Mortal Guardians: The Clockwork Mage

Prologue

"Stop it! Ares! Please!" she begged in an almost in a whisper. Her body is shaking and lots of blood are already dripping from her skin. Bruises visible in a violet color amidst the darkness which are covered from the dark sky while the rain continues to splash down as if it came from a host from the sky. I stared blankly at her, almost like watching an insect begging for its life. "Ares! Can you hear me? Please! Stop this! Stop what you are doing! Look I'm so sor—". But she wasn't able to continue anymore. With a final blow, I raised my dagger and pushed it down, towards her chest, straight to her heart. She looked at me with her wide brown eyes incredulous, her mouth agape. I smirked and pulled the dagger from her. Looking at her in triumph like killing a mosquito bothering me.
"Bitch." I whispered then turned my back on her.

Gasping, I woke up in the middle of the night. I sit up hastily and turned on the lamp from the bedside table and checked my hands. As usual, it was still white and there were no scratches. None. Not even a single sign. A sign of blood and violence.

It's a dream. It's just another dream. A nightmare. As always.

With a sigh, I gathered up my knees and lay my head on to it. What is happening to me? It has always been like this. Like I'm an evil queen from a different world. I can't even quite imagine actually doing it, I suddenly shivered. No ofcourse, I would never be able to do it. Every night, every dream was a nightmare to me and I couldn't remember the last time I didn't have one. Everyday was always like this. Me, waking up in the middle of the night, gasping. Sucking for air as if I couldn't have one anymore. Is this because of my abilities? I couldn't see the connection. I've always asked my aunt about this but she would always change the topic, and sometimes if she can't, she would always say this is a product of my nightmare. Maybe it is a product of my nightmare. But it's just so weird, it keeps on happening every night and sometimes, it frightens me to sleep again. To see my nightmare again. Like I was a killer from a different world. But exhaustion wouldn't stop me. Everyday I feel exhausted and stressed like a sack of rice dragging me down.

I heared the door open and saw Aunt Arci popping her head out of the door. "Oh, you're awake, Ares. Is everything fine?" she asked in her very kind voice and a behaviour so mild like I was an infant, afraid that I might cry anytime. She has always been like this. So gentle, sweet and caring. And I couldn't be any more thankful than having an Aunt like her. She is always modest and down-to-earth. She pushed the door wider, stepped in and closed the door behind her. Displaying her beautiful smile, so beautiful you wouldn't think she is already at 41 because she literally looked like in her early 20s, with her skin so soft, pure and white. Her height so tall, her body so thin, her waist curving, her green eyes shining despite the dim light and her unmistakable green hair which fell down to her chest. She is like a goddess. I couldn't help but feel envy of her sometimes. She almost looked like a sister of mine. Not to mention that people, whenever they see her, thought of her as my sister when she is like a mother to me. Comparing her look to mine, I am short, my body slightly slim than hers. My blue eyes not that quite attractive and my blue hair falling down my chest. I couldn't get why, up until now, why we have the rarest type of hair. And what makes it super unique and weird is that every time I try dye it, It just wouldn't work at all. My aunt had once said to me, "You're just wasting your time and money, Ares. Your hair would be back in its original color in a matter of hours." I thought she was just kidding so that I wouldn't get my hair damaged but I almost dropped my chin to the floor when I found out that she was right, any type of permanent hair color dye wouldn't just work. Even the most expensive ones. That is why I lost hope and stopped starting to dye it. My aunt once said that my hair is unique to other's hair and I would ask why. She just said that maybe because I'm unique myself and God created me differently and I would roll my eyes at that. I find my aunt weird sometimes but despite that, she is still the most kindest and the most beautiful person I've ever met in my entire life.

I looked at her then smiled. "Everything's fine, Arci. I just couldn't sleep well." I lied. She smiled back to me, her heart-melting smile. "Do you want me to join you? For just a moment." she asked. I hesitated for a while. There wouldn't be nothing to lose if she sleeps with me, besides I really do need comfort nowadays, maybe with her by my side, I would stop my nightmares. Slowly, I nodded at her and tap my side. "Here."
She laid down beside me and put her arms around my shoulders. "Everything will be fine once you start your first day of class tomorrow. Clare is there, she'll help you." she said in her soothing voice. "I know, I do hope so. Look, I couldn't bare this anymore, Arci. Looking at people, looking at how much time left they have to spend here on earth. I wanted to save them. All of them. I wish I had the power to do so. But there are many of them and I'm not that fast enough. All I could do is watch them spend their last minutes, seconds here on this world..." I didn't know how but I was aware that tears were streaming slowly down my cheeks, Arci wiped them immediately and kissed her temple while saying "You know you are unique Ares. You always were. You are one of a kind. Sometimes our abilities doesn't really meant saving anyone else, it sometimes would just define who you truly are. You shouldn't worry about how much time people left here in this world because it was the time for them. I guess. God's timing. You might not want to cut that-" Arci was still talking while I'm lost in my deep thoughts...

It was hard. It was always been hard. When I was about five years old, I started seeing strange things. Some numbers displaying invisibly near their chest, and they weren't aware of it. Except for me. I wasn't able to figure out what that was about, I didn't care at all. That was me in my early years. I don't know what those numbers meant until I grew older and find out that it was something else, I started figuring it out. Back in 2006, I once saw a woman who had numbers displayed invisibly in her chest,

0514200601:20:01

the first eight numbers were the day she is supposed-to die. Respectively, month, day and year then 01:20 indicated the time and 01 if it was am and 02 if pm. I only figured it out when exactly at 1:20 in the morning, someone shouted and we later found out the woman was slaughtered.

Lifespan. Yes, I could see lifespan and everyday, whenever I'm walking down the streets I always saw a number of people, knowing how much time they have left and I couldn't help but save some of them, within my reach. I couldn't bear watching them die in front of me. Some called me their "life-saver", not that I cared really. During my early years I tried shutting down my power, well not really permanently but temporarily, especially when I'm at school. I couldn't bare to look at my friends lifespan. Especially Clare, my best-friend. I couldn't take it. After years of practicing, I was successful and lifespan would show up only if I wanted to. Eventually, I could already block someone's lifespan permanently. It was hard at first, like blocking a water from the ocean from coming its way to the shore. But overtime, I already knew how and I already blocked two from my friends. Clare and Sebastian. If you're asking if I could see aunt Arci's, well unfortunately I couldn't see hers, I don't even know why but it's not like I wanted to see hers. No, I never wanted to see hers. At all. and I was never curious about it. Aunt Arci was the only family I had left and I couldn't bear losing her.

Arci tapped my head lightly and whispered, "Sleep now, Ares. You still have classes tomorrow." She slowly stood up and retreated from the room. I watched as she closed the door and left me at the room, staring at the ceiling. It sure is a long day tomorrow, I sighed and closed my eyes.