Guardian Evil

CHAPTER 5: Happy Birthday, Romina

APPARITION.

An unexpected or preternatural appearance; especially something such as a ghost or phantom. It can be just an ordinary, harmless ghost or a dangerous ghost that was after human lives or even their souls.

“So you mean, they’re after me?”

Luciel put down the bottle of orange juice he was drinking and looked at Romina, who was staring at him while half-whispering their conversation. They’re currently having their lunch in their school canteen and talking about the incident that they got involved in earlier. She was actually fortunate that they got the spot in the school canteen where no one was going to hear their conversation.

“Yeah,” Luciel nodded. “You’ll expect more encounters with them.”

That made Romina’s eyes widen. “You-You mean, there’s-there’s more than them?”

She almost screamed when she saw a ghostly hand on their table and Luciel just picked it up and threw it away at the window as if he was throwing garbage.

“As I said, they’re after your soul,” Luciel finished the orange juice and leaned on his chair. “I actually find it weird that more than one apparition was actually after your soul.”

“Bu-But why? I mean, why am I seeing them? I never experience having encounters with them, more like I never experience seeing these apparitions or ghosts whatever. It’s not like I have a third eye or something.”

“All people actually have their third eye. Some of them are open and some of them are closed. There are only a few who could actually manage to open their third eye and that includes…” Luciel pointed at her. “You. And it’s also counted that you’re seeing and managed to summon me the day before your birthday, so it is understood that you opened your third eye the moment you summoned and saw me.”

“Is-Is there a way to close it?” Romina asked him. “Seriously, I don’t want to see them…”

And I just want to have a normal life!

“It has,” Luciel responded, and then, he shrugged. “But not right now.”

“Why?! I just wanted this to close as soon as possible so I couldn’t see those ghosts and apparitions anymore. They’re terrifying.”

“Just not yet. Right now, you just have to bear with it for a while.”

They went silent for a couple of seconds and Luciel just broke it after he took a bite of the sandwich that Romina’s mother prepared for him. “Seriously, human food is really different. It doesn’t seem tasty either.”

“Are you… also… after my soul?” Romina asked out of the blue.

Luciel’s brow twitched and he frowned. “How did you say so? Where did you get that idea?”

“Because… you know… you’re also getting fed on a human’s soul? That’s what I read in books as well,” she responded.

“First of all, stop reading fiction because they’re just exaggerating. Second of all, yes, we do eat souls, but there are some rules that we should abide by before doing so, and one of those is, we’re allowed to suck and eat someone’s soul, especially if we’re under a contract which is the Faustus contract. And, third of all, we’re not under a contract and it’s a violation if I touched your soul. My only job here is to guard you until your legit guardian angel comes to actually guard you and I’ll have my own freedom, ruining human souls and eat them. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

“Wow, you sounded so evil a few seconds ago,” Romina commented, and couldn’t help but cringe as she looked at Luciel’s face starting to get psychotic.

“Because that’s what I am. You also mentioned that I’m evil, you know?”

“Well, I kinda doubted that,” she told him. “I just felt that you’re not really that evil. You have the form and face of a demon, but I don’t know… you just don’t feel bad.”

“It’s two days that we’re with each other. You don’t know anything yet,” Luciel said, his eyes starting to twinkle and spread with a faint red color already.

“Yes, I know. But… that doesn’t actually change what I think about you though,” she grinned as she stood up and walked towards the counter.

That actually made Luciel look at the empty food container in front of him. It didn’t actually take Romina half a minute to go back to him.

“Luciel…” Romina slightly looked at her side. “I couldn’t go to the counter. There’s an apparition blocking the way. Huhuhuhu. Please escort me there, I’ll buy you siomai if you want.”

That actually made Luciel snort and chuckle. “You know I don’t crave human food,” he, then, put the empty food container back in his bag and escorted Romina to the counter. Of course, the latter was too scared to walk in front, so he let her follow him behind. The latter even held his sleeves on the elbow as she walked behind him.

He knew that people around them would find it weird if he'd destroy the apparition with his hand, so before the apparition could attack them, he turned his eyes into crimson red and let it burn and dissolve into thin air.

“Is it gone?” Romina asked him, whispering.

He looked at her and nodded. “Yeah.”

I didn’t really expect that this kid had a huge and immaculate soul to attract apparations. This is indeed bothersome.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

As soon as Romina and Luciel went inside the house, they heard the confetti popping as well as Romina’s mom holding the cake, her best friend Marivic holding a laptop which showed her father on a video call, and some of her friends and neighbors. “Happy Birthday, Romina!!!”

Romina stared at them in utter surprise. “Oh, shoot. I forgot it’s my birthday today.”

Because of this guardian demon and some apparitions that we encountered the whole day, that’s what!

“Bestie couldn’t say a word. She might be very surprised,” Marivic and the others laughed and Romina looked at them in shock.

“Yeah… I-I am…” I actually forgot about this, to be real honest. “I-Thank you so much, everyone.”

“Happy Birthday, my baby Mina!” her mom grinned at her as the former showed Romina’s favorite chocolate cake which she personally baked for her daughter.

“Thank you, mama!”

On every girl’s 18th birthday, there’s always a huge party with 18 handsome guys, including your friends, cousins, brothers, or even your father giving you 18 roses and dancing you around. At that moment, you’ll be the princess.

Romina actually dreamed about that. But of course, she’s beyond grateful and happy that she celebrated her birthday together with her loved ones.

“Happy Birthday, baby girl!” Romina’s gaze went to her dad who was actually on a video call. She immediately went in front of the laptop and looked at her dad. “I’m sorry if I couldn’t be with you on your 18th birthday because I am working outside the country, but I just want you to know that I love you so much, my child. Happy Birthday!”

Romina couldn’t help but smile as her tears started to pool in her eyes. “Thank you so much, papa. I love you too.”

“Oh, oh! The birthday girl shouldn’t cry! We have to celebrate your special day!”

Romina wiped her tears and grinned at them. “Thank you so much, everyone!”

Luciel stared at them silently, as if observing them. The scene was somehow familiar to him, like a distant memory. “I really don’t understand humans and I don’t understand why simple things like this make them happy…”

“You seemed so happy.”

Romina turned to Luciel who was now floating beside her. He’s in his demon form, so people can’t see that he’s actually staying with Romina. His eyes settled on the unwrapped gifts on Romina’s study table. “So humans give stuff like that, huh?”

“Yep! Eh? You didn’t know about giving gifts, birthdays and such? But you said you’re around thousands or a hundred years old, right?” she asked, slightly frowning at him.

“I don’t actually pay much attention to this kind of custom whatsoever. I am more focused on ruining and consuming souls—before I became your guardian, of course,” Luciel said, shrugging.

“That sounded creepy… and lonely, of course,” she told him.

Luciel didn’t understand what she was trying to imply, so he just shrugged.

“Wow, what a day,” Romina muttered and she yawned and stretched. “I’m already tired and sleepy.”

“Why are humans this weak?”

She glared at him. “Is that a compliment or what?”

Luciel just shrugged and with his finger (which has its nail colored black but it was actually short), he poked Romina’s forehead. “You should rest now. We have class tomorrow.”

“Right,” she responded, nodding, then she paused for a second before speaking. “Right, you haven’t greeted me on my birthday.”

“Because I’m not human and, as I said, I don’t pay much attention to your customs.”

Romina felt slightly sad about what Luciel told her. “Yeah, right. Good night, Luciel.”

“Night, Romina,” he responded. She smiled at him and slowly laid on her bed and closed her eyes. It took a few seconds for her to fall asleep.

Luciel just stared at her face silently. Slowly, oh so slowly, he caressed her head, then proceeded to touch some strands of her hair and silently played on it.

“I really don’t understand humans and I don’t understand why simple things like this make them happy…”

But…

“Happy Birthday, Romina.”