The Legends of Anigma: Ethiel Archer | ONC 2023

PART II

Dark skies were cast over the whole city during the funeral. Not even a ray of sunlight fell.

Only a few had come to attend Alice's funeral; just some colleagues and acquaintances, other than Ethiel, Tifa, and Aunt Louis. However, a dull crowd of the uninvited had gathered... the crowd of the dead.

They surrounded the grave, eerily still, staring like possessed owls, perhaps waiting for the appearance of their new member – like Ethiel.

Tifa was standing closer to him, holding his arms tightly, and he knew it wasn't the fear of the dead, it was for physical assurance.

The funeral ended but her ghost never came...

Some senseless feeling told him that her soul was elsewhere, not as in heaven or hell, but some other world, faraway.

"Why do I feel like..." Tifa wiped her eyes, "she's not here? It feels like she is – somewhere else?"

She had just spoken his mind. It meant... he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Even the dead had started to disperse.

Funerals were never a pleasant thing, Ethiel knew that, but that one – in his view – was the most incomplete and darkest ones that had ever been held.

He was infuriated. His unexplained, out of the blue, paranormal sight enabled him to see ghosts – every darn, bloody ghost but his mother's.

Waiting anymore was both useless and excruciating beyond tolerance, so he chose to go back home.

Some space and time had become his dire necessity then, at least for a day, and the last thing he wanted was an unpleasant stranger around him. But, just like he believed, life often put people in situations they'd rather not be, especially when they desperately wished otherwise.

Aunt Louis had just received an urgent call and she had to leave immediately. To top it off, she wasn't going to be back before a week – or two. It was a very important thing for her career.

Therefore, she decided to have a friend of hers, Matt, look after them. The bad news wasn't over though; this friend was not well-mannered, just trustworthy.

After a rain of apologies, she left for work, still feeling guilty.

Ethiel didn't blame her though; she always did her best to take care of them whilst constantly struggling with her work. What she got was an opportunity she couldn't have missed, so it was understandable.

Matt closed the door and looked back at them, his eyes clearly conveying what he thought of them both – burden. He ran his hand through his bald head. "Okay, now listen you two cupcakes, I will be in your aunt's room as agreed. If you need food, grab the phone, order it. I'm not your cook. If you want to cry or vent out, you got each other. I'm not your therapist; and don't even think about disturbing your aunt. Last but not the least, don't be a pain in my butt. We clear?"

Ethiel wanted to kick him out there and then, but he decided to retaliate with words. He was late though.

"Did you shave your head or is it naturally bald?" Tifa asked innocently.

"Shaved, why?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Did you shave your manners with it too?" She was boldness itself.

Ethiel tried to stop his laughter but he ended up chuckling.

Matt was terribly shaken – anyone would've after being roasted so bad by a child. He just stood there, jaws dropped to the floor. He didn't say anything back, perhaps he didn't want to be roasted any further.