What I thought I saw, was not really what I saw

Michael had spent most of his afternoon searching for a missing boy in the forest. It wasn’t uncommon that people went missing in Gaia, but this time it had been a young human, a student. Someone he was convinced was innocent. But as dusk had arrived without any trace of him, he’d travelled to Aston for a bite, which later ended up with a conversation and a drink with a stranger at the bar. He walked out of the restaurant around ten, embracing the cold air of the night. He then looked up at the starry sky above, despite the city lights tempering with the view, it was beautiful nonetheless. He walked down the street for a while, heading towards Southside, when he noticed a hooded man following a lady further down the street. A sight that was cause for concern. So, he decided to follow them, and it didn’t take long for the man to notice this, looking back at Michael a couple of times before he then decided to head in a different direction. Perhaps hoping that he could catch up with the woman at a later point. Or else, he'd simply given up the chase. Instead, Michael would unintentionally appear to be the one that was after her. Wanting to warn her of the man that he'd seen stalk her and offer to walk her home instead. Usually, his angelic aura made people feel safe and like he could be trusted, so it didn't occur to him that she might mistake him to be the perpetrator. “Hey,” he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her from walking. A move that he’d quickly learn to regret as she turned around to pepper-spray him. He closed his eyes as the stinging liquid got sprayed right at his face. “It’s okay! I’m not here to hurt you,” he said as he stepped back from her and lifted a hand up in front of him. The burning pain was unbearable, and he couldn't see a thing. And in some way, he supposed he should have seen it coming. Knowing that he'd done worse if someone had decided to surprise him with a hand on their shoulder. He couldn't blame her for that act of self-defense. He ran the other hand over his face, although it probably wasn't the best idea to get the liquid onto his hands as well. But right now, he'd try about anything to relieve his eyes and face from the pain. “I was just trying to warn you of a guy that has been following you,” he explained, stepping further back from her to lean his back up against the wall of a building. He wasn't one to express how much pain he was in, but it would be clear to tell on his expression that he was. He lowered his head and lifted his arm up to dry off his face in the sleeve of his jacket, the pain still being too unbearable for him to open his eyes.