18th Ghosting: Revelations

"A GHOST...?" Randall clearly heard what Ashey's declared earlier, but it's not that easy to process in the brain, legit.

"Yes." Ashey got up to hand her cell phone to Randall.

"Take me a pic. Just so you know I'm not kidding." That's the only way she knows to prove to him that she's not joking.

She remembered that that way LM found out that she was a ghost. "Go, do it." She urged Randall. Which the latter did.

Shock was written all over Randall's face after.

"W-hy? I-I mean..." Randall stopped on what he's about to say and immediately just hugged her... tenderly.

Teary-eyed, Ashey laughed, that kind of laughter that lacks a hint of happiness. That kind of laughter that is raw in the true sense of that action.

"I'm sorry, Ran…" Ashey caressed her boyfriend's back. Her boyfriend did the same thing.

How many of them in the world have the same situation? I guess they're the only.

She doesn't think there is anything worse than the fact that they were just in the beginning but the end for the both of them is coming soon. Because she is finished in the world.

Erased…

"Another student of yours got killed again, Human."

"H—Hey! Who the hell are you?!" Randall's eyes widened, he quickly covered Ashey's naked body.

"I'm an angel. Not hell," Azraelle sarcastically replied to Randall's bewilderment.

Ashey's crying turned into laughter—real laughter this time. How's not? Randall and her were naked when Azraelle arrived, so Randall hurried to cover their naked bodies at the sudden appearance of the angel.

Azraelle really…

"That's okay, Ran."

"W-hat? It's okay to be naked?—wait, who's that, man? The door is locked, how did he get in here?"

"Human, I said I'm an angel." It didn't matter that the angel went straight to the kitchen, you seemed to think he was the owner of the house.

Randall's eyes widened at Azraelle's behavior, Ashey just held her boyfriend when it was time for him to attack the rebuke angel of death.

"Easy. What he said is true, okay, get dressed. So I can explain to you. It's good that Azraelle came, so I'm not the only one to explain to you all of this weirdness."

"Az .. raelle .."

"Yup. He's an angel of death. And it's okay that we're naked and he has no malice in this matter, Genesis 2: 21-22."

"Ah," Randall could only say. Disoriented, he's starting to wear his clothes.

Ashey can't blame him, thi is not funny when the unexplainable revelations fell for you in a day, in less than an hour.

They found out that Azraelle was spreading the popcorn that Ashey had cooked earlier for a snack. The angel is already very good at using mortal tools.

"What did you say, Azraelle? Someone was killed again?"

Azraelle nodded. "I heard your conversation earlier so I went in even though your boyfriend was there. Y'know, we angels had this power to hear humans talking, even though they are still far away from us. I just recently learned that when I slept in your house, I heard the couple next door arguing. There, I blocked the unnecessary voices of people by simply thinking of blocking them," quite a long explanation of the angel to them.

Ashey's question was not even answered. Azraelle still busy poppin popcorn. "By the way, this popcorn is good, can you tell me how to cook this?"

"Azraelle ..."

"Okay, another student of yours died again, Ashey. It's Arielle Medina, this time."

"Wh--What did she die for? She was also killed-- no, don't tell me ..."

"Yes." Azraelle even pointed to the fork he had taken to use for the --this time-- pancakes that he had put in the oven after the popcorn.

"Why? Your students were killed? And wait, after all, the angel of death is already here, explain all this to me." Randall was still sitting in front of one of the chairs in the dining area, obviously ready to listen.

Ashey and Azraelle looked at each other. The latter shrugged his shoulders.

"Right, there's popcorn!" The angel dropped a bowl of popcorn in front of Randall, it stood next to her boss who is now her boyfriend.

Ashey just want to laugh at the scene. This is really it, damn it. Randall, on the other hand, seemed taken aback when she said that she was a ghost and he was still smiling when he was offered the seat on the right side of it, while Azraelle was on the left side.

"I know you're here, I smell you!" Azraelle raised an eyebrow at the newcomer, Xian.

"What are you, also immortal with the powers to smell and hear no matter how far away a person is? You wish, Human. You're only pretending, kid, don't me," Azraelle said rudely to the young man.

The angel didn't want to believe in Xian's abilities as if he didn't stray far from the abilities of an angel like him.

"Xian, we have something important to talk about. Why are you here?"

"It's okay, Ran. Xian knows."

"It's just a joke that I really smell you." Xian sat down next to Ashey even though they hadn't invited him yet, "I really came here for Ashey, because of this." The young man placed the cellphone in front of Ashey which featured the news of Arielle Medina's death.

This time, the news not only focused on the deaths of his two students-- it also mentioned her disappearance.

Anyway, according to the news, her student Arielle was also, yeah, killed.

"I told the school that you were in another country. Northern Island."

"Ha ?! Azraelle, why would I go there? And the place you mentioned that you brought me is why on earth, really specific?" Ashey heard Xian giggle.

"Ashey, that's another thing I'll tell you. The orphanage you grew up with contacted me and they have news from you about your mom."

"No-- say you're just kidding ..."

"I'm not. But don't feel sorry for yourself. This is not the time to be discouraged. First, I want you to know that I told you the wrong killer of yours. By that, the reason is also wrong."

"Wait, what? Killer? You were killed?" Ashey just nodded to Randall.

"That's why I'm here, Ran. This is where I can find the corpse and my killer."

"But she ain't after justice, Godfather!" Geez, the gibberish child!

"Ha? Are you crazy? The person who made you has to pay for it!" Azraell waved in the air for them to look at.

"Because of Malena's suspicion, that your killer is mistaken by me etc., so I asked the circle of angels about it. Malena has special abilities also, by the way, So from the very beginning, she already knew I was an angel."

"Who is Malena?"

"You will meet her soon. Kid."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Azraelle!" Azraelle and Xian got into trouble again. Ashey heaved a deep sigh.

"And? What do you mean by, the info you gave me about my killer is wrong, then who is my killer?" But the important question of all is ...does that mean she is back to zero? It's depressing then. How long does she only have?

"Wait, you should first clarify about Ashey's death and her return here. I mean, if she comes back to the beginning because you were wrong, then what now?" Randall asked Azraelle what was on her mind.

"You're not going back to the beginning, Ashey. Of course, it's my fault for giving you the wrong info so I made sure. I was there when the killer threw your body into the river. I'm sure it was Adolfo Nuevo. that later on, I found out Therese Nuevo's father but-- "

"Adolfo, Therese Nuevo?" Randall suddenly looked at him.

"Yes, Ran. That's why I'm here at Santillan Farm, because I found out that they lived here before in Manila."

"What I'm wondering is, how can I go wrong, my two eyes can see that it's Adolfo Nuevo." Azraelle's face is puzzled.

If you have witnessed it, why not be surprised that you are wrong?

"Uncle Adolfo has a twin, that's Uncle Arnulfo, who brought me to the orphanage," Randall said with his fists clenched to those in front of him.

"W-hat?" Azraelle, Ashey and Xian sighed at the same time.

It played on Ashey’s mind right away though, even though the killer has twins, she has no arrears with any of the families of his killer. But she's not sure of now, because and her have a relationship that she knew from the very beginning that won't last.It's only now that she chooses to love and cherish Randall even though clearly, they have nowhere to go.

"Wait, adults, look at me please." They obeyed Xian's order, "Listen, this is the paper and ballpen." He pulled out the paper and pen from his pants pocket. "We need to sketch our plans. First, we'll find out where your body is Ashey, because you told me that finding it and talking to your killer is your ultimate goal here."

"Yes. So that I can talk to him of course because I'm not at fault for any of them." Ashey's feeling, that's her soul goal.

She had a strong desire to cleanse herself of her killer because she did not want to repeat what he had done wrong that had resulted in the death of a quiet life that still many could have achieved. She could have reached Santillan Farm alive-- but wouldn't she have and wouldn't have reached Santillan Farm and met Randall if it wasn't for her killer?

Life really had funny ways to surprise us.

"So, let's take notes on our plans .." Xian has already started developing the plan. The four of them. Ashey just felt Randall's grip on her palm…

"Wherever all this takes us, know that I'm with you, baby…" She suddenly hugged her boyfriend at what she heard.

"Oh, Randall! That's why this ghost is really, deeply in love with you, eh?" Ashey heard Azraelle and Xian laughing together…

"No. We heard your thoughts," the two exclaimed at the same time as Ashey scolded them with a look.

The two scolded each other, even though it's obvious that they both seemed to have special abilities.

That was a cue for Ashey and Randall to laugh.