SERAPHIM

CHAPTER 01

“There you go.”

Muriel went out of the walk-in closet and roamed the room.

“I thought Mom was here. I heard voices though.”

Luthor, on the other hand, stiffens. He strengthens the wall to seal his mind and so, Dimiter - the Angel of the Throne, so Muriel will not hear them again.

‘Did you hear that? She heard us!’

‘I know. Tss, Emily’s ability is really something. Even her daughter adapted to it.’

“Luthor, come. Let me wash you first.”

Muriel got Luthor from the sofa and went to her bathroom. She placed Luthor in her bathtub and set the water to a warm temperature.

“I think that will be fine.”

Luthor rolled his eyes when he heard a laugh in his mind. Dimiter is probably laughing her lungs out.

‘I can’t believe it. A dominion angel is taking a bath.’

Dimiter said, then laughed.

‘Cursed you Dimiter.’

After a few minutes, Muriel is now drying Luthor’s fur using her hair blower.

“Stay here. I will take a bath for a while and we will eat dinner later.”

Luthor waits for half an hour. He even heard Muriel talking over her phone, giving an order to someone to get some cat food for him.

‘Enjoy your meal, little cat.’

He heard Dimiter say sarcastically. He just rolled his eyes.

“I was shocked when you called me to buy some cat food. Luthor is a cute little cat.”

“Indeed, I was also shocked when I saw her carrying Luthor when she got there.”

“I told you, Dad. You will love him. He has a pair of beautiful emerald green eyes. I will buy more of his necessities tomorrow.”

“That would be great.”

Luthor and Dimiter are just listening to the conversation of the family. They are talking peacefully and laughed like there were no problems at all.

‘I do not want to break up this happy family.’

‘Yeah, I do not want to do that either. But we need Sollene. Emily needs her.’

Luthor is staring at the three, still bickering and laughing while eating dinner.

‘Well, since she still doesn’t know anything about her identity, she is safe and she still has time to be with her foster family.’

‘You’re right. Anyways, where the hell are you and you still listening here?’

‘Don’t be a rude little one. I was on the roof of this house.’

As usual, Luthor just rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, how is your research going?”

“I still lack knowledge and resources, Dad. The book I need is really hard to find. I might even go to the Vatican just to get the right information.”

“Vatican? Why?”

“I am researching Angels and Demons.”

Her mother and father went silent for a while.

“Why are you searching about that matter, baby?”

Muriel just smiled at them.

“Pure curiosity Mom, Dad.”

They shrugged their shoulders and continued eating. They can’t do anything to stop her only child from doing what she wants to do. They are also aware of how obsessed Muriel is when it comes to angels.

After dinner, Muriel went back to her room with Luthor. She ordered someone to get a cat’s bed immediately so Luthor could sleep without interruption.

“You can sleep comfortably here, Luthor. You go to sleep first. I have something to do.”

Muriel went to her bag and got the book she had earlier from the library. Reading it while on the balcony of her room.

“What information will be written here? Will it answer my questions?”

She started reading it.

~~ ‘Within the world there are three large races - Humans, Demons, and Angels. The Gods created the Angels to help battle off the Demons that were trying to take over Heaven. There are nine powerful Angels that were created by the Gods. Each one became an Arch-Angel, the most powerful of the Angels. Demons were thought to be creatures that lived in the depths of Hell, but really Demons were created on Earth about the same time Humans were. The demons were said to have been descended from the first male and female demons ever created. The races of this modern time are the descendants of the three Royal Families that now rule over the Races. Demons were the first real civilized society on Earth. There was believed to have been a city on the ocean called Atlantis back then. The demons were called "Demoniacs." They were the first true rulers of Earth. Then the "Angenians" came. They are believed to have come from the first breed of Angels from Heaven. Their homes were in the skies, they had been born with the ability to make islands in the sky to call their homes. When the Humans came along, though the two races co-existed together, they even tried to teach the humans how to be civilized as well. That was until war was waged between the Demoniacs and Angenians in the realms of Heaven and Hell. The two races warred with each other for years. The Arch-Angels and Arch-Demons kept battling for what felt like millions of years. Then, without real reason, they fell to heaven, they were locked within the bodies of humans called hosts. Now, the Arch-Angels and Arch-Demons are looking for a special human called a "Heart". The Heart is a human who gives the Demons or Angels their powers. The Heart is the Demons' or Angels' reason for being and the way to help them find their way back to their own realm. Killing an Angel's or Demons’ Heart locks the Angel or Demons within their Human Host forever.’ ~~

“Special human called a ‘Heart’.”

She closed the book and lay down on the sofa on her balcony. She stared at the moon while thinking about what she had read.

‘A war between the two races. Angels and Demons. According to some books, demons are dreadful, crappy, and abominable beings. They would not be satisfied with the things they had if they even attempted to overtake heaven. But the head of demons, Satan, was once an archangel together with Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Argh, sure enough. Angels and Demons history is hard to understand.’

Muriel heaved a heavy sigh and decided to go inside her room to rest.

Luthor, on the other hand, went outside to meet Dimiter on the roof. Not in the form of a cute little cat but a giant white lion with a pair of wings and clouds surrounding its body. Its eyes are piercing green and its pangs are visible.

“Did you hear what she said? She talked about the Heart.”

“I heard it. We wanted her to get the book and read it so that she would have background information about what happened after her birth. She’s now 23 and more than a generation has passed. The demons are looking after her so they can use her to open up a way to heaven and start a war again. She must know the ability of the ‘Heart’ so she can take good care of herself.”

“Emily would be sad or even mad if something happened to her daughter.”

“We have to be more careful. Now that one of Lucifer’s sons, the powerful one to be specific, has met her and confirmed that she is the one the two races are looking for.”

“That Felon Hex is a huge pain in the a*s. I can still remember how savage his power was. If Sollene met him again, I think it would also be good to have someone from our race teach her some defenses. What do you think Emily would say?”

“Well, she would probably think of it. I will tell her your suggestion. Stay here and guard her.”

“Understood.”

“And oh, you better go back to the little cute cat before going. Sollene will be scared if she sees you like that.”

“Tss. Shut up.”

Jumping from the roof of Muriel’s house, Luthor goes back to being a cat. He heard Dimiter laugh before vanishing into thin air. He saw Muriel sleeping peacefully, so he also lay down on the bed that she had prepared for him.

~~

“Bright morning Luthor.”

Muriel greets Luthor and gives him a wake-up look. Of course, he didn’t sleep or even blink his eyes to guard the whole house.

“I do not have school for today since it is Saturday. Do you want to come with me to buy your things or do you want to stay here?”

Luthor stopped himself from answering Muriel’s question. He just jumped into the bed and rubbed his body to Muriel’s arm. The latter laughed.

“Okay, you will come with me.”

After preparing both of them, they went down just to see the couple sipping tea in the garden.

“Good morning mom, Dad.”

“Good morning sweetie. Want coffee? I will prepare it for you.”

“I’m good Mom, thank you. I am gonna go to the supermarket and to the pet shop to buy Luthor’s things.”

“Oh, do you want me to accompany you?”

“If you are free, Dad.”

“Aww, of course, I am always free for my baby. Honey, do you wanna tag along?”

“Of course. We should eat outside then. A family bonding with Luthor.”

They all laugh and Luthor just can’t react knowing their mission.

The three of them, plus Luthor in Muriel’s arms, go inside a huge mall and have a good time, not until when they are about to go home.

“Did you buy him all the things he might have?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Good. Did you enjoy this day with us?”

“Of course, I had a very wonderful day. By the way Dad, can you please hold Luthor for a while? I’m just gonna go to the restroom before going home.”

“Oh, yeah sure.”

Luthor wants to break free from the arms of Muriel’s dad to follow her, but the couple is alert so he just waits patiently.

When Muriel was about to reach the door of the women’s restroom, her heart suddenly felt heavy like something was sucking the air inside her. She stopped and leaned on the wall.

“I-I can’t b-breath.”

She said while clutching her chest.

“So you really are the ‘Heart’.”

Muriel’s eyes landed on the guy she met in the library. He is holding something like a stone and it is glowing a bright red color.

“H-help. I can’t b-breath.”

She’s still catching her breath. She tried to reach the guy for help but she was startled and struggled immediately when the guy grabbed her neck, squeezing it a bit tight.

“Ack!”

“Since you are the ‘Heart’, we really need to get you. My father will be very happy if she saw you in our place.”

Struggling so hard to gasp air. Muriel is nearly out of air. The stone was affecting her breathing and the guy clutching her neck didn’t help at all.

“I’m just gonna knock you out. Don’t worry.”

But Muriel didn’t hear what he had said anymore. Her mind was blank and her hands that were struggling to get off the guy’s hand fell together with her body falling into the guy's arms.

Luthor and Dimiter, on the other hand, felt the sensation coming from the stone and immediately went to Muriel’s location.

“Luthor! No!”

Muriel’s dad screamed when Luthor escaped from his arms. So everyone followed him. Dimiter, who arrives at the location, first attacks the guy, leaving a wound on his arm, causing him to break his hold on Muriel.

“Damn it!”

“This lady is ours, demon. Do not ever lay your filthy hands on her.”

Using some magic, Muriel didn’t fall safely on the ground but fell slowly and safely. The guy smirked at her.

“Tss. Guard her tighter. I will surely come back to bring her to Dad.”

Dimiter is about to attack the guy but he vanishes into thin air. She also hides when she felt Luthor’s presence.

‘What happened?’

Luthor asked Dimiter his mind.

‘That guy, Felon Hex. He almost killed Sollene.’

‘I’m so sorry.’

‘Not your fault. Thank God we made it on time.’

‘Thank you.’

“Oh my god! Baby! What’s happening here? Baby! Wake up!”

“Help, call an ambulance.”

Muriel’s mom and dad panicked when they saw their daughter lying on the ground passed out and barely breathing.

‘They almost got her. He even told her that she is the ‘Heart’.’

‘That bastard. I’m gonna kill him if I see him again.’

‘Don’t mind him. Just stay alert and on guard. He will surely come after Sollene again and again.’

‘I will. Sorry for this time.’

‘It’s okay. Be alert. I will just roam around the area.’

Luthor felt Dimiter’s presence slowly fading.

“Honey, what happened? Did you call security to see what happened?”

“We will take her first to the hospital. Hold Luthor for now.”

Muriel’s father immediately held her in his arms and went to their car. When they arrived at the hospital, nurses and doctors rushed over to assist Muriel.

~~

After almost an hour, the doctor came out of the room.

“Doctor, how’s my daughter?”

“Please follow me to my office.”

They did. Following the doctor to his office. They had left five guards to secure that no one could enter Muriel’s room.

“Please have a seat, Mr. And Mrs. Gozon.”

“How’s my daughter, Muriel?”

“Please don’t be surprised. Your daughter has HCM or Hyper tropic Cardio Myopathy. Her heart becomes large and her arteries have clotting that caused her to gasp for air like what had happened earlier.”

Mr. Gabriel Gozon, Muriel’s father, didn’t respond as he was still processing the information while Mrs. Mariel Gozon cried after hearing what the doctor said.

“W-what should we do about it?”

“Ms. Muriel should not do extreme activities and should have plenty of rest. A good and healthy diet and exercise. She should also have to regularly drink the prescribed medicine for her. Occasionally, her chest might feel heavy and hurt, but the medicine will help lessen the pain. But if the pain becomes unbearable, a heart transplant is needed.”

“Heart transplant? How many percent is the chance of success?”

“For a strong body, it will be 50-50, but for a weak body, I can’t tell. It depends on the patient's condition. Also, we have to look for a compatible heart for us to transfer to her.”

The information is really a shock for them.