THE ARCHANGEL'S SECOND CHANCE

CHAPTER 3

Definitely, it 'must' be only be a one-time thing.

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 After paying her a visit, Vincent went down a dark alley and took on a shortcut by teleporting back to where he lives. His grey mansion that has a faint touch of black and white looked luxurious, but aside from the expensive decorations and materials, nothing occupied his home except himself and silence.

Currently laying down on his couch, his arm is on top of his eyes, blocking the light his chandelier offered. It was a chilly afternoon when he decided to sleep even without eating anything starting from breakfast, let alone drink at least a single drop of blood.

“Why are you always so grumpy?” That female voice that haunted him every night spoke. It was gentle, soft, and definitely one that can make anyone fall asleep. But it has a touch of eerie feeling as if her voice becomes one with the wind, echoing like the sound of a chilly breeze.

“You’re handsome. Why won’t you smile?” Her question was followed by a giggle. “Earl, I know I love you, but people will continue to hate you if you won’t stop looking like the world is your enemy. Don’t be cold-hearted, Earl. I’m here.” Feeling the ghost of her touch, Vincent heaved a gasp and removed his arm to let his suddenly opened eyes be blinded by the light.

He sat up and breathed heavily, cold sweat running through his forehead as if he was experiencing a fever. “What the hell Samantha.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement directed to the woman who gives him the same feeling every time he sleeps.

He loved her, and he still do. But his affection was slowly eaten by nightmares as he began to fall deeper into his sense of regret, self-blame, and feelings of wanting to go back in time just to correct his mistakes. Since then, it was never a pleasant feeling to hear her voice, reminisce their past, and feel her as if she’s still with him.

Running his hand through his hair, he stood up and walked towards his kitchen to fetch a blood bag through his huge refrigerator filed with nothing but wines, liters of water, and his source of energy: blood.

Randomly taking a blood bag among his several stock, he quickly teared it open with his teeth and drank it in. But his brows met in annoyance as he pulled it out, throwing it on the ground. “Damn tasteless O.” he ruffled his hair and put his hands on his hips before letting out a shout of anger.

Not being able to take it anymore, he took his phone out of his phone’s pocket and was about to call his secretary when he remembered the face of a certain that has the most appetizing blood he encountered after centuries of letting himself drink either bland or completely tasteless bloods.

Clicking his tongue, he teleported himself to the same alley he used to go to the hospital, and go back to his home. But the moment he was outside his comfort zone, he knew he made the wrong decision. Vincent quickly covered his nose with his fist as the scent of numerous human bloods started to fill in his senses, causing for his eyes to blink between red a grey, still trying to fight off his urge to suck blood.

Damn this. He closed his eyes for a brief second. Once he feels that everything’s in control, he reopened his eyes, finally showing his grey eyes without returning back to red. I’m so hungry that even the thought of sucking blood out of any human makes me want to kill anyone.

“It’s that angel’s fault.” He growled before walking fast, almost running towards the hospital which is a street away from the alley. Damn her and her scent. As he walked and tried to ignore the fruitful scent of different human bloods, he cussed and cursed the angel who awoken his thirst for blood silently inside his head.

Unfortunately for him, mingling with the humans while his on the verge of dropping his control isn’t as manageable as he thought it will be.

Before he could even pass by the street, the light went red, a signal that it was the cars’ turn to go, and not the walking people. Think logically, calm down. Breathing in and out, he bit his inner cheek till it bleed, trying to control his thirst using his own since he’s stuck with humans who is waiting to pass as well.

While he was trying to control himself, he felt a something hit his ankle, causing for him to look down and saw a yellow ball. Soon, small sounds of quick footsteps follow, making him turn to the direction where the ball came from and saw a young boy running towards it, and behind him is his mother who was chuckling as she walked slowly behind him.

Stopping in front of him, the kid looked up with his doe eyes and smiled at him before bending down to pick up his ball. “Sorry mister!” he beamed, showing his incomplete set of teeth.

The ball didn’t bothered Vincent, it was the kid’s scent who bothered him. The kid is just a few centimeters away from him, and the flesh of a young human is the tenderest meat a human can offer. His breathing got heavier and deeper and he was snapped out of his thoughts when the kid cried and screamed.

Vincent’s eyes went wide as he watched the boy clutch his mother’s skirt while pointing at him with fear on his eyes. “He’s a monster!” he cried, and Vincent became aware that everyone surrounding him, even the people whose afar yet can saw him, were all looking at him with fear evident on their eyes.

Panicking, Vincent hid his face by turning to his left and lowering his head before he snapped his finger, immediately stopping the time. Once everyone stopped moving, he heaved a deep breath and plopped down on the street. He leaned by the pole behind him and bent his legs before pulling his hair.

“Why didn’t I thought of stopping time in the first place?” he muttered to himself and pulled his hair stronger. Now that he thinks about it, he did nothing but blame himself. “Dang. I shouldn’t have gone out and walked with humans.” He lowered down his head and heaved another deep sigh.

With his close eyes, he repeated the sequence of breathing in and out, trying hard to control himself despite having no triggers around him. He stopped pulling his hair and rested his elbows on his knees, now concentrating on bringing himself back to normal.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes but he remained looking down. I must’ve gone crazy. From miscalculations to mistakes, none of them should have a room in Vincent’s decisions. He’s not the proudest, and most dangerous business man if he accepts wrongs.

Just as when he thought he already calmed down, his nose picked up the same scent that drove him to the edge and brough him the mess he’s in right now. He quickly lifted his head and looked at his right, now seeing that angel casually walking towards him from the direction of the hospital, still wearing her hospital white coat.

“I know I have no right to ask,” she paused and stopped in her tracks as she looked straight in his eyes, while her right hand is pointing at the people around them. “But may I know why these people look like they saw something horrible?” she asked, picking the nicest term as possible.

The sun that was stopped in its setting time has its unmoving orangish light shine on Elliana, making her blue hair be hinted with orange, and her green eyes reflect the still view present around them.

She is standing in the middle of the street, between the cars that’s on the go but was paused and in front of a mint car. “I was busy finalizing the papers of the patient that’s supposed to be discharged today when I saw everyone not moving when I went outside my office.” She spoke, still trying to make him talk.

“And that’s when I realize that’s it’s you who did that.” Elliana started to walk again, now silently observing the man whose grey orbs were glued on her green ones. Seeing him plopped down in the street with disheveled hair and his usually blank expression, it tugged a certain string inside her chest.

What was that? Confusion enveloped her despite continuing walking towards him and not showing her real feelings. Why will I feel that? I have a feeling that- She sighed. -it’s just wrong. Shrugging those thoughts, she crouched down in front of him.

“I know we started on the wrong tune but, for the sake of the humans and for you to return the time, tell me what’s wrong so I can help you feel better.” She smiled and offered her hand but he remained staring at her, ignoring her gesture.

“I need your blood.” Vincent straightforwardly stated, causing for her to retreat her hand and just stare back at the man who’s not adding any humor to what he just said. Seeing that, he let out a low chuckle and looked at her with a taunting smirk.

“See? You can’t do it because-” his words were stopped when his brows met as he stared at her pull out a scalpel from her coat’s pocket and shallowly cut her wrist, just enough for blood to ooze out.

Vincent gulped at the sight of the fresh, flavorful, red liquid that’s coming from her wounded wrist. His eyes then looked at the woman whose green orbs stared at him with gentleness. “Just don’t drink too much, okay?” she asked, her voice is as calming as her soft gaze.

Elliana knew she’s handling things wrong. She knew it shouldn’t be her job to offer her blood, the divine ichor, to a vampire. She knew that she shouldn’t overstep and never grant any supernatural a chance to feel close to them. But among her righteous feelings, were the small voice that urges her to help him. It was pushing her to do the things she shouldn’t.

Was it only to help the man who seemed desperate for blood? Was it only to make him return time for the sake of the humans? What exactly is her reason? That question remained a mystery as she stared at the vampire whose eyes were currently locked with hers.

“Are you sure?” his deep voice that uttered the question made her heart skip a beat, then go haywire and more tangled that it was already in. No, I’m not. She put on a small smile and pushed her wrist near him. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

Vincent remained staring at her. Slowly, he reached out for her wrist, causing for her to slightly flinch at the contact as she felt his cold skin freezing hers. His eyes never left her gaze. He slowly leaned down while slowly pulling her wrist up, building up anticipation on both their ends.

When it was just a few millimeters away, he spoke. “I’ll ask you again.” His breath gently blew on her skin, making her feel the chills run up all over her, tripling the nervousness that made her heart beat at an abnormal rate. “You can’t go back when I’ll start.” His gaze lowered down her wrist, now having his grey orbs replaced with red.

Elliana bit her lip. “Yes. I know.” She breathed out. With her final answer, Vincent licked her wrist, nearly going wild with how sweet and delicious her blood tasted, incomparable to the normal ones he’s got on daily basis.

Elliana prevented herself from gasping with how hot his tongue feels on her skin, a complete opposite of how freezing his flesh is. She felt a slight sting on her wound while her blood is getting sucked out. But all her attention isn’t on those feelings, it is on that vampire who held her wrist with care, and took her blood slowly and unrushed.

I’m not sinning, right? Her conscience started to flood her out with questions she can’t completely answer. I’m just helping him and the humans, right? But no matter she convinces herself that nothing’s wrong, she still felt like she stepped on a mine that might explode anytime soon.

But still, in her eyes, Vincent looked like a child who was given his favorite food as his present. He didn’t inflicted -pain; his red eyes were focused on her skin as if he’s afraid to leave a scar on her. His lower lip is now tainted with blood, yet it didn’t bother her.

And that’s what bothers her the most: why is she okay with someone sucking her blood? Why is she doing the things she doesn’t usually does? What made her decide like that?

While staring at him, she was taken out of her trance when his warmth left her, making her feel cold without anything to help the heat remain. Now, Vincent looked at her with his crimson eyes piercing through her soul, his mouth has a few traces of her blood, and his fangs were slowly retreating back.

 A few seconds of silence passed, not until he asked a question that broke the ice between them. “It’s a one-time thing, isn’t it?” he asked, then wiped the blood off his lips and stared at Elliana with his usual blank expression. “You just want to help the humans, isn’t it?”

Feeling tongue-tied, Elliana only nodded. Vincent’s lips curved into a small smirk. “But what if I want you to give me blood every day?” he asked, half testing and half meaning what he asked. “Will you grant that wish of mine too?”

Surprised, Elliana stood up and shook her head no. “You said it yourself, you know that this is just a one-time thing.” She said and held her wrist after putting the scalpel back to her pocket. “This won’t happen again, Vincent. Mark my words.”

Hearing that, he sighed and raised his hands in defeat. “Okay, I will back down.” He stated. “For now.” He added before standing up, his eyes were now back to its greyish color.

Elliana just glared at him before roaming her eyes on the crowd. “Since what you need is something to feed on, I assume that everyone here saw your eyes change color?” she asked then looked back at him, making him nod, feeling annoyed on what happened some time ago.

Sighing, Elliana shifted into her angel form. “This will be the last time I’ll side with you.” She said and plucked out a feather from her glowing white wings. She then closed her eyes, hiding her golden orbs as she positioned her hands in a praying manner, the feather between her palms.

“May this feather grant my wish, clear thy memories. Behold, the condition, leave Vincent, my companion, and I, the spell caster, free from thy consequence.” After chanting, the feather glowed gold till it slowly rose up away from her grasp, then burst out into golden glitter sparks once it reached several feet above all of them.

She then opened her eyes, her golden orbs reverted back to her emerald ones after shifting back. “You can bring back the time now.” She said, but Vincent pulled out his black handkerchief before taking a step forward. “What are you-”

Her words were interrupted when he held her wrist, then wrapped the handkerchief around it. Once it’s done, he looked at her in the eye before snapping his fingers, bringing them back to the original timeline.

The crowd began to chatter as if they witnessed nothing. The vehicles continued moving while the red light is on. The sun continued to set. Everything was indeed back to normal. “So, I will go back now and remember that I won’t-” Elliana gasped when Vincent held her by her waist and pulled her closer.

“Thank you for giving me what I needed the most.” He then leaned towards her ear. “But don’t expect me to listen when you told me that this will be just a one-time thing.”