A Blade Made Of Fire And Ice

AURORA 

I was tired, down to my damn bones, and I was aching all over. Maybe that was why I was hearing and seeing things. Demons? Sin-eater? Yeah, right. This wasn't a video call or something. 

And this Riven guy saying I wasn't human? If I had the strength I would smack him. Of course I was human. I just had anger issues that were as big as a house, but that doesn't mean I wasn't human. 

And as for whatever happened to them? That display of pain, and Kael's tattoos moving and glowing, and his whole demon look? I just told myself I was tired and my eyes were making up things. And I just lost my bike—my baby—so I was grieving. Hallucination was grieving as well. Says who? Me. 

"I'll write my address down," I said as I moved to Kael, taking out a small book and pen from my pocket that I use to write down orders. 

He stared at me with an uncomfortable look in his eyes as I walked to him. And I noticed there were no horns anymore. See? It was just my eyes. 

I gave him the paper and he took it slowly, looking at it like I had just offered him a second life. They said handsome men were weird. They weren't lying. 

"Let's never see each other again, Kael," I said as I turned to leave. 

"Why not?"

I turned to face him, an eyebrow raised. "Why not? You just wrecked my bike that I've had for seven years. You said you're a demon and you have horns! That's why, Kael. You're weird and I don't like weird people." 

"But you'll see him?" he asked, pointing a finger at Riven without taking his eyes off me. And why does he sound hurt?

I shook my head. "Oh no. No, I won't be seeing any of you. This is the first and the last time I ever want to see your faces. You know what?" She turned to Riven, marching to him. "I'll take a cab home. I don't need you to drive me. Take the address from demon boy, and let's never see each other again!" 

I walked away, not once looking back as I came out of the alleyway and waved down a cab. I got in, gave the driver my address, but before I drove away I looked back at the alleyway. Both men were still standing there, but they were staring at the building across the street, their expressions deadly. 

I looked over at the house but saw nothing. 

"Creeps," I whispered as I shook my head. 

***

When I got home, I immediately entered the shower, washing today and its weirdness away. I never wanted to have a day like this ever again. It was both weird and draining. 

But as I stood under the shower, feeling the warm water on my skin and my muscles began to relax, I couldn't help but think.

Back then in the alleyway, I had felt something. Usually, when I got angry and lost control, I felt like a different person, like something had taken over and pushed me back into my subconscious. I was aware of what was going on, yet I could do nothing. 

But later, in the alleyway, it felt like me and that thing beneath my skin had coexisted for once in my life. It felt like we were working together. And I had felt… powerful. I felt like I could crush anything. I felt that power moving and pulsing. 

And the way those men had looked at me… with terror yet with a bit of awe, it felt too familiar, even though I had never seen them before. 

I shook my head, looking up and letting the water hit my face. 

"You just need sleep, Aurora," I whispered. "You're tired and all those thoughts are just rubbish." 

I nodded to myself and stepped out of the shower, toweling my hair dry before I dressed in my night clothes. 

I sighed as my body hit the bag, covering myself with the blanket. 

"Yeah. Those are just rubbish." 

My blinking became slow until I finally fell asleep. I didn't normally dream, but that time, I had the most vivid dream ever. 

***

Thunder cracked, but there was no rain—only fire. 

The sky above her burned gold and black as angelic blades crashed with demon fire. The world was ending. Or beginning. She couldn't tell. But she was at the center of it. The cause of it all. 

She stood at the edge of a crumbling temple, her body bleeding but her hands blazing with violet light. Her wings—half-feather, half-shadow—beat slowly behind her, the last of their power dying. 

She was dying, but she couldn't. Not yet. Her brothers and sisters were killed, and she was going to avenge them. She wasn't going to stop until she had torn the heavens and hell apart. 

They wanted to take her lovers away from her, too. They wanted to kill them, too. And that was when she had snapped. That was when she'd had enough. 

They were coming for her now. Both sides. Heaven and Hell. Enemies since time began, but tonight… united. 

They would need it. They would need all the power they could get if they wanted to take her down. 

"She's not sin," they whispered in fear. "She is a rupture." 

They were right to be afraid. 

She was Wrath, and she wasn't going to be stopped. They have gone too far this time. 

Four figures circled her, two on each side—not enemies, but her lovers, the ones she would burn the world for. 

She looked down at her hands. The magic inside was tearing her apart—that was what happened when you had too much power. It was never meant to be held by one being. This much power shouldn't be in one person and it wanted out. 

She had taken the final sin into herself—the one Heaven and Hell feared. 

Oblivious. 

The end of choice. The collapse of order. And she would tear the world apart just like they have torn hers. 

She smiled. Then walked into the heart of the battlefield. And screamed. 

The power erupted from her in a spiral of violet, black, and white. The sky cracked. The stars blinked out. Everyone fell to their knees, and just as the world was about to turn black–

A blade made of fire and ice pierced into her heart. 

***

I woke up gasping, covered in sweat, shaking, tears flowing from my eyes and I had no idea why. My heart was pounding like war drums against my chest, and amidst the chaos, four names, four faces. 

But I couldn't remember them. The faces were blurry, and the names were gibberish in my head. 

I rubbed a shaky hand on my face, exhaling. That felt too real. Too damn real and vivid. 

"Water," I whispered, getting off the bed, but then a crash came just outside my room and I screamed.