7  EYES OF AN ANGEL

ILIYA NARA POV

"Thank you for today, Iliya…."

I nodded my head and smiled back at her. Mrs. George. An old woman who owns a pet shelter and takes care of abandoned animals that were left behind by their owners. Most of them are stray cats and dogs. Some animals even gave birth in that place and most of the time, Mrs. George will advertise those cute puppies and kittens so people could adopt them. I still remember when I met her coincidentally while she picked up a stray dog on the street. It looked so miserable. It was so thin and its body trembled hard by the coldness of night wind until she put a warm shawl to cover its body. I watched the whole scene, and I decided to follow her shortly afterward. After 30 minutes of walking, she stopped and opened the rusty door of an old building in a small alley. It was a slum area. The environments were not too crowded in the afternoon, but this area was known as a mendicant territory. A place that stays as a bad stereotype of low-class people. Pick-pockets, beggars, jobless jerks are the main occupiers of this area.

This area is known as a shortcut in between the main district here. Crowded by the pedestrian who walks in and out from morning to midday time, so they could arrive at their workplaces faster. But as time goes by, as the sun starts to set, the crowds dissipated and people often avoid this area because of its rapid street crime numbers. I don't know what comes into my head when my legs and heart automatically brought me back to this place. A place that would give my aunt a heart attack if she knew what I'm doing right now.

Before I realized my action, I have found myself in front of the door and knocked it.

After a while, the woman opened the door and looked at me with a deep frown between her eyes.

"Yes? Do I know you?"

I shook my head and smiled genuinely at her.

Since that day, I volunteer myself to help her out and take care of these animals in this shelter.

For me, this place is like an exodus. A haven. A place where I could be myself without worries or any wrongful prejudice. I love animals but I wasn't allowed to pet them because my aunt doesn't like them. So, instead of having an endless argument with her, I chose to spend my free time here. Nursing and talking to them like they're my sanctuary.

...........................…..

AZALEL POV

Night has fallen as always in the human world when I have finished all my duties today. Much earlier than I thought before, so I spend my time here. Watching her. Investigating her. Observed her. I still feel that there is something wrong with her. Something off. Still, I don't have any idea what it was. On the other hand, the fact that she can communicate and touch me keeps bothering me.

Why?

I kept on asking myself this question repeatedly, but it always ends up with the same answer. Nothing. That's why I have decided to sneak and stalking around her every day. It's like developing a new habit for me. The problem is….

I have found nothing special about her so far. Besides her deep interest in animals that she happily nurses and takes care of. Her morning workout. Her art classes are during midday. Her part-time job as a waitress in a restaurant. Writing in her diaries at night while she's at home. Nothing more. She just enjoys life and happily does her daily task without any problem or burden. Just like any ordinary girl. I start to think that I probably made a mistake by watching and observing her until that day happened….

.............................

Iliya waved goodbye after her usual visitation to the shelter. After her arrival, the shelter is becoming much better and more stable. Mrs. George is in charge of looking for donations and sending regular proposals to the mayor, asking for financial aid. She has proven herself well-suitable for that role. Meanwhile, Iliya is responsible for taking care of the animals and managing the shelter itself. Washing their stalls, placing the food daily based on their regular schedules, and handling the administration of the people who are willing to adopt their new pets. As of now, she is also in charge of training a new volunteer like herself, Julia. A young teenager who shares the same interests as her. Animals.

It was almost dark when she finished and started pedaling her bike to go home. Along the way, she put on her earphones and hummed her favorite songs when suddenly she felt something behind her. Goosebumps suddenly crept on her nape. Her legs felt heavy somehow. Her breath choked inside her throat. Geez….

Some people call this symptom hyperventilation but not for her. She is well aware of this.

This is a familiar feeling when she is haunted or followed by a supernatural creature. What is it now? A ghost? A demon? A….

"Help me…."

"WHAT THE....!!!"

A pale face of a drenched lady suddenly popped out right in front of her. A pair of hollow and empty eyes stared at her directly. Iliya gasped loudly and instinctively pulled the brake.

It was too late!!

The bike slammed and she immediately lost her balance, her body fell aside right away.

"Ouch…" She groaned in pain while the ghost crawled, getting closer to her.

"Help me…."

It keeps murmuring the same words as reciting a magical spell, while Iliya kept backing off. Dragging herself away.

Trying to keep the distance between both of them.

"I know you can see me, right?"

"Ah...ah...ah…"

Iliya's eyes widened. Her breath shortened. Blood drained up from her face. She is scared. Unfortunately, she met a dead end. A thick wall behind her. Made her unable to move further.

"Help me…."

Now, the ghost is closing in the gap between them. Her soaked hand almost reached Iliya when...

Tap!

"The earth doesn't belong to be your place anymore, Mrs. Cara. You're dead and it was your fault to get drunk and accidentally drowned yourself."

"But... but…" The soaked ghost kept insisting and muttering her words when Azalel waved his other hand and opened a portal for her.

"This is the land of the living people. If you have any complaints about your past or your death caused, you may discuss it in another dimension with our supervisor..."

In one toss, like throwing a small kitten, Azalel threw that poor ghost into the portal and he closed it down afterward. He cleaned himself and stared at the girl who is still trembling in fear under him.

"You ok?"

..............................…...

ILIYA NARA POV

I nodded spontaneously after he asked me about my wellbeing. He gave his hand to help me stand out on my own feet. Unfortunately, the after effect still takes a toll on me and my legs feel like Jell-O. But in the end, I tried my best and pretended to be okay in front of him.

"What was that?" I snapped.

He chuckled and gave me his killer smirk. "A human soul. In your words, you called them ghost…"

"Don't they go to heaven or hell once their lifetime is over on earth?" I asked him again but my heart was still thumping loudly as it would jump off my rib cage. Holy God….

"For some cases, yes. They would. But in her case, she didn't realize that her time is over yet. She didn't know that she was dead already. Her memory doesn't cease when her last breath stopped. What she remembered was her unfinished business that she should accomplish but for some misfortunes, she is unable to achieve it…"

"That's why their souls still wander around on earth while looking for people who have special abilities like you to complete their mission so they may leave this earth at ease…"

"Is it clear enough?"

Iliya gulped a lump in her throat. She couldn't believe this!! But at least, she had some kind of enlightenment of what had happened in her past years.

Azalel tapped her back gently to calm her down after the shocking scene before. Then, he asked them another question her.

"Since when can you see us? Supernatural creatures?"

"When I hit ten, I guess. The very first day I saw that creepy creature in front of my car window..."

Azalel raised his eyebrows and stared in another direction while his face shows an unreadable expression. After a while, he looked back at her.

"Dear Iliya Nara…."

"Let me reveal your first ability…"

"Eyes of An Angel…."

"An ability to see angels, demons, and ghosts all around you. Those spiritual creatures who still wander on earth...."

"Not only you can see them with your bare eyes, but you also can communicate with them as much as you wish…"

Iliya's eyes widened out like a saucer. Triggering another mischievous smile on his face.

"Welcome to our world, Iliya Nara…"

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