Chapter 8 Reaper Watching Her

-REAPER POV-

I watched Julia grow up all over again. I asked Adonis to ensure she kept the same name, as it held some significance for me. With a touch of his power, her parents named her Julia.

Her parents are hardworking individuals-one a lawyer, the other a real estate agent. For nineteen years, I watched her grow. Now, she is in college, studying engineering. My smart little slave.

I regularly check up on her, sneaking my way around so she wouldn't see me. She can see all of us celestial beings, that includes all Grim Reapers, and that's because of our blood contract.

I've seen many humans be born and then die. I've taken their souls where they needed to go, but I just...I couldn't let go of Julia.

She was forced to do everything she didn't want to do, and she had opportunities to leave, but she didn't. She stayed because she was loyal to her parents. She was raped since she was 12 years old, and all for drugs, being pimped out to bastards, until one of them choked her to death. I had to take her soul to hell. After all, she killed her mother in a heated argument prior to that.

But of course, I made a detour. The pain was too much to bear, and I've been doing this for a long time. She was the only soul that made me feel like she didn't deserve hell at all. I had to make things right. So, I lied to her to keep her with me.

Now I suffer the consequences, which just means Rolio is my babysitter for every waking hour-and that's a lot of hours for a Grim Reaper.

Like now, he's here in my house as I put on my coat to leave.

"Why didn't you get assistance like I told you to? You can't handle a mass killing by yourself! The toddlers always waddle off, you know what they're like!"

I share the same concern, because I too hate children's souls. They're so bloody annoying. It's question after question, to the point one day I made a pamphlet, but they ended up not reading it. Apparently, it's more entertaining when I answer to every single question they customise for me. So yeah, no more pamphlets, just testing my endurance.

"I did the job, Rolio, now leave me."

He crosses his arms, and the longer he stays, the more intoxicating that rose scent of his is. I do admit, I made him handsome, but he is so annoying.

"A terrible job. God told me that one more mishap from you-ONE MORE, and he'll punish you by sending you to earth with no powers, you'll be just as vulnerable as humans."

I scoff.

"He won't do that to me."

"You really want to test him after you screwed around with his universe?"

I shrug, unbothered because although God won't admit out loud, I know he thinks I'm his friend, the favourite one. I've been here roughly around the time when the universe had only dust, so pretty much, a really long time.

"How's Julia?"

He asks, and I'm not happy that he does. He never asked about her for nineteen years, just complained about her.

"Don't overstep. You can babysit me all you want, but I don't have to tell you what I do in my private time."

He scoffs, putting his arms at his hips.

"You're going to see her, aren't you?"

I don't answer, but it's enough for him to sigh, dragging a hand on his face with disappointment.

"You can't converse with her. That's against the rules."

I shrug again.

"She's mine. I can do whatever I want with her."

He fumes, even more than when he came in here being mad and everything that I'm not doing a proper job-which is quite funny, considering I was literally made for this job.

"Sure, use your blood contract to the full extent, but heed my warning when I tell you, you're on the last straw."

I smile up at him as innocently as I can muster.

"Hey, can you do something for me?"

He glares at me.

"What?"

"Fuck off, kindly."

He mutters all sorts of swears and curses at me before leaving with the snap of his fingers.

I take this chance to visit Julia at her college.

It's four in the afternoon, and I know that means she's going to finish practice with her netball club. She's the netball captain and she's also on the trek team and debate team. She's decorated in academic and sports awards. I've seen her room before, and though it's a nuclear and atomic bomb mess, she still has a wall of trophies, medals, and certificates. She's doing well now, and that's the reason I've never introduced myself to her.

But there's a problem, and that's her boyfriend. Every single day he makes me want to tell her about me and to stake my claim. He's so possessive, touchy, and needy with her. I hate when they kiss. Each time they do, my hand with the scar burns a thousand degrees. I'm lucky she still kept her virginity, because if he touched her anywhere there, I'm certain my hand will be a furnace.

This is just something that comes with being in a blood contract. I'm the one who gave her the blood contract; thus, I can feel the burn when anyone kisses her.

I watched Julia on the field, her curly light brown hair bouncing with every leap and run, her tanned skin glowing under the afternoon sun. She moved with such grace and enthusiasm, fully immersed in the game, a sight that filled me with both pride and longing.

She was perfect. Perfectly mine.

Her team won the friendly match, and I saw her congratulating her teammates, her smile wide and genuine. That smile always warmed my heart. But then, her boyfriend swooped in, wrapping his arms around her and planting a kiss on her lips. A sharp twinge of pain pierced through my scarred hand, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to stay silent.

Julia's laughter carried across the field, mingling with the cheers and shouts of her teammates. Her joy was palpable, a radiant energy that drew everyone to her. I couldn't help but smile, even as my heart ached with unspoken emotions.

Seeing her in someone else's arms was a painful reminder of what I didn't have. Yet, I couldn't look away. Julia was the soul I sacrificed so much for.

"You did great babe!"

"Thanks, Brian."

I watched as Julia and her boyfriend gathered the balls and put them away after the game ended. Their movements were synchronized, a silent testament to the ease of their relationship. As they finished, they started walking home, their laughter and conversation filling the air.

They lived nearby, just off campus, and the worst part was that they lived right across from each other. It was a constant reminder of how close they were, both physically and emotionally.

I followed them at a distance, keeping to the shadows. They held hands, their fingers intertwined, talking animatedly about their day. Their connection was palpable, a living, breathing thing that I could almost see stretching between them.

Every shared glance, every laugh, every touch was a dismissal to my sacrifice. She was my slave, so why did he have to be here? He wasn't good enough to be her master. He didn't bare our scar.

"...I got a 90% on my assignment, so after church my dad is going to take us out for dinner."

Sure, she's no longer dyslexic, but now she's Christian. Ugh despicable, but I guess if you win some, you need to lose some, right?

His hands slip to her waist now, and I just want to break it off until his arteries pop, and then he'll bleed to death. After which, I'll take his soul. Only downside is that he'll go to heaven.

"That's great, babe."

"Yeah well, I wanted to invite you."

He sighs.

"Babe, I'd love to, but I got a baseball game."

Like two peas in a pod, Brian is the team captain for their college's baseball team. Their team plays for the state too, so it's big alright, but once I get my time with him, it'll be minuscule.

"Aw, I'm sorry, that slipped my mind. Do you want me to come for it?"

"There's no need to. Besides, a nice steak at a Michelin star restaurant sounds pretty good."

Tell me about it. I want a steak right now. I want a steak with a side of French beans and my slave kneeling beside me.

"Tell you what, I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah, I'm intrigued."

He stands there all smug face with pride.

"Come by my house tonight and find out."

No. No fucking way. Now she wants to give it away? To this jerk? Did she lose brain cells when she made that 90% on her assignment?!

No, my sweet little slave is too innocent right now for this.

"Are you sure? You always said you weren't ready."

"I think I am now, and if not, we can always watch a movie, eat all the ice cream and then hear my mum scold us for it."

He shrugs with that damn megawatt smile.

"Sounds good to me. I'll see you tonight, babe."

He says as they as they reached their respective homes.

They paused for a moment, sharing a tender kiss before parting ways. I watched Julia as she lingered at her door, her eyes following him until he disappeared inside. She then turned, a soft smile still playing on her lips, and went into her own house.

I don't follow Julia in, but I stay hidden outside, just waiting.

There's no way I'll let her do that to herself. Besides, I'm not ready to talk to her just yet. That conversation would open a Pandora's box of explanations, starting with why she can see and hear me while other humans can't.

I watched the sun sink below the horizon, casting long shadows over the suburban homes. The warmth of the day gave way to the cool embrace of twilight. Just when I thought it might be a good time to slip into her house and stay hidden, ensuring nothing would happen to her, Rolio appeared out of nowhere.

Rolio. For someone I created, he's an infuriatingly disobedient nuisance. He once told me I act like a child, but he's no different. His presence was a complication I didn't need right now.

"Why aren't you in Japan? There's an earthquake. Go make yourself busy and help collect souls. They need reinforcements."

He's practically shouting it at me.

"Can't you get someone else?"

Rolio sauntered up with that irritating smirk of his.

"I can, but I've decided to disturb you."

"Well, I'm busy."

He looks around, seeing nothing but a quiet and empty street.

"Doing what exactly?"

"None of your business."

"It is, especially since you're my problem now."

"I won't be if you leave."

"You always act like a child, Reaper."

There he goes with that line again.

"Fine. I'll go to Japan. Get going now."

I say just so he can leave me alone, which he does.

I was thinking of leaving, but in that moment, Brian decided to walk across the street.

So, I abandoned my duties for Julia, because I am not going to let some jerk ruin my slave with his foul self.