The Devil's Love

||. Chapter 53: Two Worlds .||

Fragments of illustrations floated past her sight. The mixture of specks of dust, stars and meteors grazed her now transparent figure. Her chest weighed a little lighter, shoulders spread apart freely without restrictions and her feet danced their way along the ivory path that laid out crookedly below her. Emptiness latched on her heart. All that she could hear was the swooshing sound of tiny sparkles that spoke in languages she never heard of. Ansel walked calmly, fingers threaded against her pants while her head held high gazing at the moving constellations. She tripped onto a large hole, falling into it and clattered against a strong surface. Ansel rose, lifting her palms to see the puncture on them. 

"Those wounds will mend slowly," a guttural voice emerged from behind, followed by the sound of the squeaking door. "Have a seat, Ansel and make yourself at home. It looks like you are going to be here for a while. It is only fair for me to treat you properly since you accidentally stumbled into my home." 

Ansel whipped herself around, almost bumping back into the wall she walked in from. Instead of just walking, she felt herself drifting like a bubble that never had control of its movements. She spun, facing an elderly man who landed himself on a sofa. Ansel couldn't remember the sight of anything dancing above grounds at home, so the only assurance she has to herself is that she is not on Earth. Taking a few moments to recall, she remembered, Angelo, then Carson and a light blasting through her sight before she ended up here. Pushing her tongue in her inner cheeks, Ansel headed closer to the elderly man whose jet black eyes studied her carefully. 

"Don't be afraid of me. You've been blasted by active celestial power, yet you are still here. Nothing in my space will be able to harm you," the elderly spoke ever so gently that could send Ansel back to her sleep. "It's nice to meet you, Ansel. I'm Males. A retired angel of the Dead." 

"Males?" Ansel questioned, finally setting herself on the seat opposite him. "Angel of the Dead? Perhaps, do you know Angelo? He's a guardian of the Dead." 

Males nodded. Fingers wrapped on the handle of his teacup, sipping invisible sparkly liquid. 

"Yes, I do. During Angelo's pursue in this section, there were only two of them. Angelo is the only remarkable mentee I would bring through thick and thin. He's a fast learner," Males said, chin held high in the air as his eyes ran across Ansel's features. "You are not just any human. You're Angelo's one and only sweetheart. This explains why you are here." 

A huge smile plastered on Males' wrinkled skin. Despite his white hair and age spots that showed against his caramel skin, Males seemed ageless. His skin was as smooth as the silken tofu she once dropped when she wanted to make Mapo tofu for dinner. Memories were still clear in her mind.

"I want to return to my home. I am aware that this is just my soul," Ansel spoke calmly. "Is there any way you can help me to find my way back? I don't want to worry my friends."

"I might be an angel of the Dead once, child, but I am in no power to attach a broken soul. Before returning, your soul needs to be mended, and it can only be done with the help of a guardian or an angel of the Planets. I found you, but I cannot mend you. I can only accompany you till someone finds their way to you," Males assured. "It is fate that we are able to meet." 

"What are you doing here, Males?" Ansel questioned, monotonous, leaning her back on the couch. "What is this place?" 

Males stared at the girl, humming at her words. Her aura didn't match her personality. Broken souls could be one of the effects of her expressionless words and actions. 

"My time is up among the angels of Halion. We all have a timeline, an end that we have to answer. This is my sanctuary, a place where I reside once I decided to let go of the duties I once had on Halion. Finding love is not my choice, so I chose celibacy and peace. This way, I can restore my powers and improve myself. Once in a while, I will return to Halion as I wish," Males explained with strong patience.