light had stopped at the edge of the forest, hovering as if waiting for her, and she could see her friends setting up the bonfire in the clearing ahead.

Mei hurried forward but when she got close, the light moved away, moving into the woods.

‘Hey wait!’, she called after it but the light vanished. Mei stopped, glancing around but there was nothing but trees.  

‘Thanks.’ she whispered to no one in particular before she ran back to the camping site so she could join her friends. She’d have explain herself by the way Anna was looking at her but she was too happy to be back and away from the dark to worry about that.

She would think of all the strange happenings later.

…………………..

And he had done it again.

Luhan sighed as he saw her running back to her friends with a satisfied smile on her face.

He was so foolish, risking getting caught like this. He’d been about to leave but the stirring within his chest wouldn’t let him, making him follow her instead.

And then, she’d broken down, crying and hugging herself like that and it had hurt.

And that was bad because he wasn’t supposed to feel anything. He couldn’t.

Yet, he’d been unable to just leave her like that and instead, used his powers to create the light to guide her out of the forest that scared her.

This was why he hated the feelings inside him. They made him impulsive, irrational. He knew if the heavens got gist of him using his powers when he wasn’t supposed to, there’d be dire consequences. The Elder had left him be only on the condition that he wouldn’t use his powers again.

But then she had said thanks and the stupid beat inside him tried to convince him it was all worth it.

It didn’t matter though. It was a one-time thing and had nothing to do with the fact that she was his soulmate or that he couldn’t just leave her alone after all or that it completely broke his resolve when he had seen her getting scared and hugging herself while she cried.

He’d just helped her like he would help any other human in her position and this was the last time they’d ever interact because she would go back to where she’d come from and he… he would go back to the darkness that was his abode.

Turning away, he ignored the twinge in the region of his heart – useless thing – and walked away.

He didn’t notice the trail of flowers sprouting in his wake. 

A/N

Its gonna get interesting from this point on, i hope you like it. Do share your opinions.

Also the updates will be slow since the story is in the process of being written. please be patient, hopefully it'd be worth the wait. "^^

P.S: this is how i imagine the wind that broke Mei's trance... It will be appearing often :)