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- REHAEL - The Angel of Submission.

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I emerge from the darkness on the ground, lying on my side, cradled by the softness of a bed of green grass. My dress is stained with dirt and a reddish substance that I gradually recognize. What could have happened while I was unconscious?
Looking up, I discover a starry sky, where two crescent moons face each other, lighting up the night. The sun has long since disappeared.

A sudden noise reaches my ears. I slowly get up to avoid feeling dizzy, but I feel heavy, much heavier than usual. Once on my feet, I almost lose my balance by leaning backward, catching myself on a tree.

Suddenly, a memory hits me: if I am here, it's because my wings can come out at any moment. I turn my head to check, and indeed, they are there, on my back, weighing more heavily than they should. They must have unfolded during my unconsciousness. I hope no one saw them... And then, Hayden was with me and... Laïla... Where is he now? Why did he leave me here?

The noises in the distance become clearer, making me think they aren't that far away. Strange sounds, and soon, I realize there are several of them. Scanning the night through the foliage and bushes, I barely spot silhouettes whose outlines I can hardly make out, all dancing around a shadow. Hayden?

As I approach slowly, the sounds become clearer. They are growls that awaken a memory in me. I stop at the edge of a very large clearing in the forest, and it's at that moment that my heart races when I see the scene before me.

Hayden is fighting alone against a good dozen demons. Aéphyra remains silent, and something is wrong in this forest: the demons, the missing selphies.

I notice that he seems injured, his left arm hanging at his side as if he can no longer control it. Without armor, he defends himself only with a dagger. I am shocked by this sight, and fear immobilizes me. Why didn't he alert the other angels? The weight on my back answers my questions. If he had alerted the others, they would have found me with my wings.

- I have to hide them and go help him, I whisper to myself.

I close my eyes and concentrate, imagining my wings folding as I visualized them. It's becoming easier to do, I tell myself while checking that my wings have indeed disappeared. Even the lightness of my body now should already be a clue to that.

I focus on the next step: finding a weapon. Scanning the surroundings, I spot a large stick on the ground. I pick it up and start removing the small twigs and leaves to make it smoother, so it will be more pleasant to use if necessary. I take a first breath, then a deeper second one to calm myself.

I take a step forward, but as my foot hits the ground, a crackling sound behind me freezes me in place. I don't turn around and keep my eyes fixed on the fight in front of me. Seeing Hayden, I feel a relief realizing that he's holding his own quite well. His movements are airy and light, so fluid that one might think they could easily replicate them.

He only has three demons left to defeat, which he destroys one by one with impressive determination. Watching him, I feel a shiver rumble in the pit of my stomach. I don't know if it's because I admire him or if it's the fear that's paralyzed me for so long. A demon doesn't attack as long as it hears no noise, and fortunately, fear keeps me frozen, not moving a muscle.

Captivated by the spectacle in front of me, I didn't notice the footsteps behind me that are getting closer and closer.

I don't dare to turn around, what if it's a demon? A nauseating smell reaches me, confirming my worst fears. It's very close, motionless, exhaling a foul breath that makes my stomach turn. Cautiously, I pinch my nose with my hand, trying to block out this unbearable smell. Hayden!, I scream in my mind as loudly as possible, imagining he could hear me. They say that if you stare at someone for too long, they feel it and instinctively turn around right where the gaze pierces. I'll take my chance, even though I've been watching him for a while and he still hasn't noticed my presence, probably too busy killing these monsters.

Hayden, look at me, please, I silently mime with my mouth.

Finally, he stops and turns his head in my direction. His face is impassive, he unfolds his wings and flies off in the opposite direction, widening the gap between us, leaving behind demon corpses that melt away.

He abandoned me. At this thought, a tear slides down my cheek, tracing a path along my hand still covering my nose.

He abandoned me, I never thought my end would be to be devoured by a demon.

I've been waiting for a few minutes, maybe four or five, and my legs are beginning to weaken in this position. Hayden really abandoned me, and this demon doesn't seem like it wants to leave. I have to do something.

I still have the large stick in my hand, I notice. So, if I move quickly and then turn around, I can strike it like a baseball bat, but the ball would be its skull. I could probably get away with it.

I gently remove my hand from my face to place it delicately on the stick, preparing to use all my strength when I strike.

My face tightens, holding my breath to avoid vomiting from the smell, worse than the sewers of my world.

Alright, one, two... And three.

I take two big steps forward, pulling my arms behind my left shoulder while gripping the stick tightly, ready to give a huge blow to the demon as I turn to face it. The disgust overwhelms me even more thinking that this thing has been just a few inches from me for several minutes. As I lunge to strike it, I notice that it hasn't moved at all from the beginning. I stop dead before the wood shatters what seems to be its head.

Yet, I made noise. It remains there, standing, its glazed eyes staring into nothingness. Its body of flesh and bone looks more like a zombie from a post-apocalyptic movie.

Is that where the idea for these flesh-eating creatures and brain lovers comes from? Or do they really exist, and am I facing one of them?

The more I scrutinize this half-skeletal creature, the more I see a distinction between it and me. Every detail I notice only intensifies the horror of the situation. The demon has long sharp claws capable of easily tearing through flesh, and its teeth, though incomplete, suggest a lurking threat. The image of a burning human, alive, imposes itself on me, as if this vision were a metaphor for its suffering, for what it has endured.

Its glazed eyes, incapable of seeing, seem to have melted. I would like to get closer, but I'm afraid it might attack me. I remain on guard.

- Why... why don't you attack me? I hesitate to say, not really expecting an answer.

It doesn't answer me, its gaze fixed on the horizon. However, it makes a delicate movement by tilting its head slightly to the side. Did it understand me? Or does this gesture have no particular meaning?

- You... Do you understand me? I try again.

It suddenly pivots its head toward me, and its lifeless eyes lock onto mine. This movement has a devastating short-term effect on me, as if an electric shock struck me all at once. Immediately, I grab the stick with both hands again and place it between us to create a barrier, ready to defend myself if it decides to jump at me.

After the fear dissipates, a wave of curiosity rises, overwhelming me again, and questions flood my mind at a frantic pace. Did it really understand me? Maybe it simply followed the sound of my voice. Why isn't it attacking me? Are there demons who are peaceful?
The longer our gazes meet, the more I feel like I perceive something deep within this creature, but I'm not sure.

- If you understand me..., I started.

Why am I talking to a demon, I thought.

- Marie, pull yourself together, you're starting to look crazy, I murmured to myself.

However, I have this impression that he doesn't seem evil and doesn't want to attack me.

- If you understand me, blink, I repeated.

When he doesn't do anything, I realize he doesn't have eyelids, what an idiot I am. I start over.

- If you understand me... raise your arm slowly.

With a quick movement, he raises his left arm, making me jump again, feeling another electric shock.

- I said slowly!, I exclaimed, out of breath from fear, hand on my chest, the other still holding the piece of wood between us.

It is at this moment that I finally understand that he responded to me. Words fail me, and I realize that I need to speak again to be sure. I take a deep breath, gather my thoughts, and try to formulate a question, hoping he can still understand me and respond.

I need to start over.

- If..., I began.

What can I ask without having a heart attack?

- If you don't want to attack me, lower your arm, and slowly this time.

While waiting for him to make a sudden move, I mentally prepare myself. Against all expectations, he slowly lowers his arm, so slowly that I find it a bit long.

I can't believe it, he's mocking me.

- I didn't know demons had a sense of humor, I said.

So, can I really control them? Or does he alone understand and not attack? And if... Since I drank that brew from the cup, I feel slightly different. My wings, once light, now seem heavy, as if they carry a new weight. They also obey faster than before, reacting to my thoughts almost instantly. And now, a demon responds to me and doesn't attack.

- Now, do a...

My eyes widen in surprise, I feel moisture on my face, and fear tightens me, causing the stick in my hand to fall. In an instant, the demon's head detaches from his body, sliding vertically on his neck until it hits the ground.

This scene reminds me of the one in the library, where Hayden had decapitated the demon, the head rolling to my feet, followed by the body collapsing. That time, I was relieved to have been rescued, but now, I feel lost and responsible for his death.

It's strange, I feel sad. Why do I feel sadness?, I thought, keeping my eyes on his decapitated body.

I feel like I've witnessed a murder, like an innocent being was killed, not a killing demon. Probably because he seemed so harmless.

As the corpse decomposes on the ground, I finally realize who the murderer is. Hayden. A sudden, deep anger rises within me as I see him.

- Why did you kill him?, I finally screamed.

He looks at me, lost.

- Thanks, Hayden, you're my hero, he mocks, adopting a higher-pitched voice.

- I won't thank you for killing him, I reply, clenching my jaw.

I need to calm down; anyway, he wouldn't believe me... Or maybe he would?

— Took you a while to come back, did you change your mind halfway?, I said, crossing my arms.

- Change my mind? No, I wanted to go around to attack him by surprise without him hurting you. You were too close to him for me to attack him head-on.

He doesn't seem to be lying, and seems even disappointed to think he could have abandoned me. I look at his wounds and analyze his breathing. He looks so exhausted, how long had he been fighting before I regained consciousness?

He analyzes me from top to bottom in turn, taking on a worried look, searching for any wounds on me, shaking me left and right during this search. It's the first time I've seen him look like this toward me. It's cute.

- Are you okay? He didn't hurt you?

- No, I'm fine, he didn't attack me. He didn't want to hurt me.

He lets me go and looks me in the eyes, then looks up at my head to check if I have a bump or anything that could explain this delirium.

- Are you looking for lice, staring at my skull like that?, I asked sarcastically.

- No... or maybe, yes. If you have any, it's possible they could have dug a hole to your brain.

I laugh.

- No, but do you hear yourself?

- It's actually me who should be saying that. A demon who doesn't want to attack an angel, no one would believe it.

- You forgot I'm not just any angel, and probably, it's my new power. 

- Yes, it's true you're not just any angel, my pretty.

My cheeks blush as I think about how I passed out in his arms before slipping into the darkness.

- We should go clean up, by the way, we need to talk.

Talk?

- What do you want to talk about?, I asked, perplexed.

About you, he replied, looking me in the eyes.