Vladimir's POV
I woke up but I can't remember when I fell asleep. My last memory is of Uriel kneeling in front of me before Gabriel stabbed the knife in my side. Did I die?
Or wait, no. I'm dead? Am I dead?
No, maybe? I don't know anything about heaven or hell, but I am very sure Fermine's bookshop is neither of the two. How did I get back here?
Am I just dreaming all these times? I felt myself. The wound on my body is gone. I am no longer weak.
I'm back as if nothing happened.
I looked around, called for Fermine, but he's not around. I decided to go out. It's still the same place. Other infrastructures are still broken and vampires are still around.
It's like I was dreaming ... so, it was all a dream? The angel Gabriel ... and everything!
Ugh! I got it in my head. I no longer knew what to think. It's like I'm playing with a kid that I'll never win again. I haven't even fought yet but I know I'm losing.
Cassy ... Syne ... Cassandra ... please...
I cried. I poured all the strength I had into that tear until I was exhausted. I didn't know where to start so I decided to just go inside the church.
Unexpectedly, I saw her.
I stopped. I was caught off guard.
It's Cassy.
I closed my eyes and counted before looking up again because it might just be a dream. It may not be true that she is in front of me and the angels are just playing with me but I felt full of joy when I opened my eyes, especially whe she still stays in her place while talking to the children.
I slowly walked closer to them. I didn't want to disturb her even though I really wanted to hug her. I stood a few meters away from where they were sitting and listened to her voice as she happily told stories to the children.
What is she telling me?
I listened.
It was then I realized she was talking about us, our love story. She was telling the kids about us which even made my heart ache.
"Oh, what happened to them?" The girl asked. "Are they staying together?"
"Is there a happy ending?" The boy added.
"Hmm, did they both die? The sad thing is," The boy said sadly. "Is there nothing you can do to make it a happy ending? Do I have to-- "
The boy wasn't able to continue what he was going to say when Cassy stopped him. "I do not know. But I promise, I'll be back when I know the ending of the story."
She looked at me and smiled before ordering the children to return inside the convent first.
It was then my turn to ask, "What's the ending?"
"Are you not going to hug me? Don't you --- " I ran towards her and hugged her. She's so light, as if I was hugging a feather.
"I love you," I whispered wholeheartedly to her. "I love you so much, Syne, Cassy, ​​whatever your name is."
"It's Syne. The Angel of Memories," she introduced and laughed as she bowed. "Nice meeting you--"
I cut her off. "Stop that Syne," I said uncontrollably. "Why? Why do you have to do that?"
"Do what?" she innocently smiled.
"Why do you have to save me?" My tears kept falling but they suddenly disappeared when he held my hand. In a moment, the pain I was feeling disappeared. I felt at peace.
"You are worth saving."
That made me cry even harder, because I know, I am not.
"Am I worth it more than the afterlife?"
Cassy glanced at me and slowly smiled as blue light gradually surrounded her entire body.
She held out his right hand to me, still not losing her smile while I, I don't know what I should feel. Should I stand proud?
"You are worth it to make me fall."
She took my hand because I couldn't hold her hands.
I love him but it's wrong ... so wrong ... especially and I know in the end she will be the one to suffer.
"C'mon, we haven't finished watching Twilight yet. I'm still in Part 3. So, how about we end it all now and tomorrow we can think things through."
"Cassy, ​​no, please..."
"Sssssh. Give me this, Chival. Just this, for the last time, let's have a nice day because I am not sure if... "
"Okay..." I nodded.
I inhaled and exhaled.
I tightened my grip on her hands.
"Let's ride the train?"
She smiled happily at me and I just wished that the smile would never leave her lips.
We boarded the train. We went to the mall where we often go. It's true that there are no people so we were alone in the whole cinema where she watched Twilight all day while I just watched her.
We went back to how we used to be, where no one thought of anything but just to feel happy. But, there are times when we just stop and wonder what really needs to be done.
I want to ask her. I have a lot to tell her but I don't want to ruin this day. As she had in mind, this might be our last happy day and after that I would never see her again.
It's very painful. I thought we didn't know how to get hurt. That the vampire has no heart to feel pain, but why does it seem to pierce me. I can not breathe.
I felt like dying.
I am really supposed to die, I guess.
That's it.
I should end this.
Now that I know my purpose, then suddenly this happened.
Ugh. Did we really sprung out of evil? Is that the reason why we, vampires, can't be happy? Is this karma?
"There, it ended," Cassy stated. She remained staring at the screen as she sang the song A thousand years used as the song in the last chapter of Twilight.
"Cassy," I held her hand.
"Hmm?" She looked at me. She's so pure and I hate myself because I am the reason why she can't go back to how she used to be. She cannot go back home.
"What does heaven look like?" I asked, though it wasn't really what I wanted to ask.
She looked up as if she could see the sky even though something was blocking our roof.
"Heaven is your heaven, Chival," she chuckled. "What made you feel like heaven is your heaven."
"You are my heaven, then," I told her. "Though, I wasn't sure if I'll go to heaven. What's hell like?"
"Your deepest regrets, grief, what-ifs. The thing that will kill you over and over again, well, metaphorically, "she shrugged.
"That's what they say. I've never been to hell. I mean, I did once, to visit a fallen angel, "added Cassy.
"How many fallen angels went to hell?"
"There's only one fallen angel in hell."
"Lucifer..." I said immediately. "You want to go to hell? You will choose to go to hell... "
"Lucifer is my brother. We're close, so hell's not that bad."
"You are lying," I concluded. "Your hell means you are going to disappear."
"You don't know that." She stuck her tongue out. "I will be fine. You have to trust me. Come, let's watch the sunset," she said.
I remained seated. She looked at me again.
"Chival?"
"Syne," I called her real name. "Do you want to become a human?"
I saw shock filled her eyes and eventually she shook her head. "I can't be--"
"Hypothetically speaking, if you can. Will you become one? "
"There are times..." Cassy sighed. "Sometimes, I pray I can be a human," she whispered enough for me to hear. "Or that, I don't hold power in heaven. That, I am just an ordinary angel... "She looked at me. "Then, maybe.."
"Maybe?"
"We can be together."
I shook my head. I restrained myself from crying.
"If you are a human, what's the one thing you would like to do?"
"Why are you asking me this?" he asked, confused.
"Just answer it," I urged.
She thought.
She flicked her fingers, and in a second, we were both standing inside the church. It's a church that I couldn't recognize. It's my first time here. And I'm sure this is the first time we've been to this place.
"Where are we?"
"This is my favorite church."
"Why is this your favorite church?"
I looked around to note the entirety of the place. I wanted to go back to this place even though I wasn't sure I could do that yet. It's unfamiliar to me so I had to look outside to find out where we were but I got no answer. It just looks the same in ordinary churches. The only difference was instead of the bell above the church, there's a large glass hour, similar to Cassy's necklace, which she gave me.
I held it with my hand.
"Is this church named after you?" I asked.
"No. But, people used to call me here. If they want to dream of their past lives. Or when people used to pray for the souls of their loved ones. Well, it's a long time ago when people believed in reincarnations."
"That's you over there ... and Uriel..." I pointed to the large mirror where Uriel's face was engraved.
"People no longer pray to you?"
She sadly smiled.
"People stopped praying, Vlad. Well, some of them are still praying... "
"That's what you want to do when you become a human?" I replied. "To make people pray again?"
"Yeah. I think so," she put her two hands behind her back before facing me. She smiled broadly as if she was a teenager who was thrilled. "But ... not really. If I became a human... "
She turned her gaze back to the altar. "I want to marry the man I will love for the rest of my life."
"I don't have a ring, but..." I used my fang to bleed. "I have my blood. It's not a proper way, and a human way, well." I chuckled a bit.
I opened his palm and dripped my blood there. "This is how we make treaties or promises between vampires. I don't know how you do it in your world."
She chuckled. "What are you asking me to do?"
"Marry me, Syne," I seriously met his eyes.
She closed her eyes and instead of the usual black eyes she used when she mingled around humans, I saw her ocean blue eyes. I glanced at it, afraid I might see myself in hell, though she quickly closed it before I could see it.
When she opened her eyes she immediately blew my blood causing it to look like the feather of an angel.
"Close your eyes, Chival," she ordered.
I followed it. I felt him holding my hand and slowly his wings were hugging me. I feel like he wrapped me in his wings.
The sweetness of the feeling. It seems that his feathers are tickling me, slowly caressing my whole body.
"Can I see your wings?" I whispered.
Before I could even open my eyes, I felt her soft lips against mine.
It was only for a second but it felt eternity.
I was floating.
It felt like heaven, so this must be my heaven. And, my hell would surely still be her. As long as it is her, then I'll be fine. As long as I will be able to see her, I can handle both ... even hell.
"I love you, Syne." I held her hands, so tight, because I know if I let go, it will be the last and ... I can't ...
"We can't get married, Chival. But, I know for sure, after a thousand years, our human counterpart will be married right where we are standing," she whispered.
I broke down when she added, "I love you, Chival Fear."