Y/n POV
I visited Jane's family this time. Dennis also came with me so we are now just standing in the living room with them.
Of course, we are invisible.
"Are you sure about this, Y/n?"
Dennis asked.
"Yeah. Jennie doesn't remember them
anymore. I can still watch them for
her."
I watch as Eric's grandson plays the piano for everyone. I can't believe it's been that long already. Eric's grandson is already in his teens too. If I study him closely, I could see some of Jane's mannerisms in both Eric and his grandson. From the way they laugh almost sound the same.
"It was just yesterday when we visited your family. I don't know, Y/n. Why do I feel like you're reminiscing because you're trying to say goodbye?"
"l am not even doing anything."
"I know but why are you even trying to go back to places you cherish?"
"Nothing, Dennis. Just watch them, will you?"
Dennis still doesn't look assured with my answer but he just listened to what I told him and watched the family. Eric and everyone else started clapping after the teenager finished his piece.
"I can't wait to watch your recital sweetie." Eric smiled proudly. He stood up from his seat to get close to him only to fall down on his knees.
"Papa!" A woman rushed to him.
"I-I'm fine," he said as he press on his chest.
"We need to bring papa to the
hospital!"
Dennis and I shared a worried look.
Out of the blue, I felt a light atmosphere in the room. The type of atmosphere only the likes of me would feel. I know this feeling. This is the same feeling I experienced when Kook died.
Dennis tapped on my shoulder and pointed at the young man standing in front of Eric. He was looking at the old man gasping for air on the floor.
"Eric," I called. The apparition turned its head in my direction. "It's you again."
Of course, he's a soul now. AIl of the memories I removed from him have returned. Technically, I don't really erase them. I just lock them away from the physical mind but when the person dies, it all unlocks.
"Yes, it's me. Y/n. This is my friend,
Dennis."
Dennis waved at him. "It's time to go,
Sir."
"Go? Where? Hold on, why is my body in my son's arms?" The apparition studied himself.
"I am a bit transparent."
"You are dead, Eric," I informed him.
So, this is what young Eric looks like. Looks a lot like Jane and Jennie. Their smile is really the same.
"Dead. I see. How come you could see me?"
"We are half-demons, Eric. There are a lot of things to explain but no time for it. Come with us. We will bring you to the gates where angels will guide you."
Eric followed us to the nearest gate in the area. As usual, he's got a lot of questions and I tried to answer them to the best that I can.
"So, Jennie, the woman you were with, she's my mother?"
"The soul, Eric. Jane is dead."
"Yes, yes. Oh my, so you did end up being with her too? You are Y/n!" He sounded very glad.
"I'm so happy to finally meet the woman my mother fell in love with." He shook my hand aggressively.
"Y-yeah."
"It's a bit disappointing that you didn't
get to meet my mom before she died but at least you are together now."
I was silent. Dennis whistles to himself to distract from the awkwardness.
"Why? What happened?" Eric asked.
"Did you two break up?"
"Ugh, things happened, Eric." I am a bit uncomfortable so I brushed the back of my neck. A mannerism I didn't realize that I have until now.
"Like what?"
"You'll know more about your mother
when you are up there."
We stopped in front of a water fountain. It seems like a normal park filled with people until you watch closely and realized that four of those people aren't really people and instead, are angels.
The world around us stopped. People have stopped moving and only four of them were able to move. The four figures stood in front of us.
"Demons delivering a soul? Unheard of," the female figure said.
"This is not my first time,"I said.
"So we heard," the other figure said.
"You brought your brother to the gates too"
"This is my first time. Unless you count the ones I shot during the war." Dennis jokingly said. His grin faded almost immediately when none of us laughed with him.
"I swear this is just a defense mechanism of mine. I am not proud of what I did."
I just shook my head and returned my attention to the four angels standing in front of us. I hovered my hand forward to signal Eric that it was his time to go.
"Demon," the female angel directed at me. "We need to talk."
I furrowed my brows. Ugh, what is it this time? It's been a while since I forgot these celestial beings hate me more than any other demons.
"I am staying as far as can from the Holy Soul," I defended myself.
"We are aware of that but that is not the reason why I need to talk to you." I worriedly looked at Dennis. He just shrugged at me since he doesn't know what to do either.
"Soul," the angel directed at Eric. "Come with me before you get lost. Follow the light." Eric waved his final farewell at me and followed the other angel.
Out of nowhere, Dennis and the rest of the angels disappeared leaving me with the female figure.
"What do you want?" I asked. Being alone with an angel is a bit dangerous. I am just a half-demon and I don't really have enough strength to fight with a full celestial.
"You've got a lot of sins."
"l am very aware of those."
"You've sold your soul to the demon."
"The Superior. Yes."
"You've taken payments from your
poor victims." I nodded again,
"they are the reason why I am still here. I don't deny those."
"You've kidnapped the Holy Soul." What is this confrontation? My life is already a living hell. Do they plan to burn me to hell now? Am I even allowed there? Only souls could get in there and as far as I remember, I no
longer have a soul. Plus, no one ever really goes to hell. Maybe I will be the first?
"You even took a piece of her soul and sold it."
"Hey, that's not on me. I tried to give it back but one of your men told me that they don't care. You cannot blame that one on me."
"You've done a lot of things. Unforgivable, in fact." I just nodded.
"And yet you are still the Holy Soul's soulmate." I furrowed my brows.
"You were made just for her."
"There is such a thing?" Jennie was right all along?
"She fought for you for many lifetimes."
"What do you mean?"
"When she died as Ruby Jane, as soon as she returned to heaven to report, she heard the news of your sin; when you sold your soul to the Superior. She was devastated. She begged everyone. She begged God. She begged the demon king." She scoffed, "the Holy Soul on her knees in front of a demon? Distasteful."
"What are you trying to say? Just go straight to the point."
"That is the reason why there's a huge gap between Ruby Jane and Jennie. She begged for your soul." She spitted the words as if they were meant to stab me.
"For...my soul?"
She took out a bottle from her side. "Like this one. This is not yours but you know what I mean, right?"
I stared at the swirling smoke inside of a small transparent bottle. "My soul." I can't help but stare at it. "I-I thought it's already gone. Then where is it?"
"Where do you think sold souls go, demon? Have you ever wondered?" l only looked at her.
"To us. The souls return to us." I made a painful chuckle. "It's got to be a joke, right? We sold our souls to demons and we're cursed with damnation because of it only for our souls to fall onto your hands again?"
"It's the circle of life, demon." I shook my head in disbelief.
"Then what are we doing, really? Why am I still suffering like this? What's the point?"
"The souls that return to us are returned to the universe as new energy and that energy will form into another soul that will reincarnate for another thousand of years. It's a way to reset things from the beginning."
"No memories of even the past lives?"
She nodded.
"Total reset as people say with their modern technologies. But yours is still with us. Do you wonder why?"
"Why? Why are you still not setting my soul free like the others?"
"Not only you. There are more of you. Some you may know personally and some with their own special cases."
"Sure, why? Just get straight to the point."
"You are damaged. Deeply damage. If we return your soul to the universe, you might contaminate the other souls."
I scoffed. "Basically, I am useless. Is that why angels are so mad at me? Because I am of no use anymore?"
She returned the soul back to where
she took it from. "Unless you change your ways, it might be really too late for you."
"Huh?"
"Don't waste the Holy Soul's sacrifices,
demon. She gave up heaven for you."
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