I Can See You

The first thing that caught Runa's attention was a black scythe with a very long hilt, stretched out in his grip like a form of death. When Runa first saw him, she didn't notice it, but it turned out that his hair was glowing in the silver light, and his eyes were burning, as if he had flames hidden behind his pupils. He wore a kind of thin cloth that covered his face up to the middle of his nose. The cloth looked like gracefully churning water, and Runa couldn't see the face behind it.

The demon didn't reckon with his sudden appearance. The angel swung his scythe, cutting off the tentacles that were entangling Runa. Runa fell, and she closed her eyes, preparing to hit the floor. But no, she just bounced back up, making her body rotate, and now she is no longer upside down.

Then, with one hand, the angel caught her. He wrapped his glowing arms around Runa's waist, carrying her with ease as if Runa was as light as a feather.

The angel didn't look at her. His gaze was ahead and Runa could only observe the sides of his face. Just like when Runa had the courage to meet the demon's gaze, now she mustered up the same courage to simply catch the blazing flame from the corner of the angel's eye. Runa's gaze traced down to the curve of his nose and high cheekbones, to his porcelain-like skin.

His face was truly breathtaking, with or without light around him. Of course, because he's an angel. Is there a picture of an imperfect angel? Certainly not.

Runa landed safely out of reach of the demon's tentacle. Behind her, the demon was raging and the tendrils that were like convoluted and protruding veins all over his body moved swiftly in waves that sent chills down Runa's spine.

For a moment, everything had slowed down, with the angel embracing her and giving her a brief sense of security. After he saved Runa, the angel turned around and tried to save Mandy, accompanied by a roar that Runa thought was anger from the demon.

Unlike Runa, who was carefully carried and landed, when the angel cut off the tentacle that was ensnaring Mandy, he failed to catch her body. It was because the demon gave a counterattack that forced the angel to dodge and move away from the rescue path. Mandy fell from the noose. Her body bounced far enough before hitting the wall close to Runa. Runa flinched, imagining her best friend had a broken bone or concussion.

Runa wanted to run to Mandy and hug her, protecting her from the fierce battle that was now taking place between two creatures she had never seen before.

The angel led the demon away from Runa and Mandy, and Runa took the opportunity to carry out her intention to save Mandy. She crawled, dragging her sore leg with all her might.

When Runa arrived, all she could do was hug Mandy and protect the girl with her own body.

Roars alternated with clinking scythe, and jets of black liquid that spread out in all directions.

Runa closed her eyes and hid Mandy in her arms while burying her face in Runa's shoulder.

Flashes of light flashed behind Runa's closed eyelids.

She ventured to peek and saw the angel give his final blow to the now formless demon.

The angel spun while raising his scythe high into the air, then he plunged the sharp tip of the scythe into the top of the demon's head and pulled it forward with all his might.

The demon's head split open and more black liquid spilled out, flooding the floor, turning its color like oil. Then smoke and hissing sounds emerged from the demon's remains, before everything burned without a flame, and turned to dust.

Unlike the pieces of the demon's body that burned and turned to dust, the thick, sticky black liquids still lingered in all directions, as if not allowing Runa to simply forget the existence of the entity that said it wanted to eat her alive.

After the deafening noise earlier, now everything was so quiet. Only the sound of her and Mandy's breathing could be heard, and Runa was afraid that the demon, or the other demons, would come back here and eat her, or tear her body apart and suck her blood out.

For a full five seconds, Runa was sure that she was dreaming. Nightmares of being tired. She wasn't in the classroom building, watching the senseless battle between an angel and a demon.

But when the angel approached her, knelt on one leg, reached out, and opened his grip to reveal Runa's necklace, her belief that this was just a dream dissipated in one breath.

Likewise, the concern for the safety of her life, just evaporated when she faced the angel.

Runa raised one hand, while her other hand was still hugging Mandy, and the angel tilted his hand, causing the necklace to fall onto Runa's palm.

"Thank you," said Runa. Her voice was shaky, and so was her mind.

The angel said nothing, nor did he react to Runa's thanks. The look in his eyes implied he wanted to say something, but he didn't.

The two stared at each other countless times, in the silence that slowly had a distinct atmosphere. It's the kind of silence that occurs after a major storm has passed, which leaves both chaos and relief.

"Who are you?" asked Runa. Her voice was like an echo, clear and low, and carried a sacred impression.

Of course, the angel didn't answer, until Runa heard the commotion around her again, but this time its voice was different.

Sirens buzzed in the distance, followed by the shouts of those giving orders, then the pounding of footsteps entering the building. Runa could feel the vibration, the people climbing the stairs quickly towards her.

Not long after, those people appeared. People that Runa didn't know. They were wearing uniforms in black, white, red, and yellow. Police, paramedics, firefighters.

The angel stood, the long-handled scythe still in his hand. He and Runa turned towards the crowd of people who were pointing flashlights at her and the angel.

"They are here!" someone shouted, who then ran to Runa, followed by the others. Runa saw Morrison at the back of the crowd. His face was as pale as a corpse's, and fear was still there.

For a moment, Runa thought Morrison and the others saw the angel, but all eyes were on her and Mandy.

Runa looked confusedly at the angel towering in front of her, then her eyes widened in surprise as the people passed by the angel like a ghost.

No one is aware of his existence other than Runa.

Why? How could that be?

The angel looked at Runa one more time, before turning and walking away from her, then leaping through the window at the end of the hall that led to the outside of the building.

Shortly after he left, the lights on the third floor came on, and the people who had gathered around Runa and Mandy carried them away from there.