48. Scents & Melodies

"Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile."

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Narrator:

The prison was eerily quite that night, save for the occasional snores of the guard's stationed for night duty. But careless as they were, they had not been cautious enough to notice the intruder as he swiftly made his way across the prisons, his black cloak made of shadows fluttering behind him, passing one prison after another. Their carelessness was their doom.

Finally the hooded man came to a halt in front of a cell, his lips twisting into a devious smile as he stared at the sleeping prisioner.

"When dusk falls, and dawn no longer present, the evil dead will finally rise for vengeance and the hounds will lust for blood. That will be the begining of a new era."

The girl steered, her eyes slowly opening as she squinted at the intruder, wondering why he would come muttering nonsense when she was trying to sleep.

"Who are you? Are you a prisioner? How did you escape? Or are you just a crazy cop?"

The man didn't reply, that twisted smile still present before he pulled back his hood, to which the girl only tilted her head in confusion.

"Is that supposed to help me know who you are?"

Once again, the man said nothing, but started walking forward until he was passing through the bars of the cell and into the very cell, much to the girls horror.

She jumped back, moving backwards until her back was pressed against the wall.

"Wh-what are...y-you?"

"I'm your God. And I'm here to give you your freedom."

"You are not God." She said warily, only amusing the man. "God isn't so hidious."

"Have you ever seen God?"

"N-no but-"

"Then what makes you think he won't be hidious but beautiful?"

Silence followed as the girl contemplated the man words, while he still had that sickening smile. At last, the girl finally spoke.

"What do you mean by you are here to give me my freedom?"

"That, if you want, you will have to know why you are here in the first place. Do you know?"

Eyebrows knitted, the girl wondered as to how and why she ended up in prison. "I... I hurt people... celebrities actually. I wasn't a good person, so I got my just punishment."

"Yes, but do you remember who and why they put you here?" The man asked, his smile growing wider as he read the confusion in the girls face. She didn't know, and that amused him.

"I... I don't... know."

"Then let me show you."

So saying, the man lifted his hand before pressing the tip of his middle finger to the center of the girls forehead. With just a slight touch, the girl staggered backwards, putting as much as distance between the man and her as much as possible. Her breath hitched as her eyes grew wide. It just took her a second to see all that that was wiped out of the world.

The memory of her going to prison. The reason she went there. How she went there.

"Wh-what was that?" She panted, clutching her chest.

"That was your memories of how you ended up here, and who put you here."

"Yes I know that! I saw! What I'm asking is... what was that invisible force that... that was choking me in front of...of.."

"That is Cilia Carpenter. She died three years ago in a hit and run car accident and became the Guardian of Heathens. Yes, she's the Guardian of Heathens and her sole purpose is to protect them from harm, and according to her, you were harm."

"But she wasn't wrong was she?" The girl suddenly said, everything making sense now. She had attacked Victor and Cilia saved him. Cilia was a true fan, so she saved him unlike her, who was greedy for her own needs.

"I hurt Victor. I almost burnt him and so many more people because of my selfish needs! She was right to put me here! I deserve it whole heartedly." The girl wailed, tears streaming down her face but she made no attempt to wipe them off.

The man stared at her, his smile gone but face expressionless. "Do you really believe that?"

Silence.

"Do you really think you deserve this, just because you loved him more than anyone?"

"What do you mean?" The girl croaked, her eyes red with crying. The man continued.

"It's not a sin to love someone. It's okay to love someone even if they don't love you back. But you see, that's what hurts the most. The fact that they don't love you back but someone else. You did nothing wrong, you were only desparate to have the one you love, there was nothing selfish about it. If there's anyone who is selfish, it's Cilia."

"What do you mean?" The girl croaked out again. The man didn't say anything but just produced a glowing sphere, which the girl took in her hands.

"Look into it."

Look she did and what she saw turned her from surprised to furious. There in the sphere was the image of A young man sleeping peacefully in his bed. But that was not all. Beside him sat Cilia, silent tears streaming down her face as she murmured a lullaby, brushing away the stray bangs from his forehead. The moment lasted for quite the time, until Cilia bent down and placed a soft kiss on Victor's head.

The girl looked from Cilia to Victor, slowly understanding the meaning behind this very intimate scene. 

"It should be you. You should have been the one sitting there. Cilia is dead, nothing more than a spirit. But you are still human. Which one do you think is more preferable to be with that mortal?"

But the girl didn't reply. Instead, she released a blood curdling scream, before tossing the sphere in the ground, breaking it into a million pieces. But the image if Cilia kissing Victor shown in every single shards, angering the girl even more.

"That's right. Feel the anger. Feel the vengeance you need to finish this girl. You don't deserve to stay locked up here. She does."

"Then get me out of here." She hissed, but the man only smiled.

With that, he raised his right hand, swirling his fingers as thick dark mist circled around before engulfing the girl in a cocoon of darkness. The cocoon lasted for a full minute until it finally disappeared, leaving a very normal looking girl.

"How do you feel?"

The girl stared at her hands, tilting her head to the side as if she was looking herself for the first time. "I feel... diferent... powerful I guess... but I don't look different."

Just then someone shouts, signalling their presence. "Who's there!"

But the man and girl didn't seem fazed by it even a little. A guard came running, only to stop a decent distance once he spotted them, raising his pistol.

"Freeze!" He screamed, but they just stared at him, analysing him. Finally the man turned to the girl, eyeing her from head to toe.

"Would you like to test how powerful you are?"

The girl looked at the man, but said nothing. Instead, she raised her hand as the guard sprinted forward, long tendrils of vines covered in thorns circled around the guards neck, stopping the man mid way as he released a shrill scream.

Blood splattered on the man, but all he did was smile, watching as the girl tightened the vines around the guard.

"That's right. Feel your anger. Let it make a home in you. You must let your anger decide who you will be now."

The girl released a final scream before tugging at the vine. Blood and gore splashed everywhere, the guard's head rolling and coming to a stop in front of the man's leg.

"Well, how do you feel now?"

The girl looked at her hands again, a sinister smile spreading to her rotten lips as she analysed her hands that were now the color of cement with black veins spreading all over her body. She clicked her black claws, watching her hidious reflection in them.

Long fangs penetrated out of her mouth, her lips dry and black and her once upon a time clean hairs now matted in dirt. She was a human just seconds ago, now, not very sure. One might think she had lived in a voodoo cave this whole time. But from all the change that had occured, one thing was the ugliest.

Her eyes. They were no longer the shade of the night sky that twinkled. Now they were nothing but just a pool of dark magic swirling around. Even the whites of her eyes were gone. She was one disgusting sight.

"Powerful." She finally replied, much to the man's satisfaction.

"Good. Now let's go finish what we started."

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My phone buzzed, making me groan. The buzzing continued and my frustration grew as I buried my face on my pillow, trying to sleep even more. I knew it was morning, way past morning actually, but I didn't want to get out of bed. I knew the others were already awake, but I didn't care.

It's been so long since I had a peaceful sleep, one were I didn't have to worry myself and rush to Itaka  Holdings building every now and then, one were I didn't scare myself to death by pondering over all the possibilities as to what will happen once Lucifer gets to me. No, I didn't have to think of any of that. The thought of having found at least one Guardian had me in quite the rest, so I decided to reward myself with a dreamless sleep.

Talking about the Guardian, I knew Alex was awake already, and I knew what he might be thinking at my ill mannars, but I didn't care. He owed me one anyway, after all the trouble he caused.

My phone buzzed, alerting me again. This time, I finally opened my eyes, picking up my phone and clicking the on button. I squinted my eyes at the sudden brightness, before readjusting myself.

It was a message from Julia, no, they were messages from Julia. I sat up quickly, opening the heavy violet curtains with just a swing of my wrists, sunlight pouring in. Julia never messages me unless it's about a mission. Do we have another mission? Already?

Tugging my messy hairs behind my ears, I clicked on one of the message, which actually happened to be a link to something. Once the link opened up, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. Every ounce of me wanted to go smack Julia in the head for giving me such a scare.

I thought somerhing big was there! No! It was just the same ole news about a freaking weirdo named Oly London who had some psychotic belief that he became Jules! Like can a human being be more cruel to themself? And some sick fake fans even support him! Don't they realize how scared Jules actually is of this lunatic?

Julia had been sending me articles about this guy, wondering when I would take some action against him. First time she sent me his surgery clip and people's reaction when he asked them if he looked like Jules, second she sent me his interview in which he said he was planning to wed Jules soon, third she sent me his wedding pics, were he is married to a cut out of Jules, and now this!

"Oly London says that he is officially married to Jules and that G****e confirms it!"

Like what the actual fuck? I really don't have to ask this question but seriously, what's wrong with this guy for real? He got the attention he wanted, now leave! If you really do love Jules so much, you should know by now how much you scare him! So just go! Leave!

I groaned again, tossing my phone aside and jumping out of the bed. A quick shower is what I needed. After that, some good food.

By the time I was done showering, I walked into my walk in closet in search of cloths, when I felt a second presence sneaking into my room.

I sighed, mentally thanking myself I wasn't covered in only a towel but a whole bathing robe. I would be dressed in a minute.

I could feel the presence slowly entering my bed chambers, and just standing there, probably trying to catch me off guard. Just like I once did.

I snorted, pulling on a pair of black trousers and a grey turtle neck sweater before drying my hairs. I never brushed my hairs for they never needed it. My hairs were really something else.

"Make yourself at home Alex. There's a cabinet with snacks in the mini kitchen opposite the room. Feel free to fill yourself." I said, stepping out of the room with a pair of timberland boots in hand, causing Alex to jump at my voice and the fact that I already knew he was in the room, instead of me freaking out at his presence.

"How in the bloody name of Kai my precious Bear did you know I was here?" Alex asked dramatically, clutching his chest and watching me as I tied the laces of my boots.

I didn't reply, just snorted again and Alex took that as my answer.

"You know what? Don't bother replying that. I should have known you keep traps in your room. Even worse, you have CCTV!"

This time, I finally laughed, not bothering if it seemed out of place of me. "CCTV? Traps? Alex, I'm a telepath! I don't need traps or CCTV to know you are tresspassing into my room. Besides, I can smell you anyway. You are a telepath too, how come you not know?"

Alex rubbed his nape in shame, looking away from me and at Tan, who had made his presence known by tugging the curtain in their folders with his magic.

"I... I am a telepath, but I don't always like using them. But hold on a second, did you just say you could smell me?"

Why on earth did he make it sound like I'm a pervert?

"Yeah? You are a Guardian. I can sense the presence of another Guardian. That's how I found you in the first place."

If I had thought Alex would be surprised at this new information about my abilities, I was really wrong. In fact, what Alex asked me next was this.

"What about hearing? Don't you hear something? Something like a tune? Something??

This time, it was me who was looking at him with surprise. "Yeah, I do. You smell of burning wood and cinnamon. And there's alwayse this tune from a flute... but... how do you know that?"

Alex sat down on the armchair facing me as I sat on the bed. "I hear it too. I smell it as well. That's how I could tell you came when I was with... with... Sav7."

I could see the guilt and pain Alex felt as he said it, but I decided to not push into it.

"So what do you smell? The same thing? That would be too boring."

Alex shook his head. "No. Not the same. There's always this hum... like mysical hum... and it's really sweet as if you could get lured into it, but it's also really dangerous at the same time."

For some reason, I was nodding my head in approval, glad that it was something beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Alex continued.

"And the smell... it's like... like the smell of rose water and..."

Oh. Rose water. Nice!

I looked at Alex, urging him to go on. "And?"

Alex looked hesitent, but went on anyways. "Blood."

Awesome! I smell of blo-

"Wait what? Blood? I smell of blood? Now that's really aromatic!" I said in sarcasm, getting up to leave as I took my black leather jacket in my hands and started walking away, Alex on my lead.

"I told you, it's always something beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Everything about you screams beauty and danger. The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautful girl I ever saw, but then it changed to the most dangerous girl I ever met."

Alex's words were supposed to make me blush and feel shy. However, none of that happened, as if listening something like this from Alex was something you get every day. Instead, I frowned.

"I didn't know I was that beautful. Why do people keep saying that?"

"Really? You weren't? Isnt this not how you looked like before you died?" Sehul asked, the two of us exiting my room and walking down the stairs, followed by Tan and Kai who seemed to be engrossed in some kind of their own conversation.

I shrugged. "Accept for the pale skin and lips and eyes the color of blood, I was the same. I don't know why all of that changed. What about you?"

"The same I guess. Accept pale. Maybe that's what makes us ghost, the fact that we have pale skin. Anyways, when do we go out in search of Guardians? Because there's something I found." Alex said. We came to the landing, making our way to the kitchen to our right were we found Jason and Julia already present.

"We can go after breakfast. Why? What did you find?" I asked, picking up the cereal box and milk. Jason was busy with a cup of tea and some death cards, while Julia washed dishes. I don't know why she bothered doing that, she could just on the dishwasher.

This whole scenario looked so odd, like a random 90s family. Jason looked like the dad, Julia the mom and Alex and I as the siblings.

I shuddered inwardly, trying to get the gross thought out if my head. Seriously what was I thinking? Jason could be by far an older brother if he was still alive. He was every girls heartthrob back then. Father? For Christ's sake!

And surely Julia wasn't my mom, even if she cared for me like one. Surely, an elder sister, but not mom! Never mom! I hated my mom!

Alex snickered, bringing me back to reality. "It's a secret."

I put the cereal box down, glaring at Alex. "Then why bother telling me you found something?"

At last, Alex finally said. "Fine fine. It's just that it has something to do with Juniper Entertainment."