Night sprinted through the skeletal remains of the building. Fire roared around her, but she didn't mind the heat. Piles of debris and massive boulders blocked her path, but she swung her scythe with desperate precision, cutting through the barriers of stone and steel.
After minutes of frantic searching, she finally found her.
Hana was bathed in her own blood, burn marks marring the once-flawless porcelain of her skin. She looked like an abandoned doll, broken and tossed aside. Night dropped to her knees and pulled the lifeless body into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I failed you again," Night whispered. Her voice cracked, and for the first time in centuries, the Angel of Death wept. An angel hugging a broken doll—it was hard to tell which of them was more shattered.
Night glanced to her side and saw Hana's soul. The spirit was staring at its own corpse. Unlike the other spirits Night had harvested, Hana's was not glowing. There was no grace, no visible life-force just a cold, silent observer.
"Don't worry," Night vowed, looking at the spirit. "I'll save you no matter what. I won't let you die this easily."
She felt a hard object in her pocket: the scalpel.
She remembered that Hana had finished her oath before the collapse. All that remained was to cut her own palm and bind their blood together. But how can I do that if she's lifeless? Night thought, despair washing over her. She has no pulse. There is no heartbeat to carry the blood.
Then, a faint voice reached her.
"Night."
Night turned. Hana's spirit was smiling at her. a soft, fleeting expression. But then, the spirit began to fade. Confusion gripped Night, but a sudden instinct took over. She pressed her ear against the chest of the "lifeless" body.
Thump. Thump.
A heartbeat. Faint, but there.
Night checked her own palm; the wound from earlier was already beginning to heal. She sliced through the skin again and lightly cut Hana's palm, pressing their wounds together. The oath has been done earlier, all that's left is to seal it by wound binding, which will fusion their bloods together
The fusion created a sudden, violent spark. A glow so intense it exploded throughout the wreckage, catching the attention of the crowds outside. When Night opened her eyes, she saw Hana's wounds closing, the burns fading into smooth skin.
On Hana's wrist, a bracelet had appeared—bright, crimson red, like liquid gold. Night looked down at her own wrist. A matching one mirrored it. It was embedded into the skin, as if it had no beginning and no end.
"So this is the effect of the contract," Night whispered.
Voices echoed from outside. The humans were coming.
"The research can wait," Night muttered, gathering Hana into her arms. "For now, we get out of here."
With a powerful snap of her wings, Night ascended, flying through the smoke and into the safety of the clouds.
The Guild of the Angel's Hideout
"What's your plan now?" Lunx asked, leaning against a wooden table as she observed the sleeping girl on the sofa.
"Well, of course, I have to protect her for three years," Night replied, wiping soot from her face.
"Uh-huh. That's good and all, but we both know there's more to it than that. What does your contract say about the legal terms and conditions?"
Night blinked. "We... have legal terms and conditions?"
Lunx facepalmed. "You didn't read the whole contract before leaving headquarters, did you?"
Night looked away guiltily. "..."
"You may be smart, Night, but you're too impulsive. I figured this might happen." Lunx tossed a heavy scroll toward her. "Read that. It contains the full agreement."
Night's voice softened, sounding almost like a child. "Lunx... thank you."
"I know how much you hate those 'inflexible rules,' so I predicted you'd leave this behind. Go read it. You'll need a table and some coffee; it's a bit lengthy. I'll watch her for you."
"Thanks, Lunx. What would happen to me without you?"
"You'd die," Lunx said flatly.
Night stared at her. "Never mind. I'll pluck all your feathers once I'm done reading this."
Lunx just laughed at her friend's antics.
Not long after Night disappeared into the study, Hana finally stirred. She glanced around the rustic room until her eyes landed on Lunx.
"Hi," Lunx offered a warm smile. "It's good that you're finally awake. Do you want something to drink? I'll get some tea for you."
"Where am I? What happened?" Hana asked, her voice raspy.
"To your first question: let's just say you're in a safe zone in a world of danger. As for the second, I'll let my friend Night answer that for you."
"Oh yeah... Night," Hana whispered.
"By the way," Lunx added, pointing to Hana's wrist, "nice bracelet."
Hana looked down. The bracelet shone like polished red gold, brighter than any luxury jewelry she had ever seen. She tried to tug it off, but it wouldn't budge. It felt like part of her anatomy. She eventually gave up and looked out the window. Based on the thick trees and lack of buildings, they were deep in a forest.
I remember sealing a contract with Night, Hana thought. Was it all a dream? If it was, being here doesn't make any sense. Unless they kidnapped me.
"I'm back with your tea," Lunx said, re-entering the room. "I hope you like white tea. Are you familiar with it?"
"I think so," Hana replied.
"Then I'll let you be friends with it," Lunx smiled. "It's a minimally processed tea made from the buds of the Camellia sinensis plant. It's harvested in early spring and dried with almost no oxidation. Unlike other teas, we don't boil it to death."
"Hmm."
"Its benefits come from high antioxidants. polyphenols and catechins. It supports heart health, protects against certain cancers, and reduces inflammation. It even promotes healthy skin and dental hygiene."
Hana looked at her skeptically. "Do you hold a PhD in medicine?"
Lunx let out a genuine laugh. "I'll take that as a compliment. Though I'd rather leave those degree-level jobs for the humans."
Hana went still. She doesn't mean...
"Hmm? Well, I suppose since you already know Night's true identity, there's no harm in revealing mine, right?" Lunx reached up and removed her black contact lenses.
Her irises were a stunning shade of purple, a bit lighter than Night's. "Ahh, now that those eyesore lenses are out, I can't see you very well. Let me just..." Lunx reached for a pair of glasses and perched them on her nose. "There. That works better."
"With the glasses on, she looks human," Hana noted internally. "Except for the eye color."
"Now, why do I feel like I'm missing something? Oh, right! forgive my manners," Lunx said. "My name is Lunx Nacht. Pleasure to meet you, Miss..."
"Hana Monschein."
Lunx paused, the name hanging in the air. "Ahh, a Monschein. You have a very fitting name. It's been a while since I last encountered a Monschein. The world is getting smaller these days."
Hana offered a thin smile. I badly want that name removed, though. "By the way, have you seen Night? Did she bring me here?"
"Yup. Last night. She said you were badly wounded after you got 'lost' in the hospital. From what she told me, some strangers tried to steal you away. It's a good thing Night was with you. But oh-you should have seen her face! She came into this cabin crying, holding you like her life depended on it. She was terrified because you wouldn't wake up."
Flashback
Lunx had been in the pantry, humming to herself. "Let's see... fresh leaves, honey... but we're out of lemon slices. Seriously, that Angel named after the evening eats nothing but lemons. I'll have to stop at the store..."
A frantic, heavy pounding at the door interrupted her.
"I didn't order anything online," Lunx muttered. When she opened the door, she found a sobbing Night.
"Lunx! Help me!" Night wailed.
"What on earth happened? Get inside, shoes on the rack!"
Once inside, Night placed Hana on the sofa, her hands trembling as she recounted the chaos at the hospital.
[End Flashback]
"I see..." Hana whispered. So it wasn't a dream.
"I didn't mean to over-tell it," Lunx giggled. "But you deserve to know, considering you're the one involved. And considering that angel is currently burning her eyes out over the scroll I gave her."
"Scroll?"
Before Lunx could explain, a soft groan echoed from the next room.
"Agh! Finally done!" Night stomped into the room. "Lunx, you didn't tell me it was two meters long! They kept adding unnecessary words just to make it longer. They write like we're still in the Xiang Dynasty! My spine is crying for help after sitting on that stool for two—oh! Hana!"
Night rushed to Hana's side, pulling her into a brief, impulsive hug.
"Thank the Holy Boss you're awake! Do you feel alright? Any dizziness? Nausea? You're not feeling sick, are you?"
Lunx smirked. "Night, she just woke up and you're treating her like she has morning sickness."
Hana watched the two of them bicker. Is this really Night? Was she always this concerned about people?
"So..." Hana interrupted.
The two angels stopped immediately.
"Now that the contract is sealed," Hana said, "what happens now?"
Night regained her composure, her expression turning serious. "Well, you see... the contract worked on a rare basis. Because you were in a life-and-death situation and lost so much blood, the contract underwent a modification."
Night held up her own wrist, showing the glowing crimson bracelet.
"As of this moment... you have half of my blood."