The scene changed again. This time I was in front of a similar house made of stone and wood, with a different architecture. I wanted to step inside, but Little Eve stopped me and pointed outside. And I saw a man and a woman playing with a child.

With a gentle smile on her face, that woman with dark hair called my name, Eve. That child turned her head towards her and started heading in her direction. The little me had only learnt to walk, but she still chased after her while repeatedly calling her mama. That woman was so beautiful. Her eyes were bright as if there were galaxies locked inside them. Her facial features were so similar to mine! Or I should rather say that I was so similar to her. That motherly gaze was filled with love. I felt that gaze right in my heart even though she was looking at the little me.

Mother! I called out to her in a weak voice.

My eyes turned towards that man silently walking behind the little me like a shadow with his arms ever ready to hold me if I were to tumble while running. He was taller than my mother. His hair was dark and his face had a small beard. Those dark circles below his eyes told me that the little me didn't let him sleep peacefully last night.

Father! I called out to him too.

"It's just a memory."

"I know!" I called out to them despite knowing that they were just present in this memory of mine. I so wanted to speak to them, even though I knew it wasn't possible. I was helpless.

They looked so familiar to me. It was amazing. The little me was chasing after them and they were being such a good sport, letting me catch them at times. When the little me turned to chase after her dad, I saw that I too had one little wing on my back. I realized that my memories were a lot sharper than Black's.

"How come I have silver hair when my parents had dark?" I asked little Eve when I had sobered up a little.

"The colour of an angel's hair is not hereditary."

"Now that makes sense. I look so much like black."

"Your hair colour is not the only thing similar to him."

"What do you mean?" I asked little Eve for clarification.

"Like he possessed the ability to talk to lifestream, we possessed the legendary ability to see lifestream."

"Huh?"

"Yes. We were one of those that the world considers legendary."

Wait! Something wasn't right... Black told me he possessed both abilities. How come little Eve never mentioned that little Black had the ability to see the lifestream too? Did she forget, or...

At that moment, the surroundings dissipated into fine particles once.

"To be honest, I am glad you are unconscious as your memories are restoring." I heard his voice echoing through that darkness. It felt like so near, but yet so far. "There were some things I've always wanted to do, but I didn't know how to. I know it now, but I am afraid you won't let me do them later. Right now, I can do whatever I want. I know it might be a little selfish of me to go on without your permission, but let me be selfish. After all, back then you were selfish too."

"When we were kids, you had bestowed a curse upon me." Black let out a small chuckle and then continued. "But I was weak. I could not bear it. I, instead, lost myself to the bloodthirst and went on a rampage like a madman. That was my sin, love. And I atone by returning to you the gift to see the lifestream. A curse that was once offered to me with kindness, I return it back."

I was dumbstruck by what was happening. In that dark space, I could only hear his words, and they were so shocking. I... I cursed him? Why would I ever do that? How could I do that to my Black? Why did he possess my ability? And why was he doing all of this? Questions started to arise in my mind, one after another.

"The Pandora's Heart."

"Huh?"

"The artefact that he forged with the help of Pandora so that he could pass his abilities to you... After that night, Black searched hard for a way to escape his destiny. But he could not find any. With time, the bloodthirst only got stronger and his control over himself started to lessen. And then one day he thought, 'What would happen if I was a mortal? Would I still become a demon?' This was the final gamble he made." Little Eve explained it to me, but most of my questions were still unanswered. When she saw my eyes filled with questions, she just smiled.

"Let's continue... The answers are not going anywhere."

Along with a gentle breeze, the particles of that realm weaved together. This time, I was inside a library. The little me, much older than before, was sitting beside a window. She was engrossed in a book, and her eyes were wide open with fascination. I walked ahead and peered in.

'The birth of abilities' Those were the words written on top of that page.

"Do you know, we awakened this ability very early. As a kid, we used to think everyone sees the world just like this and it was just normal."

"Really?"

"Only when we read this book, we realized that the ability to see the lifestream was a legendary one." little Eve laughed as she explained it to me.

After that, little Eve slowly showed me everything of my past and as she did, I felt like I was finding something I had once lost. Every kid has a toy that he loses in childhood. They cry for that toy, but eventually they get used to it and it fades from the memory. As I regained my memories, I felt like I had found that toy again. Those memories were completing me, somehow. I didn't know how much time I spent in my memories before I reached that hall where children like me were informed about our stupid fates. That angel standing on the platform commanded other angels to open the gate. And they followed his command. On the right side, there was a gate and when they opened it, a bright light came out and engulfed me.

The next moment, I was on the side of a road. Little Eve was standing behind a pole the same way she was standing behind the pillar. She was looking at a few kids bullying someone. She wanted to stop them, but she didn't know what to do. The Little Eve had never been in a fight, and hunger had left her weak. She knew that she couldn't win.

Then a guy passed by. It was Little Black. He was wearing a long black coat, open from the upper portion. He looked at those people for a moment and they looked back at him. Little Black turned away, completely ignoring them. But those people saw him and they wanted to bully him too. Little Black gave them the beating they so deserved. But Little Black never wanted to help the weak. He would have let them continue if they didn't mess with him. She saw darkness inside his heart. Little Eve could not stand that behaviour from an angel. And thus, she followed him.

He stopped when he was in a park. He sat down beside a tree and just started gazing upon the moon and the stars. That serene but lifeless appearance he had at that moment removed all of Little Eve's fears and she came out of hiding.

"Why did you not help him?"

"Finally decided to show yourself, huh? Who are you and why the hell are you following me?" Little Black was not surprised when Little Eve appeared out of nowhere. He looked at her with ice-cold eyes.

"I am an angel, just like you." Little Eve didn't hide her identity.

"So you are here to snatch my wing?" Black instantly changed his expressions to that of a ferocious beast as if he wanted to eat her up the next second. A silver flame emerged out of his palm and enveloped his hand. He was ready to fight with his life.

"You misunderstand. I didn't come here for that. I can't do that either." Little Eve slightly smiled when she saw little Black guarding himself.

"Then why are you here?" little Black still had his guard up and he didn't believe little Eve.

"I just wanted to ask why didn't you help that guy? We angels have the responsibility to help those who need it. Then why do you face away from your responsibility?"

"You followed me just for that?"

"Tell me. How did you know I am an angel? I thought it was impossible to find other angels on Gaia."

"You are not the only one who possesses a long lost ability. I can see the lifestream."

"The legendary angels! Mother has told me so many stories about you guys!" Little Black's eyes lit up as he spoke of the legendary angels. Those silver flames vanished, and he ran to Little Eve and carefully gazed upon her. His piercing gaze turned little Eve's face into a ripe tomato.

"You are one too, you know." But he just kept looking at little Eve like a curious baby who had never seen a thing like that before.

"I am not..."

"You never answered my question." Little Eve finally asked him again.

"Why should I help them?"

"Because that's what we are born to do."

"Not me!" he said with a self-mocking smile.

Little Eve was not content with the answer she got. She wanted him to explain his reason further but then her stomach let out a weak growl.

"Are you hungry?" Little Black asked.

"Um... No..." Little Eve replied. She was embarrassed, but the next second her stomach let out a cute roar.

"At least your tummy is truthful. Take it." A red apple appeared in his hand out of nowhere and he offered it to little Eve.

"Whoa. What kind of ability is that?"

"It's not an ability. It's magic."

Little Eve looked at him with a curious gaze. She didn't understand why this person was being so kind to her and not to others. Her sight went towards his clothes and she realized that he was underclothed for the cold weather. Little Eve took off the white scarf from her neck and wrapped it around his.

"You need it more than I do," Little Eve said. At first Little Black didn't want to receive it but when he looked at it again, his heart melted down and he accepted it with a smile.

The scene changed once more. Little Eve and Little Black were walking on the streets together. From the way they were cheerfully talking, I could see that we had become good friends. Well, more than that. Little Black would often steal a glance at her and smile like a fool. He already had developed feelings for little Eve. It was so easily noticeable to me now, but Little Eve was clueless about it.

"Thief! Thief! Someone stop him," Someone shouted. I saw a middle-aged man pass by Little Eve and Little Black. He was holding on to something and Little Eve realized that he was the thief and she instantly started running after him. But Black didn't. He stood there and kept looking in the direction Eve ran to without blinking, awaiting her return.

Little Eve returned after about ten minutes. She was short of breath.

"Took you long enough."

"It would have been faster if you helped."

"Well, that's true... Anyway, let's go." Little Black tried to hold her hand, but she pulled her hand back.

"What's the problem with you? I can see that you possess so much power, and yet you refuse to use it. Why do you do it?" Little Eve asked, but he remained silent.

"Tell me!"

"People are weak, useless and pitiful. They're offered this beautiful life by the lifestream, and yet they choose the path of destruction. They choose to sin and hurt each other." Black calmly spoke.

"But that doesn't have to stop us from doing the right thing. Not everyone's the same."

"Yes, I know that. But what difference does it make? This world is cursed to crumble into dust along with everyone in it. Myself included, of course. Just look at my cursed wing. It's destined to rot and eventually take my life within a few months. I can't even save myself. How am I supposed to save them? I've stopped caring... You should too..." Such a liar Black had always been. He said he stopped caring, but he still cared about me.

"But you care for me..." Little Eve told him. He was stunned for a moment.

"You're different from all. You're kind despite knowing the cruel truth. I can not help but admire you."

I understood his reason. He was kind too, but his heart was clouded by the darkness. He was devastated when he found out that his wing was rotting and he was destined to die when he had just started to live. He was angry because life has always been unfair to him. Little Eve also understood him, despite not knowing much about what he went through.

The surroundings dissipated, and in the darkness and Black's voice echoed again.

"Eve, when a demon cut off my wing, I lost myself to wrath. And I killed countless demons. I had promised you that I will be a kind person, but all I became was a ruthless one. I broke my promise. That was my sin, love. And I atone by bestowing upon you my wing. You've always wanted to fly, right? I've seen it in your eyes how much you long for the sky. With this, your dream will finally come true... What that once belonged to you shall now belong to you."

Tears poured out of my eyes as I finally realized why he had torn off his wing before.