Mikael walked slowly. He was careful not to hit anyone with his wings, even though they were folded. He pushed through the crowds of people to get home as quickly as possible and talk to Mare. However, when he reached a small market, he decided to buy something to cheer himself up. He bought himself two oranges and an apple-mint juice. Instead of going home, he decided to go to the seaside. On the way, he passed a small church. An elderly woman stood there begging for money. The angel sighed and approached her. He couldn't ignore people in need. He tossed a few banknotes into her basket. The woman examined the basket, disbelieving what had just fallen into it. She counted the money, her eyes lighting up. She had never received such a sum. This way, she could survive until the end of the year without worrying about not having enough to eat. She immediately ran across the street to a nearby bakery and bought herself two warm rolls. She hid the rest of the money in a pocket hidden in her skirt. Overjoyed, she headed in the direction Mikael had gone. She desperately wanted to thank him for his help. She walked briskly through the streets and reached the port, and from there, she began to look around for her savior. She didn't find him. She felt a little sad. Thanking him was so important to her. Exhausted, she decided to sit down and rest for a moment. Running wasn't for her age. She sat on the pier and inhaled the scent of the sea air. She began to daydream. This day was for her and only her. She wanted to capture this moment for a long time and hoped it would never fade.
Suddenly, she saw a shadow behind her. Someone was standing behind her. She looked back and saw a young woman with red eyes. The old woman became frightened, slowly started to stand, and then confidently moved around the woman. The stranger followed her. The old woman began to run. She was afraid. But she didn't escape. As she passed the lighthouse, the woman grabbed her by the hair and slammed her hard against a pole three times. Blood flowed. The old woman sank to the ground. She saw a wicked smile of satisfaction on the stranger's face. Despite this, the old woman smiled too, only in a cajoling way, and then made the sign of the cross, because she was Catholic. Her eyes closed forever.
Mare spread her wings and closed her eyes. She flew to the nearest building and buried her face in her hands. She felt miserable, yet at the same time, she knew this was her true nature.
Mikael saw the last scene, when Mare was flying away from the dead body. He immediately called the ambulance, even though he knew there was no hope for the woman. Just like Mare, he sat down on a nearby cottage. This one, however, resembled a seaside cottage. A pleasant breeze blew through the feathers of its wings. He couldn't control himself, however, and the wind sent shivers down his spine. "Whatever you do, you do to spite me and hurt everyone I've helped. Are you so determined to complete your mission?" Mikael's mind raced with similar thoughts. He restlessly scanned the sky. He couldn't focus on anything. Everything irritated him. It was almost sunset, so he allowed himself a short nap.
Chapter 15 – New Possibilities
Mare woke up early in her soft bed. She always forgot to close the curtains, so every day the beautiful sunbeams entered her room, making their presence known by brazenly shining in her face. The devil shifted to the other side, but something stopped her. After a quick thought, she remembered that she did have wings. Black and hellish.
"Mikael's wings are prettier" – the mere thought of him made her sad. It was thanks to him that she was now a devil; she only wondered if that was a good thing. After all, she was better off being human, even though she wouldn't admit it.
She finally got up and went to the bathroom. Looking at her face, she saw nothing new. She still had gorgeous brown eyes and beautiful hands. But she knew that in reality she had nasty long claws, coal-hot eyes, and a long tail. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she quickly washed herself and went downstairs to the dining room. On the way there, she heard the lock click. "Mikael didn't come home for the night?"
She was right. The angel staggered into the hallway and stopped there, catching a glimpse of Mare in the distance, her eyes terrified. He ignored him.
"What happened to you?" "She asked with genuine concern.
"Coal," he explained in a neutral tone.
"Excuse me?
" "Coal. What do you care anyway?! You don't care about anyone!! Get off my back and let's just finish this job! I don't want anything to do with you!"
Mare fought back tears.
After a moment, they both exchanged quick glances.
"I offended you. Why am I okay?
" "Hagres!" Mare shouted. She was curious about the answer herself.
When the little devil appeared, she grabbed him by the neck and asked politely what was going on. The little devil explained slowly, but with difficulty.
"Just stop choking me."
Mare relaxed her grip a little.
"You see, the rulers of Heaven and Hell have decided not to tell the contestants about one thing. They thought it would be obvious to you, but I see it's not. Uhm..." he grunted, as Mare glared at him as if she were about to kill him. "So, if you win that first place, of course, there's no telling whether you'll keep it. Uhm... So, to the point, right now you have human feelings, and the form of an angel or a devil. That's the whole point...
" "So I can insult? Tease and hurt?
" "Exactly, and without any consequences.
" "Wow," Mikael replied, not very happy with this news.
"I'm leaving," Hagres said in farewell, and disappeared immediately before Mare could tighten her claws on him again.
The angel didn't engage in any further discussion. He wanted to be alone again. He lowered his head and padded up the stairs. The devil wanted to stop him, but she didn't know what to say.
"Do you want to tell me something?" "Blood" asked Mikael, stopping on the stairs.
There was a deafening silence.
"That's what I thought. You can't even offer any explanations.
" "What explanations? Maybe you're still waiting for an apology?" she snorted.
"I'm not waiting for an apology. I want you to tell me something. So I won't feel like all those days were just a dream. A ghost that flew by and left only a shadow of a memory.
" "I have nothing to say," she replied dryly, but something else was happening in her heart. She felt his violent beating. Tears almost fell from her eyes if she hadn't forced them back.
"I'm going to wash up, and I hope you won't get in my way. I don't want to see you."
The angel reached the last step and stopped there. Mare thought it was because of her, but as it turned out, he was just tired. Until now, she had been wondering where she could bathe in coal. Mikael, on the other hand, looked as if he'd drowned in it. But she didn't get an answer. Thinking about what she'd heard from the angel, she decided to go for a walk. She quickly gathered her purse and ran out of the house. She didn't want to look the angel, whom she both loved and hated, in the face. Her red dress fluttered in the wind, and her eyes, staring forward for the first time, were filled with utter sadness.
Mikael was washing up at the time. Charcoal wasn't washing off as thoroughly as he'd thought. He'd scrubbed for about two hours before emerging from the bathroom. After dressing in fresh clothes, he stepped out into the hallway. Not hearing Mare, he went to her room and knocked. He heard no answer. He slowly entered, but there was no one there either. The angel was afraid that Mare had taken his words literally. He didn't really mean to say it, but he couldn't help it—he was so furious with her. He still resented her for the old woman and Mr. Brunus.
As it turned out in later days, they weren't the only ones who remained in Mikael's tragic memories. It was also Domenico and two other people he'd met at school. Both had been murdered by her, and Domenico was left crippled, which made him withdraw even more into himself than before he'd met Mikael. Over time, the angel became afraid of anyone he met. Whoever he helped, Mare would exploit it and tease or hurt them. He couldn't cope anymore. At some point, he stopped going to school. He was afraid. He was gone for a week. He didn't answer his phone or see anyone. Mare wasn't home from early morning until late at night. Mikael admitted that his "life" was returning to normal. Almost no contact with the devil, and not a soul to speak to. Everything became burdensome.
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