They killed him. They killed his buddy!
Kingsley crouched by his bed, his fingers trembling as he slid open the wooden memory box he treasured. Looking at the photos, nostalgia streaked through him when he saw the particular piece.
His stream leaked.
It was the first surprise birthday party Peter held for him.
The memory said it all—whipped cream smeared everywhere, chocolate cake smashed flat on the table, and Peter standing behind Kingsley, holding another lump of cream in his hand. Lyn was at the side, joining their friend for another cream attack on her brother.
Everybody was happy. Nobody was leaving.
"I'm sorry, Kingsley." Miracle broke the silence after staying in his room for fifteen minutes.
He ignored her apology. "You know what he said here?" Running his fingers across the picture, he traced the features of his dead friend with deep affection. "He said 'Oh, come on, Kingsley! Birthday cakes are never meant to be eaten. They're meant to be ruined for greater happiness!'..."
His eyes were turning wet.
"I… I thought I could protect him, Miracle. I should've protected him…"
"Kingsley..." Her heart ached. "Don't be like this."
"Peter… he was such a naughty brat. You had no idea how he chased me around back then just to get him the ice cream I promised," he puffed, exhaling a tearful breath. "I was going to buy him one. But because he was so desperate for it, I ended up tricking him into something else..." His voice cracked the more he talked about it. "Damn… I miss him."
Layers of unsettling emotions gradually engulfed him as he moaned over the loss of a mortal friend. Not the first time. But it was something one wouldn't wish to experience over and over again.
Hayden was out. The twins were lamenting over Peter's death. Though the day was still bright and sunrays managed to pierce through, the house was dark with no hints of life.
"It's all my fault," she said for the hundredth time as she exited the room.
For something like that to happen in Stellaerio, nobody was to be blamed.
But her, the peace protector.
Miracle paused at the door she spent the night yesterday, hesitating. She was afraid the boy wouldn't be fine, and it was a mistake to take him in.
Suddenly, she heard coughs and chokes coming from inside. She put her ear closer. She didn't mishear. The noise repeated, and it was getting louder. Her heart skipped a beat. Pursing her slips, she strengthened her grip on the knob and pushed open the door.
As expected, the boy was awake.
And he was staring back at her.
"H-Hey there," she said as soon as she entered.
Sitting up immediately, he pushed his back against the slatted headboard. "W-Who are you? Where am I?" he asked.
"Don't worry. You're safe here," Miracle assured, picking up the blanket dropped on the floor.
Half of his face was blocked by his messy hair. Stench from the night before had faded though bits of it were still lingering around.
He dodged his knees, leaving her hand hovering when she attempted to touch him. "Who are you?! Ouch..." He pressed the sides of his head. "O-Ouch... My h-head hurts..."
She was ready to tell him the story she came up with. "Actually—"
But before she could continue, the boy's next question shot her words down her throat.
"Who am I?!" Contorting his face in pain, he shook her wrist and refused to let her go. Panic flashed across his upturned eyes. "Tell me! Who am I? What happened to me?! How did I end up here?! TELL ME!"
"H-Hey! Let go... Let go!" Miracle struggled to break free from his grasp. "Give me a moment. I'll get back to you." She snatched her hand and ran back to her room, forgetting to bring the door along.
'How did it end up this way?'
She only meant to save his heart. Not to erase his memories! Peter's death was only yesterday. Everyone in the house wasn't over with it yet. Now, here came another problem. Was he supposed to stay with them until he remembered everything? Or could she dump him out and act as if they had never found him in the alley?
'Maybe there's a better way to solve this. But what is it?'
Slumping down on the bed, it was as though everything, including the last hope she had a few minutes ago, had vanished into thin air. All hopes were gone. She thought she had found a new aspiration to continue her mission, but it turned out to be a whole new disaster.
"I've messed up everything, Master..."
Just then, she heard a solid knock.
"Miracle? It's me, Hayden."
He was back.
"Yes?" She quickly rushed over. To her surprise, Hayden didn't come alone. He was with him.
"I suppose you do have some explanations for this." He rose his brows and looked straight into her eyes. "Right?"
Miracle stood still, speechless. She didn't have any explanations to explain anything.
Standing on tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, "I... I'm sorry, Mr. Hayden. I don't know how, but I think I've overused my powers on him?"
When she finished saying what she needed to, she waited for Hayden to bawl her out. But he didn't. Instead, he motioned the boy to enter the dimly lit room.
Nobody said anything until the new boy broke the silence.
"Did I just cause you guys trouble?"
Sparing a glance over at him, Hayden remained silent. The guilt in Miracle spiked once again at the sight of that. She cleared up a small part of her bed for the boy to sit.
He was looking at her curiously, hoping that at least she could tell him something. However, she didn't know what she should say.
Suddenly, someone placed another knock on the door.
"I'm entering," Lyn said and walked in.
Her eyes looked swollen from heavy crying.
"What's wrong?" she asked, shifting her sight to the stranger. "Eh? You're that boy, aren't you? You're finally awake?"
He immediately ran to her. "You know me? Can you please tell me what happened? I... I can't seem to remember a thing..."
Lyn gave him a puzzled expression. "What? You can't seem to remember a thing?"
She turned to look at Miracle, who shot her an I-messed-up-everything expression.
The boy was still waiting for her reply, desperate for answers.
"Listen here. Just like you, we have no idea who you are. A few days ago, we found you lying unconscious on the ground when we passed by a small alley. No one would leave an unconscious person behind, right? So, we brought you to our house, hoping you would regain consciousness soon and head back to where you belong. Sadly, you have lost all your memories, and now you are currently stuck with us," Lyn said in one go.
Miracle nodded fervently when he looked at her for confirmation.
"So... am I going to be chased away?" He tensed, fists gripping tight onto his black worn-out pants.
There was no reply. Miracle and Lyn exchanged glances.
"We'll send you to school," Hayden uttered, giving him the warmest smile he could afford at the moment. "I guess you're around the same age as my children."
"W-What?!" The remaining three of them were shocked.
He bobbed his head. "This is the best solution I can think of. Just let him stay with us until he gets back his memories. It's the basic humanity we can give him." Hayden went over to the lost boy and patted his shoulder.
"But dad—" Lyn tried to oppose.
He held up his hand. "Lyn, we're supposed to care about humans."
"Dad—"
"Miracle, get those filthy clothes off him. I'll try to make him start school tomorrow," he said, ignoring his daughter's objection.
No response.
"Miracle?"
"Y-Yea? Oh, sure, Mr. Hayden." She nudged the boy to leave the room.
Lyn followed after. Miracle saw the frown on her face when she flung him a set of male clothes draped at the stairs—Kingsley's. The brother would probably be mad if he got out of his room and saw the boy wearing his T-shirt. It was obvious the twins were disliking the foreign presence in their house.
Sighing, Lyn went away. Letting him into this house was never an option, after all.
It was a decision.
"I'll wait for you in my room," Miracle said as he stepped into the shared bathroom. "Give me a knock when you're done, okay? It's just beside yours."
The boy nodded. The girl smiled.
Psssshshhh!
Water gushed. She heard his legs splashing onto the puddle and hitting the shampoos and shower gels placed at the side. Soon, a loud thud jerked the entire floor.
Folding her shirts and keeping them in her wardrobe, Miracle puffed, picturing the mess the boy was putting himself in.
'Seemed like a fall,' she thought.
It didn't take long for her to hear the expected knock.
"Coming." Miracle went over to open the door. "You're fast..." The sight of him left her momentarily amazed.
His hair was brushed to the back, clearly revealing his pair of ebony eyes which seemed to be illuminating a gentle wave of warmth. His jawline was defined. She moved her stare to the jugular veins bulging out slightly from the sides of his neck. They looked so seductive that she could almost hear the blood flowing in them.
"Erm..." His voice pulled her back to herself.
Blinking away, she erased the tiny bit of excitement he was inducing in her.
"Come in. Let's have a chat." She stepped aside for him to enter.
"I'm sorry," he blurted, not moving from where he was.
"What do you mean?"
He dropped his head to the floor. "I might have lost my memories, but I'm not dumb. I know they're having a hard time accepting me here."
He was referring to the twins.
Running her long, slender fingers through her hair, she smoothened the tangled strands in between. "It'll take some time," she mumbled, thinking about ways to make him leave on his own.
"I'll leave," he muttered as if he had just read her mind. "I'll... leave." He knitted his brows.
"Yes, you have to leave," Miracle said. A bit too fast that it sounded like she was chasing him out.
He frowned deeper.
"But not now," she added in immediately.
He raised his watery eyes to her as she led him into the room.
"Only when your memories return will you be asked to leave." Smiling, she pulled out the stool under her dressing table. "Have a seat. Take it easy."
"Can I really stay here till then?"
"Well, we aren't that heartless to drive you out now. You'll probably get..."
'attacked by Mynheex again if we do so.'
Her voice trailed off, responding to the pressure of such words. Clearing her throat, she said, "You'll probably get lost since you don't have your memories with you."
"Thank you." It was a soft whisper.
'Maybe not all mortals are bad,' she mused. "Let's have a name for you. What's your favorite letter?"
"What's your name?" he answered with a question.
"Me? It's Miracle. Miracle Watson Soon."
"Then my favorite letter is M."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because you're the first person I saw when I opened my eyes." He curled his lips into a smile, once again stimulating the anonymous yet comfortable sensation in her.
She shook the tingle away. "You don't even know me."
"But—"
"Forget about it, Melvin," she cut in, not wanting to get any deeper into such a conversation with a mere mortal.
"Who's Melvin?"
"You." She chuckled. "Just a name that crossed my mind all of a sudden."
Lifting his head, Hayden stared into the realm laid above the thick layers of grayish clouds. His sorrowful hazel-brown eyes poured out layers of bitterness nobody understood. 2019. It had been eighteen years ever since they parted ways. Back in Ring of Deity, he remembered how it ached his heart, watching his pal imploring Felynx to let him go... "I… I can't do this anymore, Felynx. I-I can't do this anymore..." Yisroel knelt and fixed his dejected gaze on the ground. Felynx's silk robe brushed past his trembling arm. "Get up, Yisroel," he commanded, turning away. "You know you can't escape from this. His Majesty wouldn't allow it." "O-One… one by one sent to me." He gulped the sour lump down his throat. "One by one vanished also because of me." There was a hint of despise in his voice as he glanced over at the iced cuboids hung deep in the wall. He hated himself for failing to bring them back alive. "Everybody wants a happy ending…" Felynx stared into the deserted fountain ou
"Gosh, Miracle! I really don't have an answer to that!" Lyn exclaimed, squeezing out too much anti-acne cream on her palm. "How can you not know? You've been here longer than I do!" Miracle shot up from the turquoise queen-sized bed and threw a pillow in her direction. "Being here early doesn't mean I know everything!" She twisted her body and dodged the hit. "It's clear that Mynheex has gotten so much stronger than before. We could hardly trace them out even if they were to disguise themselves among the humans," she said, tossing it back. "That's why I'm asking if they have any marks!" "Trust me." Lyn stomped toward Miracle and snatched her pillow. "We don't know any more than you do. This is the first time somebody actually asked me this question. We all know how dangerous it is to catch a glimpse at their marks even if they have one." When the room fell into silence, she continued, "Miracle, Mynheex ate too many humans. They conceal their breath of immortality so well that it's
That scream didn't sound friendly. Startled, Hayden cracked the glass he was holding. Tea mixed with blood coursed down his tensed arm. The twins frowned, watching the silver smoke around the ceiling tangling into a confused mass. When they rushed to the door, their jaws almost dropped to the floor upon seeing the unconscious Melvin. His arm was draped over Miracle's shoulder. "What happened?" Hayden asked, keeping his scratched palm behind his back. The wound was closing. What should she say? If she were to say the truth—that this human boy could see the barrier when he wasn't supposed to—he was surely getting chased out of the house. "Nothing serious. Just a mild heatstroke," she said simply. She didn't want to tell them what exactly happened yet, though it might be a mistake keeping them in the dark. Lyn raised a brow. "Mild? The scream—" "Now that we don't have to worry about the mortal overhearing us," Miracle cut in before she had a chance to further her doubts, "let's c
Cold sweat rolled down the bridge of her nose to her shivering chin and pattered to the fallen Magnolia. The drip was so clear in her ears that she could barely hear anything else. Melvin hit the bull's eye. Her heart was leaping into her throat. Hundreds of excuses ran through her mind. She needed something to cover up desperately. Anything at all. Miracle poked her nails into her palm to pull herself together. "W-What? Melvin, what are you talking about?" Her voice cracked as she stammered to finish her sentence. He remained quiet. His ebony eyes were darting around wildly. "Dragons in this generation? Melvin, are you serious?" she said, increasing his doubts about dragons' existence while taking a step closer to the door. Though she had always wanted mortals to acknowledge the presence of dragons, now was certainly not the time. Moreover, when their doubts were literally everywhere. Melvin outstretched his leg and flashed in front of her. He didn't sound convinced. "But
Standing in front of Stellaerio, Miracle stared at the peculiar building with complicated feelings. The stained white crescent hung on the main block resembled the loss of hope in starting afresh. Caws of crows flying past the swaying trees further gloomed the surroundings. Rather than a school, it looked more like a place of life and death. When Miracle reached the second-floor corridor, she headed to the punch card rack and heaved a sigh of relief. It was a Saturday, and Maddie was in the school. While she was still feeling good that her trip to Stellaerio on the weekend didn't go down the drain, a piece of paper flew in her direction and landed next to her feet. A shiver ran down her spine the moment she flipped it over. Her throat constricted, and a twinge of guilt gripped her heart as the words read aloud in her mind. It was the same announcement from that day. 'Xiao Xun, they were the ones you died protecting…' Right then, pictures of the deceased started to merge into
Whatever he said was too real to be claimed as a made-up story. "How did he know about the tragedy?" she murmured, stepping out of Stellaerio. Wandering along the streets, Miracle clipped the diamond pendant with her lips while immersing in her train of thought. Far ahead, the soothing color combination of the clouds brightened the rows of houses and shops. Lilac hue topped the orange, overtaking the rest. The evening had descended. Three black pigeons on the overhead cable flew across the sky upon seeing their flocks approaching. When a young man in a teal coat picked up his incoming call, he forgot that his office bag was unzipped. The documents kept inside were scattered everywhere on the road. They smashed toward the accelerating car that was trying to get past the yellow light. The man immediately surged forward to save his papers. The driver honked. 'Free me.' Miracle snapped back to reality, frowning. "Who is that?" A strong wave of mortality breath registered its presen
"She went to Stellaerio? On a Saturday?!" Lyn freaked out. "Did she tell you why?" Hayden flashed him a questionable look. The decrease of warmth in his voice slapped hard on Melvin's face. Kingsley leaned against the couch; his legs outstretched. "I hope it's not a trap you set." "I swear upon my life," Melvin hissed, "… that I'll never do a thing to hurt her again." The Watsons were back just a few minutes before Miracle did. She was outside, hesitating to enter as she lowered her eyes to the bamboo scroll in her hand.'Should I let them know?' she thought. When the noise in the house turned louder, she quickly unrolled the piece and tucked it inside her pants. She pinned the hook of her vintage belt to an inner notch, securing it tightly. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself together and creaked open the door. "I'm back." Four pairs of eyes switched to her as one. The sudden change of pressure crawling in the air put a pause to their heated conversation. Miracle choked on
The next Monday, Maddie turned into the usual badass again. Miracle tried to have eye contact with him, but he avoided it. He made the students in his class stand on the tables when they failed to answer his questions correctly. It wasn't surprising to see many heads almost touching the ceiling. Some of them even had to crouch a little to save their lives from the fast-spinning fans. His questions were always out of the box—reincarnation was one of his favorites. When it was the Watsons' turn, they turned harder. The bias was obvious. He didn't like them. "You." He jerked his head in Lyn's direction. "It's Lyn." She rolled her eyes. He didn't give a damn about what she said. "If you have the right to choose, would you still choose to be a hu—" he paused, gaping for a brief second before forcing the -man to the hu-man down his throat, "… choose to be who you are if you are born again?" "Why not?" "Tell me why." "I see no reason in telling you." "Then I see no reason for you t