UNWANTED ATTENTION
1237 Words
Back at the house where Andrea and Mercy had encountered the Mushin…
Unnoticed by everyone else, a figure stepped quietly inside.
He looked like any ordinary young man in his late twenties: neat, soft golden‑brown hair, eyes the color of a clear summer sky, and a calm, easy presence that made people feel comfortable around him. He wore simple, well‑kept casual clothes and carried nothing but a small leather satchel slung over one shoulder.
But beneath that everyday appearance, he was far more.
He was Lior, one of the angelic beings who had walked the earth for many years. They watched over the balance between worlds, kept track of how energy moved, and learned to fit into human life as naturally as any ordinary person. Their main task was to “cleanse” Mushins on Earth. They did not stand out, did not draw attention; they simply blended in.
What is this? he thought, carefully examining the building. There was not even a trace of a Mushin here. But another energy lingered around the area, faint yet noticeable.
His gaze fell on the cracks along the windows, floors, and ceiling. Someone had been here.
Someone had eliminated the Mushin, yet there was no sign of the proper cleansing ritual anywhere. That meant it was not the work of anyone from his order. But this remaining energy… it was unmistakably from the Lower Realm.
He walked back outside, onto the empty lawn, and stood with both hands in his pockets. His blue eyes gazed up at the afternoon sky, as if admiring it.
It seems I must prepare for whatever comes next…
At that very same time, on the other side of the city, Andrea walked beside Kael as he carried the groceries they had bought for dinner.
“What does a demon feast look like?” she asked, looking up at him with curiosity in her eyes.
“Why don’t you come with me to the Lower Realm to find out?”
“As in right now?” she asked, surprised.
Kael chuckled softly. “I’m kidding. But it seems like you’re willing to go.”
“Of course I am.” She met his gaze. “I want to know you better.”
Kael grew flustered, and for a moment a small smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
But before Kael could say another word, the streetlights above them flickered. Once, twice, then went completely dark for a heartbeat. Leaving only the pale silver glow of the moon to light their way.
The hum of the city faded, replaced by a sudden, heavy silence, as if the air itself had turned thick and cold.
Andrea stopped, frowning. “What’s happening?”
Kael’s posture shifted instantly. The easy, relaxed look vanished, replaced by something sharp and alert. His amber eyes glowed faintly, and the silver strands in his hair seemed to catch what little light remained.
Kael wrapped his hand gently around her wrist. “Keep walking,” he said, guiding her forward.
From the shadowed alleyway ahead, a figure stepped out. It looked almost human at first: tall, thin, dressed in ragged dark clothes. But its form kept shifting, edges blurring like smoke. Its eyes burned with dull, hungry red light, and the air around it reeked of ravenous hunger.
A Mushin, Kael realized. Why are they coming one after another?
The creature tilted its head, then let out a low, rasping sound like laughter. “Such rich energy…”
It lunged forward, faster than any human could move, claws of shadow reaching straight for Kael. But Kael didn’t even flinch.
He raised one hand, and a wave of golden light erupted from his palm. It didn’t burn like fire; it felt heavy, solid, like a wall of pure gold. It hit the spirit mid‑leap, sending it crashing back against the brick wall with a pained shriek.
Kael smirked. “I just sent a Mushin down there, and now here you are. You know how it is-- that demon will make me write another long explanation letter if I keep sending Mushins his way.”
That demon?
The spirit snarled, pulling itself up, shadows swirling thicker around it. It lashed out again, sending tendrils of dark energy whipping toward them.
Kael stepped in front of Andrea, shielding her completely. He snapped his fingers, and thin, glowing golden chains materialized out of nowhere, wrapping around the incoming attacks and dissolving them into harmless mist.
But just as the spirit prepared to strike again, another figure dropped lightly from the rooftop above--landing between them with soft, steady footsteps.
It was Lior.
His eyes were no longer warm and gentle; they were bright and sharp, glowing with piercing blue light. His hands were relaxed, but the air around him felt clear, crisp, and charged with purpose.
The spirit turned its red eyes toward the new arrival, hissed, and backed away.
The creature didn’t wait. It dissolved into a cloud of dark smoke and fled down the alley.
Lior was about to give chase, but as his gaze fell on the one who had fought the Mushin, he froze and stood there in silence.
Kael met his gaze, calm but firm. Time seemed to stand still as they faced each other. Neither sought to start a fight, but both remained fully alert.
Silver‑white hair, eyes like molten amber… those marks were written in every ancient record. And the faint, spinning six‑pointed star in his irises whenever the light caught them just right.
No mistake, Lior realized. That power… that signature… it belongs to someone who should never be wandering the human world like this.
Then his gaze shifted, and he saw something else: a soft, steady pink thread weaving between the man and the girl, wrapping gently around both their auras. It didn’t look like a chain or a forced pact — it looked like a tie, a connection, something built entirely on choice.
A bond? Lior wondered, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion. With an ordinary human? Did she reach out to him somehow? That’s not how things usually go… not with someone of his standing. Did this girl really summon him? Just who is she?
Lior looked intently at Andrea, making her flush and catch her breath.
Wow, she found herself thinking, eyes widening slightly. He’s… really handsome.
Kael, who was watching her closely, noticed the shift in her expression instantly--the way her eyes lingered, the faint pink rising to her cheeks. He recognized that look all too well.
Lior’s gaze returned to Kael. “I hope you are not here to cause more trouble for the angels.”
He spoke those words with full conviction before leaping away, bounding from building to building until he was gone.
Silence returned to the alley once again. As the streetlights flickered back on, Andrea spotted their bag of groceries lying on the road.
“Kael, you just dropped them,” she said, picking up the bags. “You could have just handed them to me.”
Kael did not reply. He gave her an unimpressed look and kept walking ahead.
What was his problem?
“Wait!” she shouted, hurrying to catch up to him.
Little did they know, a figure hidden deep in the shadows watched them leave, a bitter grin twisting across his face.
- Writer
