The Rise of the White Lotus

Or to be exact, Churu's host body was still standing still even after the time stopped ticking. yet the real Churu, the occupant of the child's body was able to get out of her host and strode to Tora's figure. Her every step slowly changed her appearance. 

Slowly, her disconsolate eyes turned pale as it transformed from black to silver; and her height eventually turned taller than she first left the heavenly realm. She stopped growing when Churu appeared to be a full-grown woman.

"Mother…" Soon, Churu reached Aki and Tora's unmoving figure and collapsed on the opposite side of Aki. Her gaze moved, examining Tora's face before she reached out for her other hand, checking her pulse. 

However, even though Churu doesn't know how to check human pulses, she knew, with just one touch if Tora was dead or not. Hence, the moment she touched Tora's skin, her heart sank even deeper. Tora was dead, but her soul was still there — within her, waiting for whoever would come to pick her up.

"This shouldn't happen… why…?" Shaking her head in denial, Churu's voice cracked as she choked on her own words. "This shouldn't happen." 

"Alvah…" Suddenly, out of nowhere, Yael's figure appeared several feet away from the three.

"Yael, why did she die? She shouldn't die, it's not her time! Why?!" Churu lifted her head up, casting her confused eyes towards Yael's angelic figure. However, Churu only saw in response was the sympathetic pair of eyes that were staring right back at her.

"Alvah, I'm sorry," Yael said as his gaze darted from Churu to Tora; the first human who met an angel. "When you descended to meet that human, the course of her fate changed… along with yours."

"What…?" Clueless at what Yael was suddenly spouting, Churu peered at her. "I know it's my fault but, Yael, she can't — I can't let my mother die." Still, regardless of the cluelessness she has, Churu's heart had already known that it was her fault.  But, Tora has nothing to do with it.

Everything was her fault. The reason why she snuck out from Kei's manor was that she figured that Tora was lying to her. That everything that Tora told her, were all nothing but lies. 

But she was too late. She couldn't leap high enough, nor could she just magically appear at the palace at her will. 

She came too late using her small little feet, stopping from time to time to catch for her breath. She came late because she's nothing but a mere human with eternal life. 

But, what's so good with having many lives if she couldn't even protect the people she cared about? What's the use of it if the reason why she gave up on so many things was already dead? 

"Alvah," said Yael with his brows creased. "She's not your mother. She's a human you must be guiding. You defied the boundaries that we and those humans shall have. Don't commit further sins."

"Sin?" Churu scoffed as she looked up at the beautiful Yael. "Was loving the humans our Father dearly adored a sin? Why?" 

Yael was rendered speechless at her last remarks. She didn't know how to respond to her query as she herself was clueless. Yael had always followed the Father's will without questions. She never broke any law and despite that she was fond of Churu, she didn't make a move while she stayed in the human world. 

"Yael, I can't understand Father." As Churu looked down at Tora's lifeless front, tears continued to blur her vision as her hand touched her face. 

"No one can comprehend Father."

"Indeed," Churu bit her lower lips as her hand could feel Tora's temperature slowly drop. "He created everything, he was the Absolute One that one must not defy. However, why did he have to create us and these humans if he would let them die and suffer?"

"Alvah…"

"Alvah, right." Upon hearing Yael call her name, Churu slowly nodded her head as she scoffed in mockery. "I am Alvah, not Churu. If Father can turn a blind eye to this, I can't. I won't let her die just like this…" Slowly, Churu placed her palm on Tora's chest and a faint glow was built. 

"Mother, don't cry anymore alright? Little Churu will protect you this time — you and father." Churu whispered as she placed all her life energy to her palm, hoping that giving Tora her life forces could somehow revive her. 

"Alvah, stop!" Seeing what Churu was trying to do, resurrecting the dead, Yael was alarmed. Hence, she disappeared from the standpoint and appeared behind Churu, attempting to stop her. But to no avail, Churu used her other hand and with just a swing, she caught Yael off guard, making her fly several meters away. 

"Alvah, no!" Yael grunted as a striking pain on her abdomen stung. "You mustn't… she won't —!" Shouting her pleas, Yael was forced to shut her eyes as the faint glow on Churu's palm exploded. 

After several seconds, the beam slowly subsided. Yael carefully opened her eyes to see if Churu was able to revive Tora. However, as soon as she regained her vision, Yael furrowed her brows seeing that nothing happened. 

"What… why isn't she awake?" Disbelief at the failed attempt, Churu was certain that she could revive her. After all, she felt that her energy was drained and yet, Tora wasn't moving a muscle. 

Churu then tried to check her pulse which only left her heart in a dire situation. Tora, her soul wasn't there anymore! How could that be? 

"Tsk tsk," Suddenly, Churu and Yael heard a series of disappointed tongue clicks which made the two turned their direction from the source. 

To their surprise, the figure that was approaching them was Lucifer — the epitome of evilness or so, what everyone thought. Their eyes widened in disbelief as Churu's heart ached as it pounded. 

"I don't understand Father for favoring Yael. She can't even do her job properly." Several feet away from Churu, Lucifer glanced at Yael in disdain before looking down on the new form of Churu. 

"Lucy… why are you here?" Hopeless, Churu guessed that this devil was there to pick up Tora's soul. But, why? It was not his job as there were grim reapers that were tasked to guide the souls to their destinations.