** Twenty- Six *
**Rhea's POV**
My classmates whistled first thing in the morning when I entered the room. My eardrums were almost punctured by their loud banging.
"What's up?" I raised one eyebrow while crossing my arms when I saw my noisy classmates.
Almira's mouth was about to tear from her huge smile as she walked towards me with three roses.
"Because Ceejay passed by here and then he handed them to you," she said with a giggle, then handed me the roses.
"It's yours. I can't eat that," I replied sarcastically and walked towards my seat.
"It's bad," I heard her say, and she followed me to my seat.
All the eyes of my smiling classmates were on me, but I just ignored it, even though I could hear the others whispering about me. They have nothing to know, and I have nothing to explain to them.
"Crushmate, are the two of you in a relationship?" she inquired as I sat quietly in my chair. She pulled the chair behind me close to my back and sat down.
"Not yet," I answered briefly without looking at her.
"Answer him now," she urged.
Even if I didn't look at her, I knew she was smiling. It's obvious from the tone of her voice.
"Depends if..." Suddenly, I stopped as my heart beat slightly faster.
I moved my eyes around while feeling the air flow from the air conditioner in the room, which felt reversed, and all my classmates turned to stone. I didn't need any more confirmation because I was sure of what was happening around me.
I frowned, stood up, and looked around. "What's going on?" I complained as the whole classroom froze.
"Me."
A familiar voice made me turn to wherever it came from. My eyes widened slightly as one of my classmates entered the classroom.
Andrei Narcilla moves while the earth's surface sleeps? Bullshit!
Every step he took made my hair stand up, sending shivers through my body.
"Andrei...?" I said softly while staring at him in disbelief. "W-Why are you moving?"
A scary smile appeared on his face, then he looked straight at me. "Why are you also moving, Rhea?"
I swallowed nervously as I watched him approach me. I wanted to step back, but I couldn't lift my foot to take a step.
"W-What exactly are you, Andrei?" My lips trembled when he stood right in front of me.
Even though I doubted what kind of creature he was, my mind still didn't want to believe it.
"Who are you, Rhea Castino?" His scary voice made me nervous. I felt like my heart was about to explode from beating so hard.
He looked deeply into my eyes as if he were hungry for my soul. He raised his hand and rushed at me.
Fortunately, I was in the care of the Lord, so when he brought his hand closer to my face, it electrified against the white transparent barrier in front of me, causing him to immediately withdraw his hand.
"I have full faith in the Lord, so you can't mark me," I proudly said.
A terrifying smirk appeared on his face, making his mortal face look like a demon. “Really, Crista Segovia?”
His hand turned into a fist, electrified, and rushed at me again. I was very surprised when he was able to break the barrier. My eyes widened, and I was stunned because I couldn't believe what he had done. His hand went straight to my neck and immediately tightened his stranglehold.
My hand automatically went to his hand that was strangling me, and I tried to remove it. But he was too strong, and his grip was too tight for me to escape.
"I smell doubt in your heart," his deep and scary voice came out as he tightened his stranglehold on me. "Your soul is mine, Crista."
Little by little, my chest tightened, making it difficult for me to breathe. My vision blurred because of my weakness.
Am I really up to this point? And forever become Fallen? I was too careless and drifted into the current, so now I will pay for it for the rest of my life.
I slowly closed my eyes, and small tears gradually formed in the corners of my eyes when the sky suddenly brightened.
I opened my eyes, and a straight light surrounded by letters and words hit Andrei directly. The reason for him to let go of my neck was that he threw himself far away.
My body fell to the floor, and my trembling hand rubbed my neck as I looked at his red and smoking body.
That power. I know very well who owns it. I have to prepare my ears and my full attention because I'm sure I'll be scolded.
I was really expecting Saint Gabrielle to come down, but Prophet Jonah and Prophet Micah suddenly appeared in front of me.
I really thought it was Saint Gabrielle.
If it's scarier to be Fallen, it's scarier to see an angry Saint Gabrielle. It's like you'd rather be Fallen than see him burn with anger.
"Did he mark you?" Jonah immediately asked after he landed on the ground and caressed both of my cheeks.
"Not at all," I answered while feeling my body. "My body is not red."
"Jonah and Micah," Andrei said as he struggled to stand despite his shivering and reddened body. "I really thought it was Gabrielle that I would face again."
Prophet Jonah and Prophet Micah turned at the same time as they positioned themselves in front of me to hide me behind their backs.
"The smell of blood with a black conscience is really nauseating," even Prophet Jonah hated it.
Andrei managed to let out a wicked smile despite his condition. "It's really surprising how someone as insulting as you became a prophet."
Prophet Jonah was about to answer when Prophet Micah grabbed his hand. "Don't hit him. Just save the child he was clinging to."
Prophet Jonah nodded in obedience to what Prophet Micah said.
Prophet Jonah raised his hand and pointed it at Andrei. Little by little, his hand lit up, and Andrei's body slowly turned into smoke, which the wind blew out of the door.
Before Prophet Jonah could utter a word, Andrei's whole body turned into smoke and disappeared in front of him.
"He escaped," she whispered, then lowered her hand.
They looked around and scanned every corner of the classroom and my classmates while feeling defensive.
After a while, they turned to me almost at the same time, and Prophet Jonah helped me put my feet back on the ground.
"Thank you very much, Prophet Jonah and Prophet Micah," I bowed in gratitude.
"Don't be too happy, Crista," Prophet Micah said with a serious look and tone. "This is the first and last time you will receive help from the angels of heaven."
When I heard what she said, I was surprised and raised my head to look at her. Before I could say a word, she continued.
"From this day on, you will face the world's trials alone," she firmly stated.
There was a sign on my face that I wanted to protest and complain, but I still didn't forget that I was facing a prophet, so I just swallowed whatever complaint was in my mind.
"Prayer and faith are your strongest weapons, Crista," Prophet Jonah added. "Strengthen your faith through prayer. You are an angel of the Lord of the whole universe."
Prophet Micah gave me a smile full of hope and gently patted my shoulder. "Be strong, Crista. You know your life best."
After a while, I saw a white feather floating in the air. Together, we raised our heads to look up at the sky. We both saw many feathers falling from the sky.
"We have to go back," Prophet Micah responded.
Prophet Jonah nodded and looked at me for the last time. "Always be careful. Only in the Lord is true happiness and peace.”
I was unable to speak. I just watched the two prophets as they spread their white and shiny wings and then flew up into the sky, completely disappearing into the light, along with the white feathers around them.
With the speed of events, I caught my breath. Am I really being swept away by the currents of the world? I bowed as my back leaned against the back of the chair behind me.
These are not the things that happened in my life when I was alive, and I know that very well. All this is just a result of the manipulation of the Fallen in the person of Andrei. But why can't I oppose and reverse what is happening? Am I really weak?
"Castino."
I heard a voice call my last name, which brought me back to my senses.
I raised my head and looked around. Ma'am MC was already standing at the instructor's table, looking at me, and all my classmates were also looking at me in surprise.
"Sit down," Ma'am gave a weak command when our eyes met.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," I answered almost in a whisper and bowed to sit.
"Are you okay, crushmate?" Almira whispered behind me when I sat down.
"Just don't mind me," I weakly answered without looking at her.
After a while, Ma'am MC, our NSTP instructor, began to speak.
She explained about the tree planting that would be our prelim exam. My classmates
were listening attentively, but my mind was wandering.
But I also cannot deny that my hunch about the tree planting that will take place is not good.