***NEED WORK

Nobody spoke, and a heavy, tense silence came over the nearly empty departure sector where we all were. Sarvwen hadn't said a word, and Darvien's flow of questions stopped. Well, now that it was out, what was the point of stopping?

Not knowing what to say, I just resumed the story.

* * * * * * *

It started to rain...hard.
The dark storm had moved right over us, its rage pouring down on us. Lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder roared angrily down at me.

I saw him as he raised the bloody knife over his head for another hit. The boy whimpered and brought his frail little hands over his eyes.
I was moving before I knew it.

One flash of lightning, I was standing behind him and the by the following thunder not a second later, I was in front of the boy, my dagger stabbed into his father's heart. I saw the man look down at the knife, his eyes falling on the sudden, unexpected wound from an invisible weapon.

Then, as his life drained out, he looked at me with a startled look before his body went limp. He still had that insane look to his eyes.

At first, there was confusion, then came the shock and realization at what I have done.
It's a bit strange to believe that even after I murdered a human, I went on to making my third and the most reckless mistake that night.

* * * * * * *

Darvien snapped out of his shocked silence and stared at me.
"Wait, the most reckless? Worse than the killing?" he said incredulously.
I heard a sigh from Sarvwen.
"What would you have done? Would you let that boy get killed? Even when you could help it?" he asked him.
Darvien didn't answer, and looked away. Sarvwen continued.
"Darvien, you must know that we are invisible to the human eye with the exception to few rare cases." he said.
Darvien turned to Sarvwen with a confused look.
"Yeah; humans with a half developed 6th sense and the dying." he said knowingly.
I nodded.
"Right. But there are other ways we can be revealed. One, if we submit ourselves into being seen, or two, the one way that was put down in our Immortal Codes as forbidden." I explained. "And it just happens to be the one thing I did that got me into the most trouble."
Darvien looked at me with a controlled expression.
"And that action was..." he started.
I sighed, feeling the stress building up again.
"I gave the boy renewed Life."

* * * * * * *

The man fell back, freeing my dagger from his heart. I stared down at my dagger and watched the crimson blood get washed off by the pelting rain. I dropped the dagger as realization of what I have just done dawned on me.

But strangely, I felt calm about it.

No; I was far from calm and in control. I just didn't feel the shock or fear that should have been crashing over me then. But truthfully, I felt none of that. I didn't care about my "sins". I didn't care about my mission captain's demanding voice screaming in my ear. And least of all, I didn't give a damn about the consequences that was to follow.

Angrily, I ripped out the communication ear piece from my ear and chucked it dismissively aside.
"Not my business...it's their problem... my ass." I said.

Then I ripped off the speaker on my throat and threw it away. It landed in the rain right besides the dying boy. I saw his frail body, and my heart wrenched painfully. The boy must have been at the very oldest, four years of age. I knelt next to him, and carefully lifted his limp body from the mud. I placed a hand under his neck as I pulled him into my arms.

His breathing was weak and raspy, and his eyes were glassy, almost unfocused. He coughed and gagged, fighting for each breath.
"Poor kid," I said softly.

The boy was small, and weak. He was growing colder and colder by the second, the rain only adding to his lifeless appearance. Even at a young age, he had sharpness to him that stood out on his face. His features were bold and piercing with a strong determined look.
But his eyes were gentle and soft, kind and caring. He was a handsome child, I thought. A look of a fighter, someone determined to be a great hero.
"Why do even the most innocent go through pain?" I murmured to myself. "Angels shouldn't have to cry."
I closed my eyes, trying to block the world around me.

"Angels do cry," came a small voice.

I blinked, brushing off the rain from my eyes.
I looked down at the boy in my arms, and saw him staring right back.
"Angels do cry," he said again, reaching up.
His small hand reached up to my face, his light fingers brushing against my cheek. That was when I noticed I was crying. I felt his cold fingers trace a circle against my cheek. The boy's breath caught in surprise, as if he hadn't expected me to be a solid being, as if he had thought I would vanish under his touch.

His hands started to drop away. I caught it in my own hand and gripped it gently.
"Don't be afraid; I'm here. I'm here," I whispered. "Your Guardian Angel is here."
The boy breathed out heavily, fighting to breath.
"My angel?" he asked, small light returning to his eyes.
"Eydie's Angel?"

I smiled a little.
"Eydie, is it?"
Eydie nodded weakly, his head propped against my arm.
"Well then. Eydie, can you make me a promise?" I asked.

He looked up at me, seemingly too weak to answer. But he didn't protest.
"Promise me... you’ll live. Don't be afraid...”
The boy sighed, and closed his eyes.
"...A promise..." he said.

Then, he fell unconscious in my hold. I bent forward, my face hovering over his.
"I shall give you everything," I breathed.
Then, light swallowed us whole, filling the dark space with white...

* * * * * * *

So came the end of my story. I looked down to the ground, not looking at anyone.
"So...that was the biggest sin, all because of the damage I could have caused the boy." I paused, feeling tired from the overwhelming memories.
"I remember as I finished, Ava came and found me. With two brutally murdered bodies and one bloody unconscious human boy, I can’t imagine what it looked like for her." I said.
"It wasn't even her mission to be in Grisavaille; in fact, when the Monitors sent for her, she was on the other side of the world," I stopped, remembering how Ava came rushing into the clearing, heaving and drenched in the rain.

She saw Eydie in my arms, and his father's dead body, and after a few moments she had asked me:
"There was no other way?"

"Why was Ava sent to Grisavaille?" Darvien asked.
"Because when all communication was cut off from Mivian, the higher Monitors here thought they should send in a second party to go after Mivian. But Thya intercepted the order." Sarvwen said.
"Instead of sending a Retrieval party, she sent the one person who could keep an open view on the whole situation: Ava."
I nodded.
"And turns out, many people didn't bother to look past the fact that I killed a human being. ‘Angel Guards are supposed to keep the humans safe. Not the other way around,' they said. Oh, there was even, 'Look at her. She's finally got the attention she's been wanting. I guess that was one way to get it; kill someone.'”
I sighed, tired and drained.
“Zavius, Sarvwen, Thya… and Ravador and Ava were the only ones around me that stayed with me. Even when the possibility of my Execution came up." I said.

I finally looked back up from the ground and at Darvien. He was looking down at me with a sad expression. I went on.
"I became so isolated, hating everything, regretting it all. I gave Eydie a new Life, but there was still the chance that the Energy I gave him will reject him and kill him instead. You see, the human body is not built to contain such strong life energy or source. So the whole thing could have backfired and I could have ended up making a complete monster out of the boy."
I let out a short laugh, thinking about how weak and stupid I was.
"I almost gave up. I literally had a breakdown."

I heard a chuckle from behind me and I turned around. Zavius was there, leaning against the doorway. I knew that he was listening to the whole thing.
"Yeah, she had a breakdown, alright. It got to a point where she went crazy and started to throw and break things in her dwelling." he said.
Zavius looked away, actually looking serious.
"Then Ava flipped."
Sarvwen clicked his tongue, shaking his head.
"Until that point, I thought nothing could upset Ava. But then, she went all dark and quiet..." he sighed.
Zavius let out a huff and rolled his eyes.
"Silent and deadly," he said.

I laughed at the memory, thinking back at how scared I was.
"Yup...that one punch was all I need to wake up."
Then I felt myself get drawn back into the depressed mood.
"Ava's always the one who helped me out...she had always stood by me and pulled my head out of trouble. And sometimes, she's the one that gets hurt in my play..." I breathed out heavily.
"But she never ever said she hated it..."

Suddenly, something warm landed on my head with a solid thud. I jumped, not expecting it.
"Mivian...don't talk about me as if I'm dead..." Ava said behind me.
I turned around in my seat and saw Ava looking down at me, frowning unhappily.
"I'll still be ready to kick your ass any day," she said, patting my head again.

I scowled, glaring at her. Ava forced a smile on her face before sliding her hand off of my head.
Always ready to beat my ass? Oh, believe me; I'll be counting on that one.

"Darvien; here." Ava called to Darvien, throwing something small and glinting in his direction.
He snatched it out of the air with one easy swipe. He looked down at it with one glance, and his eyes widened. He looked back at Ava with confusion. Ava just motioned at him, not saying a word. Hesitantly, he lifted the small object from his palm with his other hand.

It was Keeper.

"We'll have to monitor you too on the mission so like it or not, you'll have to keep that on. You can get it fully registered to yourself when you go to Thya's to get yourself wired." Ava explained.

Darvien examined his new Keeper with awe. Quickly, he pulled the thin silver chain over his head and hung it around his neck.
"I'll take him with me," Sarvwen said.
Ava nodded.
"That would be fine. Remember; this is the real deal. Focus on your assignment." she warned.
Sarvwen nodded and turned to Darvien. Then, they both flashed out of view. Zavius lifted himself off the wall and glided over to Ava and I.
"Zeik and I will be monitoring all of you guys while you guys are in the Living. We should still be able to relay info back and forth via communication system. Be careful...and have fun!!!" He winked and dragged Zeik away from Ava.

Then they, too, flashed out of view. So it was just Ava and I left in the room. Ava turned to me.
"Just one other order." she announced. "Believe in yourself, Mivian,"

And with that, she flashed out of view, leaving me alone. I sighed, and looked down at the mission card in my hand.
"Yeah...believe. Sure." I muttered, and got up to go prep.