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Winston frowns at the papers he is reading. He has been investigating Anda’s mysterious girl for two months now. The investigation was quite slow since all they have is a sketch of the girl. No name or so whatever but Winston is not just an ordinary investigator. He is damn good one.
“So serious in the morning Win.”
Winston looks up the person who said to him. It is Markle holding two hot cups of coffee. Markle is his partner and also his lover. The black haired man hands him one of the steaming cup saying, “Is that the mysterious girl we’ve been looking into during the sidelines?”
“Yes Markle.” taking the steaming cup. “I’m very much weirded out by this information we got on this girl.”
“Yeah me too. Did Anda tell you who her friend who knows this girl is?” Markle replied taking sip of his coffee.
Winston shakes his head and said, “Nope. Anda won’t tell.” with that he sighs saying, “You know, Anda is never the secretive type. I wonder why she is so tight-lipped about this.”
Markle takes up a seat, moves it besides Winston and sat. He takes one of the papers off the desk looks at it and said, “Well, your friend has her reasons but you do trust her that this is nothing dangerous and by the looks of the information, it is not.”
“True but it’s still weird.” Winston replied taking a sip from his coffee.
“Are you meeting her today?” Markle asks.
“Yes, after I finish this coffee you bought for me which is so sweet of you.” Winston replied winking at Markle. Markle just merely smiled and holds Winston right hand lovingly.
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Anda smiles at her boss and said, “Thank you sir. Our team worked so hard for this project.”
“I can see that. Keep it up. I expect more from you and your team.” the boss exclaims as he walks away.
Anda breathe a sigh of relief. She knows that the presentation will go well, she just didn’t expect a lot of praises and of course more pressure. She walks out of the meeting room to be greeted by her secretary.
“There is a pair of police officers waiting for you in your office. Their names are Winston Everett and Leidon Moore.” the secretary replied.
Anda nods her head said, “Thanks my dear. Please hold calls for me as I talk to them.”
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“I brought Markle along since he has been helping me investigate your mystery girl.” Winston replied winking at her.
“That’s okay and besides I’ve wanted to meet your dearest Markle.” Anda replied grinning.
Leidon chuckles saying, “And I am forever curious of Winston special bff.”
Anda takes a seat in her chair, facing the two officers, she replied, “I am assuming you have something for me today.”
“Yes we do.” Winston replied handing a folder to Anda.
Anda takes the folder and opens it. She scans the content quickly saying, “Wait. Wait…. this….”
“Yes. Weird.” Markle replied nodding his head.
Markle waves his hand back and forth and said, “Here and there. But most of the times we had to go asking people around the neighborhood.”
“Markle and I spend our date nights in libraries looking at public records.” Winston replied. “The latest information was retrieved in our station.”
Anda’s eyes were still on the content of the folder. She looks very troubled by the content.
“Is something the matter Anda?” Winston asks.
“Well… I’m not sure what is troubling me.” Anda replied. “Well, thank you for this Winston, Markle. I think this is enough for my friend.”
Winston gives Anda a look saying, “This friend of yours. Who is he really?”
“As you wish my dear.” Winston said standing up from his seat. Markle also stands up. This signaled Anda that two need to leave. She walks the two to her office door thanking them.
The two merely gives a salute and promise to have coffee with her one of these days.
She goes back to her desk thinking, “I was right. Nox didn’t kill her. She committed suicide!”
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Anda silently cursed in her head. Why is Ray in this coffee shop? Ray knew that this coffee shop is her favorite. Also Ray took her for coffee here so many times. Now, the bastard is seating on her favorite table in the shop with a girl.
She approached the barista saying, “One decaf please. To go.”
The barista jots her order asking, “How about some cake or donuts to go with your decaf?”
Anda shakes her head saying, “No, no thank you. Ummm… can you please hurry it a bit. I’m on the rush.”
“Sure no problem ma’am. That will be 15 dollars and may I get your name ma’am?” the barista replied.
“It’s Anda.” Anda replied handing her payment.
In that exact moment, Ray noticed her standing there waiting for her order.
“Anda! Fancy meeting you here.” Ray replied approaching her.
Anda forces a smile and said, “Hello Ray. I’m just here just to get coffee.”
Ray smiles back. The girl he is with suddenly pops up besides Ray saying, “Hey Ray babe, who is this?”
“I’m Miranda. I am no one. But if you really wanna know, I am Ray’s ex. You must be the girl he cheated on me.” Anda replied with a pointed look.
Before Ray could even retort to that, the barista called for her name. Anda excused herself to get her drink. She gets her drink and without a glance walk past Ray and the girl. As she steps out, she exhales a breath she didn’t knew she was holding.
“Remind me to avoid this coffee shop from now on.”
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“Hey Nox, are you there?” Anda asks entering her apartment room. She closes the door behind her and locks it. She walks towards her living room and there stands the fallen angel she just called out.
She seats down on her couch, placing her half empty cup of coffee on the table saying, “I’m so happy that you are here. My investigator friend found really good information.” She then takes out the folder given to her by Winston from her bag and opens the folder, takes one newspaper clipping showing it to Nox.
Anda points to the picture of the girl in the newspaper clipping saying, “This girl, this is the girl from your memories right?”
Nox stares at the picture slowly nodding his head.
“Okay, according to this, her name is Cornelia Davids. She was born in 1967 and she committed suicide when she was 18 years old. Some idiot got her pregnant and she was disowned by her parents because of it. The idiot who got her pregnant didn’t take the responsibility and left her.” Anda replied.
“Cordelia”
Nox takes the picture looking at it. It was a picture of a man with a man whose body build was the exact opposite of him.
Cordelia.
Nox suddenly felt dizzy and then like flashes of lights, memories came surging in.
A young girl jumped.
He flew down near her body. She is still alive. Barely.
“Forgive me….” she says. Her eyes look up to him.
She sees her.
“Are you an Angel?”
“Yes.”
“Please…. Tell God to forgive me… I just can’t….I just…”
He closes his eyes as he reaps her soul. Now he needs to signal a fallen to take this soul.Nox felt Anda shaking him and she was calling out to him. He opens his eyes and noticed that he is already lying on the couch and Anda is hovering above him. Anda has this panic look in her eyes.
“Nox! Oh my god you are awake! I was so worried, you suddenly, I don’t know fainted? Do fallen angels faint?” Anda exclaims sitting down besides him. Nox slowly got himself seated down. He remembers. He remembers everything.
He stands up looking at Anda. All his questions why he is drawn to Anda or why Anda can see him is now all answered. Anda is the reincarnation of Cordelia. Cordelia who committed suicide was reincarnated to this woman sitting in front of him.
Suicide is a sin. God will never allow a suicide to be reincarnated. The soul will stay in Purgatory for years before entering Heaven.
It was his doing why Cordelia was reincarnated.
“I remember” Nox replied closing his eyes.
Anda beams and said “That’s wonderful! Oh my god! So who were you before?”
Nox turns his back at Anda saying, “Forgive me, I have to go.”
“Huh?”
Nox walks towards the window, as he opens it, he said, “Thank you Anda, but from now on, I cannot see you.” and with that he flew away leaving Anda looking bewildered in her living room.
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The Angel of Death. He is the Angel of Death. Azrael. That is his real name.
“So you remember.”
Nox stands up looking at Midnight. Midnight, was the Fallen assigned to look after him when he became a Fallen. Only he knows who he really was and was not allowed to tell him.
“You warned me about not knowing my past not because you don’t want me to remember, you warned because of Anda, because Anda’s soul is the reason why I became a Fallen.” Nox replied.
Midnight sighed saying, “Yes. I am actually surprised that God still allowed that soul to reincarnate.”
“It was allowed because I begged and in exchange of my memory, Cordelia was reincarnated. I was demoted to a Fallen because of my grave decision on saving her soul. I was not supposed to lose my memory. To remember my demotion was enough punishment but…”
“But you have to save her soul.” Midnight finished for Nox. “But why?”
Nox smiles sadly saying, “She saw me. She saw me and asked for forgiveness. She asked God for forgiveness to what she has done but she could not go on longer. The way her eyes looked me, Midnight. It was the first time a suicide sees me and asked for forgiveness.” he looks at the skies and said, “I fell in love with her soul.”
“You are Azrael. Angel of Death, you are not supposed to fall in love.” Midnight pressed on.
“I know. I’m one of the oldest Angels of God; I’ve reaped a lot of souls. Too many for me to keep up. I’ve created you Fallens for the suicides. The Lost Souls to reap the general people dying and special suicidal cases. That day, I was patrolling. Taking note of people who are about to die. She was there on that day. I saw her jump.” Nox replied as the memories of that day filters through.
Midnight nods his head, “I was the Fallen who came to reap her soul. I remember that day Nox. You refused to give her soul to me. You reaped it on your own and you flew away with it. Next thing I know, God has punished you.”
Midnight sighs and said, “There will be a time that you will remember. I just did not expect it will be through Anda. I don’t know why and why God let it happen. But it did.”
“Anda committed suicide that day when I encountered her. Ironic huh?” Nox replied. “She did not die maybe because I’ve imprinted on her soul when she was reincarnated.”
“You did and it was a strong imprint because she can see you but she can only see you.” Midnight replied.
Nox raised an eyebrow at Midnight.
“I tried revealing myself to her when she was at her office. She did not see me. That concluded my theory that she can only see you.” Midnight explains.
“What now Midnight? What now that I remember. Does this forfeit’s Anda’s life? Will a Lost Soul come for her? I did exchange my memories for her life. Is my punishment over? Am I Azrael again?” Nox asks.
Midnight did not answer him. The answers to his questions are quite obvious and Nox, he knew this time around, he cannot do anything.
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Her only comfort is that Nox remembered and she knew that the dead girl Cordelia is the answer. She wished she knew how. She hopes one day she would be able to have answers to it.
And she did but how she got it, is not something she expected to.
She felt extreme pain in her head one day after a stressful work. The pain was so intense she passed out as she is about to go home. She was very lucky that Winston saw her passing out on the street and brought her to the hospital.
The diagnosis shocked her being to the core. She has a tumor in her head and it will kill her within 2 or 3 months. Operating on it will also kill her. She sobbed and agonized on the idea of idea for weeks. Winston and Markle visit her constantly trying to lift up her spirit. Her mother is as devastated because she is the only child and now her daughter is going to die before her. No parent should see their children die before them. It was painful.
Because of her condition, the doctor advised that she spends her days at home and to stop working. It was difficult for Anda to say goodbye to her work. The people there became like a family to her but it has to be done.
Anda chose to stay in her apartment. Her mother did not contest it as long as she can live with her daughter. Good thing, Anda’s apartment is a 2 bedroom apartment. The guest room became her mother’s room. Winston constantly visits her during the weekends and it’s a comfort to see her mother and best friend with her as she spends her days idly at home.
Ray also got wind of her sickness. He visited her one time. Ray was very quiet at first during his visit. He kept staring at Anda with sorrow and guilt in his eyes. Anda merely smiled at him projecting this feeling that she has forgiven Ray already. She has forgiven a long time ago. Ray seemed to get it and when he did, he started chatting her up. That was the last time she has seen Ray and she was fine with that.
She looks at the rooftop below and smiles sadly. She hasn’t forgotten about Nox. She wonders where he is now. Is he already at peace?
“Anda.”
She whipped her head around and she sees a being with pristine white angel wings. Though, the wings seem to glow very brightly. The being is wearing something like a white tunic that seems to glow too. The being knelt down before her and she knew who it was.
“Nox…”
“Hello Anda.” Nox replied smiling at her.
“Nox….” Anda replied her voice breaking. Her eye starts to water as Nox holds her hand.
“Forgive me for not seeing you again after that night.” Nox replied.
Anda smiles wiping the tears falling down her eyes and said, “Oh Nox. I’m not mad. I got sad though.”
“I know. I was watching you.”
“You were watching me?”
Nox nods his head saying, “I always do. I just can’t reveal myself to you anymore.”
“Why?”
“Because of whom I am and who you are.” Nox replied. “I did remember my past that night and upon remembering I realized that I cannot let you see me anymore.”
He squeezes Anda’s hand and said, “I am Azrael, the Angel of Death.”
This revelation made Anda to sit upright. Nox is the Angel of Death. That explains a lot of things why Nox is different from the Fallen. He is the only Fallen who has white wings.
“I disobeyed God so I was punished to lose my memory and then was turned into a Fallen.” Nox explained. “It was during the 60s. A woman named Cordelia jumped to her death…”
“I know that story. What is my connection to that?” Anda remarked cutting him off.
Miranda Schwartz, such a clever woman.
“Do you believe in reincarnation?” Nox ask looking deeply into Anda’s eyes. There was a bit of silence and then Anda’s eyes widened upon the realization.
“If I am the reincarnation of Cordelia.” Anda replied. She takes a deep breath saying, “No wonder Winston thought I was her. I kinda look like her.”
Nox nods his head and said, “Because you are her.”
“If in the past I am a suicide how am I allowed to reincarnate? I should be in Hell!” Anda exclaimed looking panicky.
“Then why I am not in Purgatory? What did you do?” Anda asks, calming down.
“I saved your soul. When you were dying, you saw me and you asked for forgiveness. It was the first.” Nox answered. “There was something about you; I just fell in love with your soul on that day.”
Anda chuckles a bit saying, “You disobeyed God because you fell in love with me.”
“I did not regret the punishment. You lived again Anda. You became Miranda Grace Schwartz and you lived your life wonderfully than you did when you were Cordelia.” Nox replied caressing Anda’s right cheek.
Anda smiles looking forlorn thinking, “And I nearly destroyed it by committing suicide again.”
Nox read her thoughts just said, “Yes you almost did.” With that he takes both of Anda’s hand and said with a sad tone, “I regret remembering my past Anda. In exchange for your soul to reincarnate, God took my memories. Being a Fallen was the main punishment but I have to save your soul.”
“Does your memory coming back have a connection to me dying?”
“I’m so sorry Anda. This is why I regret knowing my past. Why other Fallens were warning me not to remember. The day I remember, is the day your soul is marked to die and me to return as the Angel of Death.” Nox exclaimed looking utterly devastated. “I could no longer do anything but abide.”
Anda closes her eyes. Everything makes sense now.
“The best thing I could do is to prolong your life as much as possible but only so much.” Nox replied heaving a sigh.
“I’m so sorry Anda. This is why I regret knowing my past. Why other Fallens were warning me not to remember. The day I remember, is the day your soul is marked to die and me to return as the Angel of Death.” Nox exclaimed looking utterly devastated. “I could no longer do anything but abide.”
Anda closes her eyes. Everything makes sense now.
“The best thing I could do is to prolong your life as much as possible but only so much.” Nox replied heaving a sigh.
She then stares at the window lovingly and said, “It’s time isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“The past repeats again. As I die, I see you.” Anda replied giving Nox a knowing look and then said, “Please, don’t disobey God again.”
Nox could not help but to laugh. Anda chuckles along with him.
“Will I ever see you again Azrael?” Anda replied saying Nox’s real name for the first time. Nox smiles further as he kissed Anda’s temple, still holding her hands. The answer came to her mind and she was content. She closes her eyes for the very last time as the sun has finally set.
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END
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