“Go back to your hut, Nadine,” he coldly replied. 

“If you don’t help them, I’ll make sure to make it happen, Clay. I’ll be an angel and annoy you forever.” Deep inside, he was furious at what she’s thinking.

“Life is beautiful, Nadine. Don’t waste it on someone undeserving of it.” 

She was shocked by the words that came out of his mouth. “Yes, it’s her fault that she ended up here in the first place, but I know she regretted it. They badly wanted to start a new life. You said life was beautiful. Then why won’t you help them? Clay, they have a daughter. We’re almost the same age. She’ll lose them. Is it because you’ll lose an angel? Then I’ll replace her.” Before she could finish her words, she lost consciousness. 

He thought of how foolish she can be for a child. He might have been too lenient to her. He looked at the big rocks where Nova and Lucas were sleeping. If Nadine was not here, it might have just been another normal case. He carried her back to her hut and tucked her to bed. He decided to do the thing he shouldn’t do, but in order to protect her and safely return to the living. 

Nova can feel the bright light penetrating to her eyes. She woke up. It’s already daytime. She remembered that they are supposed to hunt Clay, but it looks like they missed the opportunity. She looked to her left and saw Lucas still in his position. He shook him up, and now he alertly opened his eyes and looked around looking for Clay.

“It’s already day, Lucas. We missed him.” 

He expressed his disappointment but noticed that Nadine was missing. Nova suggested that she might have found Clay and talked to him. Skeptical of it, he just nodded and hoped for the best. On that assumption, they still waited on their spot for Nadine. As the time went by, Nova started walking back and forth while Lucas was actively looking at every passerby, hoping it’s Nadine. Until they couldn’t stand waiting, they went to the way where Nadine’s hut was but surprisingly found nothing. She disappeared. They asked the neighbors about its whereabouts, and none of them had any idea. They don’t know what to feel. The only hope they had disappears. It is a strange thing that she disappeared.

“What if she went back? ”Lucas speculated. Nova disagreed as she remembered what Nadine told her—that all souls will either go back or walk towards the afterlife on the 28th day, and today is the 25th. 

She looked at his worried expression. She pulled him into a tight hug. “Take care of Luna for me,” she said. She was about to let go, but Lucas instead pulled her again into a hug, denying her goodbye. 

They heard the sound of footsteps nearing them. Lucas loosened the hug, and Nova made the opportunity to look back. It was Chia. She looked around as if she’s looking for something. Her gaze lay upon the two. She smiled at Lucas, but her face was completely opposite when looking at Nova. 

“Have you seen Nadine? This is where her hut is located, right, or am I just mistaken? ”She asked Lucas. 

"No, we haven't, but if you see her, please tell us,” Lucas replied. Chia nodded. He noticed the canvas she’s holding. “That’s Nadine’s work, right? ”She looked at the canvas and nodded. That was the reason why she’s looking for her—to return her painting.

“You're an angel, right? ”Nova uttered.

Chia was frozen for a moment, then she laughed softly. “They really can’t wait to recruit another angel, aren’t they? You’re already starting your training. Oh well, nice to have you here. Anyway, you’ll be the one who’ll process the paperwork of your beloved husband,” Nova saw the gloomy face of Lucas again after Chia mentioned their situation. "Oh, nevermind, you're not going right, Lucas? If you do, then who will take care of your daughter? ”she gazed upon Nova. 

“You just got spared from your initiation. Lucky you,” Chia smirks as she sees Nova suppressing her emotions from blowing up. ”See you at your declaring ceremony.” 

"Chia, help me,” Nova blurted. She dislikes Chia’s treatment of her, but she’s desperate. She still wants to see Luna and be with Lucas for the longest time. “You know the way, right? Please help me. I want to go back.”

Chia scoffs in amusement, “Why would I? You made that decision, right? Stand by it.” 

“I regret it. I should have been stronger. I didn’t think how those people around me would feel, especially the person who is always there but was completely ignored just because of these feelings.” 

“You’re lucky. You have them. But unlike you, I have no one. If I insist on living, I'll be more miserable living in that cruel world.” 

That’s the reason why she hates Nova. She's jealous. She had people around her, but she ignored them and decided to become selfish. She couldn't understand people like them. She's surrounded by them, but they’re acting like it’s the greatest decision they made. She’s annoyed by it. That’s why she rarely socializes with her fellow angels and makes herself busy observing the listed souls painting their good memories with the help of Clay’s magic. Through them, she feels like she’s alive. She gets to experience happiness she wants to feel through them.

“Still, I can’t help you. I don’t want to disclose such precious information. You might take advantage of it. Just stay here. You’ll get used to it.”

Chia walked back to the memory recalling center. She saw Solari again giving tours to the newly arrived souls. She saw one soul wearing colored clothes indicating that they are an early-death soul, her face soured. Solari saw her and waved enthusiastically at her, but she just ignored him and went back to organizing the brushes. 

“Hey Chia! "Solari greeted. She remained quiet. Solari made his way on getting 4 new canvases.

“Can you stop bringing an early-death soul here? They are not worthy of Clay’s magic.” 

“Hey, don’t be like that. He will be your future colleague.”

“Then are you happy with that? ” 

Solari silenced. He let out a deep sigh and disagreed. “Every time I welcome early-death souls here, I always remember what Clay always says: ‘Life is beautiful,’ yet they are here of their own volition, us too.”

“You looked too happy for a regretting soul.”

“I’m happy that I’m here, but I’m regretting it too. Remember our declaring ceremony? Clay made us remember our lives. I saw how sad my brother was. I shouldn’t have left, but it’s too late. I can’t go back in time. I may sound ridiculous, but I just decided to think that my brother is already happy that I'm not there to become a burden to him anymore. That is why I let go of everything and decided to become happy here.”

“Then you believe that all of us here are regretting? ”He nodded. “Then you should’ve helped them.” He looked at her, confused. “You know, going back to the living? ” 

“There’s such a thing like that? ”

She looked at him with utter disbelief, then she remembered dozing off on Kai’s shoulder on their orientation. Solari bothered her for information, but she kept her mouth shut. Given his nature, she’s glad that he doesn't know it. It might be the reason why they will not get any angels because of him being a blabbermouth.

He gave up and crossed his arms, sulking. Visible on her face was the disgust when seeing him like that.

“You have that kind of information. Why didn't you help them? ” 

“If you jumped off a tall building and you decided to go back, do you want to suffer from being paralyzed? No right? ” 

“What about the other’s? We have the power to know about their lives.”

“Still, it’s not our position to decide if they want to go back or not.”

“But what if they want? To the point that they’ll beg you, will you still refuse it? ”