Angel in Devil’s Clothing

"I remember on the day I buried them, some old man came up to me. He stood behind me with his hands patting my shoulders. He told me that people's lives don't end when they die. Their lives end when they lose faith. At first, I didn't really pay attention to what he said, cause I thought he was talking about my parents...but he wasn't."

Sae clicked his tongue and clenched his fists while staring at the floor. "Tch...I never deserved to meet such a kind man like him..."

The young mistress took a deep breath then stepped closer to Sae. She was able to see Sae's eyes glistening because of the tears that were forming and on the verge of flowing.

"You're right," Sae looked up to see the woman's eyes where his widened which caused the tears to finally fall...

"What most people find beautiful, they instantly become greedy."

The black gloves the woman wore had gold accessories and at the end of each finger, a metal claw with gently brushed against Sae's face. Her pointer finger collected the falling tear. The single drop hanging off of the edge of her claw, shining.

Sae glared at his tear with eyes of loving hatred. His feelings were all scrambled whenever he had to think of his parents. It was clear to Sae that the woman standing before him was well aware of this. Perhaps she was teasing him?

"So what, my tears are beautiful to you?" Sae chuckled, but the woman apparently didn't understand that his words were a joke when she replied with a soft "Mm."

Sae chuckled again then licked the end of her claw, recollecting his tear with his long tongue, "Sorry. I don't share."

The woman lifted the corners of her lips slightly. Sae tilted his head to the side while observing the woman's extraordinary features.

"God, how does someone have eyes like that? Tsk, still think it's a curse and to me, it seems like you feel the same."

"I never said I didn't, but I don't completely think it to be true, Sayrid."

There was a long silence afterwards, and it lasted longer than either of them would've liked. Still, they remained silent with Sae staring out into the distance and the woman keeping her eyes on him. But it hit Sae that with each passing moment, was time he wasn't with Levi, making it longer that he doesn't find the answers he suddenly wanted.

"Levi's a vampire, and so was her mother. Blood is essential or they'll suffer a fate worse than death. You were somewhat and somehow close with Levi, right? So you know her drinking habits?" Sae turned to find the woman nod.

"How long has it been?" Sae knew that Levi prioritized her work and his well-being rather than her own, so guessing that she wasn't feeding wasn't very hard or bizarre.

"The last time she drank blood enough to be at full was when Azallyn Clyde attacked her carriage on the way to the Blackford mansion. Since then, she barely drinks which has led to attack more than half the males of Coveford village. She's suffering as we speak."

Sae stared at her with three invisible dots floating over his head. Hearing this wasn't very shocking at all, especially hearing she attacked Coveford village, but something was off about the way the woman spoke her last sentence.

"She's suffering as we speak."

She spoke in a low voice with a cold tone. Was she displeased with this? Did she care about Levi?

"Who did Azallyn drink from the most?"

...

"Azallyn Clyde had two main sources she drank from. The first was her husband who had cheated on her. The second...was that man's son whom he had with another woman."

Sae nearly fell back. Levi's father had cheated on her mother with another woman and together, the couple had a son...and Sae knew exactly who that son was. Sae hadn't seen Aziel for months. He hadn't even thought about him the whole time, thinking that he'd be okay with the sister who got closer to him over time. Granted, that was only Sae's hope, Levi never really spoke of Aziel either. Was he even still breathing?

"Is he alive?"

The woman didn't make a single sound. Didn't shake her head nor did she nod. She stood motionless and her aura darkened.

"Damn it, just answer." Sae gritted his teeth, getting impatient.

"Haven't I already?"

Sae, mouth agape, stared at her. Her eyes were mocking him, having the slightest hint of amusement by his baffled reaction. The two just stared at each other's inhuman eyes, the shine making them fall deeper into the darkness as their minds went numb from the explainable sensation they were going through just by the simple action of gazing at each other.

But eventually, the woman in black put her mask back on. With the awkward atmosphere, Sae could only sigh and break the silence, "Fine. Take me home."

The woman stared at him. Sae, who didn't quite understand the meaning of "home" had given up.

"No tricks?"

Sae shook his head, confirming that this was now a promise without having to go through the hassle of putting it in words. Pleased, the woman stepped behind Sae, gently placing her hands on Sae's shoulders while they were surrounded in a white mist which then glowed, blinding Sae. While he kept his eyes closed, Sae could only imagine that was what the sun would've looked like. However, the feeling was off. The mist and blinding sparks were cold which threw him off at first, thinking he shouldn't have been able to "feel" anything.

For a few moments, Sae could feel the cold breeze wrap around his body like a blanket with the opposite effect. After about another three seconds, he could feel the wet grass underneath his torn feet which seemed like heaven. But when Sae opened his eyes, he saw a name on a cracked stone with wilted flowers lying in front.

"ADELPHA BLOODFORD"

Sae said out loud, completely forgetting the missing presence of the woman who had brought him to the place where a young boy had buried his parents.

Sae looked at the stone next to his mother's, reading a name he always hated...

"SAYRID BLOODFORD"

Sae fell to his knees, digging his clenched fists into the wet soil. Heat hotter than the sun started burning up his chest. A burning sensation that spread from his heart to every part of his body.

"You've come a long way, Sayrid. You are even now able to speak your father's name aloud. Yet, here you are, sulking." Sae whipped around with eyes filled of Razer sharp daggers, grabbing at the end of the woman's black gown while glaring into the mask.

"Why...would you bring me...here?"

The woman laughed softly, "Mm, how amusing. You really do look like a slave, begging for mercy. You and your father really are more alike than you think."

Sae hung his head, still tightly holding on to the woman's gown. He was embarrassed to be called "alike" to the man he could never truly call "father".

'I'm not...I don't want to be...he's dead...I'm dying...there's nothing...alike...' thought Sae whole he could feel his energy leave him like his very own soul running away from him.

"Was your childhood oh so painful that you cannot even face your parents now? Was it so difficult and so lacking in love that you have become so desperate? To be at my feet with your head facing the ground?"

The woman crouched down, tipping Sae's chin up with her claws. Sae's eyes were dull and quite disappointing to the woman who could not understand why the man omg don't of her was so foolish.

"You're strong. You're brave, fearless. But when it comes to your past, you quiver with fear whether you show it or not. A man who cannot face his past with pride in himself and his future has no place in this world of hardship."

Sae slowly reached out his hand to take off the woman's mask and the fabric along with it.

Now he sees. Her beautiful yet non-colored eyes. Her luscious rose-red lips. There was no scar visible, no slight bit of imperfection in Sae's perspective. He only saw the face of an angel who was forced to hide in devil's clothing.