Chapter Twenty-Two

Agnes could not explain to Jin why controlling her thoughts was so easy for her.

"It's not easy," Jin said.

"It's easy for me," Agnes said. "I don't see why you say it's hard."

The next training was to get stronger. For that, they were arranged to fight against other warrior angels. Agnes was not too strong physically. But she was fast.

She was up against a boy named Artemis. Artemis was built like a huge rock. Agnes knew if she wasted even a second, she would be done for. So, before Artemis could move, she kneed him in the groin and then repeatedly punched him in the face. Artemis kicked at her leg, but she moved faster.

She was ruthless. Angels were not supposed to be ruthless. No angel would hurt another angel like she did. She became first, but the professors were wary of her. She was warned by the Base.

As her weapon, Agnes chose a spear that had a longer blade. She used it like the body of it to block attacks and then attacked with the blade. Her instructor thought it was strange of her to use it like that, but she found it better to use it that way instead of throwing it.

Agnes knew she was not meant to be just a warrior angel. She hated fighting. She was unkind and narcissistic. She was not meant to be an angel at all.

Then, she found out about Seth, a year her senior, who refused to bow before the Base. She saw him before too and Jin said his eyes were very rare. They were blood red.

Agnes stole a dagger made of angel blood from the Base. It was easy. She just had to beat someone up so much that the girl had three broken ribs, internal bleeding, and trauma in the brain. Then, Agnes was sent to the Base where she was told to spend 20 days. She knew forbidden magic, thanks to Jin bringing her forbidden books on demonic magic. She used that magic to break out of her cell. She was a good thief, she realized when she easily stole the dagger. Then, she went to meet Seth.

Agnes knew Seth did not need her help. Yet, she forced her help on him so he would remember her. She wanted to have a part in what he would do. He was meant for greater things, she knew it.

No one knew she helped him escape. Angels could not get into her mind. The void did not help, since she could manipulate the void into believing her lies.

After the training, all the warrior angels were presented before the Base and they bowed before the greater angels. However, before that day, a war took place and the warrior angels, fresh from graduation, took part in the war.

Agnes fought in the war as little as possible. She hated to move her body too much. She just wanted to observe.

Jin was also there. He made medications for the angels to heal faster. Agnes thought he was safe since he was away from the real war. She did not even worry about him at all.

Demons launched a sudden attack on the scholar angels' temporary residence and using weapons made of angel blood killed almost all of the present scholar angels. Upon hearing about the attack, Agnes hurried back, only to find Jin stabbed through his heart, barely alive.

Agnes's eyes stung and she held him close to her chest. He was trying to tell her something, but only blood came out of his mouth in vicious coughs.

"If you die, I'll kill you," Agnes said.

Jin chuckled, even though he was clearly in way too much pain. Agnes wanted to smack him for taking death too lightly.

She did not think much. She cut open her palm. She cut a part of her wrist. The cut was deep, although not big. She held the cut against Jin's mouth.

"Drink."

Jin drank. Then, she drank Jin's blood by cutting the same place on his wrist.

Their souls had been bound together since then. Agnes shared the pain Jin faced. Jin survived only because Agnes made him her soulmate, to share pain, happiness, sadness, everything together. If one got hurt, the other felt the same pain. If one died, the other could not live.

Agnes kept him alive long enough to get treatment. He survived and he hugged Agnes for a long time.

"I never doubted- not even for a moment," Jin said, during his rest. "Since the moment I met you when we were five, I knew. I always knew some day, you and I would become soulmates."

"I never thought about it before," Agnes said, staring at the new mark on her wrist that was prove of her soul being bound to Jin. "But when the time came, I did not think twice about it. I just wanted to save you."

"Is it weird, Nes? Father said I will marry you some day. But I don't see us marrying. No matter how far I look into the future, I don't see us married and with children. I see us as we are. Side by side, laughing together, living together and just being okay."

Agnes kissed him on the forehead. "Just because we love each other, it doesn't mean we have to entangle our bodies. Just because we are soulmates, it doesn't mean we have to marry. I care for you, you care for me. That's enough. It will always be enough."

***

The memory of the dream left her mind as soon as she woke up. She was certain she saw Jin in her dream and another boy, although she could not remember any part of him.

It was odd.

Somehow she knew the name of her cell. The void.

***

Agnes woke up at the sound of someone opening the door of the cell. She stared at the gap widening, expecting nothing hopeful for her. How many more fears did she have to experience? She had no idea she was afraid of so many things. They were little things. Like a cockroach getting trapped inside her clothing, a fat insect getting smashed under her bare foot, getting trapped in the middle of a sandstorm with nothing to shield herself from and so on.

It was more like whatever she was thinking of, she had to face it.

Someone entered her cell. It was a man for sure, judging by his physique. He was quite tall, his face hidden under a hooded cloak.

"Hello, Agnes," he said. His voice felt familiar.

"If this is a game- I swear-," she hissed.

"It's my turn to help you, darling."