The Beginning, her and him again

A young adult female was laying in the bath as the head nurse stood at her feet and gave her support.

"You're getting there! Just push a bit more!"

The child was safely delivered but as the head nurse was holding the second child, the baby was not crying like normal ones.

"Why isn't he crying?"

The tired and worn out female asked in worry and panic. The head nurse was silent as she desperately but gently patted the baby's back to help and see if he would cry out. After what seemed like a long time, which only lasted a minute, the male baby finally cried out. 

"Head nurse! The first child suddenly lost consciousness!"

"What happened?! Explain yourself!"

"W-well, she was drinking the milk like normal and then we heard the male baby cry out and that's when we noticed this child stopped moving! I tapped her back but she wouldn't wake up!"

The head nurse frowned and then the female baby woke up again and cried out. The head nurse then noticed the male baby within her arms did the same thing as the female baby.

"It can't be…"

With suspicions, she watched the female and male twins switch from crying and falling unconscious.

"They're one soul! They share two bodies! A miracle!"

The young mother was silent. She pondered and then made a huge decision for her children. The male will be sent to the holy academy, when he is able to understand words and speak, to learn and become a priest. The female shall stay and live her life as their daughter. Her children will learn to live two lives at different times of the day and night.

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"Mother! I will be out to play with friends!"

"Alright, be careful!"

"I know!"

Rai hugged her books and rushed to the mansion's entrance, where a carriage was waiting on her. She was going to the center of the town again. Rai bundled her skirt and jumped out of the carriage. The carriage had left right after she stepped down. It was their usual routine. She left to the gates where the guards were. She waved at them as they greeted her.

"Good morning, my lady."

"Good morning~."

She continued down the path for a bit before turning into the bushes. Her destination was a bit off road for a few minutes. She moved the branches out of her face and saw her secret hideout. It was an abandoned home before she cleaned it up and took ownership of it. It seems that no one has been here for years. She had to fix the wooden furniture, the worn down windows and walls. It was a small wooden house. One main bedroom and a built-in kitchen. There was also a well in the back and a garden next to it. She cleaned up the place and has been maintaining it well these past year.

She was humming as she picked vegetables for lunch. She washed and prepared the food, then she went to the old shelves to clean the dust off for this week. She then pulled her hand back when she felt a prick. There must have been a wooden piece sticking out from behind there. She looked at her hand which had a small cut that had started bleeding. She went to wash off the wound and didn't notice her blood dripping onto an old rolled up paper with a red wax seal on it. The blood was absorbed and the ancient writing started glowing.

Rai returned to the shelf after wrapping her hand in bandages. She noticed the strange roll of paper and bent over to pick it up. She turned it in her hand but it continued to have glowing writing. She was about to place it on the table but suddenly a flash of light bursted from the weird item. She quickly dropped it, stepped back a few steps and shut her eyes from being blinded. When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to see a cloaked person floating above the ground in front of her. She was looking directly into the large hood but she could only see darkness. Nothing else. The person was holding a large long weapon in one hand. She assumes it is an older male based on the pale but strong looking fingers and wide palm. They stared at each other for a moment, just purely accessing each other. 

"What do you wish to trade with me for your soul?"

"Huh? Trade my soul? You are a devil?"

"..."

"I didn't summon you. It was an accident, please return to your home."

"...I feel a wish from your soul. It may not be time yet."

"Then…what will you do?"

"I will stay here and see. Your time for a wish is drawing near."

"Oh…okay."

Rai didn't feel any ill intentions and just accepted the knowledge as is. It didn't change her life or endangered her in any way. Plus, she's only here half of the day. The devil turned his weapon into this black mist and it went back into his body. He moved to take off his hooded cloak and placed it on one of the chairs that came with the tiny round table. Rai was shocked to see the devil with deadly handsome features. Obsidian eyes with a red gleam within. His hair was silky straight, which went all the way past his hips. She had assumed based on the books in the library of the church, that devils are deformed beings with charred boney bodies. She calmed quickly and lost interest when the taller man took a seat and looked out of the window. The two did their own thing and time passed quickly.

Rai was reading her books, seated opposite of the devil. The sun had set and she seemed to realize the light on the pages was a flame from candles that appeared out of nowhere on the table. She stood up and looked out the window.

"Ah! I'm in so much trouble! It's getting darker, I have to go!"

She grabbed the books and rushed back to town. The town gates were about to close and a guard had noticed her.

"My lady?! You haven't returned even after this late?"

"Yeah, I fell asleep and overslept while reading my novels."

"That's a first. You're always on time. You must be busy lately. Be careful of your health! Hurry home now."

Rai nodded and rushed to where the carriage was waiting for her. She returned home and saw that no one noticed she was out so late. She let out a relieved sigh and went into her bedroom. She dropped the books on the side and slumped onto the bed.

"That was nerve wracking. Ah…I wonder if that devil would need to eat? Do they even sleep? I don't even know."

Rai changed and prepared for bed. She laid down and transferred her consciousness to her male body. In a plain little bedroom, Rei opened his eyes and got up from bed. He changed into his simple linen robe and went out of the room. Right outside the door was a huge wide temple. A large and long holy pool with a statue of god at the end. He stepped down into the cold pool water that reached his waist and slowly went closer to the statue. The stone marble statue was raised above the water so he had to go up 5 steps and kneel before the lord god. It was his usual routine of praying for 3 hours and giving offerings and then the rest of the night was filled with sweeping and cleaning the huge temple by himself. The high pope, his mother, and a few trusted aids of his mother knew about his special condition.

He had to stay here since he was able to understand the situation. At a young age, he knew he was smarter for his age and that he was very different from other humans. His soul had two bodies. His mother was strict in her teachings. But it was a harsh form of care. His female body will be in control during most of the day and around the same time near night time, his male body was in control. The female was taught to be the next inheritor of the dukedom. While this side of him has to learn the teachings of priesthood. Worship and pray, eating bland foods without meat, only focusing on the lord god his whole life in the male body. He didn't think it was unfair or unsatisfactory. He was a strict and loyal believer of god. And he knows God is real because everyday, after praying, a small flow of energy would enter his body and nourish his soul.

He felt warmth and comfort when this energy spread throughout his entire body. Something that he never felt from anyone else. Not even his mother. He knows that his mother loves him but she wasn't a love showing type of person so he never got much skinship with her or anyone. This warmth felt like his entire being was being hugged. Sometimes it felt so strongly that he wanted to moan out from satisfaction. But his god was watching so he couldn't embarrass himself like that. As his soul got stronger, he was able to be more sharp with his senses. Like now, he could feel the god's gaze from the statue. The god would watch him do whatever until he returned to his bedroom.

The moment he closed the door, the intense gaze fades away instantly. Rei was used to it by now. Rei doesn't know why but he had somehow gained a bit of romantic feelings for the god. He was embarrassed and ashamed when he realized that his emotions to the god were impure. He is 20 years of age now. His mother has been pressuring him into finding a partner for his female body. As well as to give birth to a child as soon as possible. Children around his age would already have been married for a few years now with a few grown children too. But his mother liked to spoil him and so she had been pushing the engagements and childbirth expectations off for a few years.

"Wait…the devil said I have an unrealised wish. Is this what he meant?"

Rei decided to sleep early tonight and wake up early tomorrow to head to his secret home. Rai opened her eyes and saw the sun had yet to rise but the sky was getting lighter outside. She quickly got ready for the morning and didn't even take her books with her this time. She decided to ride a horse into town, to go by herself today. She told the servants before she left and left the horse at an inn to stay until she returned that evening. She ran to the tiny home and saw the devil still seated, straight back and elegant posture, looking out to the window. When she rushed into the front door, she bent over and took deep breaths to calm her heart beat.

"I know what I want."

"..."

The man turned to look at Rai, waiting for her to continue speaking.

"I want a lover. I mean a husband. I am willing to give my entire soul as an offering for this wish."

"...as you wish. Look into my eyes."

Rai jumped a bit when the devil suddenly appeared in front of her instead of being seated a few feet away. She raised her head and looked directly into his eyes. Her own eyes widened as she noticed how beautiful the man's eyes were. There were specks of red flowing within his pupils, just like glowing stars in the sky. Her mind suddenly felt heavy. She tried to clear her head but it was difficult as she continued to look into the other's eyes. She felt woozy and drunk mentally. Then she felt a hot sting on her left shoulder. Rai pulled her sleeve down and saw a crescent moon mark in the place that stung with heat.

"So are you going to find a man for me to marry?"

"No."

"Then…how will I have a husband?"

"I am your husband."

"Wait…i think i understand but there's a few problems with that…"

"Tell me."

"My mother expects my husband to…to do intimate things with me. They want me to have a baby…"

Rai confessed with a deep blush. The devil's eyes flashed with an unreadable light but it was gone as quick as it came. Rai was playing with her fingers as she waited for the other's response.

"It is not impossible to impregnate you. You need to think this through. Are you positive you are fine with my touch? My being within you? Our bond?"

"Truthfully, I am nervous. But although it is our first time knowing each other, I have a feeling of familiarity with you. A warmth from a past of some kind."

"..."

"Well. Since we are both fine being together. It's best to get to know each other. You'll be with me until I die and then you will take my soul away afterwards, right? What is your name, my devil?"

"...it is not possible for normal humans to call nonhuman's original names. Just give me a name you would like to call me by."

"Oh…hmmm. Let's give you the name, Sage. Someone who is calm and full of wisdom."

"I will be called Sage from now on."

"Yes and you can call me Rai."

"Rai…"

Sage murmured under his breath. Her name on the tip of his tongue felt and sounded familiar. And then he realized. She was that soul. The soul that he had watched over as a Guardian Angel before he was banished from the heavenly realm. She must have been reborn many times for the few hundred years he had isolated himself after becoming a fallen.