Chapter VI. Nineteenth

My tears will not stop from falling. Galen loved Lorna so much. He loved her more than anything else.

I hate seeing thisㅡI hate seeing him beg for the one he loved. I hate this feeling!

"I know you can resurrect Lorna. You are a deity, the Supreme Deity. You have the power to help Lorna." He begged.

"Do you know what it means to resurrect a human, Galen?" The light asked him.

"I will do everything," Galen answered the light, "I will sacrifice my wingsㅡfor Lorna." He knelt down and lowered his head.

Why would you do that, Galen? Why would you sacrifice your wings for a girl? He is stupid for doing that. I wiped my tears on my cheeks. I want to come to him but I do not know how to do that anymore.

"Wings are specials gifts from God. I know that you are aware of what I am trying to say."

"I am prepared for what will happen to me. I just want her to live peacefully. I want her to be happy... even without me."

"Then, we have a deal." The light disappeared and Galen stayed still. He is still kneeling down with his head, still lowered.

"Galen!" I called him and he did not look at my direction. My eyes widened when I saw his reaction. It is like something was painful. "Galen! Galen!"

I called him once and he did not answer me. He stayed still. He clenched his fists and lowered his head even more. What is happening?

"Galen!" I ran towards him and before I could reach him, his wings lightened and it suddenly faded like a bubble. He looked at my direction and my heart broke when I saw how his lips formed a smile while tears are rushing down his cheeks. I cried.

I woke up with a heavy feeling. The ceiling of my room welcomed me and which means I just really came back to the real world. What a sad dream, I told myself. I rose from my bed and looked at the mirror. My eyes are swollen. I cannot believe that I literally cried.

I cannot forget how Galen begged and cried for a girl, for Lorna, for my ancestor. He really loved her. He did everything for her. He sacrificed his wings and he accepted the curse for sacrificing his wings. It really hurts to see how those tears fell for a girl. Thinking that he was so smitten with a girl before hurts me.

You are sad again, Hina. Do you want me to buy you an ice cream? Samuel would say. I shook my head and tried to refresh my mind.

I parted the curtain and opened the window of my room. The sun is already rising from its sleep. I remember I was planning to go to the museum to save Galenㅡeven though I do not know how to do it.

I want to save him but after seeing my dream last night, I am afraid to come and see him again.

He was just a stranger to me but he helped me to move forward. He healed me. Hina, it is still clear to my mind how soft his voice was when he called me. I felt so happy. I touched my chest to feel the beat of my heart. Whenever I am thinking about Galen and whenever he is around, my heart could not stop from beating like it is going crazy. Honestly, I have never felt this before.

It does not mean that I fell in love with Galenㅡno, never. I do not even know what love is. I do not know how to love in a special way.

No.

I tied my hair and walked towards the door but the sudden pain on my back stopped me. What was that?

"Hina, are you there?" Mom called me behind the door. The pain suddenly disappeared, I feel relieved.

I opened the door and gave my mother a morning kiss.

"How sweet." She laughs.

"What is for breakfast?"

"Your favorite!" She held my arm and led me to the dining area.

Everyone is sitting and waiting for us. Mom prepared a lot of foodㅡit is so unusual.

"Happy birthday!" My father and my sister said in chorus. Mother entered with a vanilla cake on her hand. I gasped. I forgot that today is my birthday!

"Happy birthday, Hina. You are finally nineteen!" Clara hugged me.

"Come on, blow your candle." Mom is so happy like it is my first birthday. I walked forward and made a wish before blowing a candle. I hope everything will be alright, my wish.

"To be honest, I forgot my birthday. Thank you so much for doing this." I told them.

We sat on the chair and started eating. I am finally nineteen but I missed a lot of things: school, friends, new things, and name it. For the three years that I have spent inside my room, for not talking to anyone, I realize it was not bad at allㅡI met Galen and he made me realize a lot of things. It helped me, though. And I believe that it is never too late. I still can go to school and make friends. I want to do that. Besides, that is what Samuel and Galen wants me to do, right?

"What do you want to do today, darling? Do you want to watch a movie?" Mom asked.

"Oh," I started thinking about the possible and awesome things that we must try today, "I think it would be the best to watch a movieㅡ"

"No." Mom and Dad saidㅡalmost synchronized. They glanced at one another and glanced away.

"I mean, it is Sunday. There are a lot of people wandering everywhere. You know, family dayㅡtoo crowded. And I do not like that." Mom explained.

"Then, it is the best time to watch a movie. Today is Sunday. Just like what you have said, it is a family day." It is been so long since the last time we had watched a movie.

"Hina is right, Mom, Dad. Why don't we just go out and have fun?" Clara added.

"Oh darling, we don't have to go out to have fun. We can have fun here, inside the house. Let us just watch the movie in the living room. Just the four of us." Dad suggested.

"Okay, then." I smiled. I do not want to insist my plan so I just decided to agree with my parents. It is true that Mom do not like crowded places butㅡwell, no buts.

After having our meal, I told them to go to the living room first because I have to do the dishes before we start to watch a movie. I still cannot believe that I just turned nineteen and I cannot help myself not to think about the possible things to do, like, it is a new chapter of my life and I must try a lot of thingsㅡbut I want to do what I have missed before anything else. Cute, Samuel would say. You are no longer my baby Hina.

I will always be Samuel's little sister.

Please, take care of her. I stopped washing the plate when I heard something. It was not a memory, it was not an illusion. Raise her as your own. I am begging youㅡI will die sooner. I got goosebumps of what I heard. What was that? I put down the plate and washed my hands and turned my back on the sink. I must be crazy for hearing these kind of things. I will die sooner and she has to live. My heart pound on my chest when I realize what the voice sounds likeㅡit was full of sadness and guilt. Why am I hearing this? Whose voice was that? I covered my eyes but the voice of a woman will not leave my mind. Raise her and love her with all your heart. She is special. You have to take care of her and never let anyone harm her.

"Mom! Dad!" I panicked when I heard that voice again. I stepped forward and my feet seemed to be glued on the floor when I felt the sudden pain. It is the second time. And this time, it is not just a normal pain. The pain is excruciating that I almost screamed. I am scared. The voice was not an illusion. I was not hallucinatingㅡand I am not crazy! Why do I have to hear that thing?

"What is it, darling?" Dad asked, they all panicked and came to my direction. But they looked shocked and scared when they saw me. They stepped backward. Mom was holding her mouth and tears are going to fall from her eyes.

"What?" I still managed to ask even though the pain is excruciatingㅡand I feel like I am going to die.

"What is that thing on your back?" Clara asked in a small voice without taking her eyes on me.

"Oh, my God." Dad mumbled which is still enough for me to hear. My forehead wrinkled in confusion to what they saw and when I glanced at my side, I saw a white thing coming behind meㅡit is like a huge thing. I cleared my throat and looked at the glass window of the kitchen. My eyes widened when I saw something behind my back. It is... unbelievable.

"Why do you have wings?" Clara asked once again. I did not answer her and I realize that my head is spinning and everything went black.