The Florist: This Tree Requires Scary Offerings!

Chapter 14: Rewind

The man smirked as a white barrier surrounded him. He caressed it gently. “So this is what they use. Fascinating. Show me more.”

He narrowed his eyes as the white light climbed along his arm. He poked the barrier, shattering it to pieces. Seira’s eyes widened. “That was... my strongest spell,” she whispered.

Ivy pointed at him. “You were with the red-haired. I remember now.”

The man nodded with an amused smile. “I need to talk to you... all of you. What I saw now will help me in a little case I’m working on at the moment.”

“We won’t help you until you tell us your name at least!” Seira objected.

“Name...” The man rested his hand against his mouth thoughtfully. “I don’t have one. What to do? Hah. Right.” He eyed her. “You can call me Mawt. It aligns with the title I was given, so there is no issue.”

“Title? What title?”

“Did I not tell you?” He laughed. “I’m the angel of death.”

Their eyes widened as they all took a step back except for Ivy. He looked at Mawt sadly. “Is it about Iblis?”

“Quick on the uptake, I like it.” Mawt nodded. “Let’s find a place to sit.”

He walked ahead with Ivy. Ivy observed his smiling face as he gazed ahead as if looking into another world. Ivy looked away when their eyes met.

“Do you want to ask me anything?” Mawt asked.

“A lot of things.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you really not have a name?”

Mawt curled his lips upwards, raising his eyebrows. “It’s not that I don’t have one. I’m just not sure if I can share it with anyone really, even fellow angels. Names mean little to me, given the nature of my job. Honestly, even if you call me Potato, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Potato.”

Mawt laughed. “Is that all for the questions?”

“You’re a lot more... relaxed than the other angel.”

“The other angel has his own issues. Don’t hate him. He’s not always like that.”

“I don’t hate him. He’s just too serious.”

“Mhm.”

“What do you see when you gaze like that?” Ivy observed Mawt’s shining irises.

“Numbers of the dead and dead-to-be. It’s just boring statistics. Don’t worry about it. Nothing I can’t manage.”

“Then, why are there so many ghosts?”

Mawt stopped on a bridge and gazed down at the people walking downstairs. His smile widened, watching someone collapse suddenly, holding his heart. “It’s because nine months prior, during the infamous nine months, six months before that and until one month ago, your world was closed away from angels, including myself. I couldn’t interfere with the dead or claim their souls. They simply stayed here. Most of them did, at least. By the time the ban was lifted, I could no longer do anything.”

“What do you... mean?”

“I don’t deal with actual souls. My job is to separate the soul from the body. Nothing more, nothing less. When I came here when the ban was lifted, all the souls were already separated because the bodies bearing them decomposed after a long time.”

“So, you don’t actually claim the souls.”

“My... subordinates do that, let’s say.”

“They’re no longer with you?”

Mawt shook his head. “That’s not the issue. Some souls gained a physical form after many centuries. Since they take the form of whatever they eat, some turned into rivers, rocks or even clouds. That caused distortion in time. If anyone comes in contact with those transformed souls, they also turn into ghosts instantly. Even if nobody interacts with these locations, they are basically a portal towards the past. In that manner, endless souls enter this world every second. I can’t deal with them efficiently, and my colleges don’t have infinite strength.”

He pattered the railing of the bridge. “So then I thought, what if I learned how to claim souls too? Maybe I can help keep things in control.”

“Is it working?” Ivy asked.

“Yes, yes, I’m getting there.” Mawt smiled at him. “However, more importantly, I came to talk to you about a different topic.” He moved his gaze to the others. “Currently, three cases were given to three angels. The first one is a stolen soul of Iblis, and I’m tasked to find it. The second case is the tree of death. The messenger is tasked with this mission. The last mission is seven and nine kings. The angel of hell is tasked with it.”

He walked ahead. “I don’t know if you knew, but humans and jinns aren’t alike. Jinns don’t have a physical form, and so... Getting hold of their souls isn’t the same either,” he informed, “Yet, somehow, another creature aside from me was able to do it. That means that I must find this person and eliminate them.”

“Why...?” Ivy asked. “Do you know them?”

“No, but this power shouldn’t be in the hands of anyone really,” Mawt explained, “Right now, me having it is problematic enough. Another person is even more dangerous.”

“Wait... Why is it problematic if you have it?” Yuma asked, peeking from behind. “Didn’t you say it was your job?”

“Because as an angel, I lost the ability not to commit evil.”

“Huh? What is that supposed to mean?”

Mawt frowned slightly. “Another time. I will tell you about it another time. For now...” He entered a private lounge in a net cafe. “Let’s talk.”

He sat on the chair and started typing. “I must thank you...” He removed a gem he was wearing as an earring and inserted it into the desktop. Then, a golden light flashed on the screen, and a map appeared. “While I wasn’t here, exorcists did a great job at holding the souls off. I must ask. What did you do with the souls after you exorcised them?”

Marks appeared on the map, one after another, and a diagram of the planet showed up on the screen. Thousands of marks appeared, covering the entirety of the planet and the proximities in space. Seira frowned, resting her hand against the desk. “We’re completely surrounded.” 

“Normally, I don’t use these devices, but I wanted you to see the kind of enemies you’re dealing with. You may have been able to hold them off, but it’s only a temporary solution.” Mawt took his gem back and sat on the nearby couch. “How many exorcists are there currently, on this planet?”

“Only a hundred. Fifty of them are still trainees.”

Mawt smiled, tilting his head back. “I guess I’ll take care of it on my own.”

“Don’t look down on us.” Seira took a step towards him. “Don’t think you’re a big shot just because you’re an angel. Humans are far better than cold-blooded creatures who obey orders blindly.”

Mawt narrowed his eyes with amusement. “Is that so?”

He stood up. “Very well. I will leave it to you then. It was out of the goodness of my heart that I decided to help. If you don’t want my help, so be it.”

Seira opened her mouth to speak, but Ivy stopped her. “Please forgive her. She’s short-tempered and impatient. I’m the captain of the Northern exorcist division. I will speak for everyone in the vicinity.”

Mawt smiled at him. “I have other business with you.”

Ivy’s gaze saddened slightly. He turned to the others. “Seira, Azura, please take Yuma back to safety. I will go back when I’m done.”

They both nodded and left. Ivy glanced at Mawt, who was reading a book in silence meanwhile. “I apologize for her rudeness. She grew up thinking that angels abandoned us, and she vowed herself to make them pay.”

Mawt snorted, closing the book in his hands as it faded in turquoise light. “It’s understandable. She’s probably not the only one who thinks that way. I wasn’t angry. You don’t need to comfort me.”

“About what you said earlier...”

“I was talking about Iblis,” Mawt started, “You weren’t there when it happened, but in order to protect you from the dragon attack, he gave you the blue sphere he had in his possession. Without a soul, he was easily caught into a web of vines and teleported somewhere unknown to us.”

Ivy’s gaze saddened. “So it’s my fault... Because I’m weak.”

Mawt glanced at him. “How about you focus on what’s more important?”

Ivy nodded. “Why... did Iblis rely on my sphere to live? He always told me that it only a means for me to summon him.”

Mawt folded his arms. “According to the information we gathered, Iblis was killed, and his soul was captured for some reason. Then, a giant tree salvaged him and linked him to someone else who was saved at the exact same time. In that manner, they shared the same soul. Whether this is a coincidence or not, I don’t know.”

Ivy watched him in silence. Mawt laughed. “I know. The story has many gaps. This is the best we came up with.”

“So, Iblis isn’t dead right now?” Ivy asked, “Can we go save him?”

“No. We don’t know how to get to that place.” Mawt stood up. “That’s why Jibreel wanted you to regain your memories. He wants you to take them to that tree.”

“Why... would I know how to go?” Ivy asked, “I don’t know which tree you’re talking about. I’m sure I don’t have a memory loss that extends beyond fifteen years ago. I lived my entire life in Chaos. I never left this planet, and I never saw a tree.”

“Hm.” Mawt held out his hand. “Come here.”

Ivy held his hand hesitantly and raised his eyebrows as a green light shined around them. “What are you... d...” He gasped softly and fell forward. Mawt caught him and sat back on the couch, laying him down. He rested a hand against his forehead and eyes and shut his eyelids. 

He grimaced slightly as the veins around his eyes grew swollen. “This is a problem.”

He opened his eyes, and the veins retreated. He wiped the blood from the outer corners and stood up, sniffing. “How restricting.”

“Are you okay?” Jibreel appeared beside him. Mawt nodded. “I used my eyes for too long in this form. I should be fine after I return to my original form.”

Jibreel took his shoulders. “You’re not lying, right?”

Mawt slapped his cheeks playfully. “Are you okay?”

Jibreel frowned and remained silent. Mawt’s gaze softened. “Always so worried about everyone. Maybe you should adopt a child and start a family.”

“The context isn’t suited for such jokes,” Jibreel’s shoulders sank as he lowered his head. “I... didn’t get anything done.”

“More importantly...” Mawt walked to the door. “This might be a dead end.”

He sighed. “This is all I can tell you for now. I discovered that things here are pretty bad. I have some work to do, so you go back first.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“You’re acting like a child. It’s not like you.”

Jibreel looked away from him. “Sorry for worrying.”

“It’s not me you’re worrying about.” Mawt stepped onto the sidewalk. “It’s him.”

“I worry about everyone.”

“So you’re admitting that you’re worried about him.”

Jibreel frowned and nodded. “I... don’t know how it feels like to live without a soul. I must be very painful.”

Mawt watched the clouds passing by. “I don’t understand how they could separate the soul and the consciousness. They shouldn’t be separable at all.”

He smiled at the rain that started suddenly. “Seems like my work will start a little early.”

“That cocky man! Who does he think he is? Just because he’s an angel!” Seira gritted her teeth. “When it’s too late!”

Azura smiled weakly. “Well, we took Yuma to the dorms, so we can rest easy for now.”

“No. I’m going back to the shopping centre. I still need to exorcise that portal.” Seira jumped on her skateboard. 

Azura nodded. “I will go with you then.”

She took her car. “Hop in. No need to overuse your skate.”

They returned to the shopping centre and frowned, seeing a man with blue hair standing in front of the demolished building. They ran towards him. “Stop!”

He turned to them. “Why?”

“That... You can’t go there!” Azura’s eyes widened as a dark miasma surrounded the man and began pulling him into the portal. He clicked his fingers before black fire ate the miasma away. Their eyes widened. “Is that... the fire of... Jahannam?”

“He’s like Ivy!”

“Hm?” the man eyed them. “Who am I like?”

“Identify yourself!” Azura spoke, “Are you the enemy?”

“Depends. I just want to enter this time portal and go to the past. If you stop me, yes, I will become your enemy.”

Seira gritted her teeth. “Listen here, I don’t think you understand how dangerous that place is.”

“No, I’m fairly familiar with places like that. Doing it manually will take a bit too long, so a portal is very convenient.”

“Who. Are. YOU?”

Her eyes widened as she screamed too loudly.

He gave her a water bottle. “Your throat must be dry from screaming so much. Don’t worry. I didn’t use it.”

“Ah. Thanks.” She drank the entire bottle in one gulp and smiled happily. “Aren’t you a sweetheart?! What’s your name, you fluffy brown thing?”

“Malik.”

“Hm? HM?” She grew closer to him, and he took a step back. “What?”

“The angel?”

“Yeah...”

He dodged her as she tried to hug him. “What?!”

“JUST A BIT! I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN! JUST A BIT! PLEASE!”

He dodged her again. “After I go inside, exorcise the portal. Don’t mind me. I know my way out.”

He ran into the building, ignoring Seira’s calls. Azura laughed as he disappeared behind the miasma. “He ran away!”

Seira started crying. “Noooo! I just wanted a hug! Whyyyy?”

Malik cleared his throat as he stepped into a building standing firm, flawless. He watched the blood on the floor. “It happens in one day.”

Looking up, he saw ghosts hissing at him from the darkness. Some were eating flesh-coated bones. He stared at them in silence.

“Who are you, mister?”

Looking behind, he saw a girl with brown hair. “Would you be interested in working here?”

He grabbed her by the head and lifted her up. “Are you the leader here?”

She laughed nervously. “I see... An... Angel... Damn you...” She gritted her teeth. “FOR ABANDONING US! DAMN YOU!”

He closed his eyes. “Yes. I deserve your hatred. I take it whole.”

He threw the girl aside. “But now, I have more important things to do. On the other side, you will have my full attention.”

The girl’s eyes widened as black flames grew from his back. He looked at her from over his shoulder. “I guarantee it.”

She gasped as the flames stopped an inch away from her before fading away. He left the building and watched the sky above his head. He took a step backwards then jumped. “Huh.” He observed the sun and moon along with the other planets. “Nothing unusual.”

He looked down at the Earth then jumped back down. “How about him?”

His blue eyes shined as he watched the jinns roaming around him, carefully avoiding bumping into him. He took a few steps forward and looked around. “Not here... Why? This is the past,” he whispered. 

“No.” He stared ahead. “Rather...”

He clenched his jaw. “I see.”

He walked ahead and roamed into the city streets in silence. He entered the residential neighbourhood which was very close to downtown and stopped as someone bumped into him.

“Ah, I’m so sorry!” the young man who bumped into him apologized.

Malik gazed at the man in silence, getting lost in thoughts as he inspected his surroundings. He noticed the teenager’s heart rate increasing as fear appeared on his face. The angel narrowed his eyes, feeling his hunch nagging at him before another matter caught his attention; he had finally found Iblis’s location.

“It’s all right,” Malik finally answered then moved aside to walk in the opposite direction.

He took a turn then moved a step forward to find himself in a snowy forest. He watched a frozen door in front of him. He touched it carefully with his fingertips before going through it. As soon as he passed, he heard faint pained whining coming from somewhere further ahead. Malik followed the dimly lit corridor and saw a second closed door. He walked through it and saw a man with dark blue hair and dark skin chained to a wall, the chains climbing along his legs and arms. Malik stared at Iblis with frigid eyes. He took a step forward, and Iblis gasped, throwing up blood. 

“You can see me,” Malik spoke.

Iblis tilted his head up to stare at the angel. His eyes were glazed, and Malik noticed needle marks across his naked skin. Iblis opened his mouth to speak but whined in pain as lightning struck him. His head tilted forward slowly. Malik looked around the room. “So it started from now.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Interesting. Let’s see if we can tamper with the past a little.”

He broke the chains with his bare hands and threw Iblis over his shoulder. He then moved back to the inside of the dorm where he first teleported. The woman glared at him. “Wh... What do you want?”

“This man.” Malik threw Iblis on the ground. “Nurse him. I can’t heal people.”

She shook her head. “I can’t either! You need to take him to a hospital.”

Malik glanced at Iblis’s trembling body as blood pooled from his belly. He was breathing his last breaths. “Where do I find a hospital here?”

“Look at this.” She gave him a card. “A boy who was here before dropped it before leaving. It’s the card of a doctor.”

Malik removed his jacket and placed it over Iblis’s naked body. “Rouan. Good. I appreciate your help.”

He carried Iblis and searched for Rouan’s private clinic. He got there by night-time. He knocked on the door. A nurse opened. “Hello? Do you have an appoint–”

Her eyes widened, seeing the blood rolling along Iblis’s arms and legs. Malik stared at her in silence. “Should I go elsewhere?”

She blushed as she saw him. “Ah... N-No... Come in... How gorgeous... I mean! Th-The man with you... What happened to him?”

Malik looked down at Iblis. “He was bullied.”

“I see... That’s unfortunate. W-Will you help me take him to the doctor?”

“What kind of clinic is this, if I may ask? Doesn’t seem like a usual one.”

She remained silent before opening the doctor’s office. He blinked as someone injected him with a liquid. “What is this? Sleeping drug? It won’t work on me.”

Rouan smiled, watching him. “Interesting. Who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter. Heal him.” Malik laid Iblis on a desk nearby and felt his weakening pulse. “How long will it take?”

“Let me see.” Rouan removed the jacket and started cleaning the blood. Malik watched him in silence. 

“It seems like he has internal bleeding, severe brain damage and he lost the ability to walk. There should be more.” Rouan started, pointing at a gash in Iblis’s chest and belly. “Aside from external injuries.”

He rolled the blue-haired on his side. “Rape traces too. Seeing these types of burns, he was electrocuted severely. It must have contributed to his brain damage.”

“Does this hurt?” Malik asked.

Rouan looked at him, adjusting his glasses. “It does. Very much. Not only on a physical level, even psychologically. I may be able to fix his external injuries and stop the bleeding, but I can’t fix his legs. The burns won’t go away instantly. If he has a memory loss, I can’t return his memories either. If he has trauma from whatever he has been through, I can’t repair that as well.”

“As long as he lives, it doesn’t matter,” Malik spoke, taking a seat in the corner of the room. “Go on.”

Rouan started working. Malik watched the blood running slowly along Iblis’s naked hanging arm down towards his fingertips before dripping to the ground. He saw the blood pooling on the ground. Rouan finally took his arm and started treating it. “Strange.”

Malik stood up. “What is?”

“I can see cuts that go deep into his bones. I can see his marrow from here. It saw it in every bone... even his spine.”

Malik watched Iblis’s arm in silence. He took his seat. “Are you almost done?”

“Yes.”

Rouan finished bandaging Iblis’s wounds. “About the payment.”

“Will this do?” Malik threw a diamond in his hands. “Should be enough.” Rouan’s eyes widened.

“But don’t rejoice too much,” Malik spoke, lifting Iblis from the table, “The world might end soon, after all.”

Rouan smiled, moving aside for him to pass. “I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

Malik sat in a hotel room with Iblis. He walked to the terrace, watching the moon. He heard slow footsteps. Glancing behind, he saw Iblis learning against the wall to walk, panting. The blue-haired quickly pressed a hand against his mouth and fell to his knees, throwing up blood. He fell forward with a gasp. Malik caught him. “Feeling sick?”

Iblis gazed down blankly, blood trailing from the corners of his lips. Malik helped him sit against the wall, “Tell me.” He clicked his fingers in front of his face, “Hey, can you hear me?”

He took his chin, but Iblis’s head tilted forward again as he let go.

“Who... are... you,” whispered Iblis, “Who... am... I?” 

Malik held his trembling hand. “You don’t remember me?”

Iblis’s eyes suddenly widened as he gripped his heart. He bent forward, whining in pain. Malik frowned, helping him up. “What’s wrong?! Can you talk?”

Iblis fell to the side, gasping for air and coughing blood. He yelped suddenly before his body relaxed on the ground. Malik’s eyes widened. “Iblis?” 

He rolled the jinn on his back and gazed at his empty blue eyes and the blood on his chin. He removed the hand clasped around his chest. “His heart... exploded?” He narrowed his eyes. “Again.”

He returned Iblis to the room where he found him and took a few steps back. He found himself back in the dimly lit hallway. He heard Iblis whining in pain. This time, he heard other voices. Malik hid behind the door, listening in.

“What do we do with him after we extract all of the marrow?” he heard a woman speaking.

“I don’t know. Make him your s*x toy or something. It doesn’t matter for me.”

“He’s having another seizure.”

Malik clenched his fists, hearing Iblis crying out in pain and fear.

“Shut up. What a useless i***t. It’s all because you wouldn’t see the plan through until the end. You did this to yourself, Iblis.”

Malik frowned. “Did what...?”

“STOP SCREAMING!”

Malik blinked, hearing a gunshot. Iblis then groaned in pain, and the room fell silent.

“Remove the bullet, and let’s get out of here. Let him rest a bit. We don’t want him to die yet.”

Malik waited until he left then removed the chains. He bandaged Iblis’s mouth before he could speak. “This will hurt.”

Iblis’s eyes widened slowly as Malik stabbed into his chest. Blood covered the bandages over his mouth. Iblis clung to Malik’s arm with a shaking hand. He gasped as Malik pushed his hand into his heart. His head tilted to the side as he stopped struggling. Malik removed a ship in his heart then duplicated what he saw Rouan doing. After treating the wounds. He took Iblis with him to a nearby forest and waited for him to wake up. Iblis regained consciousness on the same night. He stared at Malik, panting. Malik took his chin. “Tell me. Do you remember who I am?”

Iblis shook his head, blinking slowly. “Will you... kill... me...?”

Malik stared at him in silence. Iblis closed his tired eyes, drifting back to deep sleep. Malik covered him and patted his hair gently. 

“A bit further back.”