The Gray Area

Chapter Eleven

He have to leave her alone, Morte knew it.

But he didn't want to- that was the fucking problem. He wanted her so much that being apart from her was a torture, a personal torment. He couldn't handle that. Damn sure he wouldn't handle that.

From the window of her classroom, he could see her discussing her lectures. His eyes grew wide as he realized her majestic huge wings were somehow, in off color today. The white feathers seemed to get dull, as if it was slowly withering. That sight scared Morte like hell.

It was the same fright he felt when Vita got almost hit by the speeding motorcycle. He knew he would avenge her soul had that accident took her life. His presence was consuming the brightness of her spirit. And again, for the first time, he felt a twinge of guilt for tainting her white angel wings. It would be as hard as fuck but he'd rather be apart from her to save her from hell than stick himself with her for his own happiness.

Sacrifice? Since when did he considered that act?

He actually didn't know what was happening to him. The two colors he only knew got tainted, a new area appearing in between. The gray one, the color that dwells with things.

Kiko raised his hand to participate. Unlike a few days ago, the kid wasn't as bored, even found the poems exciting. He still had fears lurking inside him, but the boy chose to only focus on the brighter side.

Love is the greatest force

It changes evil, turns off the pride

It melts the cold heart and whispers some song

For love is so great that it defines the Creator

It's all around us like air

Something we breathe in to live

Love is a force, love defy death.

Kiko took his seat after he read his poem while his classmates clapped their hands. On the other hand, Morte couldn't bring himself to clap his hands. What he felt at the boy's words was nothing but warmth.

The air shifted all of a sudden, the ambiance felt sticky and heavy. And before Morte could do something, he watched from the window as Santy possessed Vita, taking over her body.

"Shit!" He blasted and stopped as he saw Vita's beautiful soul fighting off the demon.

Then she fell to the floor, her eyes gone white as her mouth opened, gasping for air, choking with great intensity. The students screamed and huddled at the back row, frightened as to what was going on.

"Stop it!" Morte growled at his brother. Possessing was his brother's gift, something he did for fun, a gift to torment the living souls to insanity.

Some of the students cried out for help, their eyes wide with horror.

"Stop it, you motherfucker!" Morte raged on, his eyes turning red, his massive wings spread at his back, poised for a fight.

Vita's soul was trapped between the demon and the body, all the fears she has appeared, all the weaknesses exposed. She continuously gasped for air, for help and for some grace, silently begging for the torment to stop.

Her body arched forward, like she was bent, arms and fingers stiffly curled. Her legs were stretched as she made a hissing sound, deep voice echoing from within her throat.

Teachers rushed to the room to see what was going on and stopped to the door the moment they saw the body being possessed. They all shuddered at the sight, fear freezing them like a smoking ice. The junior students couldn't do anything but to cry in terror, some of them had chosen to close their eyes with the hope it would stop. But Vita's torment continued, light trace of veins started to be visible in her pale skin.

"Kill her, brother," Santy urged his brother Morte, enjoying the high sensation he felt at the moment. "Kill her already."

Morte flicked his hand, a ball of beam ignited as he produced his gold spear, every muscle in his body ready to attack. Vita screamed, a high pitch scream of pleading, a plead to end the agonizing torment she couldn't endure any longer. The situation tore Morte to the core. Guilt boiled in the pit of his stomach seeing her suffer like that because of his mistake- because of his stubbornness.

If he could cry, Morte would, but tears were for humans. He would whine right there right then if given a chance. But it wasn't the perfect time to act like a fucking spoiled brat. He needed to do something.

"What's wrong?" Santy taunted him. The possessed body went up the air and that made everyone screamed again but Kiko went down to his knees and started a prayer. Vita's body started to spin slowly in midair and at every second it went faster and faster. "Can't kill her? Beg me to stop this."

"You're still gonna kill her even if I do," Morte said, seething with wrath.

"Damn right you are, Rafael." Santy replied, smile menacing.

Rafael. The name given to him by his mother. His mother, a fallen angel.

"The moment I leave this body, her soul will weaken and will be vulnerable. The angels will know that she's been possessed. The demons will see her as a target."

The angels would either erased all her memories or just end her life, depending on the damage. The demons would linger around her to drive her mad, corrupting her soul.

For the briefest of moment, Vita called out to her angel asking for salvation. She looked at Morte, her tired eye begging for mercy. Please make it stop.

Morte couldn't look away from his angel wings.

Save me, please. Stop this! She yearned for the devil's help. The body strike the ground with a thud, legs and arms bent in awkward angles.

If he would not strike his spear in Vita's chest, she would die because of the torment. If he'd stick it to her heart, she would still die. But he is Death, he could defy the force. He would give up himself for her. For his angel wings. Alarming screams rang out the entire classroom, as if nudging Morte to decide now.

Gabriel and Angel Aya appeared behind them. Morte flicked his fingers and created a blue fire boundary to keep the angels from intervening the battle of the demons, just a little trick that would end for five seconds. Gabriel slashed the blue fire with his sword but nothing happened, like a failed magic attempt.

Morte angled his spear to his chest, and with that, Santino's nose flared in utter shock and disgust. "You're going to give up your fire for this girl?!" he exclaimed, as if caught off guard.

He didn't answer and instead, stuck his spear directly at his chest. A blaze of deafening growl rocked the place, the ground almost vibrated with anger.