Nirvana

Chapter three

“This is the west wing where you'll find most of your science classes,” Vanessa said as she and Darren walked through the hallway. “Lectures are held down this hall, labs are held around the corner. Food and drinks are not allowed at this point for safety reasons. You do not want to anger the science professors.” Vanessa made sure to walk far enough to avoid accidental touching. It felt awkward but Darren didn’t seem to mind. She was grateful he didn’t force too much conversation. The faster she got through this tour, the faster she could go check on Sarina. They passed a door that didn’t have a doorknob, just a golden digital pad.

“What’s this door for?” Darren asked. He had noticed plenty of doors like this around the school.

“There are certain rooms only seniors can enter. This door, however, is only for licensed herd hunters, angels usually. It's where we store important equipment, such as battle outfits, power intensifiers. Equipment for exorcists. Stuff like that. We don’t get too many humans at this school, so I don’t know if you’d get a badge for this room.

“You guys don’t have human herd hunters?”

“Of course not, they’d just get themselves killed.” she folded her arms across her chest. “The closest human we have on the team is Renei. She’s a Demi angel, but we keep her more on the outskirts of the city, helping evacuations closer to safety.”

“Demi Angel, huh? What’s the difference between that and pureblood?”

“Well, demi angels typically don't have the capability of earning their wings.”

“How do you earn them?”

“You’re asking an awful lot of questions. Do they not teach humans angelology in your schools?” he shrugged.

“We do, though it’s not a required curriculum. Plus, a lot of the books on angels are outdated and kind of…upsetting. They talk about the wars and the experiments that took place for the sake of research. A lot of people don’t want to hear about how crappy our ancestors were.”

Vanessa frowned. “Assuming some of them aren’t crappy now.” Darren laughed nervously. “Angels earn their wings when they do incredible good deeds. Say if you save a life or prevent fatal accidents.”

“So everyone here saved a life?”

“Not all. There are plenty who haven’t earned their wings yet. Though it’s not exactly hard. Good deeds vary far beyond just saving a life. It had to have had a strong positive impact or outcome on a group of people.”

He smiled. “Wow, that’s pretty interesting. So what good deed did you do?”

Vanessa thought about it. “I’m not sure. I got mine pretty young, so I don’t remember much.”

“It must have been nice though. I bet you were the coolest kid in class.”

Vanessa frowned. “You’d think so….” an awkward silence fell. “Anyway, over here is the gymnasium, outback is the track, and on the right is the door to the cafeteria.” Vanessa sighed, relieved that the tour was finally over. She would still have about 20 minutes to spare before evening classes started.

“Man, this school is huge,” Darren said as they made their way to the register. “I don’t know how anyone manages to navigate?”

“You’ll get used to it after a week or two. It’s not as big as it looks.” They ordered their food and went to sit by themselves. The cafeteria was empty as expected.

“Maybe if I lived on campus.”

“You don’t?”

“No, my dad wouldn’t let me. But then again, my house isn’t very far, so it’d be a waste of money.” When she didn’t say more, he shifted the conversation.

“Does your family live far? Or do you stay on campus for the experience?”

“I stay because I don’t have a choice. I…I don’t really have a family.”

“Oh? How come?” she side-eyed him. It was obvious it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about. It did leave him curious about what her past was like. Deciding to change the subject, he noticed she had ordered all vegan items. “You’re vegetarian? Can angels not eat meat?”

“No, all my friends eat meat. I just choose not to because of my ability. I can talk to animals, so it makes it hard for me to indulge in their consumption.”

“Cool! That would make having a pet 50 times better. I’m jealous.”

“Why?”

“You guys practically live life on easy mode.”

“Excuse me?” Vanessa protested. “You think this is easy?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he back-peddled. “It just seems like the things you can do are kinda convenient. You have the potential to fly, which saves money on transportation. You have these amazing abilities that normal people could only dream of. You’re practically born perfect and everyone loves you.”

“You don’t know anything,” Vanessa argued. “Having wings isn’t all it's cracked up to be, especially amongst you humans.”

“You humans?”

“Yeah, because of your rules, most of us can’t even use our wings unless it's to provide civil service. One of the main reasons there are so many herd hunters now is because a lot of us sign up just to get some time to stretch our wings. If not, we’re obligated to keep them bound inside us, which becomes really painful over a long period of time. Our abilities sound cool, but like everything, it comes with its setbacks. I hear animals constantly. Because of that, I avoid all animal-contained facilities such as shelters, farms, and zoos. I hear all their cries, yet I can’t do anything about it and it’s literal torture. And we are far from perfect, you humans just like to label us that way to justify your own jealousy and outdated beliefs. I wouldn’t exactly call that love.”

“I thought the wing law was set to make it easier to spot fallen angels and demons, since they can’t hide their wings.”

“Alright, we’re done here.” She gathered the remains of her food and tossed them into a nearby trash can. Darren grabbed her shoulder. She turned to him, pure fury in her eyes. “Get your hand off me! Before I break it!”

Darren quickly held up his hands and stepped back. He hadn’t expected her to get so upset.. “I’m sorry...I really didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Well, you did.”

“I’m nervous alright? I wanted to try to be your friend, make conversation. I understand it was less than pleasant, but it wasn’t intentional. I just haven’t met many angels. I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out what I can and can’t say. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Vanessa relaxed a bit. His face showed genuine remorse. Had she overreacted? “I also don't talk to many humans. I also don’t really like talking about myself like this, especially to a stranger. You guys haven't always had the best rep for befriending supernaturals.

"That’s fair."

"Look, I have to go check on a friend of mine. Let's talk later.” This time Darren didn’t come after her as she left. She pushed the guilt down and headed toward the infirmary.

As she made her way toward the nurses' office, Vanessa bumped into Raid and Renei. "Oh, hey guys, I thought you were still resting in the dorms."

“We were, but we were worried and wanted to see how Sarina was doing,” Renei said. She pulled out a clear container. “I thought she might be a little moody from earlier so I bought her some cheesecake.”

The group entered the room and found Sarina’s bed. There was a large white curtain surrounding her.

“Hey! You guys don’t knock?!” Sarina screamed. They had pulled the curtain as she was changing back into her uniform.

“Oops! Sorry, sorry.” Vanessa pulled the curtain back and signaled for Raid to leave. “You heard her, get out.”

“Why am I the only one getting out?” he whined. “Aren’t we all like family?”

“Get out Raid!” Sarina ordered.

Defeated, Raid stepped out of the room. Vanessa and Renei reopened the curtain. Vanessa was astonished to see how badly beaten Sarina actually was. She had bandages wrapped around her arms, her head and torso. The sight made her shudder. She hated the sight of someone badly injured. It gave her unsettling flashbacks.

“How’s your wing?” Vanessa asked. “Can you move it?”

“Yeah, doc said I shouldn’t use them for a few days, but they weren’t as damaged as they looked.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get there fast enough.”

Sarina nudged her. “Hey, it’s not your fault. s**t happens. Good thing that guy came when he did.”

Vanessa’s jaw tightened. The memory gave her goosebumps. “Speaking of him...Did he seem kinda familiar to you? Like we’ve met him before?”

Sarina laughed. “I doubt it. Think I’d remember seeing a hunk like that.” Vanessa eyed her. “What? Come on, you can’t lie, he was kinda cute, in a mysterious, emo kinda way. I couldn’t see his face very well, but he looked pretty well built. Don’t tell Katskai I said that.”

“No promises.” Renei teased.

“I may be mistaken, but….there was something about his eyes. I know I’ve seen them before.”

“You were gazing into his eyes while I was fighting for my life?” Sarina teased. “Shows what type of friend you are.” Vanessa blushed and they giggled.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Hey, I won’t tell. Just tell me the details after.” she winked and Vanessa rolled her eyes, turned away from them. It wasn’t true at all, so…why was her heart pounding?

He stood outside as he waited for the school day to be over. If he hadn’t followed them, he probably wouldn’t have found her. When they’d crossed paths earlier, her scent sent him into a frenzy. If it hadn’t been for the intense fury coursing through his veins, he wouldn’t have been able to contain himself. It wasn’t his intention to be spotted. He was on a mission. The herd provided good cover up for the crime he was committing. He had murdered a man who was unjustly let go after r****g a child. The sins on him looked far too appetizing. He was about to leave, but a faint scream distracted him. It was a voice he knew very well. A voice that haunted his dreams. Without a second thought, he raced to the source. She was sprinting desperately. Fear drenched her entire body. Why was she so frightened? He looked down the road to see a girl being pinned at the mercy of an imp. The sound of her heart pounding with such anxiety stabbed at his own chest. He wanted to ease her worry and eliminate that haunting look of despair on her face. He let the fire consume him and phased right by her. How dare this vile beast cause her so much anguish? He needed to be punished. Once it was over, he turned around to see her standing a few feet away from him. He couldn’t see her face, but her eyes were enough. They were just as beautiful as he remembered. He wanted to remember every detail of that moment. She was taller than before and a lot more developed. If it weren’t for the mask covering his own face, she’d have seen him blushing. He wanted to call out to her, but the markings on his arms started to burn, the brat was stopping him. Not like he wanted her to see this side of him just yet. He phased away before he could change his mind. He retreated to a safe distance to calm himself. He couldn’t have been happier. Now that he knew where she was, he wouldn’t let her get away from him again.

After finishing a few assignments from her syllabus, Vanessa closed her laptop and changed into her pajamas. She felt utterly exhausted after such an eventful day. Why would a hellgate open so suddenly? Why in her city? They hadn’t had many for sometime, so why now? She looked over at the picture frame sitting on her nightstand. It was a picture of Dylan and her when they were younger. The memory of the mystery man from earlier crept into her mind. Shivers ran up her spine and she couldn’t understand why. Was she cold? She took the picture in her arms.

“Guess what Dyl,” She said as she gently caressed the frame. “I survived my first herd. Pretty exciting start for senior year. During training we’d only battle a few rogues. Sarina got hurt though,” she sighed. “Where are you Dyl? Why won’t you ever talk to me? I’ve asked Katskai countless times, but whenever we try to get in contact with you, you’re never there… Do you not want to talk to me? Are...are you even up there? Are you listening?” She kissed the photo and sat it back on her nightstand.

She ran. Her panting breaths were all that rang in her ears. She had to make sure. She had to check, just to make sure he was still there. She ran, not slowing down for a second to catch her breath. Past the strangered tombs, past the lonely graves, she ran, staggering over blankets of dirt. She could see his tombstone in the clearance as the clouds parted and gave way to the moon’s light. She was almost there, just a few more feet. Her feet got caught and she fell face first into the cold soil. Why was there so much of it? She raised her head to see that the grave was completely dug up. Something about this was strangely familiar. She edged close to the grave and looked down. Empty. The air grew hot, smoke surrounded her. It was almost suffocating. Then, he appeared, a man dressed in all black. He appeared in front of her, his hand outstretched. “Vanessa…” he cooed. He pulled her into a tight embrace and, in the blink of an eye, her entire world was on fire.

Vanessa awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. Was that the same nightmare as before? No, couldn’t be, something was different. Something moved in the corner of her eye and she caught a glimpse of someone with blood-red eyes looking through her window. She took a breath and screamed.