Aliya accompanied him today. They were going to retrieve a soul from a hospital.
He saw the soul immediately—an elderly woman. She seemed to be waiting for them, or perhaps for the one who was meant to guide her.
"Shouldn't we approach her?" Aliya asked.
He sighed quietly. The two of them were about to approach the soul when a mourning woman suddenly appeared.
He quickly stopped Aliya.
"Wait." He grabbed her arm.
Aliya looked confused and stared at him.
"I'm here to take you, Felicia," the woman said with a meaningful smile.
Both of her hands were bound by a thin rope—something ordinary souls could not see.
"Leah," the old woman whispered, struggling to free herself from the rope.
The woman only smiled at her.
Suddenly, an archangel appeared.
"Save me," the old woman pleaded.
The archangel could only sigh. He called the name of another archangel, and soon the old woman was dragged into the darkness created by the vengeful soul.
He could only shake his head as he glimpsed the memories of the soul's life—and how she had died.
"I can see Leah's past," his companion said. "Her death was filled with sorrow, and the one she fetched had something to do with it."
He looked at Aliya.
So she can see others like us as well, he thought.
"Is there really nothing we can do in situations like that?" she asked.
He shook his head.
They could not control the turning of the world.
"There are rules we must follow, Aliya," he told her.
"Daniel," she called softly.
He looked at her.
"Your past life… it was sad too," she said quietly.
He was startled by what she said.
"Aliya, don't try to learn about who I am," he told her firmly.
He turned and walked away, leaving her behind.
She followed him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," she apologized.
He didn't answer. He only sighed.
Suddenly, his watch began to glow again.
With a wave of his hand, he activated it. Aliya followed silently behind him.
Moments later, they were transported to a warehouse.
A woman was crying as she stared at her own body.
Aliya swallowed hard at the sight.
A doctor was cutting into the woman's body.
When he touched the crying woman, they were suddenly pulled into darkness.
The woman continued crying. She wore a uniform—clearly a student.
Something felt strange.
He couldn't speak to her.
Whenever they tried to get closer, the distance between them seemed to stretch further.
Then two women appeared, floating before the girl.
He immediately recognized them.
Other archangels had also been searching for them.
"W–Who are they?" Aliya asked nervously.
"Felisa and Ellese," he answered.
"C–Can we still leave this place?" she asked.
"We can," he replied calmly. "This is the world of a soul searching for answers and justice for their death. They cannot rest until they find what they are looking for."
"A–Are they like Leah?"
He shook his head.
"No. They were not consumed by darkness. They have been given a chance to fulfill what they seek. They ask for help—from people who can see them… or from their families."
"And if they fail?" she asked quietly. "What will happen to them?"
He sighed before answering.
"Their memories will fade. They will become wandering souls—lost, endlessly returning to the human world without knowing where they belong. It is a tragic fate for a soul."
"W–Will they ever see the light again?"
He nodded slowly.
"No," he said softly.
He then noticed many women walking along a long road.
"Are they victims of syndicates?" Aliya asked.
"Come on, Aliya. Only guardians can enter this place," he reminded her.
Soon, they left the strange realm and continued walking.
XXX
"How are you, Aya?"
A man greeted Aya, but she didn't recognize him at first.
He removed his hat.
"Reymark," she said with a smile of recognition.
"You came to visit today?" she asked.
"Ah, yes. I've been busy lately. Sorry I couldn't visit your apartment, Aya," he said.
She smiled and shook her head.
"That's alright, Reymark."
He sat down and looked around the clinic.
Reymark was the same age as her. She had met him when she first came to the city to study during high school.
"Aya, I heard what happened to your clinic. Is it really safe for you to reopen it?" he asked.
She didn't answer immediately.
"I need to continue, Reymark," she said with a faint smile.
He nodded.
"What would you like to eat? I can get you something," she offered.
"Don't trouble yourself. I'm good. I just came to check on you. I know what you're going through… and about your sister," he said sympathetically.
"Thank you for checking on me, Reymark. It's difficult, but I have to keep fighting—for my sister," she said, forcing a smile to hide the painful memories.
He sighed.
Reymark had been one of her first clients and someone she trusted. Sometimes he would even stay and help around the clinic.
She noticed the scratches on his hands—marks clearly left by an animal.
"What happened to your hand?" she asked.
"Oh, this? I'm taking care of a dog. Since he came from a compound, he's really wary of people," he explained.
She nodded.
"When you take care of rescued animals, they often become the sweetest pets you'll ever meet," she said.
"Yeah." He smiled and stared at her for a moment. "If you ever need someone, don't hesitate to call me."
She laughed softly.
"You have a job. But thank you."
He smiled.
"Do you need anything else?" she asked.
"Actually… you could let me stay here at your clinic. Maybe as your assistant."
"Hm. I'll think about it. My expenses are still a bit tight right now," she sighed. "I still need to find out who destroyed my clinic and killed my sister."
She noticed his reaction.
His expression suddenly turned serious.
"Aya, aren't you putting yourself in danger by searching for justice for Aliya?" he asked. "I understand you want justice—but risking your safety?"
"Reymark," Aya sighed. "I have to do this. Who else will? I just want answers for everything that happened to us."
He gently patted her shoulder and let out a long breath.
"Alright. If you need help at the clinic, don't hesitate, okay?"
She nodded and smiled.
"Thank you."
"I should get going," he said, standing up.
As he walked away, she noticed that he was limping slightly.
Her brows furrowed.
"Reymark, what happened? Why are you limping?" Aya asked.
"Ah… my leg wound hasn't healed yet."
"A wound?"
"I had an accident last week. Boiling water splashed on my leg, and it still hasn't healed," he explained.
She nodded slowly.
"Did you get it treated? It might get infected," she said with concern.
He laughed lightly.
"Don't worry. I went to the doctor immediately. I even have a prescription."
"O–Okay. Take care on your way home, Reymark," Aya said.
He nodded and waved.
She waved back and watched as he walked out of the clinic.
She sighed.
Then she caught a glimpse of the tattoo near his ear.
Her brows furrowed again.
No… no. That can't be.
She immediately pushed the thought away.
Then she returned to taking care of the animals in the clinic.