Era

“That’s what it means,” he replied in the same tone and clutched his head again. “My father had to transfer the money.”

“That’s it! I’ve had enough!” The woman said loudly. “Pack your things and get out, now I have to clean this apartment for another week after you!”

He approached the woman, and it seemed to me that he was going to hit her, but this did not happen.

“Okay,” he replied more quietly and tried to control his emotions. “I’ll pack my things and leave now. Just stop yelling.”

“You’re a fiend!” she said and moved to a safe distance from the guy. “Your poor father.”

My ward did not answer anything and returned to the bag with things, the woman soon left the apartment.

With the phone in his hand, he dialed the number and plunged into the conversation. His voice sounded confident, but there was a hidden anxiety in it. He made appointments as if he knew that each of them could change his fate. Being his faithful observer, I watched his every move, trying to understand what was hidden behind this stormy energy and abundance of emotions.

He left the house and got into the car. The car was bright yellow, like a small sun on wheels. It was a sports car that raced along the winding roads, leaving only a plume of dust in its wake.

He arrived at a roadside cafe, where he was met, apparently, by a friend. They had a long conversation, but my ward’s friend was laughing, and my ward remained serious. I noticed yellow and reddish spots in his aura, which indicated numerous connections with people. But there was something wrong with him. There was far from a positive energy coming from him, even sitting at a distance, I could feel it.

I could have flown closer and eavesdropped on their conversation, but I decided to stay in the shadows. I didn’t know how many years I was going to be with Alex, and I wanted to understand him from the inside, slowly getting to know him. So, I continued to watch, trying to unravel the mystery that lay behind his outer shell.

Suddenly, he got up and left. His car, like lightning, disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a light haze. I followed him until he stopped at a large house that looked more like a castle. An elderly woman came out of the house, and her eyes filled with tears when she saw him.

“Hi, is your father at home?” – he asked.

“I’m glad you’re back,” the woman replied, her voice trembling with emotion. “You’ve lost so much weight, how do you feel? Is everything okay?”

“I need a father,” his ward replied firmly.

And at that moment, I realized that this was not just a man in front of me, this guy was not simple, so far, I had seen nothing but his gloomy lifestyle, but it seemed that soon I would get to know him even more.

The woman replied that her father was not there, he would return only in the morning. My ward frowned and entered the house. I followed him, trying to catch his scent and voice. Indeed, there was a subtle almond scent coming from him. We found ourselves in a spacious room with moldings and gilding. He sat down in a large armchair and sighed.

“Alex,” the woman called. “Can I cook you something?”

“I’m not hungry,” he replied coldly. The woman hesitated on the threshold and left.

His name was Alex, a bit of an unusual name for these places, but it wasn’t the name that mattered. The color of his aura, which I had never seen before, had so many emotions boiling in him at the same time, and his face remained stony, it seemed as if he had never been touched by wrinkles. He might have been twenty-seven years old, or maybe thirty. There are human faces where it’s hard to read age, and Alex was just such a face.

Alex was clearly not in the mood to talk to a woman. He wanted a drink. I felt this thirst. Sometimes we angels can sense the needs of our charges.

He got up, opened the alcohol cabinet and took a bottle. I ran my hand over it and watched Alex. He filled the glass, raised it to his lips, took a sip, and grimaced.

“What a piece of trash,” he swore and got up in search of another bottle.

But I repeated the trick, and he winced again. Then he gave up, took a bottle of water and took a sip.

“Sofia,” he called loudly to the woman. I saw his eyes. He seemed to be looking directly at me, even though I checked the pendant and made sure he couldn’t see me. I stepped aside and continued to watch.

The woman came in, straightening her apron.

“Is there nothing to drink?” Alex asked.

“All the alcohol is in the bar,” she replied softly, pointing to the cupboard behind him.

“There’s some kind of trash in there instead of alcohol,” he barked and sat down in an armchair. “Make me something to eat.”

The woman nodded and left. I sat on the windowsill and watched Alex through the transparent curtain. He was obviously nervous, but I didn’t understand the reason for his stress.

Sofia brought him food. He picked at his plate reluctantly, glancing at his watch. It was already late at night, but he hadn’t slept. He seemed to be preparing for something important. In the morning, his eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep right in the armchair. I was distracted by the rising sun. It was very beautiful here: a small garden near the house, a white gazebo in the back. For almost a hundred years, I have not been able to get used to how a person knows how to arrange his world. More and more often I saw beautiful houses, statues, paintings. It was very beautiful, sometimes it seemed to me that people were trying to look like angels, they surround themselves with luxurious objects, create houses in bright colors, just like in Celestial Empire. And this house was gorgeous.

Suddenly, I was startled by a noise in the hallway. A tall, gray-haired man entered the living room. Alex woke up and rubbed his eyes. It was his father. They started arguing.

“That’s enough! I’m tired of your antics!” The man exclaimed.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child, “Alex replied furiously. “You took up my upbringing too late.

The father clutched his heart and sat down on the sofa. I came closer. And maybe I should save him, but I can’t do that without spreading my wings, and of course I’ll waste some of my energy, but something told me that I should save this man in a critical situation.

“I promised your mother,” he began, breathing heavily. “That I can raise you as a good person and wait for the grandchildren. I failed the first mission, let’s see what I can do with the second one.”

Sofia brought the pills. Alex frowned, watching his father.

“You’re going to America today,” the man said, loosening his tie. “My partner is there, he needs an assistant. You’d rather be in another country than me identifying you in the morgue.”

“What are you talking about?” Alex was indignant.

“Your friend Artyom disappeared a couple of weeks ago,” his father continued. “I have seen his parents, they have aged during this time. And yesterday he was found in a ditch, he died of an overdose.”

Alex quietly sank into a chair, shocked by the news.

“Yes, that’s right,” the father replied calmly, looking at his son. “Pack your things, my assistant will book your tickets.”

Alex got up, took a few steps, and looked at his father.

“I’ll fly, but later. I want to say goodbye to a friend”.

My father nodded and looked out the window. He was clearly worried about his son’s future, and that was why he insisted that Alex move.

On the second floor, Alex was packing his suitcase. He picked up the photo from the table, looked at it, and wiped away a tear. I was very surprised by this, he blushed, and indeed tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“Mom, I promise I’ll change,” he said softly. I felt sorry for him. This guy was clearly suffering. I sat down next to him and touched his cheek.

He shuddered as if he felt a touch. Alex wiped his tears and looked around, trying to figure out who it was. I checked the pendant and thought: this was the first time such a phenomenon had occurred. This has never happened to any of my students.

“I’m going crazy,” Alex said softly and rubbed his eyes.

I moved away so I wouldn’t touch him again. I’ve never noticed this before. What kind of person is this? Why did I get such a ward? He went to the bathroom, cleaned himself up for a long time. I felt a sweet and fresh scent – his perfume. When he returned, his lower body was covered only with a towel. I admired his torso again while he dried his hair and put on fresh clothes. Obviously, he was going somewhere. But I couldn’t let him go, I had to accompany every step of his difficult life with my presence.

Chapter 3

He was driving his sports car at breakneck speed. I realized that he was one of those people who constantly risked his life. Such people often die in extreme situations, and death overtakes them quickly. There is a possibility that an angel might bump into her. Now there was a fear that I might not be able to save him in time, he behaved very riskily, as if there was another spare life. I followed his solar car, trying not to lose sight of Alex.

The car stopped at a house on the outskirts of a village, and Alex confidently got out of it. There were very beautiful houses here, and in one of the courtyards there was even a fountain with the image of a little angel with wings. It was very touching, but at the same time I realized that this is not what angels really look like. We are not sweet and kind creatures, we are stone inside, we try to be objective and just without emotions and warmth in our hearts, at all costs we must protect our wards from ourselves and their wrong actions that lead them towards death. A man with black hair came out of the house. I found myself next to Alex. He turned around as if he sensed my presence. I stepped back to hear them talking.

“What are you doing?” The man asked.

Alex frowned and looked around. I understood how he did it, but now I have to be careful not to start driving him crazy and reveal my existence.

“It’s nothing,” he replied, and they entered the house.

They were sitting on the second floor. The man brought two bottles of beer. I quickly ran my hand over the bottle Alex was about to drink from. Realizing that he would drive again after that, I frowned.

“Have you heard about Artyom?” Alex asked, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

The man nodded and sighed loudly.

“We’re not all eternal, brother.”

“I understand, but then I didn’t go to a party with him, even though he really invited me,” Alex took a sip of beer and grimaced, leaving the bottle.

“Don’t blame yourself, “the man said. “If you had gone, there would have been two corpses. And you’re here with me right now, drinking beer.”

Alex nodded and looked suspiciously at the bottle. I smiled and settled down on the windowsill.

“Hera, I’m flying to the USA tomorrow after the funeral,” Alex said sadly but confidently. It was as if he had accepted his father’s decision.

“Did your father arrange for you to travel?” The man chuckled.

“Yeah,” Alex sighed.

“You know, Alex,” Hera lowered his eyes. “Maybe it’s for the best. It’s time to stop hanging out, hotels, and endless girls.”

“Shall we go to the monastery?” Alex joked and fell silent when he saw that his friend was serious.

“I also thought about going back to my father’s workshop, repairing cars and earning money for beer and pizza” Hera left the bottle and began to look for something in his pocket. “By the way, I got some fun pills yesterday.”

Hera handed Alex a bag. He took it and looked at it carefully.

“And how? What is it?” he asked, looking at his friend.

Hera smiled and, as if forgetting the momentary conversation about changes, suggested.

“Watch interesting cartoons. Take a pill, and I’ll get you another beer.”

He left the room, leaving Alex alone with the bag. I mentally exclaimed, “Don’t take it!” But Alex had already opened the bag and popped the pill into his mouth. I sighed and realized that I needed to act.

I cautiously approached him and ran my hand over his stomach, just under his ribs, without touching his body. It worked instantly: Alex felt sick and rushed to the bathroom.

I settled back on the windowsill, smiling. Now I knew for sure that he would drive completely sober.

“Brother, are you feeling ill?” Hera’s voice was heard.

“Something strange is happening,” Alex replied and returned to the room.

I froze when Alex took the feather from my wings out of his pocket and told me about the events at the hotel.

“I don’t remember anything,” Alex said. “I woke up, there’s a syringe on the floor, and there’s a feather on the bed.”

Hera examined the pen carefully.

“It looks like a crow,” he suggested.

“Maybe,” Alex agreed and rolled up his sleeves, showing his arms. “And yet, when I woke up, everything was clean.”

“Listen, brother, “Hera laughed softly, as if he didn’t believe Alex’s story. “What is it called? Regeneration, right?”

“No,” Alex shook his head. “I was in a rehabilitation center, and even in a few months nothing has changed. And then it all went away overnight.”

Hera shrugged his shoulders and opened a second bottle of beer. Alex continued.

“And so, I just dropped the pill, and it’s already in the toilet.”

“Forget it, “Hera waved his hand. “It happened to me: I got so drunk the day before that I didn’t drink a drop at my mother’s birthday party.”

Alex frowned, seeing that his friend didn’t believe him. I breathed a sigh of relief and watched them. They discussed something for a while longer, and then they said goodbye.

“I’ll see you at the funeral tomorrow,” Alex said gloomily and shook his friend’s hand. He nodded.

I didn’t want to fly overtaking a yellow car. When Alex opened the door, I slipped inside and got into the passenger seat. It was safer for me and for him, if something happens on the road, I’ll be there and I can save him quickly.

“What’s going on?” Alex cursed, closing the door and looking around the interior. I froze like a statue. He didn’t fasten his seat belt. I sighed and turned off the car.

“What do you want?” Alex frowned and tried to start the car again, but to no avail. Now her heart was under my control.

Alex slammed on the steering wheel, cursed, then buckled in. The car started up and started moving.

“What the hell,” Alex muttered to himself and pulled out onto the road.

***

At night, the ward slept soundly, without turning over. I was looking at the moon outside the window – it couldn’t be seen from the cage in the Celestial Empire, only the stars. I wanted to fly there and find out the truth from Tatiana: why was I pardoned and why was I sent to Alex? I looked at the guy again: his eyelashes were trembling, he was dreaming, but I didn’t intrude on him and continued to look out the window.

I wondered why Alex was hurting himself. Doesn’t he love himself? He’s very handsome. Maybe it’s his mother. She’s probably dead. How old was he then? Some angels can read the memories of their charges, but I’m not one of them. I can heal, neutralize dangerous substances, enter dreams, and even create my own dreams. But I can’t read other people’s memories. As my friend Vito used to say, it can be developed. He has been training for so long that he is now able to read the thoughts and memories of his players even from a distance. I smiled, remembering how long it had been since I’d seen him. We can communicate like people on the phone, but it’s a one-way connection. An angel flies to the Celestial Empire if his name is called, if he is not busy saving the ward. We can clearly hear our voice and our name.

Vito and I often met in the tower of the Celestial Empire, but after my first trial, we began to see each other less often. No, Vito didn’t change his attitude towards me, but I was afraid to leave my ward unattended, even though he called me several times.

I looked sadly at the sky, where the stars were dimming, heralding the dawn. I really wanted to see my blond friend right now and find out how he was doing, and I wanted to tell him about the strange things that were happening to me. Maybe Vito knew something about the color of the aura, or he himself had encountered such a phenomenon that the ward seemed to feel the presence of an angel.

Chapter 4

Alex put on black trousers and a shirt, but decided not to wear a jacket. He looked at himself in the mirror, and I stood behind him. And I noticed one very strange thing. We looked alike: similar facial features, eyes, cheekbones. This similarity suddenly struck me. It was like we were brother and sister. I noticed that his aura today was bright purple with green edges.

Moving away from Alex, I began to watch him. He put on shoes and applied perfume. Suddenly, there were footsteps in the hallway and a knock on the door.

“Are you ready?” Alex’s father asked, looking at his son.

“Yes,” Alex replied shortly.

“I remind you that you will leave for the airport immediately after the funeral. The suitcase has already been loaded,” the father said sternly, getting ready to leave.

“I’ll leave,” Alex replied coldly. “But I want you to know that I’m not doing this for you, but for Mom.”

“At least this way,” his father said softly.

“There are many moments in my memory that prove that you never loved me,” Alex continued. The father froze and listened attentively. “She died because of you.”

“What are you talking about?” My father flared up, coming closer.

Alex didn’t back down. They were almost the same height.

“If you hadn’t faked your death and made her believe it, she would still be alive,” Alex said, looking into his father’s eyes.

“If I hadn’t done that, most likely, no one would have been left alive in this house,” the father replied furiously, glaring at his son. “And even you.”

Alex didn’t say anything, just looked into his father’s eyes.

“I’m waiting in the car,” my father said, and slammed the door and left the room.

Alex looked around the room, making sure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Then he sighed, looked at his mother’s portrait, and left.

I flew after the black sedan. There were two people in the car: a man, Alex’s father, was driving, and Alex himself was in the passenger seat, staring out the window with a detached look. I have already attended the funerals of my wards’ relatives, but every time it was unbearable. To see them suffer, to see their hearts burst with pain. And the worst part is that you can’t help them through the pain. There is no magic cure for human pain, not physical, but mental. At such moments, I can literally hear their soul crying.

The car stopped at a building decorated with flowers and wreaths. Alex got out of the car, followed by his father. Two people came out of the building: a woman and a man in black. The woman, all in tears, immediately rushed to Alex with her fists:

“How could you? It’s all because of you! You got him hooked on this stuff, he died because of you!”

Alex was silent, not saying a word. The man accompanying the woman took her by the shoulders and gently pulled her aside.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Svetlana,” he said. “The guy is worried too. He’s grieving for our son.”

“He left him. He did it on purpose, my son died, but he stayed alive. You see, he’s alive,” Artyom’s mother persisted, her voice breaking, she was on the verge of hysteria.

The woman continued to cry, shouting unpleasant words at Alex. Her soul was crying uncontrollably and suffering, I heard the rapid beating of her heart, saw her tears. The tears of a mother who lost her son. But the man still managed to lead her away. Alex gathered his strength and entered the building. Inside, his friend lay in a coffin, motionless and cold. Alex cautiously approached the coffin, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. He rubbed his eyes, covered his mouth with his hand, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

Alex’s father left the building and walked over to the car. He took out a bouquet of flowers from the back seat and laid them by the coffin. Alex stood silently by his side, looking at his friend’s motionless face. Then he went outside, where Hera was already waiting for him.

“How are you?” Hera asked, looking at Alex.

“It’s lousy,” Alex replied gloomily. “You should have heard his mother screaming.”

“Yes, I saw that she was hysterical. The ambulance arrived there,” Gera added, pointing towards another building.

Alex was silent for a long time, smoking a cigarette. His gaze was fixed on the building where his friend was lying. I was wondering what was going on in his head right now. Has he thought about changing his lifestyle in order to finally choose a different path? He spoke softly:

“I’m going to the airport.”

“Come on, brother,” Hera replied, smiling slightly. “Don’t forget, I’ll be waiting for you in Russia.”

Hera hugged my ward and lowered his head. Alex nodded and headed for the car. The father was already behind the wheel, waiting for his son. They set off again, immersed in silence. I flew next to him and kept looking at the thoughtful Alex, his eyes were red with tears. I really didn’t want him to suffer, but I knew he wouldn’t change any other way.

Alex took his suitcase out of the trunk and, without looking back, entered the airport building. It was a little noisy and cool inside. He knew that he had a long way ahead of him, he would live in another country and did not know when he would return to Russia. But I just looked at him thoughtfully and saw something strange in him.

His father, Oleg, was standing next to him, holding documents in his hands. He was calm and confident.

“I hope you do well there,” Oleg said, looking at Alex. “I transferred the money to you, so you’ll have enough for the first time. Your partner will provide you with an apartment. If you feel good there, then don’t come back.”

His father sighed and, lowering his eyes, said faintly,

“I don’t want to feel what Artyom’s parents felt.”

Alex didn’t say anything. He just held out his hand in farewell, and his father squeezed it tightly. Oleg looked at his son with concern, but at the same time he sighed, as if he knew that now his life was not in danger.

“Be careful,” he added.

Alex nodded and, without turning around, went to the reception desk. I could feel his heart beating faster, but he was walking steadily forward. In a new country, he will start a new life, away from questionable friends and away from his father, who did not have a very positive influence on him.

It was quiet inside the plane. Alex was sitting by the window, looking at the clouds passing through the porthole. I could feel the excitement inside him. It’s the fear of something new, but I was there, and I knew I would do everything to keep him alive.

He refused alcohol on board. He closed his eyes and seemed to fall asleep. I was looking out the window at the pink fluffy clouds. I realized that I was flying to the Celestial Empire that night. I had a lot of questions that Tatiana would help me answer. I was hoping that she would be able to talk to me today.

***

I was walking through the airport, following Alex, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his bright aura. He walked confidently, carrying his luggage, and stopped to look at his phone. People were hurrying around, but I ignored them, absorbed in watching Alex.

My gaze happened to fall on a couple who had probably just returned from a trip. They were greeted by children. A little boy with funny curls on his head, with a joyful squeal, rushed to his mother and hugged her with great pleasure. This moment was so warm and tender that I involuntarily stopped to admire them.

I’ve always dreamed of feeling someone’s warmth, hugs, and kisses. But my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a voice calling for Alex.

“Alex,” a man’s voice said. I turned around and saw a slightly gray-haired man approaching us. He was dressed quite unusually for his age: bright shorts, a white T-shirt and a red cap.

“Vladimir?” Alex asked uncertainly.

“That’s the one,” the man laughed and, shaking Alex’s hand, pulled him to himself to hug him.

“How you’ve grown!”

“Vladimir, I’m already thirty,” Alex replied, trying to distance himself from the man.

“But I saw you very young when I visited your father,” Vladimir continued. “How old were you then? Ten years old?”