41 Vivid dreams

"Alice." I heard Azrael's voice. "What did you do?"

What's going on?

***

I don't recall what I did.

Wait, what did I do?

What did I do?

It wasn't me... it was the necklace. But of course Azrael didn't know that.

"Azrael?" My voice was but a murmur. The light that consumed the room and devouring everything in its path was blinding. I didn't have enough time to shut my poor eyes and they for sure stung like hell.

I felt Azrael run into me, my hands stuck in between his chest and my own. His arms wrapped tightly around me so that we were hugging as he blocked the light, covering my whole face with his large chest (well, he was tall so what did I expect), I closed my eyes as he did so. His breath hitting my ear as he buried his face into the side of my neck. I heard him take a breath, he breathed in my scent.

Which I found totally not creepy at all.

"Yep, that was sarcasm."

He reminded me so much of Felix now, well at least with the way he was holding me. He was protective, just as much as Felix was. I'm comparing them? What the heck is wrong with me? But the bigger question was... why were they both so protective of me? Why so much questions? Said my conscience slash the sarcastic voice that is always in my head for some reason.

Speaking of voices, where did the voice coming from the necklace go? I thought to myself.

I remember hearing it so vividly as it was luring me to Azrael but now all that could be heard was silence and Azrael's low breathing in my ear as I stood there awkwardly in his arms.

Why does this always happen?

I recall him asking me what I did.

But what did I do?

I didn't cause this.

The necklace did.

Or did I cause this? Meh.

Azrael's voice came out huskily as he spoke. My eyes still sealed shut as my hands were still stuck in place between my chest and his own. "You can open your eyes now." He whispered into my ear sounding sleepy as I felt his breath hit my neck. I shivered uncomfortably in his hold as my eyes slowly began to open.

I opened my eyes, my lids fluttering as my eyelashes separated. Standing in Azrael's hold, all I could see was his chest in front of me and boy did I feel short in that moment. I turned my head to the side so that my head wouldn't be suffocated by his chest.

"Geez, he held me too close to him."

"Um? You can let go now?" I said but I sounded so uneasy that my words sounded like I was asking him if he would let me go. Why the heck should I ask him for permission? What is wrong with me? He's not an authority figure and there is no way in hell he'll be my superior.

I'm not some scaredy cat. I can stand my ground but yet, there I was all timid. Like a scared puppy and I hated it. I'm not weak. To a certain extent I am but I'm not just going to let him pull the strings. My strings.

Not even noticing my uneasiness Azrael let me go and my eyes soon focused on where we were. The pure white bright light had faded away. Azrael's eyes losing their glow as I looked up at him. His eyes, a shade of grey, staring back into my own. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel attracted to him at this moment.

However, this wasn't like me.

"Of course I'm not just going to admit it."

The relationship I had with Felix was fast but I couldn't understand why, it could be the fact that he was protective over me, that brought me comfort, and also that he knew me well even though he didn't say much. That's probably why things moved to me liking him so much.

I don't really understand relationships much though and I don't really like them either, if anything I'm a loner but just the thought of someone protecting me made me feel nice and caused me to have feelings and do things that I never thought I would do. And as much as I hated admitting it... I liked that. I liked Felix and now I like Azrael too which was definitely a problem. Azrael was surely confusing me. Or maybe I was confusing myself?

Oddly enough I liked my fights with Azrael, even as petty as they were. I was fascinated by how far he was willing to go in order for me to remember as he says. To know that Death had a soft spot for me was sweet but I can't deny my feelings for Felix and just to set the record straight, I never planned on liking Azrael back. If you think about it, he basically forced me to grow to like him and it was slowly working but was it real? Was my feelings even real anymore?

If I wasn't trapped here and had a choice would I like him the same?

Was this real?

I can't tell anymore.

What's real and what's not?

I left all my questions unanswered like I always do. Deep down I probably knew the answer to them but I still left them floating in my head. I was always thinking. Always so curious. Curious about the unknown and yet, I asked questions that I already knew the answer to but left them blank (almost like my exams).

Everything that happened confused me... but then again I was always beyond confused for some reason.

It was clear as day that no sane person would believe any of this. No sane person would believe that they are some paranormal phenomenon that happens to be a half White Witch slash Angel, no sane person would believe that the boy they liked was actually a cat and no sane person would believe that they got kidnapped by Death "himself" or that the necklace they got from their best friend could talk. Yet, I believed all of this because I saw it with my very own eyes. Yes, my very own eyes.

"What can I say, seeing is believing. So I'm not gullible, okay?"

Lost in thought I pushed myself away from Azrael, not even realising that he had moved slightly. I shook my head looking around.

"What is this place?" I questioned glancing over at Azrael. His eyes still on me.

"This seemed to be a rather common question I asked because half the time I didn't know where I was."

"It's..." He didn't get a chance to finish as my necklace shot up and hovered in front of my face. It's ice blue light glowing in the different location? we were in.

"You had the necklace this whole time?" Azrael's eyes went wide in shock. "That's how you saw me?" He whispered to himself recalling a memory, probably when I saw him trying to do CPR on me.

"I still can't believe the lengths that this guy would go through just to kiss me."

He knew about the necklace?

"I..." I stuttered while escaping my thoughts and not knowing what to say. Well then again he never ever asked me about the necklace even though I had it around my neck the whole time but then again he probably never saw it since it was covered by my hair most of the time and it never did that glowing thing it does until recently that is. "You um never asked." I said awkwardly as I now said the words I was thinking.

....

...

..

💨🌌

~Death's memories~

"But the Creator?" He paused for a bit thinking to himself.

"He knows... so it's fine..." She said now nonchalantly looking at him with a smile on her face.

"He knows?" The boy was astonished.

"Yeah, I made him something earlier too... it was..." *Grass rustles* "wait, someone's coming. Quick, hide."

"Azrael! Eden!" Said a wise voice. "I saw you two sneak off here. It's time to go home. You know you have to be in before sunset. And Azrael, you and I still have some training to get through." He was waiting for them to come out.

....

...

..

She made the necklace for the Creator.

She told me later that day when I got home from training.

***

The memories of Eden saying she had given the Creator the necklace as a gift came flooding back to Azrael.

***

"That necklace was Eden's." Azrael said sounding a little sad. "She gave it to the Creator as a gift."

"Oh?" I murmured mindlessly. Eden? So was the voice coming from the necklace hers? I thought. Thinking back to the voice that had lured me, more like pulled me all the way to its destination of Azrael, which basically was right at the back of the room.

Azrael's face held a sad expression as he spoke on. I, as cold as I knew I could be at times, wanted to hug him but that would have surely given him the wrong idea. He spoke sounding as though he didn't want to talk about the subject at hand but still forced himself to speak anyway as his charcoal like black hair formed a shadow over his eyes.

He looked beyond mysterious. His Adams apple moving up and down as his jaw clenched slightly. It seemed like he wanted to cry and yet, he was holding back it all with everything he had in him, with all his strength.

Seeing him like this hurt me even though I, myself didn't want to be here in the first place but now as I placed myself in his shoes I realise why he did the things he did although I don't think those actions are justified but they are understandable to a certain extent. He concealed his emotions once again looking stern like an authority figure. Almost like a soldier going to battle.

"The Creator said it was stolen from his desk after word went around of her death." He said, I could feel his pain. I felt terrible knowing this. Imagine what it must have been like to go through that. It sounded like he loved her and he seemed to show the same affection for me but I wasn't really her even though I reminded him of her as he claims.

"What happened to her?" I asked him feeling terrible for even considering asking.

He looked down now, not bothering to look up. His face encompassed by the stern look he gave me to hide what he was feeling but his eyes said it all as he looked up at me and gave a sad smile. "It doesn't matter..." he said, "what matters is that you here now." He rubbed my cheek as his expression seemed less sad.

But I'm not her?

At least I don't think I am.

I'm not Eden.

"Does anybody else know about the necklace?" Azrael changed the subject and just as fast as the subject changed so did his emotions.

"No," I thought for a second, "only you, Felix and Cara."

"Okay then we aren't in that much trouble, yet." Azrael said.

Yet?

This sounded so similar to something Felix would say.

Wait, why am I comparing the two?

I shouldn't be comparing two guys.

How shallow am I?

I dazed off for a bit at the sound of his voice as he continued to talk. About what? At the moment I didn't know. Lost in thought I was still thinking, as usual I guess, when I heard... "Touch him..." The voice murmured. It was a voice in my head that said this however, it was the voice of the necklace this time, coming from in my head instead of my conscience.

I could feel my heart beat in my chest as the voice seemed to be blocking out the sound of everything else I was able to hear. Azrael's lips moved as my eyelashes flattered slowly closed and open and then closed and then open again. It was as though time had taken a break or stood still, well at least for that moment.

I looked down to see that my hand had somehow automatically landed on his chest as the necklace went dim again and a bright white light shone again but this seemed almost like a projector image. It was like I was watching a movie. I heard Azrael's voice now. He whispered... "It's a memory."

I watched as I walked in a white like room that later turned the same colour as the background of the memory I was watching? Everything in the beginning was white and empty until I saw a girl and boy running past me but when I waved it seemed as though they could not see me. A forest like scene came into view while the boy and girl continued to run as the girl hid behind a tree.

"They can't see you." Azrael whispered as he saw me wave.

"Oh?" I questioned confused. "Can they hear us?" I whispered back.

"No." He said shaking his head as his messy black hair shook around. I wanted to slip my fingers in his silky mess of hair and rub it but I stopped myself. (I feel beyond weird for even wanting to do that).

"Then why are we whispering?" I asked feeling silly to which Azrael just shrugged his shoulders and raised both his eyebrows as he gave me that "I don't know" look. He smiled at me after he was done being dramatic.

"It's a memory Alice." Azrael said as he saw the lost expression on my face. "We didn't go back in time, you can't interact with them, you can only see what happened." He said, trying his best to make me understand. Thinking about it now, a memory is an image projected in our minds that can't be changed but only remembered. You can't change the past, you can only remember it. (Why does this sound like something someone wise would say?)

I stood there observing the scene before me as I stared at the boy in the distance, close to the trees. Azrael and the boy sure looked alike. They looked almost as though they could be brothers. Him and this young lad. Lad? What is this the 19th century? (You mixing old English with new English?) (The dang Author's putting words in my mouth. Wait a minute, she always puts words in my mouth... oh my gaaad does that mean without her I'm a mute?)

"Come on Eden." Said the boy I saw as he looked back to see the girl no longer behind him. "Eden, I know you there, I saw you hide behind the tree." He said as he walked in her direction.

Who's memory was this?

Was it my memory?

Eden?

Wait a minute, was this one of Azrael's memories?

Was that boy Azrael?

You probably wondering how I figured that out. Yes, you reader, but please do keep in mind that I'm a very observant person. Azrael constantly spoke about an Eden so it only makes sense that this was his memory of when he was with her. I put two and two together so that obviously means the boy was him.

"Azrael..." The girl said. And I was right. "You always know where I hide."

"This is your memory, right?" I said looking over to Azrael.

"No." He replied. "It's yours."

I was shocked. I stood there for a bit with my mouth agape, eyes wide. It wasn't possible. There was no way. I wanted to just brush it off but there was no way I could just brush something like this off.

"What do you mean?" I questioned looking at Azrael quizzically. I felt beyond puzzled. It was as I always felt expect this time I felt more confused than I had felt before.

"This is your memory Alice." He said as he saw the confusion written all over my face.

I couldn't believe him. "But how?" I was so lost.

"I told you I met you before."

"Huh?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Remember when you said maybe we met in another life?" Azrael paused. "Well, we did."

"But that's impossible." I was trying to wrap my head around this. "I don't ever remember meeting you."

"Then how do you explain the memories?" Azrael said pointing to the girl and the boy talking to one another.

I was too busy in the conversation with Azrael that I didn't realise that the memory that was playing before us, almost as though it were a hologram or projected image, had changed and we were now in a different landscape.

These memories seemed so life like, so real almost as if you were really there but of course you could not speak to the people that you saw, you couldn't even change things in those moments of being stuck in them, of being stuck in a memory. All you could do was observe.

I looked around me to see a lake in the middle of the woods. It seemed like the very same woods or forest of the first memory of which I had not watched properly since most of time I was talking to Azrael (what a distraction). A wooden deck stood before it. The sky was a dark shade of blue, the stars were out and so were the fireflies that seemed to be flying around the lake.

This however, was definitely something I didn't recall. I didn't remember this at all and neither had I remembered the memory before this one. And yet, Azrael says this is my memories? But I don't remember this. I don't remember any of this.

This was something new I had to understand. I had to come to terms with the fact that my past self was Eden. This was something that was so mind boggling for me even with all the crazy things that happened as it is already. I mean, I knew Azrael since we were kids. That explains so much, it explains why he wanted me to remember. I thought so much into this that I stayed stuck in the silence of these thoughts for some time. Lost in my own curiosity.

"I don't understand?" I said, doubt laced in my tone as my very own statement came out more like a question. I was really finding this hard to process even more so then everything else I had been told.

This as it was, changed everything but it didn't change my feelings towards Felix. I was loyal even though I, myself was confused as to what Felix and I were. Honestly, I hated shipping. Don't get me wrong, I didn't necessarily hate relationships but I didn't like them either.

Day by day being stuck here however, was bringing me closer to Azrael for some peculiar reason that I could not wrap my head around which honestly, I was lost for words with. Was I caving? I had my doubts, I was beginning to doubt myself and this was only my second day but yet, I could not help but feel sorry for Azrael even though I knew he didn't want my pity. That must have been one of the reasons he concealed his emotions.

~Meanwhile~

...

[Location_UNKNOWN]

"I'm outside the barrier." Felix said looking up to see a starry night sky as the wispy yet, slightly transparent white clouds drifted past the bright moon. It's bright light shining down, forming a halo like white light over the grass patch he was standing by. "How do I get in?" He asked Cara as he spoke over the phone.

"Just give me a second." She said back through the speaker of his phone.

"How long are you going to take?" Felix deadpanned. He was beyond impatient about getting into the place and getting Alice back home safely.

"Um, there's a problem." Cara said, worry laced in her tone.

"Yeah what is it?" He raised his brow.

"Whatever you do don't touch the barrier." Cara said.

"But how else am I supposed to rescue Alice if I can't come into contact with it?" What was Felix going to do? He needed to get into Azrael's fortress. Yes, the barrier that concealed Death's home was on earth and quiet frankly it made his job easier.

"I know..." Cara said, "but just listen to me."

"No, I can't." Felix said running out of patience. His patients was on a thin line. It had been already a day without Alice and quite frankly a day without her was already too much for him to bear.

He couldn't keep up this act of lying to her friends even though it was only for a day but he knew that going over a day would draw suspicion since Alice was never absent for more than a day as it was and all her friends knew this. However, the main reason he had lost his patients was because he missed her so. He had grown close to the girl, a little too close than he should have but that didn't phase him.

"I'm going in." He said walking further into the field as the grass brushed against his pants.

"Wait, let me explain..." Cara said in hast.

"You don't understand Cara." Felix said. "I made her a promise."

"Look, just listen to me. The barrier is guarded by an enchantment. Just let me do an incantation first to break the seal."

Felix thought about it for a second. "How long is it going to take?" Felix questioned. "This "incantation" of yours." He said with a bit of sarcasm laced in his tone.

"About... it depends?" Cara said reading one of the ancient books that was placed on the wooden oak desk she sat by.

"On what?" He questioned.

"On how strong the seal is," she glanced over at the crystal ball that stood in the centre of the table she was sitting at, her eyes going hazy as she looked deep into the purplish blue mist that was concealed within the glass ball, a number formed and sparkled in gold, the number of 24 h, "but the crystal ball predicts a day. That should be about 24 hours from now." She said.

"I can't just wait here and do nothing." He said feeling frustrated. "Isn't there another way?" He questioned looking at the sky above him as a gust of wind blew past causing his hair to blow in a subtle notion.

"There is... but.." Cara paused, "you not going to like it."

"Well, spit it out. I can't stand wasting time like this." He was even more frustrated now. He was infuriated and enraged. Alice was trapped in there and he felt like a helpless boy, even with all his power, who could do nothing but leave her in the fate of Death's hands.

"The other way to break the seal requires a sacrifice."

"What kind of sacrifice?" Felix questioned. "Do I have to kill a bird?" He said sarcastically as he snickered to himself. (Well, he was a cat after all) (Cat humour?)

"No, not that kind of sacrifice." Cara said. Is he seriously making jokes at a time like this? Now? She thought to herself. "It's the sacrifice of a powerful beings power."

"What does that mean?" Felix raised a brow quizzically.

She paged through the book she had in her hand as she read what the text said. "Well according to the book, in order to break the spell," she said summarizing it as simple as she could, "you need a full surge of energy when you come into contact with the barrier but the only problem is there is a slight chance it will absorb almost all of your power and that could mean turning you into your original form."

"So... I'll be a cat?" Felix replied confused.

"Yeah..." Cara said awkwardly, "pretty much."

"For how long?" He asked.

"About 3 weeks." Cara looked at the book again.

"That's not that bad." Felix said. "When will it take effect?"

"Well, after you break the seal you have about the same amount of time... 24 hours to get her out of there and then you're a cat."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Felix said.

Is it?

To be continued...