Upon arriving home, I immediately sank into the comfort of the sofa. I shed my black blazer, which was a part of my uniform, and hung it up. Leaning my head back on the cushions, I relaxed and loosened my green necktie. I stretched out my feet, clad in black knee-high socks, on the coffee table. Gazing up at the ceiling, I released a deep breath.

"Am I cooking again, Rory?" Raphael's voice startled me and I turned to see him donning a blue apron. I gave him a brief glance before nodding and gesturing for him to take a seat on the opposite sofa. "Sit here first. Let's discuss what you acquired yesterday."

He quickly removed the apron and seated himself across from me. Resting his arms on his lap, he interlaced his fingers. His black hair cascaded down his legs as he leaned slightly forward. Reaching under the table, he retrieved a few candles and arranged them in a circular formation on the table. As he lit them with his fingertips, the red flames sprang to life, dancing and converging in the center.

"Look," he said, pointing to the shape that was forming in the center. I leaned closer to get a better look, gasping at the realization of what the flames had created.

"An arrow."

"Cupid is back in our town," Raphael began. "He's doing rounds each month. He won't stay long. You just need to be cautious, as you always have been."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at this news. An angel like Cupid couldn't coexist with me in the same place. He brought love, while I brought misery. We were too different.

I gazed at Raphael once more. "When did he arrive in Sierraville?"

"The day before yesterday." I paused at his words, recalling the sudden stop in time and the reddening of the surroundings. And the voice that had echoed during that moment.

Could Cupid have been responsible for that? But I couldn't fathom a reason for him to seek me out. We were both ethereal beings and it was in our best interest to avoid crossing paths.

Raphael asked. "What are you thinking about?"

"Raphael," I called out to him, still unable to catch his gaze. "Did you notice anything strange when we left the bathroom earlier?"

Confusion flickered in his red eyes, but he still nodded.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but..." Raphael trailed off, passing his hand over the candles. The flames immediately died out. "....I was alarmed when it seemed like you couldn't hear me and you just kept staring blankly."

I inhaled sharply, "So you didn't know."

"Know what?" he asked, finally lifting his eyes to meet mine. "Tell me what happened, Rory."

"The time stopped," I revealed, locking eyes with him. "You were also a part of that stop in time and..." I looked down at my hands. "...only I was left moving."

Raphael remained silent, attentively listening to my story. I continued, "I also heard a voice speaking. It said that it had been searching for me for a long time and now it had finally found me."

Raphael stared at me for a few seconds after I told him what happened. I furrowed my brow, noticing his silence and the blank expression on his face, as if he was deep in thought.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What's going on with you?"

He sighed and then looked at me, annoyance etched on his face. But when our eyes met, it vanished like a bubble. "I think you should sit this one out and temporarily halt your services. Maybe it’d be better if we transfer cities again and–”

My forehead curled up. "What are you so careful about? Last time I checked, you’re just a familiar I brought out from hell.”

His reaction continued to baffle me as he persisted. "I am your servant. I'll investigate and get to the bottom of this. I won't let him get near you–"

"You don't need to do anything, Raphael," I interjected. "Your one job is to find my summoner, but I've been stuck in this world for how long now? A hundred years? And yet, you still haven't found anything."

He looked distressed. "I–"

I leaned in close and whispered in his face. "So tell me, Raphael, how can I trust you with this?"

***

As I tidied my bed, a faint thud echoed from the adjacent room. I disregarded it, but another loud noise prompted me to investigate for me to exit my bedroom. I found Raphael standing at the wall, his attention fixed on the source of the disturbance from the neighboring room,

"Do you sense something?" I inquired, leaning against the wall. Raphael nodded in response.

"I can feel it," Raphael said gravely. "She's in a lot of pain right now, Aurora."

"Well, then," I straightened myself. "What are we doing here? We should get going."

"Rory, this isn't a good idea," Raphael tried to dissuade me as I headed towards the door.

I turned back to him. "You put up a barrier in this dormitory, right? Then it won't be a problem."

I walked a little further and listened for the loud footsteps again. It wasn’t difficult since my soon to be victim made it clear that she was really having a hard time by those heavy, small steps. As I approached the staircase, the footsteps came to a halt.

There, sitting on the steps, was the woman responsible for the noise. I couldn't help but smirk at my good fortune. "Found you.”

"Rory, didn't you eat earlier? That's enough. Let's go back to the room," Raphael urged.

I know he's only concerned, but I need to grab this opportunity. I need to control myself during this month because of that stupid Angel of Love and I don't want to starve.

"Rory!" Raphael called out as I descended the stairs. I came upon a woman with sleek, black hair, dressed in the same uniform as us, but with a white jacket and black blouse - a sign of her junior level. She was muttering to herself in annoyance as I approached.

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I moved closer to her slowly, and she looked surprised to see me. Her black eyes were filled with anger, but when our gazes met, she wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

"What are you staring at?!" she snapped at me. I offered a warm smile and took hold of her hand. I silently celebrated when she did not even resist my touch.

"Is something troubling you, Miss...?"

She let out a deep sigh. "Edriane Dominique Gonzales. You can call me Nikki."

I nodded a few times. "Okay, Nikki. There are only a few of us here in the dorm, so who else can we turn to?" I said softly as I gently squeezed her hand. "It's just us."

I won't remember her name after this because once I get what I want, I'll leave her here and she won't remember anything. But I'll keep her memory of me "helping" her for use in my next steps. The only thing I'll erase is the moments I gave flowers to my victims and our agreement.

"What's the problem, Nikki?" I asked when she had calmed down a bit. She looked at the wall next to the stairs we were sitting on and seemed dazed.

Meanwhile, I tried myself not to retaliate when I heard Raphael laughing beside us, just watching our drama.

"You know, Rory, if you became an actor, you'd pass. Your kindness is convincing," he teased. I mentally rolled my eyes because of what he said.

"I used to have a happy family.” I turned my full attention to Nikki when she started opening up. “But I didn't expect that in an instant, our happy family would crumble,” she said, sniffling. "My dad…he's changed so much. It's like I don't even recognize him as my father anymore!"

I quickly ran my hand down her back. I have a strong feeling that I'll succeed again tonight.

"And my mom, she's an idiot. She knows that Dad doesn't love her anymore, but no! She says that Dad is like this because he has a big problem, but I'm not an idiot like her to believe that kind of reason! What kind of a father will lash out and hurt the people he loves?"

"It's okay. It's okay," I whispered to her as tears flowed down her face again.

I hugged her so she would feel like she wasn't alone. But soon, my forehead creased.

After all this time on earth, my heart has become numb even if the person in front of me cries their heart out. But the story of this child brings a different feeling. I don't feel good. It's like anger is brewing in my heart.

"One day, he hit my mom so I stopped him because even though I'm angry with them, I still love them and I don't want them to fight. But the result, I was the one who bore their anger! I don't want to anymore! I told Mom to leave Dad but she won't. It's tiring!" she continued.

"Nikki, don't lose hope. You will overcome this too," I said soothingly, offering her a reassuring smile as I gently wiped away her tears with the tip of my finger. "Everything will work out in the end."

She sniffled and forced a smile. "I don't know anymore. II just want to forget the pain. It's exhausting," she said, and I couldn't help but smile, not because I was sympathetic of her feelings, but because she’s dancing right on my palm.

Casually placing my hand behind my back, I instantly felt the warmth of Nikki’s pain. "Here, take this," I said, presenting her with a bright yellow, fragrant flower. She was an optimist - her flowers always reflected her positive outlook on life, but also served as a way to deceive others into thinking she was okay.

"What's this for?" she asked, accepting the flower from me.

I tilted my head. "Don't you want to forget?"

She forced a laugh. "What does this flower have to do with my silly wish?”

"I am the Pain Reaper, Nikki," I said, my words causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"Aurora, maybe you're just tired. The Pain Reaper is just an urban legend, passed down through the generations. It's not real!" She stood up and straightened her clothes. "Thank you again."

But as she turned to leave, I grabbed her arm. She looked at me in surprise. "W-What?"

"I'm not joking," I said, my tone serious. It was clear that my words had unnerved her, and she looked at me with confusion in her eyes. But I wasn't going to let my time here be wasted. "You can forget all the pain, Nikki. Just ask, and I will make it happen."

"But... the price of making a deal with you is supposed to be important memories, right?" she stuttered, unable to look away from me.

"That's correct," I replied quickly. "What's more important to you now?"

She was silenced by my question, deep in thought. She looked at me again and took a deep breath before speaking. "No one will see you," I promised, a reassuring smile spreading across my face.

I watched as she nervously swallowed and gave a timid nod. She slowly lowered herself onto the seat next to me and picked up the flower again, running her fingers over its petals. "If I pluck one of these, the pain will go away," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at me, her voice trembling. "And I'll be happy, won't I?"

I offered her a reassuring smile, but did not speak. I merely looked at her, allowing my gaze to speak for itself. She nodded, as if understanding my unspoken response, and returned her attention to the flower. Without hesitation, she plucked one of its petals. The air around us was immediately filled with a warm, golden light. I brushed my arm and my grimoire appeared, flipping through its pages until it came to rest on the ones I needed.

"Roses are red," I said, and the light grew brighter.

"Violets are blue," I closed my eyes, focusing on the task at hand.

"Memories are dead," I felt the thing we were working on begin to dissipate.

"The soul is anew," I said, opening my eyes. The petal had vanished, sinking into the ground and taking the light, grimoire, and flower with it.

In Nikki's memory, a younger version of her appeared, no more than five years old, lying in bed. Her face was filled with joy as she played with a woman and a man who were her parents. They were a family full of love and happiness, but little did they know that their world was about to be shattered.

I stood, smoothening my clothes, and made my way back to my room. I even catched Raphael’s gaze, but chose not to speak to him. As I settled onto my bed, I let out a sigh and covered my eyes with my arm. "People create their own rain and get upset when a hurricane starts to appear," I whispered to the empty air and started drifting off to sleep.

***

"Aurora!"

I turned to the side as someone called my name. My lips moved on their own, forcing a smile even though I didn't feel like it. I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart race. It was as if I had been waiting for the person calling my name to approach me.

"Aurora, are you ready?" the person asked as they got closer. I looked up, trying to see their face clearly, but it was blurry. Even so, the strange feeling in my stomach remained, especially when they placed their hand on my head. I felt my cheeks heat up and lowered my head to answer their earlier question.

I felt them gently stroke my head, "That's my girl."

I catched my breath when my eyes fluttered open. My forehead was dripping with sweat as if I had just run a race with a hundred horses. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the remnants of that strange dream. "That's my girl?" I shuddered at the thought.

I glanced at the digital clock near my lamp and gasped as I saw the time. It was 2:59 AM. The devil's hour.

I shook my head in disbelief. These mortal tricks aren't going to work on me. They just create their own fears.

I was about to go back to sleep when I noticed the sky lighting up. I got out of bed and opened my wardrobe, pulling out a sweater and slipping it on before heading towards the lanai. No one was awake at this hour.

I looked up at the sky and saw a shooting star. According to mortal folklore, wishes of those who see it are granted. Some even say that whatever the heart truly desires will come true. I placed my hand on my chest and immediately felt my heart beating. I've been human for so many years now, living in this body. In fact, I could have been male, but I don't know why I chose a female vessel. My memories deteriorate the longer I stay in the mortal realm.

I returned my gaze to the shooting star's path again. From what I know, it symbolizes an angel falling and being separated from the Father due to what happened to our king, Lucifiel. I'm not sure, but that's what I've heard in stories, especially from Raphael. He also told me that during meteor showers, those are the angels who fell from grace because they were judged before the Mighty High.

"Ugh."

I quickly hid behind the wall of the lanai railings when I heard someone speak from the neighboring apartment. The apartment next to mine also has a lanai. I peeked to see who it was and saw my conversation partner from earlier on the stairs. It was Nikki.

Another shooting star had passed by, and I saw her close her eyes and smile, lips uttering her wishes. I watched her as she chuckled to herself before returning to her room.

Nikki seemed different to me now. Her smile was no longer tinged with sadness. Once I was sure she wouldn't come back, I returned to my room. I was impressed by her display of hope.

One thing I admire about mortals is their ability to hold on, no matter how hard the circumstances.

I laughed at my thoughts. Sometimes, I just can't seem to understand how I feel about these mortals. They confuse me at times, but often, I find them entertaining to watch.

"Time to go back to sleep.”