“WHAT’S this place?” I asked Kairos. A moment ago, we were in the hospital. But one clicked from his fingers and we were already transported to another place. We were on the edge of a cliff right now. I don’t fucking know where the hell is this place.
I looked at the death angel beside me. I have no choice but to believe he’s really a death angel. My death angel. I still couldn't believe this is all happening to me. I wanted to believe that everything is just a dream. That none of this was real.
"How many times do I have to tell you, but you are not dreaming, Cresia. This is real. This is your reality."
His eyes went on a deeper shade of black as he looked at me. Suddenly, fear enveloped me. I automatically took a step back from him.
It was all that little girl’s fault. If she didn't run to me that night, I wouldn't have saved her. I wouldn't die.
“We are in the middle of heaven and hell.”
What?!
"Look up."
I looked up just like what he said. I was welcomed by flashes of blinding lights. The sky was so blinding yet it looks so fucking beautiful.
"Now, look down."
When I looked down, I was greeted by a sea of fire. Fires were literally everywhere. As I continued to look down the fire below me, loud screams filled me. Fuck. I couldn't stand those shrieks.
I felt like my ears were going to explode anytime soon. Fuck.
“Hell.” Kairos turned to me. “That's going to be your destination. You will rot there forever.”
I shivered in fear. I couldn't believe what I just saw. I didn't believe then that after life was real. I looked at Kairos. No. I can’t imagine myself there. “No. I won’t go to hell.” I can't let that happen.
He just smirked at me. "But you deserve hell."
“There will be judgment first, right?" I tried to remember everything I learned from my religion class. "I should be placed in purgatory first!"
“Purgatory?” He laughed as if I just made a joke. “There’s no such thing as that. That term was just invented by you mortals.” His face turned serious. “You deserve to be in hell. You are a bad person, Cresia.”
“Fine. I may be a bad person, okay. I admit to that. But I'm not a criminal,” I defended myself.
“Your sins in your twenty-nine years in life are enough to throw you in hell.”
“How can you fucking say that? You don't even know me!”
Damn. I won't let my soul be thrown in that filthy place. No fucking way.
He grinned. “I know you well enough.”
Suddenly, he was holding a piece of paper. It was silver in color and it was shining. He looked at it and read whatever seemed to be written on it.
“Lucresia Ariana Torres. Born: Dec 16, 1989. You are a product of a one night stand. You were five years old when your mother left you. You were raised by your aunt who died when you’re eighteen—”
“How did you know all of that?” I interrupted him. I couldn't believe my entire biography was written on that piece of paper!
He just threw me a glance before he went back to that silver paper in his hand. “You grew up without having friends," he continued.
"All your colleagues hate you. Especially Rianna. She loathed you for stealing her boyfriend. Just last night, you committed another adultery.”
How the fuck did he know all of these? He's much worse than a private investigator. And wait. Wait. “What adultery are you talking about?”
“What you did with that guy named Mark is adultery.”
“What the fuck!” I exclaimed. “We just fucking kissed!" I defended myself. "That guy isn’t even married. And you consider that adultery?"
He folded the paper before looking at me. “Do you know how many times you violated the Ten Commandments? A thousand times.” His face grew serious. “And you know what’s worse? Two people died because of you.”
“What? Don't you dare accuse me!" I pointed my finger at him. "Fine. I’m a bitch but I’m not a murderer.” I was a bad person, that I admit. But I was not a murderer. "I didn't kill anyone." How the hell was he accusing me of killing two people?
“Remember a guy named Harold? You dated him knowing he’s already engaged. Do you know what happened to her fiancée? The poor girl just committed suicide."
One side of his lips turned up. "Same with Michael. His girlfriend ended her life because of you.”
“It was their fault. Not mine," I answered back. "It's not my fault those women ended their lives just because of stupid men. And it's not my fault all men are assholes."
Kairos grinned. “See? Hell is the right place for you. You're selfish. You're greedy. You only care about your life."
Fuck. “No way in hell. What about the good things I’ve done?”
He raised his brow as if challenging me. “Can you think of one?”
"Of course!" I tried to think of one good thing I've done recently.
"Having a hard time, human? Admit it, you've never done a single good thing in your life."
“The little girl! I saved her. If I didn't take her place, I'm sure she's the one in the ICU right now.” I smirked. “See? I don't deserve hell.”
I LOOKED around my unit. Everything was the same. From the dark wall interior to the beige carpet on the floor. I saw my white Chanel bag seated on the couch. I remembered it was the bag I used that night. I bought it when I went to Singapore last month. I couldn't believe that was the last time I was able to use that bag.After Kairos brought me back to the hospital, I found myself walking down the street until I reached my unit. I still couldn't process everything he had said to me. I refused to believe that my life had suddenly ended.I’ve been living in this unit for five years now. It was gifted to me by Nick, one of my ex boyfriends. He was a vice president of an architectural firm. We only went out for a year but she already gave me a unit on our anniversary. Of all my past boyfriends, he was the most generous. In our one year relations
“HER name is Caren Marcelo. A seventeen-year-old senior high school student.”Kairos was talking beside me while we were watching the high school girl in front of us. According to my death angel, this girl was my mission.The girl, fine, I'd call her Caren, was eating alone on the six seater dining table. She was scrolling through her phone while eating.I surveyed her. She was wearing a school uniform right now: a white blouse and red checkered skirt. She’s tall and pretty. Heart shaped face, almond shaped eyes, small nose and red lips. I bet that even without make-up, her face was still beautiful. I smirked when I saw that her nails were painted black. And she partnered her uniform with a black combat boots. Nice. I liked her style.
“W-WHO are you?” Caren asked me the moment she opened her eyes. I've been standing inside her room for a while now, waiting for her to wake up. So Kairos was right, Caren could now see me. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" Her eyes grew wider as she continued to stare at me. "My name is Cresia." I smiled at her. "I'm your—" “This is not real." Caren closed her eyes and shook her head. "I’m just drunk. Or maybe this is just a dream.” “We both know you are not drunk. You're already sober when you went home." Kairos and I followed her last night until she went home. She opened her eyes and
“DAMMIT,” I heard Caren mutter to herself as she went back to her seat.And Lenos… he was standing on the doorway of the classroom while talking to someone on the phone.I didn't know how long I was staring at him. I couldn't believe he's here. I watched him put his phone in his pocket as he finally entered the classroom.“Class, I’m sorry for being absent for five days. I just had to attend to a family emergency.”He put down the book he was holding on the teacher's table before facing his students.Lenos and I… we were together for two years. I was very young back then. I really thought he was different from all the guys I've dated before. But I was wrong.
“AH, fuck!” I muttered to myself as I finally succeeded in lighting up the lighter I was holding. I positioned the flame to the cigarette between my lips and closed my eyes as I took my first puff.This day was fucking stressful. My physics professor scolded me and embarrassed me in front of my classmates a couple of times earlier. Fuck that old woman. Was it my fault that she was bad at teaching and I couldn't understand the formula for acceleration?"Cresia?"I looked to the direction where the voice came from. It came from a group of students loitering near the gate of the campus. I knew some of them. They were my classmates last semester. Eventually, some of them became my drinking buddies. I don't consider them my friends, though. I don't do friendshi
IS that Caren’s bastard boyfriend?I asked myself when I saw a familiar guy in a restaurant beside St. Luke's Medical Center.Caren fell asleep early tonight so I decided to leave her to go to the hospital.I confirmed my hunch when I noticed a familiar motorbike parked in front of the restaurant. I looked again at Jake who was seated beside the glass wall. He was not alone. He was with someone. A girl.Fuck. I remembered he told Caren they can't go out tonight because of some important errands he had to do. So this is the errand that he was talking about.I raised my brow as I watched him kiss the girl on the lips. I smirked. The nerve of thi
"KAIROS, where are you?! I need to talk to you!"It was almost midnight. I was walking my way back to Caren's house. The streets of the village were already empty at this time of the night. There were no cars passing by. I could only hear the sound of a barking dog coming from somewhere.I couldn't believe everything I learned at the hospital. Lenos can see me and was the father of the child I saved that night. I remembered the first time I saw him in Caren's class. That's why I felt like he was looking at me, because he really was. That bastard!I have so many questions right now. And I know only Kairos could answer them for me."Kairos?!" I repeated his name. "Kairos!""What do you need, human?"
"CRESIA."Lenos' voice brought me back to the present."Lana? She was Lana's daughter?" I asked Lenos, confused. I clearly heard the little girl yesterday. She called him 'Daddy.'"Leah was Lana's daughter. But I am considered to be Leah's legal guardian.""Why? Where is your sister?""She was gone.""Huh? What do you mean?""She died nine years ago."I wanted to speak but I didn't know what to say. Lana is already dead? How did that happen?"Remember the day we last talked?" Lenos asked me. "The day aft