Melanie

"Come here,

you wretch!" The creature ran swiftly, climbing up the walls, chasing the

energy-draining demon. Its physical appearance resembled that of a black Komodo

dragon. It roamed the white corridors illuminated by fluorescent lamps,

encircling humans who had no idea of what was really happening around them.

The creature

slipped into one of the rooms and quickened its pace upon entering. It found

the demon atop an elderly man who appeared to be deeply asleep, judging by his

breathing. Its red eyes focused on her as it stealthily drew a pair of daggers

from its trouser pockets. It tilted its head to the side without averting its

gaze from the scene. Under the creature's scaly paws, the man squirmed

restlessly.

When the creature

pounced on her, she moved in an arc with one of the blades, making a deep gash

en el cuerpo del demonio. El icor negro y viscoso comenzó a supurar de la herida. El

El lugar estaba lleno de chillidos aberrantes. Se agachó y la hundió

daga en la cabeza del demonio, haciendo que comience a evaporarse en nubes de

humo.

Ella se retiró una vez

Una vez más, aliviado de no sentir la presencia de otra de esas criaturas

cerca. Su deber principal como cazadora era mantener a esos demonios, que buscaban

alimentarse de almas humanas, lejos, aprovechando la fragilidad de su físico

Salud.

Ese hospital fue

conocido por su alta tasa de mortalidad entre los pacientes, pero más allá de la medicina

negligencia, fue una consecuencia de la influencia constante del drenaje de la vida

Criaturas. Ella caminó, observando a los médicos y enfermeras bulliciosos, buscando

Remedios o curas para dolencias que a menudo no tenían solución, tratando de engañar

muerte. Ignoraban que ese mundo coexistiera con ellos, pero invisibles para ellos.

sus ojos.

Al salir

A través de la puerta, una enfermera empujó una silla de ruedas con una niña sonriente sentada en ella.

Lo encontró desconcertante y levantó la mano en un gesto de saludo. Ella

Me impresionó ver a la niña corresponder el gesto.

Ella decidió

Ignóralo y salió del sofocante hospital, dirigiéndose hacia la biblioteca. Ese

era su pasatiempo favorito durante sus momentos libres: perderse en lo fantástico

historias inventadas por humanos. Entre todas las cosas del mundo, ella consideró

que sea su mejor creación.

Anker

"Aquí lo tienes

como usted pidió" sentado en su escritorio de caoba, fumó un cigarrillo cuando

Trixie colocó la cabeza cortada de un hombre de mediana edad encima de sus carpetas, el

La expresión de incertidumbre en el rostro de ese pobre tonto era lo único que

Quedó después de un atroz asesinato "Elimina a tu competencia"

"Cuando te dije que eliminaras a la competencia",

agarró la papelera y empujó la cabeza hacia ella, "No te pedí que lo hicieras.

asesinarlos"

"Es la forma más efectiva" se sentó en el

muebles de esquina, cruzando esas piernas largas y bronceadas que cautivaron a muchos hombres.

"Has estado sumido en tus pensamientos últimamente"

"En realidad, estoy

aburrido. Pensé que el mundo humano tendría mucho más entretenimiento que el mundo humano.

reino de los demonios, pero estoy considerando lo contrario"

"Yo estaba solo

Pensando lo mismo, son igual de miserables aquí", cruzó los brazos,

"Desde esa guerra, no ha habido nada interesante en este lugar"

"Tal vez deberíamos comenzar otro". He dicho

exhalando una bocanada de humo. Se inclinó hacia adelante con un brillo malicioso en su

ojos.

"Eso sería

fantástico. ¿Cómo quieres que empecemos? Es tan fácil hoy en día provocar uno

con un teléfono móvil, solo un par de comentarios y ..."

"No me refiero a un

guerra en este mundo. Tenemos que pensar más allá de este pedazo de tierra errante".

"Oh, bueno", ella

Sonrió, "¿Quieres provocar el reino celestial?" Eso es muy emocionante.

Me levanté de

la silla y se dirigió hacia la botella de whisky sobre la mesa, apagando mi

cigarrillo.

"Es hora de nosotros

para expandirse. Este lugar es demasiado pequeño para mis expectativas"

"Me gusta mucho la idea, pero ¿cómo planeas

para hacerlo? Incluso si tuvieras que convencer a todo el reino de los demonios de tal cosa,

La realidad es que ninguno de ellos tiene suficiente poder para enfrentar el reino celestial"

"Tienes razón

al respecto. Primero, debemos obtener poder, uno que no encontraremos en el demonio.

reino"

"¿Estás hablando

¿Sobre los ángeles? ¿Cómo vas a despojar a uno de sus poderes? Tendrías que

quítenles las alas, y eso no garantiza nada"

"Eso es lo que hace que

es interesante", tomé un sorbo de la bebida, saboreando la quemadura. "Será que

Muy ángel que me concederá sus poderes. Al renunciar a sus alas, seré

capaz de usarlos para liderar un ejército imparable"

"No quiero estropear tus fantasías, pero cómo

¿Crees que lograrás algo así?"

"Manipulación, de

curso. Someteré a cualquier ser celestial, obligándolos a renunciar a su

posición y dame sus alas. Por supuesto, tendría que ser poderoso"

Ella se acercó y

Agarró el vaso, tomando un sorbo largo, mordiéndose el labio inferior.

"Supongo que tú

quiero que encuentre ese ángel para ti"

"Así es, pero

Esta vez debemos actuar de manera diferente". Tomé el vaso de su mano, levantando un

ceja. "No vamos a matar a nadie esta vez. Buscarás eso

ángel, y yo me encargaré del resto"

"Yo no

entiende cómo romperás el orgullo de uno de esos seres", le cruzó.

armas. "Creo que preferirían estar muertos antes que renunciar a su posición"

"¿Eres tú?

cuestionando mis habilidades?"

"Sabes que lo haría

nunca hagas eso"

"Entonces haz lo que yo

preguntar". Terminé el sorbo restante de mi bebida, "rastrea el objetivo e infórmame

al respecto"

Su mirada se volvió

Serio, tal vez incluso molesto, pero ella no dijo nada más y simplemente

Asintió antes de irse con pasos decididos. Estaba cansado de ser un poco más

demonio en las profundidades del infierno. Había llegado el momento, tenía que mostrar tanto el cielo como el

demonios quién era el ser más poderoso. Quería poseerlo todo, y no

Uno se interpondría en mi camino.

Melanie

Once again in the

hospital, she couldn't get that girl out of her mind, the one who had greeted

her as if she had truly seen her. Since it was very late, there was hardly any

staff in the area, but as usual, she decided it was better to go unnoticed.

Most of the rooms

were closed, and she didn't know what to expect. Since she had been living on earth,

that aspect was what fascinated her the most. Perhaps she just wanted to check

what was so special about that girl or if it had simply been a product of her

imagination, although she didn't believe she was delusional.

As she walked with

her hands in the pockets of her jacket, she stopped when she saw an open door.

A middle-aged woman was sitting next to a girl with her hair tied in a braid,

reading her a story out loud. The girl was lying among pillows on the bed, hugging

a teddy bear, and she watched the woman with fascination, paying attention to

every word.

"And then the

wolf locked the rabbit in a box when he saw it, and he sang excitedly about his

excellent hunt," the tiredness of the woman was evident in the bags under

her eyes and the wrinkles on her cheeks and around her mouth, "but from

inside the box, the rabbit begged to be set free..."

"The wolf is

cruel. Why would he do something like that?" the little girl interrupted.

"If you let

me finish, then you'll know why he did it," the woman said, nodding her

head.

She stood at the

entrance of the room, listening to the rest of the story, while admiring the

scene of the mother and daughter sharing a special moment. At one point, she

took a few steps inside and noticed the girl glanced at her, but quickly

refocused on the woman.

"Hey, Mommy,

can you bring me some cookies from the vending machine?"

"It's too

late for you to be eating, sweetheart," the woman said, closing the book.

"I know, but

the food was really bad. Please, I'm very hungry," she pouted. Without any

other choice, the woman got up with a sigh.

"Fine, but

this better be the last time you ask for sweets at this hour," she planted

a kiss on the girl's forehead and left, passing by me, closing the door.

"Why doesn't

Mommy see you?" the soft, sweet voice caught her by surprise and made her

turn her head towards the bed. "In all the time you were there, she didn't

notice you."

It was real, and

it was happening: the girl was staring at her and speaking to her.

"Because

nobody is supposed to do it."

 "But I do it. Why are you invisible to

others? Is it your superpower?"

"I don't like

people, and I don't let them see me," she wouldn't explain to an

eight-year-old girl that she was an angel; it was enough that she knew of her

existence.

"That's

really cool," she smiled, "I wish I could do it sometimes. Could you

teach me?"

"I don't

think that's possible. People like you are not capable of that."

She lowered her

gaze to the floor, her dark circles and dull eyes denoting a weariness

uncharacteristic of a girl clinging to her stuffed bear.

"Hey, what's

your name, girl? I like your plush toy, I wish I had one like that," she

approached the bed with a smile, wanting to change that expression, unable to

bear seeing her like that.

"My name is

Leila," she took the bear and lifted it up. "His name is Lupe, he's

my best friend." She took the plush toy's paw and greeted it.

"Pleasure to

meet you, Lupe. My name is..." she stopped, unsure how to continue. Her

name couldn't be pronounced by humans, so she blurted out the first name that

came to mind. "Melanie."

"Your name is

very pretty," the girl extended a smile that lit up her face.

She wanted that

smile to stay, and before she knew it, the conversation had extended longer

than she expected. By the time her mother arrived, she already knew why she was

there.

Over the next few

days, through the whispers of the nurses, she learned that Leila had

cardiopulmonary problems and that no treatment had been effective.

She had never

emotionally connected with a human before, but for some reason, she always

ended up talking to Leila. She found her perspective of the world fascinating,

her persistence in being happy despite her diagnosis. What others saw as a lost

battle, she saw as a reason to enjoy every moment and smile whenever she could.

But, as expected,

the day came when the illness consumed its bearer. One night, while walking

through the empty hallways, she heard a nurse calling for help as she rushed

into Leila's room. Without pausing to think, she reached the girl's room. The

woman was trying to help the girl, but she moved clumsily in the midst of

panic. She held Leila in her arms, her face red and her mouth open, struggling

to breathe, making grunting sounds as she clung to her chest.

"Help,

please! I need a doctor!" the desperate woman exclaimed, pressing the

emergency buttons with trembling fingers.

She was aware that

no help would be able to do anything in that moment. The hairs on her arms

stood on end in the presence of death drawing nearer.

No, she didn't

want it to end this way. She couldn't bear to see those eyes, once filled with

joy and excitement, fade away. She reached out her hand, touching the woman's

back, and beneath her fingers, she felt the tension dissipate. She turned her

head to see where that contact came from, but her eyes wandered around the

room.

She whispered

words in her native language, a soft and melodious chant. She used the woman as

a conduit to transmit healing to Leila.

The grunts began

to fade slowly, replaced by the sound of deep breaths. When the doctor and

nurses arrived in the room, she realized what she had done.

She had broken one

of the most important laws in Heaven.

She turned around

and hurried to leave the hospital, venturing into the streets below, her heart

pounding. Why? Why did she decide to risk so much for the life of that little

girl?

Anker

"I've always

considered it very dangerous; skydiving is one of the last things I would try

in this world."

 "Every now and then, it's important to

feel that adrenaline. It will help you see life from a different

perspective," I commented as I took a bite of a strawberry from the cup.

The redhead girl

let out a flirtatious giggle. "You can tell you love dangerous

things."

"I love it

when danger comes in a double portion," she replied with a smile. She

watched as the girl with braids ran her tongue over her lower lip while giving

her a longing look, a look she knew well, filled with attraction towards the

different and mysterious.

Trixie had told

her that in this area she might encounter an angel who used to roam around

there, but she didn't feel any celestial presence. She wondered if Trixie was just

playing a prank on her. Aside from a couple of people, she only noticed the two

attractive girls enjoying a snack on the grass. It seemed like the perfect

place to keep watch and pass the time. After all, if she didn't find the angel,

at least she would convince the girls to have a fun time, the three of them

together.

One of the women

started a conversation, but Anker didn't bother to listen. She discreetly

watched a girl walking briskly and sitting on a bench to read a pocket book.

Her aura and demeanour betrayed her splendour. She was definitely one of them.

"Well, girls,

it was a pleasure spending time with you, but I must be going," Anker

announced.

 "Oh no, stay a little longer," said

the redhead with a pout.

"Please stay,

Anker," added the friend, placing her hand on Anker's.

"Believe me,

I wish I could, but I have things to do," Anker responded.

She approached the

redhead and planted a kiss on her lips, taking her by surprise. She slightly

opened her lips and their tongues danced for a moment.

When they pulled

apart, the other, more demanding girl approached, also demanding a kiss. She

placed her hands behind Anker's neck to deepen the kiss, which ignited a spark

of desire in Anker. However, she stepped back. If she continued like this, she

would give in to temptation.

"Excuse me,

ladies, but it's time for me to go," declared Anker. The redhead handed

her a piece of paper with a phone number. "Take our number. You can call

us to go out when you're free," she suggested.

Anker smiled and

tucked the paper into the pocket of her black shirt. She knew she wouldn't call

them. Unfortunately, the moment had already passed.

For a brief

moment, she thought the angel might be watching her and would disrupt any of

her plans. However, as she approached, she realized the angel's gaze was fixed

on the book, paying little attention to her presence as she walked slowly in

front of her.

It didn't surprise

her that the angel remained unaffected. Thanks to her talismans, she had

concealed her demonic aura, perhaps even making herself appear like an ordinary

human. It was evident that angels wouldn't be perturbed or lower their pride in

the presence of one.

Melanie

Immersed herself

in the fascinating stories of Agatha Christie's mysterious universe, with her

legs crossed, sitting on a bench. She was so engrossed in her reading that she

paid no attention to the passing hours or people. She was hypnotized by the

words, scanning them quickly with her eyes, eager to discover what would happen

next.

"I see you're

thoroughly entertained," a voice interrupted her reverie. When she looked

towards its source, she saw a man with his hands tucked into his black jacket,

giving her a smile. "Christie, huh? Her novels are quite popular.

Personally, I prefer Adam Neville. He has some pretty good stories."

There was

something peculiar about this individual that she couldn't quite identify. At

first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary human, but she was unsettled by the

comedic and sarcastic glint in his eyes, as if he was hiding something darker.

"Can I help

you with something?" she asked.

"Would you

mind if I join you?" the man responded.

"No

problem," she shrugged, deciding to downplay her initial doubts and return

to her reading.

"And what

about you? Do you enjoy mystery and Christie?" the man inquired.

"I prefer

Stephen King; horror is more my thing," she replied.

"I suppose no

self-proclaimed reader could resist reading some of his works," the man

extended his hand and nodded. "By the way, I apologize for not introducing

myself. My name is Anker."

"Melanie,"

she replied, reciprocating the gesture. She typically had little interest in

humans, but something about him unsettled her, although she couldn't quite

pinpoint why.

"It's a

beautiful name. Did your mother or father give it to you?" Anker asked.

She had chosen

that name randomly on the day she met little Leila. Remembering that moment was

distressing, so she tried to ignore it to avoid thinking about the possible

consequences.

"It was my

father. I'm not sure of its true meaning, but I like it," she replied.

"I

understand. It's curious; I've been living in this city for a long time, and I

don't recognize you," Anker commented.

"I don't

think you know everyone who lives in this city," she responded.

"I would

remember a face as beautiful as yours, I assure you," Anker flirted.

Great, now he's

trying to flirt with me, she thought. She regretted not concealing her presence

earlier. Men were so predictable, attracted to her physical form on earth, and

that bothered her.

"Well, I have

to go. I have things to do," she said, standing up. She felt his hand

gripping her arm. She prepared to strike him with a clenched fist, but before

she could do so, he transported her to another place at an extraordinary speed.

He pushed her onto

a sofa, leaving her lying there, looking around in surprise. He stood before

her, wearing a satisfied expression in his gaze. She had made a grave mistake:

this individual was not human.

"What the

hell do you think you're doing?" She stood up to hit him, but he held her

wrist inches from his face.

"You should

calm down so we can have a civilized conversation," he said. She let out a

frustrated growl and raised her left leg to kick him. She was shocked when he

grabbed her leg and positioned it around his hip, bringing their bodies too

close for comfort. A wicked smile played on his lips as he arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't

think we'd get to this point so soon. Your eagerness surprises me,

Melanie." Her breath caught in her chest. Was this really happening to

her?

"Let go, or

you'll regret it," she said, keeping her voice firm, trying to hide her

fear that he might harm her. She had been so naive to leave her weapons in the

apartment, thinking she wouldn't need them.

"And if I

don't? What do you think you'll do about it?" A chill ran down her spine

as she heard his suddenly deep voice. She didn't like this situation. With her

free hand, she pushed him forcefully to break free from his grip. He looked at

her, surprised and amused by the situation.

"Don't you

dare touch me again," she clenched her hands into fists. She quickly

looked around, searching for an exit. At first glance, she was in a rather

spacious and luxurious apartment, but her gaze focused on the glass doors

behind him, revealing a view of the sea.

"Are you

going to stop me? Can't you see that you're under my control now?" He

approached, and I felt the urge to step back. This time, I could sense his

demonic aura. And from that sensation, I knew he was unlike the demons I used

to face. This one seemed to be of a higher rank. It was impossible for me to

defeat him in a fight without weapons. I wasn't strong enough. I need to escape

from here, right now, she quickly thought of an escape plan.

"I'm not

under anyone's control," she took two steps closer, "and I will kill

you for what you just did."

He closed the

distance between us, and his black eyes stared at me intensely. There was a

gleam that I found unsettling, as if I were the prey, he was ready to devour.

"I like your

attitude of false arrogance," he spoke with a deep voice, no trace of humour

en sus palabras, "pero te quebrantaré hasta el punto en que ruegues por mí.

para tomar el control sobre ti".

"Yo no

think that's going to happen," I spread my wings and charged at him with

enough force to push him aside. With a surge, I extended my arms forward and

collided with the glass doors, shattering them. I quickly ascended, enjoying

the air hitting my face. It seemed like I had evaded the words of that filthy

demon, or so I thought.

Suddenly, as if an

invisible gust swept me back, I was violently thrown backward. I tried to fly

again, but that force seemed to absorb my downward momentum. I covered my face

just before being slammed forcefully into the sand. A wave of pain shot through

my side from the impact. With a growl, I tried to take flight once more, but

one of my wings didn't respond properly, and I fell back onto the sand. I spat

blood from my mouth. My human body was fragile, and if this continued, I would

end up breaking many bones, with a long healing process ahead.

"Done

playing?" the demon appeared standing with his hands behind his back, a

damned smirk of satisfaction on his face, "Or do you plan on hurting your

other wing?"

I did my best to

get up quickly. The pain in my body was so intense that I almost fell again,

but I managed to hold myself back. I didn't want to show any weakness in front

of him.

"How did you

trap me?"

"I simply let

the place bring you back here," he approached, grabbing a loose strand of

hair, "now you're all dirty for causing trouble."

I struck his hand,

not understanding how he was able to trap me at such speed without me even

seeing him.

"I told you

not to touch me. I don't know what kind of absurd game you're planning, but I

refuse to be a part of it."

"You're

already in the game. You could try to escape again, but you'll only receive the

same punishment."

"What do you

want from me?"

"All I want

is for you to accept staying here."

"That's not

going to happen. There's no way I would willingly be with a filthy demon like

you." I noticed confusion in his gaze, and I felt satisfied by it. But

before I could say anything else, he crouched down and lifted me, placing me

over his shoulder. This caused new waves of pain to surge through my body.

"What are you

doing?" I pounded his back with closed fists, but it was futile. He kept

walking, ignoring my complaints. Then, he transported us back to the apartment

and dropped me onto a bed, landing on my back. I tried to get up, but he pinned

my wrists to the bed and exerted his weight on me. Our bodies and faces were

too close. I struggled to move, but the currents of pain prevented me from

doing so.

"I'll make

you understand the hard way that you belong to me now," his eyes reflected

a darkness I had never seen before. My heart was pounding rapidly. I feared

what he might do to me in that moment when I was completely vulnerable.

"You'll have

to kill me first," I blurted out those words impulsively and immediately

regretted it. To my surprise, he smiled and kissed me on the cheek before

releasing me and standing up, leaving me utterly confused.

"I genuinely

like you, but I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to leave here until I say

so," he shrugged, "I'll leave you to adjust."

"Wait!"

Salió de la habitación y cerró la puerta detrás de él. Traté de abrirlo agarrando

El pomo de la puerta, pero era inútil. Había sido secuestrado y encerrado por eso

Maldito demonio.