Irina Taylor, a girl who lives in the 1940s with the gift to see any human's soul, goes from a social outcast to a prophecy come true. But there is a realm that coexists with ours, invisible to the majority of mankind; only a select few can see thro...
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𝓣ʜᴇᴛɪᴘᴏꜰᴍʏꜰɪɴɢᴇʀ barely skimmed the door before I was yanked back and forcefully tucked into Anthony's arms. "Wait, Irina! Let me explain!" He held me tighter to his chest as I struggled to get away. He was surprisingly strong for not being fully alive.
"Did the Curator tell you to keep watch on me? Is that why you were allowed to pass into the other realm?" I yelled frantically.
He was quiet, his tense fingers splaying across my shoulder. After more of my useless writhing and floundering, he sighed and said, "I was sent to take your soul, Irina."
I paused, but only briefly before I began anew, fighting his grip. We were on the floor now, his arms caging me in. If someone were to walk in unannounced, it might look like an intimate scene. Or like two squirrels tussling with each other. Luckily, we were alone. I scowled. "Why didn't you then?"
"I was going to. Do you think I relish living this way—in this lonely one-room hole in the wall? Bringing your soul to the Collector would have been my one chance to have a better life. That is why he chose me—the twenty-year-old thief without family or a true home. He thought I would be desperate enough." His muscles relaxed minimally. "But then I caught a glimpse of you, the beautiful golden light you exuded, your rare, delightful smiles, and I knew that even if I found a way to pilfer your soul, I could never do it. Besides, it was clear that you were the Savior, and you would be no help to any of us if you became just another Faded Soul."
"Then, why did you bring me here instead?"
His grip loosened so that he could look me in the eyes. "Because I believe you can save us. All of us. The news about 'Irina, the mythical savior' whose soul couldn't be taken immediately became a reality when the Curator's second in command returned empty-handed."
That piece of information made me go still. "The Shadow in the alley that attacked me and Genny," I muttered mostly to myself. Although this puzzle was intricate and frustratingly slow to put together, it was being revealed one segment at a time.
Anthony nodded. "News spreads quickly in the Cataclysm, so plenty of Faded Souls are searching for you. Especially those who cater to the Curator's every whim, paying him false flattery in return for fair treatment. I figure they will be scouring your realm for quite some time before they think to look here. As of now, we are both outlaws. Me, I diverted from my assigned mission and betrayed the ruler of the Cataclysm. And you, many think you are not a savior or prophecy, just a girl, so they will indeed harm you to get the Curator's approval."
"They might be right. I haven't saved anything or anyone. I've only ruined the lives of people that get close to me. But you think I am some prophecy come true?"
"Why would the Curator bother with just a girl?"
He made a good point. The Curator could have merely been taking caution concerning me for the small likelihood that this prophecy was true. However, the greater possibility was that I was not just a girl. I was made to save these Faded Souls from the Curator's tyranny. There was only one problem. I effectively had no idea how to do that.
