Chapter 610: Crossing The Sea-III

Song recommendation: Teeth— 5 second of summer.

The death angels' eyes narrowed at him and the words he had spoken. One of them begin to laugh with their hoarse voice which sounded almost screechy. "You don't seem to understand, demon. You have died. You are no longer in power like you used to be before. With those shackles on your wrists and ankles, I doubt even Satan will ever be able to release himself from it."

Ian looked at his hands. With his knees on the ground, both his hands had been bound apart. The place around him was dark but not enough for he still able to see the figure of the three cloaked men. 

"I see, so the stubborn grumpy old man could not but surely there must have been someone who had tried it before?" Ian casually questioned.

"Never," answered the second one who stood on his left side. 

The other one on the right then added, "We have seen many people such as you, Ian White; the same proudful demon who thinks they hold the power of God, who thinks that they would never be put to death. But one thing you have to know, once you are dead and brought here the chances for you to leave abyss is little."

"But not entirely hopeless. It's my habit to betray other's expectation to me, you see. Be careful," Ian warmed with a smile that he knew would tick off the death angels. While death angels were emotionless, they were still effected by anger as it was only attachment that they couldn't feel. 

"Truly it is a pity, Ian White," the death angel who stood in the middle spoke, seemingly holding more authority than the death angels beside him by the attitude he hold himself with. "Once you were a simply good natured person. A good boy who loved his mother but you have walked to the wrong path ever since you dyed your hand with blood."

Ian stared at the death angels with his brows raised before laughter rippled from his full lips, "You, angels, death angels, can make me the evil monster and I won't argue with it. I am one bastard of a demon however, it wasn't by choice. Seeing that you death angels are at the helm of seeing sins and my pasts could you tell me to live a just life, your honor?" Ian had stressed a mocking tone on his last two words, causing the death angels to frown.

"You are responsible for your life, Ian White. There could have been a method for you not to shed blood which now had earned you a retribution by being killed by the family of those you had murdered. It's now time for you to reflect on your sins Ian White," answered the death angel without giving an ear or consideration after Ian's words.

Ian chuckled. He didn't expect even the least for the death angels to forgive him nor did he waited for their forgiveness. Unlike him, the death angels haven't went through the pain that he felt, they had never lost a mother while watching her burned to death, they have never felt an anger so raw that it was almost tangible. Death angels judge accordingly to the rules but as they had no emotions of sympathy, they couldn't be reasoned with.

The death angel narrowed its hand as if to clenched in anger upon Ian's chuckle. 

"One quick question," Ian then said to the death angel, "Is there truly no method for me to break this shackle?"

The death angel on the left smiled, "You won't ever break it. Not unless you kill us first."

The other one in the middle cut short the conversation by the reaching out its hand toward him, "Repent." He said and at the same time, Ian felt his view quickly veiled with darkness.

It all happened so quickly that when Ian opened his eyes again, he find himself standing inside a mansion that wasn't large but wasn't small either. A woman on her fifties stood with a small smoke pipe. A frown was between her forehead as she looked at him before to the person beside him.

"You can stay here for another week, Lucy. My cousin was a man without moral, but I don't wish for you to suffer a life outside. There had been rumors spread by that snake that you worship demons and us, the town folks and the villagers do not take it lightly about demonic matters," said the woman.

The face of the woman was familiar and nostalgic to Ian as nine hundred years have passed since he saw the woman's face. The woman was not other than his aunt, his father's cousin, the only woman who had shown kindness during his mother's and his darkest time.

Seeing the woman made his heart squeezed but not because he felt sad to see the woman again. Instead, it was because of the stinging expectation he had to see the face of the woman who stood beside him. Time passed like eternity as Ian turned to see his mother who stood beside him. Lucy White, one of the two most beautiful women he had seen in his entire life. His one and only dearest mother.

Lucy smiled at the older woman, "I know, Veronica, but if I stay here, I will only put you and your family in risk. The town folks and the villagers are as you say aggressive to those who had been rumored to have ties with demons, if they caught wind about my stay with you, I will only worsen your situation."

"Lucy—" Veronica started but Lucy was stubborn. She was a selfless woman and she wouldn't want to see others in danger only because of her. "I understand, but please let me help with this," Veronica raised her hand for the maid who had been standing on her left quickly disappear and came back with a brown pouch that became heavy with golden coins.

When Veronica offered the pouch, Lucy shook her head but the woman took her hands and placed the coins on her hands, "I am utterly ashamed that the man whom you married was my cousin. You are too bright of a soul for him, Lucy. I wish you a life free of torture and that you will discover a better life outside. This pouch is just my simple gratitude to you."

Lucy offered the woman a tender smile, "Thank you Veronica, thank you very much for all the help you have offered to me and my son."

"It's not necessary to thank me, I am doing what a sane person would do. There will be carriage to escort you two into a safer village. Safe travel, Lucy," and Veronica curtsied.

As the conversation continued, Ian had only stared at his mother. As his life became eternal, there had been too many memories that he had forgotten. Including his mother's face and voice. Pain filled his heart to see his mother as well as happiness and a deep tingling sorrow. Though he was happy to see her again, it felt as though waves of ocean had hit his heart, crushing it at the same time with its sparkling ripples.

Veronica then touched his shoulder. The woman looking very empathic toward Lucy, "Protect your mother well, Ian. Life in the street is difficult especially for your mother who is shrouded by such groundless rumors. Don't hesitate to dirty your hands because if you don't you will lose something precious to you."

Ian didn't open his mouth and yet his voice manifested by itself, "I deeply thank you for your help, Lady Veronica."

"How about thank me again in the future?" The woman smiled, "I can tell that you will soon be a man with throne on your hand, but I have to remind you one thing, Ian; don't ever forget the ground because what you need is always on the ground even when you are above the sky."

"I will keep that in mind," he answered before leaving the mansion which would be one step further to the cruel future which would impact the rest of his life.