EPILOGUEManila, Philippines (November 2007) Haneul knew he shouldn't torture himself. But his mind and heart couldn't find rest since that day. Despite having just gone to trial, he didn't follow orders again, sneaking into the ranks of the newly minted Mirror Division in their quest to recover Tina. Only to have her torn into pieces in front of him. Descended against her will. Now, demoted back into being a guardian angel, Haneul could only spend his free time hunting pieces of Tina in every dimension. There she was in front of him, newly turned eleven, mourning the death of her parents. The ones whom Haneul made a promise to, and failed. "Tita, C--can--I have water, please?" little Tina said softly, trying not to garble the words as she sobbed. Haneul remembered how he felt seeing her for the first time. Helpless. Mediocre. Possibly vexing, as most human children were. Then, he remembered how he felt seeing her that one last time. The bravest being he had ever known. Breathtakin
PROLOGUE Manila, Philippines (November 2007) Haneul never had his comrades' fascination with humans. Their predictable and frivolous nature bored him. Yet there he was, observing them. Sometimes, Haneul hated his job. A few feet in front of him, some humans were burying two of their kind. In their black garbs, the people over the earth are a stark contrast to the white caskets underneath. They couldn't see Haneul, of course. The closest a living human could get to an angel was to feel his presence. Not that these people would, even if they were particularly perceptive. Every single one of them was entirely focused on the funeral, each taking their turn in flinging white roses to the ground. For a moment, Haneul felt sympathy for the roses. It must be tough to grow from the soil, only to be buried under it again. Among the mourners, the loudest of the cries came from a little girl standing closest to the grav
Munich, Germany (June 2019) "I don't think she's here." LJ tried to convince his friend for the third time, but Haneul was determined. The Lilim, one of the Archdemon Lilith's half-human children, had taken off her cloak earlier and had overwhelmed Haneul's senses. She was so near it was making his head ache. Haneul did not blame LJ for not feeling her presence, though. LJ had been struggling with his assumed body for decades now. Angels did not usually need a human form, but warrior angels like Haneul and LJ molded one from light to hunt demons better. After all, the creatures were drawn to flesh and bone, always jumping at a chance to possess it. Despite these advantages, a pure soul being clocked into a vessel that it does not need makes it disoriented. It certainly watered down some of their original senses, like feeling the pull of a demon. It became particularly more complex if they started assimilating human senses instead. Haneul suspec
Munich, Germany (June 2019) Haneul felt the familiar push and pull of traveling as he descended to the demon realms. As he traveled, he vaguely noticed the light pulsing from where earth met the gates of hell above him. He suddenly felt the urge to go back to the surface, but he had a job to do, so he continued to sink himself underneath. Screams of the damned welcomed him as he fell into their realm. Thankfully, he had enough concentration to not fall into a horde of those foul creatures, which was what happened the first time he traveled underneath. He let himself laugh at the memory. It wasn't pretty, and he barely made it out alive. It was funny to him now, though. Stealthily, Haneul hid behind a massive rock of yannite,the glistening slab of stone that could only be found in hell. It has the same composition as a diamond, only different in color. Not that hell had scarcity when it comes to the treasures coveted by man. Human
Seoul, South Korea (June 1909) Around 2005, they already went through three storms. Minho flipped his wet hair back, annoyed. Traveling back in time was always messy as the weather could be unpredictable. Minho avoided it as much as he could. But the Celestial Police always met in the past, as tradition dictates. So he didn't have a choice. "Of all the times that you can screw up, you had to do it when all the Asian Principalities are here," Minho told LJ. The latter was sitting on the elevator floors, looking miserable. They could not use their wings to go further than the third celestial sphere as mere warriors, so they also had to be in such a confined space. "Stop making him feel worse. It wasn't his fault." Haneul replied, nervously pulling at his coat. "No, it was my fault." LJ countered, hanging his head back on the elevator walls, presumably to ease his misery. "Damn right, it was," Minho responded, still bent on berating LJ. "You had one job--" "Ugh. Can you not fig
Seoul, South Korea (June 2019) "Han? Is that you?" Tina could not believe her eyes. It's been years since she last saw Haneul, but it seemed like time hadn't touched him at all. He still looked as dreamy as she remembered, only his smooth dark was longer. He was still well-dressed too. Tina was pretty sure he's wearing the latest of Burberry's spring collection for men's wear. Even as a child, she noticed and appreciated that about him. Haneul stared at her in disbelief, and Tina almost laughed. She knew she looked nothing like the little girl who used to follow him around before. Their unexpected meeting must be a shock to him, too. "Tina?" Haneul murmured. "I know. I grew up!" Tina exclaimed cheerfully. She couldn't help herself. It was great bumping into him unexpectedly. Ever
Busan, South Korea (June 2019) LJ entered the beach house warily. One of the Virtues told him that Alice would be there. Knowing her, there was bound to be a prank. He stood in the center of the shed, waiting for her to show herself. The place looked like a summer faerie vomited into it. Alice probably did. Paint of different colors splattered its walls and the equipment inside it. Damn. Alice sure was taking her painting to the next level these days. "Boooo!" a light figure jumped into LJ's back, shrieking in his ear. "Alice Park! You skinny runt." LJ yelled at her. He took a few steps back, almost losing his balance. And he thought he was prepared for whatever antic she had in mind. "Scared you, didn't I?" Alice said, snickering. She stretched her arms behind her and did a series of backflips until she was on a platform at the edge of the shed, disappearing behind the boxes stacked on it. "Oh, come on, now. Do we have to
Marseille, France (June 2019) The Infected hissed, its deformed form dangling in front of Minho. The stench of blood and rotten flesh wafted in with the breeze coming in through the open window. Minho cringed, cursing the human senses lent to him. He aimed his arrow towards the monster. Sensing the impending shot coming its way, The Infected twisted its body to the side, swinging across the ceiling from one side of the room to another. Minho kept his hands steady, maintaining his target. He released the arrow, and The Infected screeched as its shoulder burst into flames. Its cries were mournful, reminding Minho of a wailing child. He wondered how old the creature was before it got turned. "I think that's the last of them. Did any of you find her?" Mikazuki's voice echoed inside his head. Upon their arrival at the vampire's hideout in M