I. ONE BIZARRE NIGHT

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out again over a dinner in Azures Mansion.

"You have gone wild again on wasting our money! How many times do I have to remind you that your pretentious way of living is an appalling misfortune for the future of our family?!" 

A man on his early forties slammed his sturdy hands on the table as he spoke in bawl, making the veins on his upper neck visible. 

Rolling her eyes, a woman with an amorous vermillion dress immediately stood in response.

" Avenir, for the ninth time, I'll say it again. It's not my fault. It wasn't me who brought misfortunes, but that idle child of yours! " She said deliberately, showing an obvious trail of bitterness on the tone.

Dazea, who's eating in silence, dropped her spoon back to the plate as the words of the matriarch echoed offensively forward.

Avenir immediately shut the wife, but us usual, the woman covered with majestic refined luxuries didn't show even a bit of concern. At the same time Dazea, the young lady didn't also dare to dissert for a counter. Instead she stood to picked her utensils and dropped it back to the sink, acting like she heard nothing.

' Maybe a walk could release all this heavy stuff within me. ' She said in her head.

Thus, neglecting the rising tension between the two, Dazea left the dining table and choose to walk out from the manor, bringing all the emotion she' holds.

And as soon as she step outside the gate, the gentle blow of the west wind embraced her all at once giving her a sweet taste of freedom— freedom from her family which suffocates her, and freedom from her own home which doesn't feel like one.

But despite the bitterness of life, Dazea have never forgotten to whisper words of gratitude to the creator.

" Your moon never failed to lull my lonely heart. Oh heavenly god, what have we done to received this wondrous gift from above?" She silently asked, as her eyes filled with mountainous hope, stares at the lovely moon illuminating the darkness of the land.

It was the moment Dazea lost her mom, moon became her comfort. Her haven in times of despair. Her secret keeper, as well as the friend in time of loneliness.

" Beam for more, my beautiful friend. " She whisper in astonishment.

After a moment of savouring the calmness brought by it's gentle beam, Dazea took a deep breath and slyly curve her lips and said,

" Walk my dear feet. Brought me in somewhere this wondrous fate want me to venture. I rest everything in it."

And with that, she begin to rove across the vastness of the green field.

Unlike the other families who belong in the upper class society, Azures mansion wasn't located in an urban field. Their home was placed on a remote town, truly away from the city life.

It was her late late grandma's will. Nobody knows why, but what they chose to believe is that the said woman was closed with the nature, thus, she chose to built it there. And indeed, for ages, it was truly taken care by its predecessors.

However, the present period is somehow forgotten by the universe. Along with it, the house wasn't as good as it was before.

This was all because there are no longer numbers of Azures who can look after it.

The root was slowly dying. And Dazea, the outcast young lady, was said to be the only pure blood Azures, remains living. Also her mother, the only child of the late governor, who was believe to have difficulties in bearing a child, died by an accident. It trampled the whole town. But among everyone; she was the most shattered by the misfortune of her lovely gem. And by that Dazea was left with her dad, who then after a decade of longing, remarried.

" Maybe if you're here mother, for sure, there'll be someone who could atleast remember my day. " She whispered in the wind, smiling bitterly.

Yes, it was her birthday. And sadly, nothing have changed. Even if the night was about to end, she receives no greetings neither a little bit of attention from his father.

A simple 'happy birthday' is what she only wanted for. But it seems like it won't happen, as their house was filled again with unending arguments brought by her wicked stepmom.

" You've been hoping for years, Dazea. Comeon, stop this. You're father won't still remember it. " She mumble dolefully, and tried to laughed, but failed, as her voice suddenly broke.

She immediately look upon the astonishing luna— not to watched it's beauty from above, but to stop the trail of a single tear which is about to fall from her eyes.

" You're no longer a kid Dazea. Learn not to cry, please. Mom didn't give birth just to let you grow weak." She uttered, trying to console herself.

And as she was about to wipe the tear away, her body petrified in fear, as one mysterious voice echoed out of nowhere!

" Had it been the moon, I won't find the woman I've been looking for. "

She immediately faced the direction where the voice unexpectedly emerge, but her heart begin to beat not the usual as she couldn't find a body, neither a silhouette of a man anywhere!

' What's going on?'

She turn her gazed around, but she couldn't really find anything else aside from the trees which almost covered the whole space.

" Was it merely a product of my unhealthy hallucinations? Oh god! I should really a lot from now on. " She nervously said, following a fake laugh to lighten her mood.

But the laugh vanish in an instant as the same voice, reverbrated once more— and this time, it wasn't from somewhere else, but right into her back!

" I really think you should. Pardon me woman, but truthfully, I mistakenly saw you as a breathing broomstick than a human." It says, with a tone which seems to obviously mocked her in purpose.

If she wasn't frightened at the exact moment, she could have choke the one who spoken. But unfortunately, the feeling of being terrified is heaping over her system, than the rage she felt after being derided as a 'breathing broomstick'.

And so with her trembling knees, she bravely face around immediately positioning herself in a fighting stance. But as she was about to take the enemy down, her whole being froze for a moment as it was thunderstruck by the unbelievable beauty possessed by the man infront!

If he was an art, indeed, he could be one of the best masterpiece in the entire race.

If he was a poetry, he could be the most lovely product of the greatest poet in time.

And if he was a song, he could be the perfect melody, which is rarely heard in mankind!

" Oh heavenly god..." She gasped in awe and amusement.

But despite the alluring beauty of the man, the fear within her didn't changed. The trembling knees didn't calm— infact it became worst!

" W-who are you? " She fearfully asked, slowly stepping back gauging enough distance for an escape, incase something terrible might happen.

The man tried to close the gap but before he could even step, the young lady immediately yelled making the man winced in loudness.

" Dare to move and I swear I'm not gonna restrain myself from hurting you!!! "

The man, in all his white, immediately stop from where he is. Not because he was frightened of what the lady is capable of doing, but to show an assurance that he doesn't have the intention of hurting her.

" Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Dazea raised her tone in order to hide her shaking voice.

" I want you to come with me, human." He uttered in forward as if he's only asking for something that would really arrived the moment he'd like to. Along with it Dazea's heart once more beat in hasten, not because of any cliche emotions, but by the towering fear she had inside.

Who wouldn't be bewildered, at the same time be frightened, as the godlike creature whom you haven't met ever, will asked you to come with him?

" Why would I? I don't know you, and you just suddenly appeared from nowhere! Do you think I'd be really coming with you just because you told me so?! " Dazea hysterically breathe after yelling in panic.

Without wasting a moment, the man immediately replied trying to compose himself to be more patient, but failed as the annoyance of his tone prevails;

" Neither I am expecting it. But wasting my time in mortal world will cost years of my entire life. So could you 'please' quickly come along with me, and I will explain everything once we're already on a venture? "

As soon as the man mouthed those words,, Dazea seems to have come deaf by what she have heard.

' What did he say? Wasting his time in mortal world will cost years of his life? So does it mean....he wasn't from here?!?!' The lady was immediately thunderstruck by the thoughts running in her head!

With a dilating eyes, she slowly shake her head, as she couldn't dare to believe what the man have uttered.

But at same time, admittedly, Dazea also wishes for her conclusion to be true. She dreamed of living in fairytale, however she knows, the idea was truly improbable.

Fairytale is way too far from the reality. That's it.

And all was nothing but merely a product of a child's imagination.

" So you're making fun of me?" Dazea said laughingly as she tried to convince her mind that she was only being fooled by the man infront.

" Well truthfully, I am not. " The man replied directly leaving no mark of humor on the tone.

Immediately, Dazea's laughed faded in an instant.

She was thunderstruck by how he seriously answered the words which intently made for a joke.

But at the same time, an unexplainable thrill began to build within her, urging to take the risk of uncertainty despite the truth that she never really know whom she's trusting.

But the thing is, Dazea loves the idea of risk. Those certain things that aren't presumable gives color to her character. The danger brought by the sudden circumstances give her strength to venture in wanderlust.

And so with heart begin to breath in tranquility, she asked;

" Tell me, who are you?"

" Arden. I am Arden Veradeo." He answered coldly. Yet as he mouthed those words, the power and glory of his name was obvious on the tone.

" And you are...? "..

" An angel who was ordained to bring you home. "