TWICE GIVEN, TWICE LOVED

SHADOWS IN THE ELVEDOM FOREST

The leaves of the trees rustled softly as I panted heavily, resting my back against the ground. The weather was gloomy, with dark gray clouds blanketing the entire sky. It felt as though evening had already descended, even though it was just fifteen minutes past noon.

Sofia purred contentedly, savoring the satisfaction that followed a vigorous run in her wolf form through the Elvedom Forest. This was a dense woodland on the outskirts of the city, a haven for various dangerous animals and insects. Few people ventured here, providing me with a safe space to shift into my wolf form, allowing Sofia to indulge in her primal instincts.

I glanced to the side at the sound of approaching footsteps. A pair of floating feet came into view, and I sighed, already knowing who it was. Turning my head away, I closed my eyes and rested my arm across them. "What is it now?"

"You could have at least greeted me," a sweet voice retorted, laced with much annoyance.

A dry chuckle escaped my throat. I would have if I didn’t know better. "Just state what you want and leave. I don't want to waste my time with you."

I could almost feel the tension in the air as wrath radiated from her. "Too much arrogance is not good." She gritted her teeth.

My lips curled into a smirk as I reveled in her irritation. "Doesn’t sound good coming from you, anyway. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be on my way." I stood up, brushing off my clothes and moving away without casting her another glance.

"There is a universe traveler among these humans. You need to find that person," she stated, her voice halting me in my tracks. I turned around to meet her gaze, finally making eye contact. Ethereal—this was the least I could say about her beauty.

I tilted my head, resting my hands in my pockets. "Why would anyone do that?"

"A group of people is conducting an experiment on pure-blooded humans. Since this is the only world with humans, it became their target. They want to create an army of unnatural creatures to gain more power."

I smirked, kicking a pebble at the ground. "Or should I say, to gain the throne of Heaven? Isn’t that why you’re scared?" The Queen of Heaven always had motives hidden behind her actions. She never did anything without a personal agenda.

Her fists clenched as she closed her eyes, likely trying to retain her composure. She couldn’t kill me; who else would carry out her work in this world? "Just do as you’re commanded. You are in no position to hypothesize. Don’t forget your promise."

I chuckled, shaking my head as I observed two ladybugs crawling on the ground. "Don’t worry; I would never forget it. Not like you’d ever let me." I found twisted pleasure in seeing agitation flashing in her eyes. "Is that person a male or a female?"

"We don’t know. They could be anything," she replied, taking a deep breath. So helpful.

"Is that person in this city or country?" I didn't think I would be allowed many leaves from the college to travel around the world in a search for an unknown person.

"No one knows. They might be changing location in every few months or they might be here."

I exhaled. Patience is the key to a happy, peaceful life. "Are those kids of a specific age or something?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "No idea."

That was it; the dam broke. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW ANYTHING, FOR HELL'S SAKE?"

Her nose crinkled in disdain. "Don’t say that word in front of me. I hate Hell and its people." Was she serious? She rolled her eyes at my serious expression. "No one knows anything, okay? We just received limited information. They are very sneaky, and it’s hard to find anything about them."

"You are the Queen of Heaven. Is it that hard for you to uncover? You can see the past, present, and future."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "I can’t interfere too much. I can’t change the future; even my hands are tied." Then why bother searching for that person? "But you can change it. You are not bound to anything." No wonder she tolerated me—I was merely a tool for her.

"Except the promise to the Gods and Goddesses." I completed her unsaid words.

Her smile was sweet but held a sinister edge. "Exactly."

Infuriating—the word encapsulated my feelings towards her at that moment.

Suddenly, someone materialized beside her, and my body tensed in alert. No one could see Iona unless she chose to reveal herself, yet they could see me, and I had no idea who this newcomer was.

"This is Robin. He will stay with you and assist you with things you can't do openly," Iona introduced the man beside her. He was strikingly handsome, with white hair cascading down to the middle of his back, half-tied. His tall stature was complemented by mesmerizing purple eyes.

"What do you mean by ‘staying with me’?" I asked warily.

"He is your guardian angel," Iona declared. Where did Heaven even come up with these terms?

"Okay? So, he’s going to be with me all the time? How am I supposed to explain to people who he is?" If no one else, a particular neighbor would have a lot of questions.

"Just say that I’m your boyfriend," the handsome man suggested, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal and as if I was foolish.

"I am not doing that," I deadpanned. It wasn’t the worst idea, but it was far from the best. People would ask too many questions, especially about someone who had appeared out of nowhere.

"He will live with you in the form of a cat to avoid any suspicion," Iona interjected before we could argue further.

"Excuse me? A cat? You’re asking ME, one of the best angels in Heaven, to be a mere cat? It’s bad enough that I have to pretend to be a human. A MORTAL HUMAN!" The white-haired man exclaimed, his arrogance bubbling to the surface.

His wings unfurled behind him, sparkling white and undeniably beautiful. I had never seen wings like those, even among the myriad angels in the court of life and death. A pang of jealousy coursed through me. I wanted those wings for myself. "WOW."

A proud smirk tugged at his lips as he caught my gaze. Damn their enhanced hearing. He tilted his chin up, puffing out his chest with a childlike sense of pride.

"Yes, you're going to do that. Nothing is more important than stopping those people," Iona insisted, her tone unwavering. His wings folded back, disappointment evident in his posture. A long sigh escaped him as his shoulders drooped. I would have felt pity for him if I didn’t know better.

"Fineeeeeeeeeee," he whined, dropping to his knees and feigning sobs. Dramatic much? Hell, I needed patience and endurance.

With a flicker, Iona disappeared into thin air, leaving me exhausted. Exhaling heavily, I flinched as I met Robin's curious and intense gaze. "W-What?"

"I am Robin, your guardian angel."

"I know that already. What exactly are guardian angels for?"

He seemed offended by my question, dusting himself off as he stood with some difficulty. "Guardian angels are everything to humans. A guardian angel is assigned a set of humans whom they must guide and steer toward the right path, trying to make their lives better than their last."

My eyes narrowed, processing this information. "Were you my guardian angel in my last life as well?"

Robin's gaze shifted away, his eyes darting around. "Yeah." It was barely a whisper.

"So, why didn’t you help me? Why didn’t these so-called guardian angels assist those innocents who live worse lives than Hell on Earth?" Why was my first life so horrible then?

He sighed, wisdom scrolling through the air around us. "Guardian angels can’t change someone’s actions. The future is determined by your choices, and we can’t alter that. We can only offer hints, clues, or in the worst cases, dreams to guide you. It’s up to you how you perceive them and whether you choose to follow the path shown."

"Why are some people born into wealth and live good lives while others struggle from birth in poverty? Why is existence so unfair?" So many questions bubbled up in my mind, searching for answers.

"You must pay for your sufferings if you owe someone a debt, either in this life or another. If someone suffers without apparent reason, it might be their karmic debt from a past life." He spoke in a calm and patient tone.

"That was my first life, wasn’t it?" Everyone in the court of life and death had said the same.

He smirked, turning his back to me as he walked toward the forest exit. "In this timeline, yes. But the universe has neither a beginning nor an end. Debt is something you can never escape."

I followed him, stunned by this revelation. The universe was more complex than anyone could imagine. The more I learned, the more I realized how little I truly knew.