The Tale of Zero Mallory

Humans were born weak. They are the very definition of fragile, reckless, incompetent, fickle, careless, and other derogatory adjectives I could ever think of. It's entertaining how they thought they are the superior beings among the other living that ever existed when all they managed to do was invent things that just bring them closer to their death. I scanned the room filled with these mortals as I spun my fountain pen between my fingers. I watched as I see the swarm of students as they walk back and forth between the shelves while the other half were already burying their faces in the pile of books laid on in front of them. I observed them as they knit their foreheads as they try to understand the words they were reading that I know for sure, they'll soon forget just a few years after or for some, it only takes days. Tapping my pen on the marble table makes me wonder why do they even try? Hell, I'm impatient as f**k but even my patience's longer than their lifespan. I don't even know why they choose to spend their short time in things they can't even carry to their grave. I transfixed my gaze to the far side corner of the library and one of the corners of my mouth rose when I saw one student having a breakdown while doing her readings. It's funny how she buries her nose in her Engineering Mechanics book just to slam it against her forehead out of frustration. My wristwatch beeped indicating that my time is up. The wooden chair creaked as I pushed myself up against the marble table and place my pen inside my coat pocket. I'm still observing my surrounding that I didn't notice that I was about to bump into something. I stared down at the mere mortal in front of me raised a brow. The books she's carrying on her forearms almost covered her eyes but I can clearly see the glare she's projecting towards my direction. I smirked and waited for her to move out my way when she angrily stomped her feet over mine. "Ouch!" I complained as I reach out to touch my toe. Damn, I felt like she broke a bone. "Move!" she violently snapped at me and it made me jump on my feet. I heard her curse under her breath before she bumped my shoulders aside and continued walking. Annoyance was slowly creeping up to my system and I was about to call out her attention when I suddenly felt an ominous presence behind. True to my intuition, I whirled around and saw a celestial being hovering behind me. "To what do I owe the honor, your holiness?" I sarcastically said and scoffed. "That's scary," Eros replied, completely ignoring my spiteful remark, as he tapped his forefinger on his chin. I followed his gaze as he stared at the woman until it reached her table and sprawled her books on the flat surface. I snickered when her books slid from the table and made a loud thud on the tiled floor. Her face blushed as everyone around her abruptly turned in her direction. I was still laughing at her episode of clumsiness when she whipped her head in my direction and caught me laughing at her. I shrugged my shoulders when she scowled at me so I flashed her a grin. What she did next was rather amusing than irritating as she bravely waved her middle finger in the air. "She's feisty," I faced Eros when he spoke and was greeted with his suspicious smile while lying sideways on the marble table where I used to sit. I rested my elbow over the mahogany shelf next to me and fixed my gaze into his eyes. I groaned inwardly when I saw him lift his hands then snapped his fingers. In a snap, he was gone in my sight. Sighing, my brows furrowed as I hang my head low and started counting. One, two, three... I counted in my head before stretching my right arm to my side and smirked as I felt his neck on my palms. "Fucker," he choked out and aggressively tapped on my wrist to remove my grip. His face contorted in pain and I let out a satisfied grin as I watch his face turned to blue before I finally decided to let him go. "Fuck... you..." he coughed out as he dearly caresses his neck that I almost snapped just a moment ago. A dark gleam flashed through my eyes and it seems Eros got a whiff of what I was thinking because he immediately dematerializes when I was about to extend my arm. He popped again near the clumsy woman who's now engrossed with her books as she was tying her hair up in a messy bun. I gawked at him as he started messing with the loose strands of her hair. I snickered as the human he's messing with suddenly stretched its arms out and suddenly swung her hand mid-air that she almost knocked Eros over. Some students glanced in my direction and gave me strange glances. They immediately looked away when I stared back at them as I fixed my posture against the wooden shelf. "Damn, she's scary... Does she have a third eye or something?" Eros inquired as soon as he got back to my side. The buzzing noise of the students keeps getting louder as the clock almost hits noon and the students started pouring into the library. "Quiet!" the librarian bellowed from her chair and the students immediately shushed. The angel of love started flying over the bustling students who were occupied on either finding a book or finding an empty spot. I watched as his wooden bow and arrow appeared in front of him after twirling his fingers in the air. Eros closed one of his eyes as he stretched his bow and took an aim towards a familiar student who was now slumped over her desk as she snores away, earning dirty glances from students who were having a hard finding an empty seat. It was the human who was breaking down a moment ago due to her engineering books. "Excitare!" he exclaimed and the student bolted right up. Eros let go of his arrow as it swiftly cut through the air and shot the woman's chest. "Bull's-eye!" I let out an exasperated sigh as he did his little victory dance in the air before I started walking towards the library's second floor. Before I even reach the first step, Eros spoke. "Do you think she'll be better off with this smarty-pants or," he redirected his arrow to a kid stuck alone in one corner, "to Mr. Gloom?" I scoffed as I realized that he's probably bored again so he's out here messing with human hearts. He made a face when I didn't speak so he closed his eyes and started spinning around. "Bingo!" he beamed as he let his arrow fly and it successfully hit another human. I looked at him with disdain when the arrow landed on a guy that was neither of his initial choices. "For an angel of love, you are f*****g heartless," I pointed before turning my back on him. I was halfway up the stairs when popped right up my face and gave me a toothy grin. The fucker looks happy and it just means that I'm in deep s**t right now. "He who doesn't know how to love does not have the right to question how love works," his voice was low and I can feel his menacing power exuding from him. A spiteful retort was resting on the tip of my tongue but with my powers taken from me right now, the smartest thing I could do was to shut my mouth. I rolled my hands into a fist and bit back my tongue as he tapped my cheeks. Then he stepped back. The dangerous air around him from a second ago was completely gone and now he's beaming again like a kid. At that moment, I knew, Love was indeed dangerous. "What are you doing here?" Eros asked joking the moment we reached the enclosed room on the library's second floor, acting as if he didn't release any murderous intent earlier. "That should be my question," I shot back glaring at him. I'm already enjoying my peace for the past two weeks but this fucker could really sniff me out no matter where I go. "A law school? Dude, I thought you're already a lawyer?" Eros cringed his nose as he looked around the books piled with dust in this section. This is one of the library's restricted areas. But I guess this was forgotten as well based on the dirt accumulating on every corner of the shelves. Despite all the dust and dirt, I could say that it's one of my favorite places to visit on Earth. I touched the backbone of one ancient book that existed way back from my time. I can taste the unpleasant sense of nostalgia in my mouth as flashes of memories came back without my permission so I had to brush it off by diverting back my attention to Eros. "I was a f*****g prosecutor, you dumbass," I gritted my teeth when I saw him made a face, not really listening to what I am saying. "Well, they all look like you," he pointed out and I stopped in my tracks. "What do you mean?" I asked, half curious and outright offended with his stupid remark. He studied my reaction and sported a mocking smile. A glint of mischief was evident in his eyes as he raised both of his eyebrows in a knowing manner. "I was referring to your chinky eyes tho." "You're a f*****g racist," I spat out which only made him spun in 360 degrees. "Stop showing off your blonde curls, you look life f*****g Goldilocks." That made him stop from his gleeful laugh and so I smirked and started trudging down the tiny hall that leads to the locked room on the second floor. It was locked with an ancient padlock and I reached out from my pocket coat to take out the fountain pen. I took off its cap and it revealed the only celestial key that can unlock the door. I can hear Eros whistling behind me. The padlock clicked and I pushed the old wooden door open. Compared to the musty hallway. the air in the room was clearer as it was induced with divine powers guarding the safe space that has been granted to me. The two windows were showing different sceneries of places I'm currently longing for right now. I looked over at Eros as he immediately went over to my bed and tried to jump on it but the forcefield I placed made him shut right up the ceiling. "Fucker!" he suddenly cursed and I laughed so hard at his disheveled state. There's a bottle of a hundred-year-old rum on my side table and I started walking over to pour myself a glass. "You want one?" Eros scoffed in disbelief at my sarcastic question then he started flying over the paintings I kept in my room. I let him looked around as I drank the rum in one go. The fire I felt in my throat made me winced as my stomach was slowly filled with liquor's warmth. I guess I had to revoke my statement from earlier. Humans did invent something useful over the years. My eyes darted to Eros when he got close to a painting that leads to a secret door where I kept my personal belongings. It took all my power will just so I can keep my cool. Knowing how nosy he is, he'll continuously poke his nose around if something about me sparks his interest. Then a sudden suspicion rose in my chest and I abruptly placed my shot glass on my side table, making a sound clinking sound that made Eros turned his full attention to me. "Now tell me..." I turned around braced myself. "Why are you here?" Eros didn't speak as the black velvet curtains moved to cover the windows. Darkness enveloped the room at once and I felt the hairs on my nape prickled with tension. The only source of light came from Eros' luminous presence that was typical for every celestial being. His heavenly glow almost blinded my eyes that I had to look away. "f**k," I cursed as I urged myself to escape the room but I felt my body froze in a moment. Eros looked at me with pity and I felt a sense of anger bubbling in my throat. "Damn... you..." I managed to get out as I feel my limbs getting numb. I can feel my body getting slack and all I want to do was to grab Eros and rip him into pieces. He probably read what was on my mind because he took a step forward and gazed at me with that f*****g pitiful expression of his. "I'm sorry, Zero..." he uttered as he relieved me from my paralysis. The first thing I wanted to do was to strangle him but I felt my knees lose their strength as it dropped my whole body on the dusty wooden floor. The temporary immobilization took a toll on my body reminding me of the cruel fact that every part of me was still human; weak and powerless. The thought fueled my hate and adrenaline rushed through my body. I somehow regained the strength in my arms and legs but before I can even move, a deafening clap of thunder strike the room. Every ounce of annoyance I felt almost vanished when he made a circular motion with his forefinger on the air, making his 'love power' work. The smell of 'love' in the air made me sick and I automatically covered my nose and mouth to stop myself from gagging. "You're a fucking..." I tried to finish my sentence but I felt my body being numb all over again. My vision starts to get blurry as my knees buckled against the ground. The specks of dust from the wooden floor clung to my jeans and my sweats formed in my palms as I try to gasp for air. Instinctively, I clung to my chest as if it would help me breathe but any effort was useless against the divine power that is slowly shrouding every corner of the room. "I got orders," Eros announced as he took a step closer. He was smart enough not to get too close because I'm more than willing to pull his leg and slam him to the ground. "God is now willing to give you a chance." I tried to look up but the tears pooling in my eyes are making it impossible for me to see anything. I tried to stop breathing so I won't inhale the scent of his power in the room but my attempts- were all in vain as I feel Eros' power completely taking over my body. I opened my mouth to speak but all I can manage was to wheeze for air as I felt the oxygen being squeezed out from my lungs. Mark this f*****g day, Eros. I swear on my grave, I will f*****g make you pay for this. My mind and heart were in turmoil but I can feel my body relaxing. My fits were loosening their grip as I gradually slip over the hard, cold floor. As if I've undergone great spiritual healing and the 'peace' his power projects took over. In a snap, all the negative emotions I had were swept under the rug and I felt like I'm in a daze. My cheeks were touching the cold floor but I don't even have a minimal ounce of strength to sat up straight. I can feel Eros' feet near my face but I could not even lift my hand to grab nor touch him. And once again, I regressed to such a sorry state as a man. My immortality does me no good without my powers and I started hating Him once again for putting me back into this humiliating state. Then I felt His presence, the room shook with His power as thunder and strong wind brought havoc in the place. The sealed windows and door keep on rattling that I can feel the violent convulse on the ground. My bones started to ache as my body shook along the wooden floor and it lasted for a minute that I think I developed a bruise. The shudder stopped and the glow from Eros dimmed. I flinched as I weakly moved my arms and propped myself up on the floor. Throbbing pain attacked every joint in my body and I had to bit back my curse before I offended Him once again. I looked up at Eros and he was standing still as if he's an effigy in the middle of the room before he opened his mouth and spoke. "Heed this verdict, human," Eros' eyes glowed as he opened his mouth and God's ancient raspy voice came out. It sounded like a million voices are speaking at once and I can feel the hair on my nape prickled. "Your arrogance made you a fool," he growled and I got almost blinded by the flash of light that struck the room. "Your negligence to My generosity would cost you everything you loved and own. Until you learned how to value the life you have been given, you should experience the cruelty of being human." He lifted his hand and I felt my body being lifted off the ground. I tried to clasp on the wooden floor but there's nothing to hold on to from the flat surface. I can feel the beads of sweat forming on my forehead and the hairs on my nape prickling along with the tension forming in the air. I can feel the oxygen's slowly depleting as the flashes of thunder keeps on coming and before I inhaled the last drop of air to my system, a sudden relief washed through me before I lost my consciousness.