Chapter 9

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"Hi!"

The unnamed woman spoke with a sweet, tender, and serene voice, lowering her hand as the person's lips curved into a radiant smile that was welcoming and gentle. It was quite a sight for sore eyes. She was certainly quite lovely to look at because of her presence and the aroma that came with her.

"Uhm..." He awkwardly stood in front of her, looking down with timidity. "Ahh..." Seth continued to stutter; he was too anxious to respond to the woman's greeting. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly and raised his head. "Hi," he shyly replied with a quiet tone.

Giggling, she squatted down to his level and said, "Hello, Seth, my name is Eve, but you can call me Muriel instead." tilting her head in interest, the mysterious woman grinned cheerfully, "I am very happy to finally meet you; do you recognize me?"

Her question caught him by surprise, not understanding what she meant by it as he slowly raised his head to meet hers. "N-no?" He never saw her in his entire life, even though a part of time has a strange feeling of remembering something akin to this person.

Muriel nodded her head in understanding, "Oh, that's okay; sometimes things aren't always as they appear to be; not everyone remembers every single thing in their life." She commented in high understanding, "Don't worry about such things; I'm sure that you will learn in due time; all you have to do is keep trying and hope for the best," smiling with softness as she offered her hand.

The gesture surprised him, taking a step back with caution of what he is seeing in front of him. "Do not fret, my child; there is nothing to be afraid of," Muriel assured him calmly. "You're in a safe environment under my influence, the land of paradise, my home and yours to stay; please don't be scared; allow yourself to embrace your inner happiness and freedom of all worries and burdens; be free, Seth," extending her hand for him to grab. "Take my hand and find the meaning of your inner self," the woman urged him.

Taking in a deep breath, he released it through his mouth before closing his eyes for a moment and pondering the woman's words, thinking this could be a trap to lure him into a dangerous place. It's not uncommon for people to take advantage of his trust and kindness.

But this very person is unique; he can't put a finger on what it is, but something is telling me that this very woman is trustworthy in terms of what his heart is saying, so it is natural that he will take a leap of faith and believe her words.

"Okay..."

Clutching his holy cross tightly, he looked at her as his left hand slowly reached out for her right hand, taking it cautiously. Quickly, Seth felt a burst of energy flowing across his body of peace and safety, causing the young boy to gasp in shock; it was a unique and unexplainable feeling for him.

Chuckling in amusement, "splendid," she said with a fixated smile, "now that you have accepted my invitation, allow me to lead the way and Seth; there is much for you to see." Muriel gently pulled him up, and he quickly stumbled before finding his balance.

"Sorry," he apologized embarrassingly, feeling ashamed that he did that in front of this person who resemblances almost like an angel in personality and appearance. " I'm not accustomed to having someone like you pull me somewhere." blushing a little at the wording he used, the boy said nothing else afterward.

"No apologies are needed, for it was just an accident; it happens sometimes." Muriel giggled at his cuteness. guiding him through the trail of grasses, "There are many interesting places for us to see; where would you want to go?" The angel asked curiously, "Are you hungry, perhaps?"

Upon hearing that, Seth's stomach rumbled in hunger, not realizing how much he was starving since he only ate scraps of food that were mostly rotten or molded. "Y-yeah, I'm starving," he admitted bashfully at this embarrassing situation, hoping to eat something filling after living through years of near starvation.

Nodding her head, the angel said nothing else as her eyes stared straight ahead while she led him through the path of endless flowers and lush grass, leaving him to admire the beautiful landscape that surrounds him, where apple trees and pears are growing on them.

The aroma of the apples and pears was so sweet that it made him want to try some of them, but Seth resisted the urge to take a bite due to his uncertainty about the situation he landed himself in, seeing everything around him as an opportunity for danger to occur.

Noticing his attention to the trees, she let go of his hand and asked, "Would you like one?" Muriel politely asked, looking down at him with her closed eyes, "Help yourself to an apple; they're ripe for the taking; do not be afraid," gesturing her hand towards a nearby tree with a kind smile.

Not seeing any negative traits about doing this, especially how hungry he is, Seth approached the fruit of his choosing with quick movements. Standing in front of an apple tree, he grabbed it with one hand before he twisted the branch.

When he successfully removed it, the young boy examined the fruit closely to ensure that it was edible and not poisonous. The red color was vibrant and shiny; it was definitely healthy and juicy, giving him a sweet aroma that he smelled strongly through his nostrils.

"Take a bite," the sudden voice and presence from behind almost caused him to jump out of his skin as he whipped his head towards the side to see her appear right at his back, watching him expectantly with a warm expression. "Eat the apple, my son; you must be famished after enduring the trials set by the Lord," patting his shoulder encouragingly.

His eyes widen from the sentence, especially when she mentions the lord and calls him her son. "Huh?" Confused by the information, he couldn't believe what he just heard. Directly facing the angel fully, Seth didn't know how to react. "What do you know about the Lord, and how am I your son?" He asked in a questioning tone.

Humming in response to the questions, "Seth, you have been through much suffering and trials that I cannot imagine; you have endured unimaginable agony and torment that I would have not been able to withstand; you are a strong individual, and I am proud of you," the angel smiled brightly at him. "In addition, I'm the very person that saved you from that terrible place." Her answer quickly shocked the boy's mind.

Losing his ability to speak or move, he dropped the apple, lowering his arm while still looking at her eyes in disbelief. "You...you were that light?" Having still remembered the mysterious light that had saved him, he said, "You were the one who saved me from hell?" Seth struggled to believe it because everything was still so overwhelming.

Gently nodding, her kind smile widened. "Yes, that is correct," her reply confirmed his assumption, "and I'm honored to say that I am also your mother." The revelation was astounding and unexpected for him, who was in complete denial of the claims, not wanting to accept them.

"N-n-n-o," he stepped backwards as he shook his head in a frantic state. "My mother was a demon," Seth pointed at her. "Shes the creature that gave birth to me and then thrown into the pits of fire just to watch me burn," clenching his teeth in anger. "She was a monster," venom was spat out from his mouth.

His hatred for her original mother was very apparent and noticeable; there is no doubt that the trauma of being burned alive and abandonment made him have such a vendetta towards her. "I never had a real mother or father." The tone was now filled with bitterness, hatred, and sadness. "I had no family who cared about me." His eyes start tearing up slightly. "And I hate everyone for treating me so cruelly throughout my entire life... The last part was barely audible.

Stepping forward closer to him, she then firmly held his upper arms in a gentle grasp. "Do you want to kill them?" Muriel said with a kind but sharp voice as the calm wind grew stronger than ever, making their hair and clothes flow from the incoming gale. "Killing is a easy way to remove your responsibility by making the problem go away," she said in a clear voice. "The more people die or get hurt, the more problems there are."

"I hate them," he said without hesitation, "they all deserve to die for what they have done to me." His expression shows a mix of uncertainty and anger against the world that treated him. The boy couldn't care less about what the consequences might be; all that mattered was the lingering hatred for his years of torment and abuse. "I want them to suffer; I want them to understand what I went through," the words displeased his mother greatly.

Instead of scolding him harshly, she sighed sadly at her son's actions. "You don't hate anyone, even against the ones who harmed you," her hands grasp hardened from this. "No one on the entire planet should ever feel hated, ridiculed, or judged," her voice becoming firmer than before. "Love your enemies, understand them and heal them, my son." Seth raised his eyebrows in surprise as she continued speaking. "Everyone has a story, a life of their own. Every man, woman, and child have their own issues that they struggle with." Listening in full attention, he nodded with look of uncertainty, "forgiveness is the hardest thing a human can do, but it is also the most rewarding in itself. Do you understand me, Seth?"

Falling silent for a few seconds, Seth broke the contact between them by looking down at his own feet and saying, "I..." He doesn't understand anything anymore; he's too wrapped up in his own rage and angst that the boy cannot find logic in her words, "I don't know." Not wanting to admit his fault, he frowned in confusion.

His mother nodded with a smile, still keeping her gentle hold on his arms. "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Her words were sincere and caring. "I wish that you do so for the good of everyone, to be a better man not only for them but for yourself as well." Letting her hands go off his arms, she then took a step backward.

Gripping his holy crucifix, his eyes showed a mix of confusion and conflict when her insightful words were like a punch to his gut, making him realize the reality of his actions and how wrong he is. "I don't know..." Seth muttered again in a soft voice, "I don't know anymore," repeating the same phrase, "everything is too confusing for me to comprehend in myself; I just don't understand it anymore; it is too overwhelming," shaking his head with teary eyes.

Sighing softly, her warm and gentle hands touched his face lightly after approaching him, wiping away the tears that went down from his cheeks. "Find the humanity within you and forgive yourself and the people that hurt you; that is the only way for you to achieve true peace in your life." The boy looked at her with uncertainty that still plagued in his expression but nonetheless remained silent. "Do not dwell on the past or what you do not know; do not waste your time on people that you have no control over; those are the ones who hurt and destroy everything around them through their actions will indefinitely continue until the hate consumes them. What matters now is what you want to be."

Nodding slowly, "then...I should love them?" He asked, feeling slightly better but not by much, "I think it's too hard." Admitting how difficult it is to forgive the people that brought him pain all these years, "but if I should do it, then what about God? How does he feel about this?"

Smiling, his mother responded back, "God is always a forgiving entity and knows that the only way for humans to heal and progress is through forgiveness, not by the body but of the soul and heart." She told him with more understanding in herself, "You have to remember that God loves and cares for everything despite what they do; even the ones that committed sins and crimes against his children, he still loves them because the Lord sees every potential in them and still believes the possible of redemption regardless of how far it seems."

Just as Seth blinked, the boy then awakened back in his bedroom as his face was sweating profusely with his eyes twitching and his heart racing within his chest at a fast pace.

"Ahh, uhnn..." Panting with rapid breaths, "It was all just a dream?" Looking at his hand, where the cross is, he gripped it with shock, bewilderment, and new-found hope. "It was a dream, right?"

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