As I delicately caressed the empty canvas with my hand, I focused on guiding my pencil to bring my artistic vision to life. In my mind's eye, I saw a delicate flower, its petals as soft and smooth as the setting sun, its stem a vibrant green like the depths of the forest. Hidden among its stunning beauty were thorns, waiting to be discovered.

Sometimes in life, we are only able to appreciate beauty from a distance, not realizing that it may hold secrets that can harm those around it. But like a flower, sometimes these hidden dangers are simply a means of self-protection from those who might do harm.

I picked up my sketchpad and held my creation up to examine it from different angles. Satisfied with what I saw, I added a few final touches before allowing my thoughts to wander again.

Ring! Ring!

The bell signaling the end of class jolted me back to reality. Sighing, I gathered my things, mentally reminding myself that it was time to nourish this mortal vessel.

As I was organizing my belongings under my desk, something small and lightweight hit me on the back of the head.

"Darn, she's so weird," one of my classmates commented. "She's like air. You know she's there, but it's like she's invisible. She doesn't even make an effort to talk to anyone!"

I ignored the comment and continued with my task, having learned early on in my time occupying this body to not let petty human behavior bother me.

But then, my sketchpad caught my eye once again, and I found myself contemplating the same question I had been asking myself since taking on this mortal form.

Art is the embodiment of one's soul. In my thousand years of existence, I have even seen how art can be a means of survival and a reason for living. But this is perhaps the most mundane thing I have ever engaged in, aside from harvesting the pain of others.

And so, I often wonder how I can create something of value when I feel that my own soul is damaged and unworthy.

***

"Good morning, my dear," the woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile. I reached for my wallet, scanning the array of breakfast options before me.

"Good morning to you as well, Aunt Susan," I replied, gesturing towards the sizzling bacon and eggs. She nodded in understanding and got to work on preparing my order. After paying, I spun and walked towards my table, only to see my familiar, Raphael, waving at me.

"You took your time," he commented as I sat down across from him. I had chosen a small, two-seater table, since I am to dine alone in the eyes of the mortals. They cannot see him right now because he is in his real form. I turned to my meal.

Even though I now exist in human form, I still require sustenance in the same way as mortals. After all, I have been living among them for several years now. And, as the body I currently inhabit is mortal, it is my duty to take care of it.

"I had something to tell you. Yesterday, I found out that–wait a sec," Raphael suddenly interjected, his gaze darkening. He was detecting something again. "That girl is about to experience something terrible, Rory."

I followed his line of sight to a woman who had just entered the cafeteria. I didn't know her name, but she was known as the Belle of the Crowd. She had a mass of curly hair, though not the type that resembled noodles. Her curls were large and bouncy, and her eyes matched the color of her tresses. There was not a trace of heavy makeup on her face. She almost looked like the Belle from Beauty and the Beast, if only she would pin up her locks. The friendly smile she gave to those she passed, a book clutched in her right hand, only added made her name more known.

I averted my gaze, shrugging nonchalantly. She didn't particularly catch my interest, seeming like one of those people who pretended that everything was alright in their world.

"Hey, she's coming this way," Raphael exclaimed, causing me to start in surprise. He chuckled heartily as he reached for the glass of water, not even bothering to pass it to me. I glared at him.

You better be ready for me later, Raphael.

"Excuse me, may I join you?"

Raphael stood up immediately as the person we had been observing approached our table. I nodded, taking a sip of my water as she sat down in the seat across from me and placed her book on the table.

My eyes landed on the title of the book: University of the Damned. I looked back at the woman and saw that she was watching me intently.

She offered me a warm smile. "Well, my taste in literature may be a bit different from my appearance," she said, as if she could read my thoughts. She extended her hand towards me.

"I am Tiffany Roxanne Enriquez," she announced with a warm smile, her lips spreading to reveal a set of straight white teeth. My eyebrows rose in surprise at the mention of my name, and I found myself staring at her outstretched hand. How did she know who I was?

She chuckled, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she withdrew her hand. It was only then that I noticed the bandages wrapped around her arm and cheek. They didn't seem to be self-inflicted, leading me to wonder about the cause of her injuries. Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, there appeared to be more to this young woman than met the eye.

I was momentarily struck by something unsettling about her smile - it didn't quite reach her eyes. Raphael must have been right.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"I-is there something in my face?" she asked, sensing my gaze upon her. I quickly withdrew my hand, feeling awkward.

"What do you want?" I asked, my tone somewhat cold.

Her eyes widened in surprise at my question. "Ah, I just thought that you were alone and I wanted to keep you company, or something," she stammered.

"You're right. I am alone, but I am not lonely," I replied, turning my attention back to my meal.

As she realized that I was no longer interested in talking to her, she stood up and left, taking a seat at the table occupied by our class president and friends.

"What's up with that girl? You don't get people approaching you that often," commented Raphael.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued eating. "I don't really care."

***

As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, I carefully ran the water and lathered up a bar of soap. The grease got in my hand while I was eating.

But while I was washing my hands, I couldn't help but be drawn to one of the cubicles at the far end of the bathroom. It sounded like someone was shouting, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on.

"That's her," said Raphael who was standing beside me. He's looking in the mirror with his crimson red eyes and gesturing to the mentioned cubicle. "Tiffany must be in a lot of pain right now."

I smirked and thought, "Someone's in pain and I've got a chance to take advantage of it."

I quickly finished washing my hands and dried them off before making my way over to the cubicle. As I approached, I could hear the situation more clearly.

"Brent, please.You're driving me insane! You're really blaming me for breaking up with you? Are you kidding me?!" I heard her cry out, her voice shaking with anger. From the sound of things, she was on the phone with her boyfriend, and it seemed as though they were in the midst of a heated argument about their breakup.

"You wanted everything to be perfect! But I'm not perfect, okay? I tried for you, but what did you do? You slept with someone in the theater room! You're disgusting!" she added, her voice cracking. A flower materialized in my hand as I executed my plan.

"Are you alright?" I called out as I knocked on the cubicle door.

I heard the sound of the lock being unfastened and I quickly spoke up to stop her. "Wait," I said, crouching down to the ground. Reaching under the door, I held out a flower and said, "Only girls can understand the pain you're experiencing right now. Take this flower."

I heard a faint sob and then the flower was taken from my hand. I stood up and smiled at Raphael, who was grinning widely.

"Who are you?" came the voice of Tiffany from inside the cubicle.

"I am the Pain Reaper," I replied, my voice steady and sure. I heard her laugh, but it was tinged with sadness.

"Stop joking around. You won't get anything from me."

"On the contrary," I replied, a smile on my lips. I grabbed hold of the door handle. "I can help you to ease your pain."

I gave a nod to Raphael, who placed his hand on the lock of the cubicle door. With ease, he broke it open and the door swung wide. Tiffany and I locked eyes, and I saw the shock and fear in her gaze as she cowered in the corner.

"This isn't funny, Aurora," she said, her voice shaking.

I sighed. "I'm not even playing games with you," I said and approached her. I moved slowly so as not to startle her. I took the flower in her hand and tightened my grip.

I smiled. "Everything will be alright," I mumbled, bringing my lips close to her ear. "But I can make it happen faster if you just let me."

She gasped and tried to push me away, but I stood firm. I hadn't even been moved from my position earlier. She glared at me with hostility. "I'm not into girls."

"Me too," I quickly replied, raising an eyebrow. "Don't get me wrong, Tiffany. I'm just here to offer my service. You can get rid of the pain you're feeling if you pluck a petal from the flower I gave you."

She looked even more confused, "For what? Why are you doing this? If you want to comfort me—"

"In exchange," I cut her off and ignored her words. "...you need to give me your precious memories."

She stopped and stared at me, as if searching for an answer in my eyes. My face remained blank and I returned her gaze.

"You're not joking," she sighed and flicked the flower in her hand. Tears streamed down her face again. "I accept it."

I looked back at her and saw her reddened eyes. "Whether this is a trick or not, I don't care anymore. If you can guarantee that I'll feel better after this, I'm going to take it!"

"Very well," I said with a smirk and gestured to the flower. Tiffany understood what I meant and plucked a petal from it.

I immediately caressed my left arm and my grimoire appeared. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for the small book to stop on a page. The words I needed to say flowed into my mind.

"Roses are red," I said as I felt the ground beneath us soften.

"Violets are blue," I opened my eyes to see a petal slowly falling to the floor.

"Memories are dead," Tiffany stared at me in shock.

"The soul is anew," the petal disappeared into the ground and everything returned to normal. Energy flowed through my body and I leaned against the wall.

A memory appeared before me, showing Tiffany and another woman in the gym, watching a game. Suddenly, a man with tanned skin and black hair approached them.

"Tiffany, this is Brent. Brent, this is Tiffany," the woman introduced. The two people being introduced looked at each other and smiled.

I opened my eyes and saw Raphael settling Tiffany on the toilet seat in such a way that she looked like she just passed out from crying too much.

"How did you know she would accept your service? We didn't even investigate her to make sure of her answer," Raphael asked.

"Because she's a human." I turned away and let him clean up after my business.

In my lifetime, I witnessed how humans make sense of their suffering, and I couldn't help but notice how their perception seemed to become distorted amidst it. They were no longer able to think clearly and make sound decisions, succumbing instead to the overwhelming emotions of pain and anger.

It was as if their pain had clouded their judgment, causing them to lose sight of reason. The moment they saw a glimmer of hope, a way to rid themselves of the agony, they would not hesitate to seize it and grasp the opportunity of relief.

And that is what I take advantage of as the Pain Reaper.

As I walked out of the bathroom, I noticed something strange. Everyone in the corridor came to a halt, frozen in their position and with their faces etched with the expression they had on. I blinked for a second, and everything around me turned red.

"The time..has stopped?" I whispered in the air, fear starting to surge inside me against the unknown.

"I've been looking for you for a long time."

My skin crawled in terror when I heard a stranger's voice. My teeth clenched against each other, attempting to figure out what was going on. I needed to sharpen all my senses, because I could feel that the owner of that voice holds tremendous power for him to control time with his own will. He's much stronger than I am.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, swallowing my fear.

I was frightened by his next words.

"I've finally found you."

I was startled when someone suddenly reached out and passed their hand in front of my face. I looked at them and saw Raphael, eyebrows furrowed as he gazed at me worriedly. "Are you alright? You've been unresponsive since you exited the bathroom."

I looked around first to see if there were still people around and waited for them to pass me before responding to Raphael. I forced a smile and nodded. "I'm fine," I mumbled, shutting down the conversation.

I had no intention to tell Raphael what transpired earlier, for I was still unsure what to make of them. However, I knew I had to be ready for what may come next, no matter who was behind this.