AFTERLIFE

In a shiny chrysalis protective casing, for six months a fragmented crystal was radically transformed into an adult female body.

Like a butterfly out from a constrictive cocoon, she stretched her fluttering wings. Yes, both of them. Though she felt as fragile as a newborn baby she was full-grown—emerging as a beautiful Angel.

~*~

“She has been restored completely with perfect wings and with healthy vitals. Congratulations, my Lord.” A maid bowed her head and reported a man standing on the balcony, watching his city below and fluffy clouds and Angels flying above.

“Hmm...” The man hums and turns around to look at her, and the maid remained still. He removed one of his gold rings from his fingers and walked towards her. “Here’s your reward for bringing me the good news.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” happily, the maid said.

“There’s something else my lord,” she hesitated and gulped before speaking. “She’d been mated and it could not be restored.”

“Bathe her, dress her up, and then bring her to the cloud chateau.” He ordered. The maid stepped back, still bowed, and then existed.

After a bath, she was conveniently dressed by the maids in a long white and gold gown. Then they took her to the man who found her. Her Father.

Entering the long glass doors, she shot a glance at the large room; it looked like a comfortable sitting room. It was bright, plentiful light and white, with endless walls. Now that she was looking more carefully, there were no walls. The vast long balcony gave an illusion of floating in the air.

“Have a seat… Angelina.” He said in a deep rich voice, gesturing at the chair.

“My name is not Angelina. It’s...” she was thinking. “It’s…” trying to remember her name.

Her father hummed, noticing a glitch that caught his attention.

“W-what is this place?” she asked him. “Did I die and went to heaven?” she sank into a plush chair.

The older adult chuckled. “Something like that. You’re in the City of Angels.”

“And, who are you?” she tipped her head. The man waited for a moment; he was expecting that question and he was prepared to answer.

“I’m your father.” He answered proudly.

She stared at him with fascination. Then with a frown, she asked. “Why don’t I remember you? Or being here. I feel like something is missing.”

“You don’t remember because you never lived here before, child.”

“Oh.” She nodded in understanding. “Then where did I live?”

“On Earth.”

“Earth? Where is that?”

“You seemed to...You may have partially lost your memories in the process.” He finally admitted to her.

“Will I remember everything again?” Angelina asked in hope.

“The finest memory of someone, in the form of scent, touch, or words could trigger your memory back.”

Then a knock interrupted them. A butler brought a tea tray with a teapot and three mugs. “My lord, Lady Priscilla, will be joining you as well.”

The older man took his gaze to look at the butler. “Thank you, Axel.”

The girl stood up abruptly.

“What is it? Do you remember something?” her father asked, studying her expression.

“That name... it sounds like someone I’m close to... someone... intimate to me.” She mumbled the words more to herself. She began to massage her temple, straining to remember something significant.

“Angelina—”

“Why do you keep calling me by that name? It’s not my name. I don’t know you. I-I don’t belong here.” She looked at her father. Frustrated with this new environment, she began to cry...

“I just want to go where I belong.” She insisted, wishing to return to a place she may feel comfortable.

“But we’ve just found you.” A woman spoke from behind her.

Angelina, turned around to face a middle-aged woman, with tears gleaming in her eyes.

“Your mother.” Her father said to the girl after watching her confused look.

She walked over to her and took Angelina into her embrace. She’d surprised the girl.

A warmth of affection seeped into her soul. Similar care passed from Priscilla’s embrace made Angelina remember someone very close to her. “Mom,” she purred and hugged her back.

“I’m so grateful for that woman who cared for you on Earth.”

“Then I must go back to her. I-I don’t want to stay here. I don’t like it here. Please... please let me go.” Angelina begged.

“Why wouldn’t you want to stay here? We are your birth parents after all. In your honor, I’ve asked to arrange a feast with other archangels on the terrace.” There was a trace of pain in her mother’s voice.

‘Terrace? I know someone by that name as well?’ Angelina thought. Then she refocused her mind on the wounded mother.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, M-mother.” Angelina hesitates a bit. “If you let me go back to Earth, I may remember everything and I promise I’ll come to visit you. Please let me go.” Angelina ensured her.

“I don’t think so. You’re not safe on earth. So you won’t be going back, ever.” Her father announced.

“I’m not staying here. I’m going—”

“Angelina!” He said with such authority, she went quiet. “I’d found you dead in the middle of a desert which pretty much gives me a good reason not to send you back down there. You belong here and you’ll be staying here from now on.” Her father made the stern decision.

“You can’t do that. I can’t stay here. I don’t belong here.”

“I’m trying to protect you and keep you safe here, Angelina.”

“O father, I know you want to protect me, I understand how you feel but you’ve to consider my feelings too...” She touched her heart. “I know someone down there is waiting for me. I could feel it in my heart, in my soul. There is someone who loves me... a lot. And they need me. Please I beg of you, father. Let me go. I need to find that someone before it’s too late. Please...”

But her father Aron didn’t appeal to it and left the cloud chateau, leaving Angelina very unhappy.

“You may think your father’s decision is punishable but he means well, Angel.” Her mother told her.

“It’s not fair.” A single tear trickled down her cheek.

~*~

For a week, disheartened Angelina stayed depressed even in a place like heaven. She wouldn’t eat or drink properly. She never took part in any activity or explored the City of Angels or tried to learn more about it. She was just not excited in an inspiring place like this.

She was idly sitting on the edge of a wall, looking down below into the clouds. She saw Angels flying, below and above.

Aron couldn’t help but notice that his beloved daughter had lost her luster. Even under the restriction, she still remained obedient. She did not want to disappoint her parents even though she was unhappy with their decision.

She was acutely aware of her father near her.

“Angelina.” He called her. She turned to give him her back.

“I’ve nothing to say to you,” she said.

“Angels don’t cry here. It’s the happiest place in the Universe.” She was still looking the other way. He sighed and took a seat next to her.

“You need to understand where I come from, Angelina. As a parent, we’d lost you. Someone took you out of your cocoon when you were only two months old. We had been searching for you. Tried to connect with your angelic wings powers, but failed. Hurt by past experiences, we only want to shield our little girl and protect her from further harm.” He took her into his arms, and she allowed him to do so.

Feeling love embraced by her father, she said, “I understand what you must have gone through, Father. But just like you, someone down there lost me too. Someone on the earth must feel the pain of my loss as well. Though I don’t have any recollection of my memories, I know someone there is worried about me, missing me, wants me back.”

The father could only imagine. He closed his eyes and related his own emotions to her words.

“But someone murdered you. That means they’ll try another attempt to kill you, if they find out you’re still alive, Angelina.”

“You’re the Lord of Archangels and my father. I know you’ll always watch over me and protect me. My guardian angel and I know you’ll come flying for me on my one call to save me.” She looked more like her father at that moment than at any other time Aron had known her.

“You just know how to melt this old man’s heart with the words, don’t you, Angelina.” He said, and it was the first time his father saw that beautiful smile on his daughter’s lips, though there were tears in her eyes.

“I promise you if I don’t find a reason to be on earth. I’ll come with you without a second thought,” she said. “But if I’m right you have to let me stay.”

Aron looked at her for a second. She could feel the tension pulsing as she waited for him to speak. Aron kissed her cheek. “Alright Angelina, you can go but I’m coming with you too.”

A tear slips free on his answer and happy Angelina hugged him. “Thank you, thank you so much.” Seeing her so ecstatic, it'd cracked a smile on her mother’s lips who was watching them from afar. She was happy, knowing her daughter was happy. “And I can’t wait to meet the woman who was kind and took care of my child all this time.”

“Then, I think we should leave now,” Angelina said excitedly.

~*~

He was walking away from her.

‘Wait.’ She called, but he still kept walking. She hasted, running after him. ‘Please wait.’

He paused.

‘Who are you?’ she asked.

He turned around and walked closer to her, cupping her face; he said, ‘I’m yours.’

She saw a pair of his lips coming down close to hers, but the kiss never happened. The girl saw the fangs coming out of his lips, and she screamed and tried to run away, but he caught her wrist.

Red eyes were glowing. Black wings spread broad and wide, standing before her with the most gentle smile on his lips. Though he was tall, dark, and daunting. His face was black with blood trickling down from the corner of his lips.

Angelina gasped. Her heart was pounding, her temple, her palms sweating. It was a nightmare she has been having ever since she woke up from death. “I don’t like this, this bloody monster who comes in my dream. Why does he keep coming back and haunting my sleep?”

~*~ ~*~

Alexander never left the cave. He had been hibernating for the past six months in the darkness.

But

Suddenly.

In that darkness of the rocky shelter, something shone brightly in his chest. The mammal morphed into a man. He felt a warm sensation glow in his chest. The extinguished bond had lit up again in his chest.

“Paris...”

~xXx~