Absolution

1: Detest

Azrael

The fallen world never ceases to amaze me. I may never show it but I surely admire their persistence and their industrious nature. Whatever challenges God gave them, they overcome it piece by piece.

But those demons are always doing their best to destroy them. These poor souls will never know what's about to happen soon. Even they are progressive as the years pass by, misfortune is always at their heels.

While I am watching these people below as I sit at the rooftop of a building, a flap of wings and a presence came behind me.

I sighed, "Didn't I tell you to not follow me here, Cass?" Cassiel, my friend and the Angel of Misery sat beside me.

He nudges me, "Michael is looking for you"

"He knew that I am here", I said distantly, our attention caught by a loud honk of car horns and a bunch of screaming people. There's an accident below us, and we couldn't do anything but to watch them as they succumb to death.

I don't know what happened to Barachiel but it seems he was not that attentive of assigning guardian angels to people. Humans nowadays rarely have a guardian alongside with them, unlike the old days when a guardian leave its charge the guardian will fall immediately.

But the Heavenly laws are not the same like before, we're not shackled by their so called rules anymore. We have our freedom, but that freedom is not a good thing. At least to me. It's not that I hate being free, but I think it's better if Heaven is still bounded by our law where everything runs smoothly.

"Are you even listening to me?" I was dragged back to reality by Cassiel's voice. I did not answered him, instead I stood up and I spread my arms before I free-fall from the building. The wind shrieks on my ears and I put my arms to my sides. And when I was about to hit the ground, I spread my pitch black wings and glided through the air.

Minutes later, Cassiel followed silently and he is already flying side by side with me, "That's rude, leaving your friend hanging like that", he glanced at the white thread which is hanging on the edge of my wings and said nothing.

These white threads are the souls of the humans that were killed earlier from the accident, the purpose of gliding is to scoop their souls using my wings. Not the typical legends about me being the bony creature with a hood and a scythe which is used as an instrument of hacking the souls.

Then, again, that is human creativity to you.

I might also wear a hood if I want to and appear to those humans. But no, I won't give them the privilege to make their dreams come true. Unless, they are dying and it is my time to show, then I will probably do some costume trick and dress as the "Grim Reaper" from their perspective. Cute.

"I see that there's lots of rooms for spacing out these days, what do you think Azrael?" Cassiel smirked at me while we are already flying in the chilly mist of Purgatory.

"Concentrate you dumbass, you might get lost", I said casually. I can already see the Gates of Enoch, sign that we are already near.

Cassiel choose to ignore my statement "Who is your suspect for those deaths that is not in your time table? Those sudden deaths, I mean." I hardened my jaw, whenever I think about those innocent lives that were taken away mercilessly by those filthy hands is what infuriates me. Deaths caused by suicide.

'Find the culprit. Slaughter them. Make them pay.' a voice hissed at the back of my mind.

"They are not in schedule, but I will make sure to find the culprit and bring him back to Gehenna." or slaughter them before tossing their pathetic body back to that damned place.