SERAPHS: THE AWAKENING

EPILOGUE

Marisa sat by the kitchen dining table, dejected. She had been doing the same thing for over a week since her daughter was carried off into a mist. Every night, she came to an empty house. She would sit in the kitchen for hours, waiting for her daughter. She'd stare at the direction Keelan had opened a pink mist he disappeared into with Nora.

She told Nora's school principal that Nora was sick and had to go to New York for treatment. Ruby didn't believe her and she would stop by every day to ask about Nora. A few days ago, a man came to tell her that Nora was fine. She had recovered from the demon's venom but she could not come home until it was safe. The man left afterwards without replying Marisa's questions.

"When will it be safe for her to come home?" Marisa thought as she sipped her cup of coffee. Her face was buried in the kitchen table when she heard a familiar, soft whooshing sound. She ran to the living room and she was right! It was the pink mist!

Nora stepped out of the portal and came face to face with her mother. Marisa looked unkempt. Her bright colour was gone like she donated more blood than she should have. "Mum," Nora said under her breath as Keelan came out of the Nethergate behind her.

"Norabel!" Marisa cried out and ran to her daughter.

"Mum!"

Marisa plunged into her daughter's arms so tightly, Nora grunted. Marisa broke into tears. She wasn't sure when she would see her daughter again, so she was happy it was soon. Ten days felt like a year for her. She brought Nora's face to hers, "Are you okay?" she asked frantically. "Are you fine now? Is the poison gone?" she turned Nora left and right, checking her.

"I am fine, mum. I am more than fine," Nora said with tears welling up in her eyes.

Marisa hugged her again. "Oh! my baby," she stroked her hair. "My baby is back home."

Keelan turned to excuse them. Marisa saw him and lifted her head from Nora's shoulders. "Wait!" Keelan turned back to them. "You brought her home. You brought her back," Marisa held Keelan's hand. "Thank you, thank you," she said and hugged Keelan. Keelan smiled as he hugged her back, looking at Nora.

Marisa was so happy she could not stop crying. "Where have you been?" she asked Nora. "What happened?"

Nora shifted her gaze from Marisa to Keelan. It was a very long story. "Mum, we have a lot to talk about. We should sit."

Keelan promised he'd stay around, that was the only reason why Nora let him out of the house. Nora told Marisa everything that had happened, starting from the night of the party.

"The doctors told me I should be dead, that you should be dead. They said it was a miracle," Marisa said under her breath when Nora told her how Archangel Michael saved her. It was a lot of information but she believed Nora without a doubt. It would take her a while to gather the appropriate reaction to the existence of an alternate reality. Right now, she was glad her daughter was home and that was all that mattered. She told Nora to go freshen up in her room while she prepared dinner.

Nora opened the door to her room and saw Keelan, seating by her study desk, reading The Great Gatsby.

"Outside?" Nora said, smiling. Keelan had told Nora he would stay outside or hang around the house. She didn't expect to see him in her room.

"I was bored," Keelan said.

"Hum-hum," Nora entered the room and took the book from Keelan. "What is with you and Great Gatsby?"

"It's a good book," he took it back from her. "How did your mother take it?"

"Pretty well, considering. She's cooking dinner now. Can you imagine that?"

Keelan smiled. "Yes, I can. She's happy you are back home. Nothing else matters to her at this point."

"Yeah," Nora sat by her bed. "When I was telling my mother about Archangel Michael, I realized there was something he said that I didn't understand till now."

"What is that?"

"The reason why I can break Asmodeus seal," Nora said.

"Still not following."

Nora shifted to the edge of her bed and sat up. "Archangel Michael said Archangel Raphael and him are brothers. That means they share the same blood. Raphael himself or his blood are the only things that can free Asmodeus. Michael's blood is the same as Raphael's and should be able to free him but that will never happen. But a loophole Raphael didn't account for, was me. When Michael saved me, I became his descendant, his blood..."

"...and the only other blood that can release Asmodeus. Because he gave you life, in a way, you are his daughter," Keelan concluded.

"Exactly. But there was another thing he said that I don't understand."

"What is that?" Keelan asked.

"He said I was always going to be a Seraph. Like I was going to be a Seraph even before the accident."

"I thought you became a Seraph when he healed you and gave you a part of himself."

"He said that is not true. I was always going to be a Seraph anyway, he just made me a better one. The only thing he did was gave me part of himself that healed me and made me an elemental."

"So how did you become a Seraph?"

Nora thought for a few seconds. "I don't know."

Keelan and Nora tried to come up with a theory in their heads but none made any sense. Thankfully, Marisa called Nora downstairs for dinner.

"I will come in through the front door. I think it would be better. We don't want any more surprises for your mum this night," he winked and kissed Nora before jumping out the window.

Nora blushed and went to check him at the window. Keelan waved at her and went to the front of the house.

Nora came downstairs to the kitchen. "Hey, mum."

Marisa glanced at Nora and smiled, she had missed watching Nora come down from the stairs and calling her.

There was a knock on the door. "It's probably Keelan," Nora said and dashed to the door.

Keelan came in with Nora.

"I am glad you didn't leave. Nora told me everything you and your family did for her. Thank you very much for taking care of her."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs Bennett."

Keelan smiled and Marisa smiled back at him. As she moved her eyes between Keelan and Nora, she suspected Nora left out a crucial part of the story she told her. There was obvious chemistry between Nora and Keelan. "Let's eat."

They were about to sit when they heard another knock at the door.

"Are you expecting someone?" Nora asked Marisa.

"No. It's probably Ruby. She has been stopping by every day to ask of you. But it's so late..."

Nora left the table and went to the living room to get the door, hurriedly. She could not wait to see Ruby.

Nora went into shock when she opened the door. It was impossible. It couldn't be who she thought she was seeing. She was seeing a ghost.

"Norabel, who is it?" Marisa asked from the Kitchen.

Nora was struck dumb.

"Hello Norabel," the man by the door said.

Nora knew him, but it could not be him. It couldn't be— "Dad?"

Woah! what a journey right? Thank you for bearing with me and I hope you enjoyed Seraphs: The Awakening. Let the adventure continue in book two, The War Games.