19 Chapter 19

After their morning routines the next day, Uriel immediately took his bath where it's most comfortable among all the parts in the house. As he bathes over warm water in the tub, he looks up at the ceiling, trying not to think of anything to achieve an utmost relaxing feeling.

He followed his breath one at a time silently and diligently.

That almost never-ending chain of following his breath one after another like footsteps was suddenly broken off when he heard a crack in his head.

He wasn't sure whether he heard it or felt it up his brain, but it definitely paralyzed his whole body as if a different entity had gotten hold of him to make him listen.

"Murderer," The familiar voice whispered. "You shouldn't have done the things you did."

It was exactly the same voice he heard back when he woke up in the middle of the road.

That familiar, strange, and hostile voice murmuring and whispering at the back of his head.

"Who are you?" Uriel barely managed to move his lips while speaking. "What do you need from me? What was it that I shouldn't have done?"

Fright chilled up his body down deep into his bones. Cold and merciless.

"Murderer. Murderer. Murderer," The voice repeatedly said like a broken record. "Murderer. You're just a filth born for nothing. You're no one's pride and joy."

"Stop!"

The voice continued its monologue inside his head as if it's grinding deep in his subconscious brain the words he's saying.

Soon, a gentle knock was suddenly heard from the door. It was the old woman for sure, Uriel thought.

He wanted to scream and ask for help, but every command he gave to his body was automatically refused.

A few more minutes in that situation, the door finally opened and the old woman saved him from that paralyzing situation.

Once Uriel opened his eyes again as if he had just been from a very tight slumber, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing out his eyes.

After regaining his consciousness, he remembered the old woman carrying him up to the room, dressing him with warm clothes, and covering him with a thick blanket.

"It's a good thing that I had the key for that bathroom," The old woman said with a sigh of relief, sitting beside him. "You were in there for a whole two and a half hours, so I came to check on you. But then, I got worried when you weren't answering, so I had to forcibly open the door. I'm really sorry about that."

Uriel shook his head slowly, feeling the dryness of his lips and throat.

"No, it's alright. I needed someone to rescue me. I was really in danger then, grandma."

She smiled again with her wrinkly face, but the boy couldn't recognize what emotion is encaged in that expression.

"I'm glad you're safe and I'm also happy you called me that. Grandma. It really sounds right and mellifluous."

Uriel stared at her with a strange look as he never realized that he actually addressed her as grandma.

And he was lost in thought, wondering why such a kind and feeble old woman is constantly antagonized in his memories and bad mouthed by his past self according to Sinclair.

He wondered what sins he saw in her and why he feels uneasy towards her.

It didn't slip through his mind the possibility that the old woman herself might be a ghost like Sinclair who had an ill fate and regrettable dust in the world after being murdered by him.

Uriel guessed that maybe this old woman in front of him was just pretending to be nice, but is actually holding a tremendous grudge against him. Just waiting to fall weak in her trap and finally subduing him completely.

If that's the case, Uriel didn't mind.

He gently put his small hand on top of her feeble, wrinkly hand.

"I don't mind suffering if it would pay my debts," He whispered.

The old woman asked him what he said, but he refused to say it another time.

He just smiled like an innocent child and told her that he wanted to take a long rest, which he did.