I don't remember her face. Not really. But her voice… that voice, I can still hear it.
The ground was gray that day. The city pulsed below, a dull rumble of engines, horns, and hurried lives. And I was there, on a rooftop, a cigarette between my fingers, the wind whipping through my hair. The rain fell in thin, freezing needles, and I felt… disconnected from it all. Like I was only there to watch.
Then suddenly, everything shifted. A dream, or a memory… I couldn't tell anymore. A hand on my forehead, burnt wings, blood falling in slow motion. And a voice: "Are you afraid of me?"
I nod, almost instinctively. Then the voice speaks again: "You shouldn't be here… not yet."
A faint light. A dull crash. A body thrown into the air. The metallic taste of blood in my mouth. A falling beam. A girl. Me, running. Her eyes. Her broken smile. And her voice, pure despite the pain: "Thank you… for everything."
Ploc.
My eyes snap open. A single tear slides down my cheek, burning despite the rain, and I can feel it staining my skin.
— "That damn dream again…" I mutter, more breath than voice, crushing my cigarette as I slowly push myself up.
I thought I had found some kind of stability. I was wrong.
I take a step back and let myself fall into the void. The clouds swallow me whole, my black coat spreading like a wing as I cut through the air, moving until the exact moment someone is about to die.
A motorcycle. Too fast. A braking mistake. A truck. Impact imminent. Her body is thrown forward, her face toward the ground… and then, time stops. Everything hangs suspended in the air: the girl, the debris, the moment itself.
I stand before her. She looks young, maybe twenty-eight. Her wide eyes lock onto mine. She's afraid. I reach out, place my hand on her forehead, and her spirit rises, translucent, trembling in my arms.
— "Calm down… I'm here."
She blinks, shocked, yet a faint light of peace begins to appear in her gaze.
— "I'll take you somewhere you won't suffer anymore…"
The world around her shifts. No golden gates, no perfect skies. Just a field bathed in soft light, a house in the distance… a paradise shaped just for her. The Abode of the Dead.
— "Is this… my home?" she whispers.
— "You can go. But first… I have a request."
She hesitates. — "Okay… I'll try."
— "Tell me your name."
She smiles, wraps her arms around me, then walks away toward the house. Before disappearing, she turns back one last time.
— "My name… is Chloé. And thank you… for everything."
She fades into the light. I remain there, suspended in the void, my wings spread. Eventually, I land on a rooftop in silence. I light another cigarette, stare at the sky, and tell myself that if this is all I can do… then I'll keep going. Reaping lives, easing souls… until my own memories give meaning to all of this.
A voice pulls me from my thoughts.
— "Still playing the lone hero?"
I turn my head. Kael is there. Black hair, sharp gray eyes, an oversized coat. She looks at me, arms crossed, half stern, half worried. An awakened. A quiet friend.
— "You know you don't have to move around to do that, right?" she says. "You can use the arcane you've already mastered. Easy."
I take a drag, exhale slowly, and look up at the clouds.
— "There's something arcanes can't do… feel a soul's fear, see it tremble. Be there, tell them it'll be okay… even if it's a lie."
I look at her, serious this time.
— "If I were in their place… I wouldn't want to die alone."
Silence settles between us. The wind blows. Kael lowers her gaze slightly, almost imperceptibly moved.
— "You're too kind… it's going to kill you," she murmurs.
I exhale again, loosening my shoulders.
— "If it happens, I'll probably die with style."
A faint smile appears on her lips. She's always somewhere between cold and warmth.
— "Come on, cigarette angel. Let's grab something to eat," she says, nudging me. "You'll burn out if you only take care of the dead."
I toss my cigarette, crush it, and soon we're sitting in front of steaming bowls of noodles in a small, slightly run-down but warm Japanese restaurant.
— "Why don't you come to school with me?" she asks, mouth full.
— "Already got a full schedule," I reply, chopsticks in hand.
— "Yeah… saving souls, smoking on rooftops, living in a dump…"
— "My place is decent. Minimum comfort, absolute quiet… and a window."
— "Your place? Your trash can," she sighs. "Get serious."
We laugh, a real, warm burst of laughter. The chef throws us a dark look and kicks us out. Bowls half-finished, but satisfied, we step back into the night. The pavement reflects the streetlights in the puddles, the night is soft… almost fragile.
— "So… what's Heaven like?" Kael asks, looking up at the sky.
I sigh, unable to answer. She pouts, looks away, and I barely smile.
— "Idiot…" I mutter.
Barely a step later, I feel it. An aura. A cold shiver. This isn't just a presence. A demon. Powerful. It's coming from the direction Kael took. My heart tightens.
— "Oh no… Kael!"
I vanish into the shadows. The wind bursts beneath my feet.
Kael walked quickly, arms crossed, still sulking. "He's always like that… idiot. That's the last time I talk to him," she muttered, her voice fading into the night wind. Her eyes scanned the empty street, but something—just beyond the shadows—made her stop instantly.
A presence. Massive. Terrifying. The air itself seemed to vibrate, heavy with a pressure she had never felt before. A silhouette emerged from the darkness, tall and imposing, each step hitting the ground like a hammer. Its eyes… black and piercing, carried a power no human could endure.
"Descendant of light… tainted by man. Come with me."
Kael stepped back instinctively. "I… I'm not going anywhere with you." Her voice trembled despite her defiance.
Adonis formed a faint smile, cold and calculated. "I would prefer not to use force… for now. But I suggest you reconsider." His gaze pressed down on her, heavy and freezing.
Kael clenched her teeth. "Never."
Without a sound, figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding her. Creatures of stone and smoke—his subordinates—fast and relentless. Kael pivoted, slipped through them, striking back with fierce precision. Her movements were fluid, controlled to perfection. She exorcised them one by one, overwhelming them… yet their numbers seemed endless.
Suddenly, a massive arm seized her by the throat and lifted her into the air. Adonis approached slowly, unstoppable. His fist rose.
Panic surged within her. Raw. Crushing.
Help… Seven…
The wind howled.
A black streak tore through the air.
Seven appeared—majestic and wild. His dark wings spread like an ocean of night, his coat flowing behind him in a storm of power. The ether emanating from him made the air tremble.
Adonis raised an eyebrow, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. He knew that energy. He had seen it before. A name whispered in the shadows:
The Reaper.
"So… the infamous Reaper," Adonis said, a cruel smile forming. "I've noticed you before."
Seven straightened, locking eyes with him, a mix of defiance and provocation in his gaze. "You were lucky I didn't crush you before. Guess your luck just ran out, idiot."
Adonis let out a low chuckle, though his dark eyes gleamed with interest. "Insolent… but amusing. You are far more… special than I expected."
Seven rolled his shoulders, fists ready, his wings twitching slightly behind him. "'Special,' huh? Is that your polite way of saying I'm about to make you regret being born?"
Rain poured down, striking their faces and bouncing off the ground, turning the alley into a shifting mirror of reflections. Kael, still trembling, felt her heart race. Seven's presence reassured her as much as it intimidated her.
Adonis slammed his foot into the ground, sending a shockwave forward. Seven didn't move. Not even an inch. He lunged, his fist charged with raw energy. The impact sent Adonis sliding back several meters, but he regained his footing instantly, his smile widening.
"Unpredictable… annoyingly so," he muttered. "There's something wrong with you…"
Seven responded with a slight movement of his wings, unleashing a speed and force that seemed to defy physics itself. "Yeah? And you're just ugly. You good?"
Kael watched, both fascinated and terrified, as rain and wind merged with the sound of the fight. Each impact echoed through the alley like war drums.
Adonis smiled again, almost entertained. "You are… truly different from the others. An anomaly. And perhaps… a real threat."
Seven let out a dry, almost mocking chuckle. "A threat? Not yet. But if you want to stay alive… you should start running."
A pause.
"Otherwise… I might show you what 'Reaper' really means."
Adonis raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You are young… but I can tell you might surprise me."
The wind rushed through the alley, carrying the rain as it struck the ground and their bodies. Time seemed to stretch, every movement, every breath charged with tension. Seven leaned forward slightly, ready to strike, while Kael, caught between awe and fear, gripped her coat tightly.
"You are special," Adonis repeated, his voice echoing in the night. "And that is not a compliment."
Seven blinked, his expression calm yet filled with defiance. "I'll take it as one, idiot."
And in that tension-filled silence…
The duel had only just begun.