Gone Astray (1)

When Larra and Aziel got inside the house, it happened fast. Larra did not even have time to resist, she is swiftly pulled by the man waiting at her in the entrance of her house's doorway.

"Where have you been? Are you trying to escape me?"

A man with disheveled hair and a fat belly greeted Larra. It was his husband, Deman. A piece of rotten scumbag—Never sober and often drunk, he lived in his primitive brain and behaved accordingly.

Bombarded with questions, Aziel felt it. Something is off with Larra, from her cheerful smile morphed into hushed stillness as he witnesses Larra suddenly trembling on her knees.

The tantrum began with Larra's breath turning from quiet and regular to a panting irregular gasp.

She sucked at the air like it had suddenly become thick and is now almost too difficult to draw in.

"No, I will never leave you... I just went to—"

"Silence! You want to leave me huh! Is that it?"

"No! honey..."

He became deaf to the soothing words of his wife, rapidly back-tracking on his previously idle stance. But by then it was irreversible. His next stage was always to smash whatever he could lay his hands on.

Larra acted as if it is a normal occurrence, she had seconds to hide everything she cared about. Placing all fragile objects away from his reach.

Years ago she could have just held him down, but not anymore. She pressed her lips, preparing to endure. Her eyes were devoid of emotion but Aziel could see a faint light begging for help! To call somebody, but he knew that they are far away. Less than fifteen blocks away, no other houses are near.

When Deman finally exploded he didn't go for the objects placed at the long beaten table, as usual, he went straight for Larra; pummelling, hitting, kicking, biting.

Not even the sound of a complaint is heard from Larra. From the punch to the erosion of self-esteem over time, those hits either came fast or acted as a dimmer switch.

Just the sound of bones, flesh creaking, and Deman's angry shouts are heard. After several minutes...

'Why is she allowing that man to do that to her?'

A question popped at Aziel, he watched in horror as she was balled up unconscious on the floor and is crying in the corner, sucking her thumb with a ripped dress in her arms.

There is nothing more damaging than the physical, but emotionally she is shattered nonetheless. Every facet of her dignity disintegrated and shunned. She is less than nothing, not even as loved as an object to be used.

When his husband is relieved from his madness, the look that Deman gave her is lace with contempt, annoyance, and a subtle hint of threat.

Sometime later, she stood up and picked up her dress as if picking all her broken pieces. The lost beautiful smile is again standing in full blossom, bearing her fake mask that Aziel saw in their first meeting.

Aziel could not believe his eyes: that all he had seen this whole time were all just smoke and mirrors—Larra's smile is just a fabricated lie.

Gritting his teeth, for the first time he witnessed how the mortals were no different than they, the immortals.

As an angel, how many times did he had to punish people for the sake of justice he once desperately fought for? How many times did he have to wear an indifferent gaze as he brings them on to their knees, clinging for God's mercy?

Didn't he felt pity towards them? But as the perfect being, he was created for, he had to hide this feeling and proceed to do what he is instructed.

'Looks like, even mortals had to wear their own mask. Play pretend.'

He sympathized with Larra. As he did, he felt more attracted to her!

Sobbing and weeping, Larra went to the kitchen and prepared a portion of food for his now slightly sobered husband which made Aziel angrier.

Yet Aziel is hopeless. He could not do any harm against anyone. Spiritually bound by the land of Arcadia, the authority of the Highest Seraph is of no use, sealed and contained.

Throughout the whole afternoon before dark, Aziel quietly stayed inside the house of Larra, contemplating ideas, concepts, the whole meaning of his existence inside that gloomy four corners of the house.

Sometimes he could hear Larra bursting to tears then followed by a peal of laughter as if she had gone crazy. Then her eyes would drift to her husband who peacefully slept in their living room.

Aziel had many questions to ask but who would answer them if nobody can see him? He even thought to himself that perhaps the reason why he is defeated by Balgra Kazta is so that he could learn why the mortals defied God.

.

.

.

...

Several hours passed!

Larra who just finished cooking and serving a meal in the kitchen frowned when she could not find her husband.

Turns out, that his husband had left her again. She murmured alone as she decided to eat the egg soup she cooked.

"That lowlife, he must have gone to get more beer at the nearby tavern."

Hearing the soft whisper of Larra, Aziel had an inkling to look for the whereabouts of Damon. He is also hoping to test a few of his abilities.

He might have been reduced into a lesser spirit by now, but a lesser spirit also has some things he could still do.

"That bastard, I'll make sure to punish him..."

Walking at the dried patches of land outside the house, Aziel's eyes glinted red. He tried sensing repressed negative emotions to find Deman. Just like how the sky had darkened greeting the eve, his white heart turned rotten in a flick.

It's amazing how those of pure can easily think destructively once consumed by anger.

After several seconds, he closed his eyes to concentrate. Information and hues of aura assaulted Aziel's mind. All the people living in Arcadia had different distinct signatures. All of them conjured a giant vortex of colors which Aziel can interpret as mortal's unique signatures.

'This is great, I could still use this.'

He recalled that Deman belonged to the molten lava-like hue, that gave him a hint to where he should find him.

And just like what Larra said, Deman is near the tavern. Since Aziel could no longer fly, he ran towards Deman's location seething in anger.

The dormant emotions began to well. Little did Aziel know, he is now getting consumed by his own feelings. Everything is a blur, he never noticed. Falling down from heaven made him this way.

He did not only violated the rule of Angels prohibited on admiring mortals, but now he began to act on his own! Aziel is about to commit a greater sin...