John liked to stare at the wisps that glided past him. It was a form of content, or maybe he felt connected as they would float beside him, unaware of his existence until they entered the city. Each person’s markings were unique and varied on how they passed away.
He filed them into six known categories: Non-violent, which the tiny, and dark star-like blot appeared on their chest; Violent, which was a giant gaping blot in their side, temple or chest and spanned anywhere from four inches to twelve inches. The difference in these was the fact that they were very large in comparison to the dainty blot of the Non-Violent deaths. And then there was Pseudo-Violent, where the blot was on the temple, chest and side but they were not as large as the Violent, yet not as small as the Non-Violent. Their shape was more soft than jagged, in comparison to the Violent scars as well. Accidental scars appeared in tiny and hidden blots between the thighs, under the arms, behind the ears or at the bottom of their feet. Purposeful scars generally had several blotches of black overlapping or obscuring their face─ and finally Saints, these individuals only have staining on their robes and no visible marks along their body. In the eyes of Messiah, these are his most devote followers and they will one day be appointed as a General of Light.
These types of spirits were the only ones truly awakened into their surroundings. They are free to do as they please and learn the city and its laws. When they have learned all there is to learn from the Lost Scrolls, they are rewarded with becoming a Messenger, and are allowed to travel across the Dead Sea into the human realm. They learn from The Guardians, which teach the Messengers how to restore faith and balance within humanity. The next realm, which is the least talked about, is the Unknown, far outside of The City of Souls, Heaven, and Earth. Not a single soul, save Messiah and its protectors, knows what happens beyond the Eternal Darkness Ring that divides the residing realms from one another.
Michael and he had followed the Messengers to the border out of curiosity. Very few of the spirits returned from the Eternal Darkness, and those that had would not repeat what they had seen. It was understood that to question, meant to be cast out. Messiah’s doctrine was absolute─ one John had learned not to mess with. If Michael was discovered, really if either of them were, they would be made examples of and cast into the Abyss. Well, Michael would anyway. There would be nothing waiting for John. That was why he was so determined to make this work, he had to. He owed it to Michael, especially for the pain that he had caused. Michael had lost not only a friend in the uprising, but a brother. Instead of being there to fight alongside his commander in battle, John had severed his wings to be with his beloved. Why Michael had decided to help him, was still a mystery to John. But he planned on making it up to him and pay back what he owed. He would never abandon his friend again.
John hated to think that he might fall into the same category as the traitors, but he couldn’t let the world fade away. Without their help, the demon would awaken in Celeste and all of mankind would perish. He couldn’t allow that. Surely, Messiah could understand that he had to break the rules so that they could all survive this unscathed. It wasn’t just the humans that would suffer after all. The prior Cleansing had happened long before the seven Archangels guarding the throne were created. In the time before the split kingdoms from the Tower of Babel, there was one deity whom awoke from the spark of nothing. The Cleansing had annihilated and the Re-Birth had begun. Upon opening its eyes, a deep longing moved it, and the deity sought to create life.
So it pulled from Itself and scattered Its body across the void. It created heavenly bodies, entire self-run systems and borders that separated the volatile from the stable. Messiah filled every space with some part of itself, for It was the Universe and the Universe was It. As It sat, enjoying the many systems and life-supporting planets, It decided to create worlds within worlds, and thus the Multiverse was breathed into life. Messiah, quite content with Its creations, allowed the creatures to stay connected, speak one language, and talk with one another.
They all agreed to build a tower to heaven so that they could be with their god. One day, Messiah descended to the realm of man and saw their building plans. It realized that no good could come of this, for the creatures would only be able to look upon, and admire their work, forgetting that they were Messiah’s children. And so, Messiah scattered the beings across the Universe and diversified their language so that they would become confused.
It divided Itself among the people and blossomed throughout the Multiverse, so that there may always be a need for it to be sought out and remembered among its creations. Each society found their solace through their own likeness and so the Deities were born. Legends were built from every corner of the Earth and expanse of the Universe. John did not know all the details, because as a Fallen, he was unable to remember what he had learned from The Unknown, but he knew enough to realize Messiah did not take pity on traitors.
“I see you got through,” Raphael called. He never could get used to that as a near-human. Though Raphael was an Archangel of knowledge and safe travels, his travels were monitored by the Generals of Light. And though Michael had been on John’s side, he was only one among the mass that agreed with what he was doing. The rest believed it was against the Universe’s will to prevent the Cleansing. To them, Re-birth was a natural order of things. Zealots, he spat inwardly.
He faced Raphael and dipped his head, “I did, thank you for ensuring my safety.” Raphael smirked and patted him on the shoulder, “Sure, no prob. It’s kinda my thing.” John rolled his eyes inwardly, Raphael was really into Western American culture lately, if he heard another dumb phrase about ‘adulting’ or ‘that’s salty as fuck’ or his personal favorite ‘cray-cray,’ he was going to go the definition of what that word meant himself, and curb-stomp an Archangel. If he could ever have his full abilities restored, he promised himself he would.
They turned toward the white city and started walking to the bridge. “How’s Rashnu?” John asked. Raphael scratched the back of his head and looked to the ground, “As humorless as ever,” Raphael said. John grimaced. Well, it had to be done. Especially since there were three days left until the Harvest Moon.
17 the girl that lived
Celeste directed Daniel over to the JR Keihin Tohoku line and they hopped aboard, heading toward Sakuragicho. It had been a while since she stayed near Oimachi Station in Tokyo. She liked the area, one of her favorite business hotels was there. It was quieter, and there was a little construction but it wasn’t a bother. When they finished with the meeting tomorrow, Celeste looked forward to going out to Shibuya and see if they built anything new since her last visit. Her father had explained that they were building tons of new shops, and that it was looking really good. Of course, that was all after she visited Harajuku to get her fashion fix and eat the famous hand-made dessert crepes. She was practically drooling thinking of the sugary-sweet crepes filled with flan or strawberries and ice cream.
She was there to help her father too, but translating wasn’t really hard. The hard part was pouring over the contracts before Daddy signed. That was usually what took the longest for these business trips. Thankfully, he was the one that went out to have drinks with them during the week. It was proper for her to go on at least one of those, but afterward, she would be able to enjoy the time left.
She frowned, staring out from the train as they neared Oimachi Station. It was going to be hard not to think about anything other than Lain, especially without knowing if she was OK. She didn’t realize it, but─ she needed this. With everything that had been going on lately, it felt good to just relax. Hopefully the men that her father had hired would uncover something. The fact that neither of them had found a clue was devastating. She was Lain’s best friend, and more. She was a real guardian to her and even she couldn’t figure out what had happened to the girl. It was very doubtful that a bunch of strangers could find out anything, but if she knew her father─ they probably had ties with the FBI and some of the best men were on it. She
hated to admit it, but she had completely exhausted all of her own resources only to turn up empty handed. She had to let it go, and focus on herself for a little while.
Daniel followed Celeste’s lead as she exited the train and then waved her card over the ticket gate. Her pace quickened as she confidently strode toward the exit, knowing the station in and out. They passed several shops, including a bakery that smelled amazing right next to the escalator. She made a quick detour into the bakery and grabbed some sweet bread for breakfast. She knew it wasn’t entirely healthy, but it had been so long since she had the French-style bread that she wanted it first thing in the morning. Dallas had some amazing bakeries, but Japan was well known for their French bistros and pâtisserie. Her favorite desert café was less than three blocks from their hotel. She was definitely going to go have dessert and tea tonight after dinner.
Celeste grabbed Daniel by the hand and led him up the escalator and then across the street to the hotel. It was fairly brisk outside, thank goodness the entrance was enclosed and heated. She smiled as Daniel stared at the grand entrance. There was a small market downstairs and several escalators leading up and back down. They rode up to the second level and walked over to the front desk. The staff was every bit as polite and efficient as she remembered. After they checked in and paid, they finally located the elevator. She had forgotten how tucked in the back they were from the main lobby. If it was one thing Celeste never liked, it was riding the elevators in the buildings Downtown. It didn’t matter how many times she popped her ears, it was never enough.
She rested her head on the elevator and let out a long sigh. Daniel smiled wearily across from her. She was so ready to drop all of these bags and take a hot shower, and more than likely, he was too. A small nap before they had to go meet up with her father would work wonders on her right now. The elevator told them to watch their step as the doors opened. She handed Daniel his key and walked toward her room, “I’m going to hop in the shower and grab a few winks before tonight’s meet. You need anything, I’m next door.” Daniel thanked her and then went into his own room quietly. Poor guy, Celeste thought. He must be just as exhausted as I am.
* * *
Japanese television was odd. Not because of the content, as a matter of fact many of their morning programs were very similar to Good Morning America or Today. They even had some home improvement and real estate property shows. It was odd because there weren’t very many channels at places. She swore she had only gotten to five or six stations before looping back to the first one. She watched the advertisement for the skin product and giggled. It both lightened and brightened! Look younger in minutes! Apparently anti-aging products were shoved down everyone’s throat, no matter what country. She never fully understood Japanese women’s obsession with lightening the skin. It was a thing. Her mother would even drape a sleeve over her arm to prevent from getting any color, and wear large, oversized hats. She would always get on to Celeste about staying out of the sun, and that she would thank mama later for it. She smiled to herself, mama was right of course. She was incredibly thankful to not have any sun damage. But at the time, it seriously annoyed her to have to stop and take time out to put on sunscreen.
She switched off the television and grabbed a jacket from the coat hanger. The weather was going to be 104° F which meant she was going to be shivering her tail-end off. That was fairly cold for this time of year, there must have been a cold front that came through last night. The business hotel room didn’t have a traditional step down to put on shoes, so she had left hers on the tile before stepping onto the carpet. She quickly slipped them on, and stepped over to the bathroom. It was silly, but she wanted to take one last look at her hair and makeup before walking out. Daniel may just be a close friend now, but she wasn’t naïve─ there was definitely something there between them and she wanted to look her best around him. She frowned at the huge mess she had made on the counter. Some poor soul would have to clean this up if she left it. She quickly shoved all the makeup back into her bag and tucked it into her larger bag below the sink. It was a weird habit she had picked up as a kid. She never felt comfortable making someone else clean up after her, even if it was in their job description. It just seemed─ rude.
* * *
Celeste laughed as her dad pulled out the tickets. He had been completely serious yesterday when he said he had gotten them all seats to Cinderella by the local ballet company. She was exhausted from a long day of work, but it still worked out. She was planning on going shopping in Shibuya anyway, and the ballet started around four o’clock. She would have more than enough time to do that before the show. Especially considering that the ballet was in Shibuya. Hopefully Daniel didn’t mind being dragged along. She was definitely planning on taking him around the electronic district in Akihabara before they returned to Dallas. That was an amazing place to get lost in. Especially all the cute maid café’s tucked into the buildings, and floors and floors of figurines, music, clothing, and anything that you could ever want with electronics and gadgets. One day, she was going to take Lain here, and to Harajuku to go clothes shopping. She was determined that if they did actually find her, she would hire a lawyer right away and fight as long as she needed to have Lain live with her. No more games. Lain deserved a real home, with a good family. Besides, what was she going to do with all those spare rooms anyway? The elevator doors opened up, and they walked around the indoor mall. Finally choosing a western style shop, they were all seated and given a glass of water. Daniel looked around nervously, “those look like omelets” he said. Celeste nodded and smiled, “yes sir, they are.” He relaxed, “good. Something I actually understand.” Scott laughed and patted Daniel on the shoulder, “hey, buddy, I’m right there with you. The first few times I visited Japan, they couldn’t get me to leave KFC or McDonald’s.” Daniel’s eyes widened, “they have McDonald’s?” He rubbed his hands together, “awesome. I know what I’m eating for the rest of the week.” Celeste groaned and her father let out an appreciative laugh, “Kindred spirits” he said as he winked. The waitress came back with all three plates and set them down.
Celeste sighed in content as she devoured her omurice. It had been far too long since she last had it. The fried rice with chicken and cheese melted in her mouth. She smiled at the little bunny drawn on the top of the omelet with ketchup. Normally she got it with demi-glace, but she wanted something nostalgic that Mama used to make for her as a child. Daniel laughed and shook his head, “you really like that, huh? Can’t say I’m a fan.” He said scrunching up his nose, “not enough salt.” She shrugged and talked with her mouth half full, “hey, your loss.” She said matter-of-factly.
Celeste couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so good. Daniel allowed her to be herself, even encouraged her dorky side. It really was terrible, but she could see herself with this guy in the future. She paused for a moment, thinking. Why was that so terrible? It’s not like she owed John anything. Her chest tightened as the blonde waves and gorgeous body popped in her head. The clothes everywhere─ okay, stop, she scolded. It won’t do you any good to think like that. It’s over. “Hey sweetheart, everything okay?”
Celeste looked up at her dad and cracked a half-smile. It was the one she did when she wanted people to believe that she was okay, but she really wasn’t. All three of them jumped as Daniel’s phone went off and danced across the table. They laughed, and Daniel grabbed at his phone. He glanced at the screen and then quickly answered. “Hey Mike, what’s up?” he placed his hand over the receiver, “hey guys, sorry I have to take this.” Celeste shooed him away and dug heartily into her dish. More for me, she mouthed at him. He grinned and shook his head as he walked off.
She felt her father wrap his arm around her and squeeze tight. “Now that the boy is gone, tell me the truth,” he said firmly. She set down her fork and placed her hand on her hip, “Hey, I’ll have you know that I am perfectly fine, darling Daddy.” That did it. They both cracked up. It was a running gag that Celeste wa
s far wiser than her years and she liked to use old people speech. Scott smiled gently after a few seconds, “you have a lot of your mama in you. She used to do that same thing when something went wrong.” She shrugged uncomfortably and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was hard talking to anyone right now, but her dad was right. She should have come to him about it a long time ago. Or trusted what he had to say, she admitted begrudgingly.
“You ever going to tell me what happened with John?” She winced at his name. Damn, she wished it didn’t hurt this much. It took her a few moments to work up the courage, but finally she did. “He─” her words caught in her throat and before she knew it, tears started flowing. Scott pulled her to his chest and drew her in for a hug. “─ is seeing another woman.” She finished softly. He squeezed her again and nodded as he pulled away. “I know, baby.” He said. Her anger flared and she stared at him for several seconds. “You…knew?” It was his turn to look uncomfortable. “How could you not tell me about that?” she whispered loudly. He sighed and shook his head, “I tried to tell you, but I guess I wanted you to see it for yourself.” When her anger was still very apparent, he added, “Come on, would you have really bought it coming from me?” As furious as she was feeling right now, he was one hundred percent right. When she was walking on sunshine, she would have only believed that John farted rainbows and pooped cupcakes─ she was as gullible as they came with romance. Who was she really angry with? So John had used her to get to her father’s company, big whoop. At least she caught it before they had gotten married and he took everything that she owned. Her shoulder’s drooped and she let the last of her tears fall. It felt good, finally getting the last of it out. Why had she dreaded this talk so much? “I’m sorry, I guess I just wanted someone to blame.” Scott looked at her surprised, “No, no honey. Don’t apologize─” he tilted her head up to meet his eyes, “you have no reason to feel bad about what happened. People do foolish things for love,” he said. She smiled, and nodded swiping at her tears. Scott let go of her chin and handed her a napkin. “Trust me, baby girl─ I have done some incredibly dumb things where love was concerned.” She laughed and blotted at the corners of her eyes. “Thanks, daddy” she said.
Hell's Gate: Awakening - Book One Page 15