Life After Death: Reincarnation

~Death~

I felt the darkness crawling out of me. It was angry, vengeful, and malicious. I tried to stop it from escaping but couldn't. I tried to subdue it but couldn't.

And when it finally came out, I lost all control. Death was unleashed.

I was in a place of no light, devoid of emotions. There was nothing but endless darkness and despair.

Out in the distance, a faint color of red started to glow and it was approaching me. The closer it got, the brighter it got. It's features presented itself as it stopped a few feet away.

There was nothing but a pair of eyes and smiling mouth full of white teeth reflecting the red glow of its light.

I could hear it growling in a low hum as it circled me like a shark. I wanted to ask who or what it was but I could not speak. I wanted to run but I could not move. I was trapped in stasis unable to do anything in the presence of the unknown.

It stopped in front of me, looked at me with those glowing red eyes, laughing in a disturbingly low tone. It inched in front of me until it was close enough for me to see what lurks in the shadows.

It was...

"Death." my eyes fluttered open as my body jolted upwards. I felt a stinging sensation all over my body. I slowly regained my bearings. Aeris was sitting in front of me, unmoved, and calm. "Are you ok?"

It was just then that I noticed that I held my blade against his throat. He set his fingers on the edge of the blade, slowly lowering it. Anyone would've jumped away with fear in their eyes. He was different. He sat there unhinged by the movement of my blade. "I'm guessing you aren't."

"Just a nightmare," but it wasn't. It was real. It felt real. It had always been inside me, dormant and undisturbed. Somehow, it has awakened. "I'm sorry."

"Looks like it was more than just a dream." Loki walked into the room through the doorway on the right corner of the room. He looked older this time, around mid 30's or so. He wore a black shirt, his violet jacket hanging on his shoulders. He now wore an unkempt beard around his face, and little webs of wrinkles by the corner of his eyes.

I guess it comes with being the Grimm reaper of illusions, deception, and mischief.

"How are you feeling?" Loki's eyes scanned me as if something seemed wrong. He sat on the side opposite bedside of Aeris and put his hand on my neck then my forehead. "You've been out for five days yet you still look like sick."

"I'm ok." No, I'm not. My entire body feels like it was going to shatter any moment. My c.h.e.s.t felt like a someone tried to pull my heart out. My arms and legs were as heavy as lead. I feel like my head's been decapitated from my body. What the hell happened to me?

"You really don't remember?" Aeris tilted his head, stared blankly into my eyes like he was reading my mind. I didn't say anything yet it felt like he knew what I was thinking.

"What do you mean by that?" I acted as if I didn't know what he was asking. How did he know what I was thinking? I stared back into his eyes and shook my head. "I don't remember anything."

Aeris then turned his head to Loki who did the same. They shared a worrisome stare before talking to me once more.

"What is it?" I was nervous. They both looked at me like I was going to die (Well, I'm already dead to begin with so that'll be a bit redundant). I tried to recall what happened but couldn't. My mind was still occupied by darkness I dreamt of. It felt terrifying to be in its presence, yet it felt familiar. "I-I can't remember anything. "

Yet again, they shared a look.

"It's best that we go meet the others," Loki stood up and stroked his beard as if contemplating the situation in his head. "we've much to talk about."

"I agree," Aeris stayed beside me, holding my hand tightly. His stare remained on Loki, nodding his head in agreement. "Let's go. You need to get dressed."

"Wait, what?" It was just then that the pain started to subside a little. The heat that my aura brought was no more and was replaced with the shivering cold that the air brought. It felt like I was n.a.k.e.d, not a single piece of cloth on me. Well, I wasn't wrong.

I slid my hand across my c.h.e.s.t to check. It was b.a.r.e and unprotected. I felt flushed, red as a tomato, from anger and embarrassment. "I should kill where you stand. Both of you."

"Oh, but you can't, can you?" Loki grinned. If it weren't for the pain shooting through my body, I would've thrown a spell or two at them. "Come on. We can explain everything later."

"You better."

Loki raised his right hand and spoke a word. A glowing symbol that looks like a 'W' with a line running between it appeared by my side. It summoned a fresh batch of clothes in a bright haze of light.

"There," He gestured at the mound of clothes beside me. "Your favorite dress; un-bloodied, cleaned to white, and dyed black. Just how you like it."

"We're gonna step out while you dress," Aeris walked through the door. "and give you some privacy."

"Besides," Loki looked away. "if we see any more of you, we might not be able to control ourselves."

"Shut up, Loki. Let's go."

I tried to move after but i wasn't able to. It felt impossible to move even an inch of my body. It was like I was bound by a rope that was enchanted by fire.

"Wait," I have hoped that they were not out of earshot, but it seemed like my voice was weakening, too. "help."

As the seconds go by, I felt weaker and weaker. The light around me faded away as my eyelids dropped lower. My voice turned to a whisper, barely heard by my own ears.

Just when all seemed lost, a hand grabbed my shoulders and straightened my back. Suddenly, everything seemed brighter.

"Here, let me help." It was brown skinned woman wearing a white greek chiton that had helped me. Her smile felt warm like the kiss of the sun's light. Her eyes were so bright of joy and happiness. Her wavy, blonde hair danced in the air of the room and shined like the rays of the sun. On top of her hair was a headpiece that I would recognize anywhere.

It was the golden laurel leaves of Apollonia, better know as Apollo.

"Apollo!" I tried to express my joy but it only made things worse. The sudden movements of my body made me writhe in pain.

"Try not to move much, my dearest," Touched the center of my c.h.e.s.t and it felt like every muscle in my body melted and molded itself back together. It's like drinking hot coffee; it stung a bit, but once you got past it, it felt amazing. She lifted my body and laid it straight on the bed. "Close your eyes."

In only a few minutes, I felt better. As soon as opened my eyes I jumped out the bed and, while n.a.k.e.d, ran around the room.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. Gone are the burning sensation, and whispering voice. "I feel better."

"Easy, Death." She giggled with her eyes closed, hiding her golden colored eyes. "The spell is temporary. You still need to rest."

And just as she mentioned that I felt a tingling sensation strain my legs, and tripped. Luckily, I landed on the bed.

"Understood." my voice was muffled by the thick cloth of the blanket over the bed. I can hear Apollo laugh.

Apollo helped to get dressed and we headed to see the others.

------💀------

Home sweet home. This place was just as I remembered it; the house of prophecy and knowledge.

It was the largest building in the Floating Isles, located in the biggest and highest floating island.

It's a library. Oh, but not just any library. It's THE LIBRARY. It has everything that was ever written, read, or known by humans, demons, angels, souls, and many more. It was too big that it's actual size was hidden through illusions, hiding its secrets behind walls that don't exist and veiled behind curtains that can only be uncovered by those with pure heart.

Even though its true size is shrouded in mystery, one cannot help but be amazed by its glamorous, Victorian design.

It was old but majestic, timeless even. It's stone walls stand high, riddled with windows, spires, and overgrowth. It had no permanent form as it was just an illusion. Each room was never permanent; always changing at a moments notice. Yet, unlike anything in the castle itself its center stood unchanged.

At the heart of it is humongous room with three circles each lower than the next one covered by a gigantic glass dome. Everything was beautifully engraved with some sort of arcane runic design. It was on the walls where these runes were written in red at the bottom over a thin section painted in gold. Still written in red, it spiraled from the bottom of the gold pillars to the top where it met the dome. It was on the dome itself where several arms of runes extended from the center of the glass to the walls of the outermost circle.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I still gawked at the beauty of this place, even though I've been here millions of times.

"I've seen prettier things." He walked past me as he spoke. In his hand was a black book titled "A complete guide to the afterlife" written by Njord, the lord of the wayferers, and our very own Loki. I swear his eyes looked like they were looking at me as he walked.

He just flipped through the pages and then threw it in the air. Don't worry. Books here are enchanted to magically fly back into its place. At first, it seemed odd and scary because everything was flying everywhere and you could be hit by a book flying at mach 1000 and die (that would be embarrassing; death by flying book). Luckily, these things have anti-collision spell enchantments on them, too.

Each circle is filled with shelves full of various books and scrolls which in some cases were floating or glowing, or sometimes both. Weapons and armors also decorated the lower and outermost room, some with inscriptions detailing the glory or horrific story that they were used and/or created for and other were just for aesthetic purposes.

We walked 'til we reached the inner wall of the first circle. It was large and every inch of it that didn't have stairs going along the side of it was covered shelves carved into the granite wall filled various things. There five sets of stairs running along the edge of it leading to the top to the second circle.

Aeris was bewildered by the sight of the second circle. It was the widest of the three circles and was also the most decorated one. At the edge of the circle were gold railings sprinkled with different gems of different sizes. Tables littered the outer rim of the circle for reader to rest with their books and indulge in reading. I can see bookworms of all shapes and sizes as we walked. There were angels hovering over head encircled by dozens of books, some were flying with their backs facing the ground, reading a book as if there were lying on the ground. Demons we bulked up in some parts of the table field but I knew what they were reading. It's either a really dirty magazine or a very graphic book/comic/novel. Humans just sat down reading. Some in social groups and debating, others alone with nothing but their books. There were a select few that had their long tables with mountains of books. I mean they were literally sitting on top of their book mounds while reading.

We drew closer to the edge of the table field where a beautiful forest of luscious trees grew from the granite slabs of the floor. These aren't ordinary trees, either. Their roots were large and sprang from the cracks of the floor to support the size of its massive wooden trunk. Their trunks loomed over us at about thirty-ish feet and had shelves built in its side to house its books. And as it extended upwards, branches scattered along its sides in many sizes, some were even big enough to have a shelf or two on it. It also had vines running from the roots of the tree to each branch and treetop. At all ends of each tree were not the leaves that we're used to but paper in the shape of leaves. The floor was littered with them.

Aeris knelt down and picked up a handful of'em. "These are all unfinished sentences or quotes."

"They are the unfinished ones," Apollo caught one of the leaves falling from the tree. "Ideas and concepts written on paper but disregarded by their writers."

"But not all fall down like these poor leaves," She moved towards me, giving me the leaf she caught.

"The pages that each soul writes, may it be of demon, angel, or human make, grows on these trees. And as the book finishes, the pages are bound together by these vines and it is stored in the tree's shelves."

She gestured to one of the treetops near us where a book was being made. The vines of the tree plucked leaves from different branches and piled them up on one vine which held the pages together. When they stopped, the vine holding the pages slowly wrapped around the pile of paper 'til there was nothing but a square shaped bulge at the end of the vine. It lowered itself onto Apollo's hand and cracked itself open. Out came the book, bound in a green cover with the title and the name of the author.

" 'Shelter of the damned' by Zelus Sypher" Aeris read the title out loud. He skimmed through the pages just as quick as he did to the first book and gave it back to Apollo. "The Devil is writing stories now?"

Apollo giggled. "No, he doesn't. This is an anonymous writer in purgatory. He is infamous around these parts for leaving encoded messages in his books. None of which has been solved, not even Thoth."

"Not even Thoth, huh?" If I know the man, he must be scratching his head against the wall by now. He can't stand things he can't solve or answer.

"Unfortunately, yes." She laughed at the thought of her husband. "Fortunately, he's long given up on that hopeless chase."

We proceeded to walk towards the final circle. Everyone calls it the spire. It was smaller in comparison to the two that came before it but it was the tallest of it all. Just before the spire lay a giant tree that hugged it. The tree was of the same make as any other tree but fifty times bigger. Its leaves and branches overshadowed the forest below it. Its trunk was so large that it was told that it can hold over a million books at a time. Its vines waited patiently for a page to pick from its branches.

"How are we going to get up there?" Aeris held his chin, trying to guess the path that we're going to take.

"Through the tree, of course," Apollo gave a sly grin teasing Aeris.

We were at the trees base which was barely lit. Luckily, floating lanterns are scattered through the forest waiting to assist its patrons. Apollo touched the bark of the tree and spoke a word 'Fiolva' and a symbol which I can only describe as an arrow sign that was split from the top going down the middle making the arrows head curl to the side. As soon as she spoke the word, the bark started to give way, opening like a door.

We entered its cavity, into the darkness of the giant, as the doors closed slowly. When the last glimmer of light disappeared, the magic happened.

Lanterns all around us lit up in an amazing dance of light, from the bottom of the stair case to the top. The lanterns swayed as they moved through the air. Four of them approached us, one for each person.

"It has been a long time, dear one. How long has it been since?" Oh, these aren't your run of the mill lanterns. They are people of knowledge devoted to guiding souls and other being, to educate them of their about history. They glow in different colors, too, depending on what knowledge they specialize in. "It feels like it has been a hundred years since I last saw you."

"Really? I feel it to be longer than that, Stephano." He used to guide me through the forest teach me the history of the purgatory back when I was a soul. "You're awfully brighter than usual."

"You got it!" He twirled and danced around me. "You're looking at the general historian of this fine establishment!"

We climbed the stairs while Stephano was filling me in with what's been within purgatory. According to him and his sources, Xerxes and his soul hunters amassed somewhere in the Atlantic ocean. With each day that passes, they grow further in number.

"They've been gathering for a few days now." Stephano blinked curiously. "It's almost like they're trying to barricade the Atlantic ocean."

For a moment, Aeris gave Apollo a cold stare. As did she. There was something going on here that I didn't know.

"On the bright side, the pillars have been popping up in Atlantis."

"What of the council then?" I asked hesitantly.

"See for yourself." Stephano stopped at the top of the stairs over a circular platform with a huge star reaching through the outskirts of the platform. Ancient text were embedded onto the linings of the star as well as the edge of the circle. Almost as soon as we set foot on it, we were transported to the circle where the council was gathered.

You can see everything from here; the well decorated shelves of the first circle; the busy tables and forest of the second circle. You can even see angels, lanterns and books flying all around the place.

The floor was made of marble, unlike the stone floors of the outer circles. Runes were carved into the marble pavement, glowing white making it almost unreadable but in an elegant way.

It wasn't like the outer circles. Aside from it's noticeably small size, it also doesn't have any walls. Instead, floating around the room were forbidden scrolls, those not meant for mortal men, scrolls that only the council, pillars, archangels, and by entities like Thot and Apollo. In the middle of the room was a very old looking book bound in goat skin, engraved in enchanted gold, radiating a glow of light strong enough to light the inner most circle. It's the most sacred book in this entire place, the book that tells you everything that there is to know about, well, everything. No one, not even Thot and Apollo, have tried to read the book in fear of what lies inside it. They say that book can tell the future.

They were all at the center gathered at the big round marble table. They council members, which made up half the crew, gathered on either side of the table. Thanatos was reading a book, trying to not to flap his wings in excitement. Loki sat in front of Charon, talking to her. She looked charmed yet disgusted as to what he was saying after a few moments. He must be flirting with her.

Michael was seated on the other side of the table along with Maya and Charon. Charon continued to shift uncomfortably on her chair as she talked to Loki. Maya huddled with Michael over a small map they laid out on the table. It seems like they're planning a route to Atlantis. Sitting beside them was a monstrosity in sheep's clothing.

"Took you a while to get here, you piece of crap." ah yes, there's my bratty little sister. "As expected from the ever uncontrollable Death. You think you're so special that you expect everyone to clean up what you did."

"I thought you said the pillars were at Atlantis?" I leaned towards Stephano. I didn't whisper though. I made sure that everyone heard what I was saying. "What is this lowlife excuse of a Pillar of life doing here?"

"You should be glad I'm here, Skully," She stood from her seat. She walked towards me, her dress and golden belt swaying as she did. "I didn't want you all to get lost on the way to Atlantis."

She held my chin up and looked at my face, then threw it to the side. "I'd kill you where you stand if I wasn't here on behalf of the Pillars."

"Have at it." I felt a strong urge to just strangle her right there and then, snap her neck and be done with it. I started to feel a burning sensation in my eyes as if I were in a room full of steam. "Give me your best stab."

My vision started to go red. My body started to go numb, but I felt my body inch itself towards her. I started to raise my arm towards her neck, ready to strangle her.

"Calm yourself, Death." Aeris held my arm. "Your body's heating up again."

"I-I!" A stinging sensation shot through my body again and fell to my knees. I would've fallen to the floor if Aeris hadn't caught me.

"Death," Apollo's voice sounded worried. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, a touch as warm as the sun. "Your skin. Your eyes."

My eyes slowly readjusted and I saw what Apollo was saying. My skin was pale as pale it can be, my eyes were red as the blood.

"What's happening?" I looked over my shoulder, staring at Apollo. But she wasn't there.

I was back in the darkness, still on the ground. A hand extended itself at me and I grabbed it on instinct. When I lifted my head to see whose face was it, I was surprised. Her face was even more scarier. It was.... It was...

"Death." The darkness faded, reality shifted back in place. "Snap out of it!"

I checked whose hand I was holding. His hand and arm was full of golden rings and bracelets. He man who had the looks of a middle-aged man complete with a long gray beard yet with the body of a built for a god.

The golden color of his eyes was beautiful and mesmerizing, holding a certain wisdom in it. On his head was a hedjet, an egyptian crown, with a nemes. He was wearing a black tuxedo made of linen with gold lined at the edges. Hanging from his neck was a scarf that hieroglyphs reminiscent to an Egyptian walls. I recognized him not because of what he wore rather because of the perched kiwi on his shoulder.

"Thoth." He heard my whisper, locking eyes with me as soon as I said it. His smile was amazing with those perfectly white teeth.

"It's ok, child," he hugged me tightly, pressing me against his linen tuxedo. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Spoken like a true woman. I feel disoriented, balance was out of the question, my vision still a bit blurry. I feel like I have tinnitus because of all the high-pitched ringing in my ear. The only thing that didn't seem to go wrong was my sense of smell. It air was tense and wreaked of smoke. I turned around to see a disheveled, half-burnt room with everyone it it either scared, surprised, or in battle stance, except for Aeris and Loki. Loki still saw in his chair, his hand to his cheeks, smiling as if he wasn't surprised. Aeris stood by my side, unfazed, unmoved, eyes locked on the moment, assessing the situation.

The inner most circle was in shambles. The center table was cracked right through the middle, red fire still smoldering. There was a hole in the middle of the glass dome with cracks extending from it. Shattered (with a bit of melted) glass littered the floor. Fortunately, the book of origins, as well as the forbidden scrolls are enchanted to be practically indestructible.

"What happened?" I looked closely at the everyone, all seemed ready to pounce at the slightest move that I make.

"You happened!" Life hurriedly swatted the edges of her smoldering dress. She pointed at me and faced everyone. "This is what I meant! She's too dangerous to have around!"

She walked to me. "You're nothing but trouble! Wherever you go, disaster always follows!"

All of them were talking all at the same time. Michael and Thanatos were arguing, one wanted me to stay, the other to join. Maya was still a bit shaken up with everything that's happening and Charon was trying to calm her down. Apollo and Thoth were both casting spells left and right, fixing the dome as much as they can.

I did all this? I looked at the lower circles, I could not hear them but I could see them all in panic. I still can't believe it. How? I didn't move a muscle.

"You didn't." Aeris replied, his gaze unturned. He gave a nod to Loki which he took as some sort of signal. "At least, not directly."

"Death is a crucial part of the Grimm Reapers. " Loki stood and walked to the edge of the circle. " Whether you like it or not, Life, she will be joining us."

"Loki's right," Thanatos added. "Getting a reaper form isn't that easy. I remember the first time I got mine. Oof, that hurricane looked nasty."

"Yes, but in her case, this is not her first." Thoth moved forward and touched my forehead. "She's going through her second."

"What?" Thanatos exclaimed. His wings grew uneasy. The wind from his wings blew away some of the glass. I even felt some of it scr.a.p.e against my skin. "How's that possible? Has even been a Reaper to go through two changes?"

"No," Loki turned around and looked at everyone, his face marked with worry. "This would be a first. It might be something we can access. Might be something unique to her. We don't know yet."

"I-I don't understand." I felt so confused, like purgatory did a complete 720 spin. What second state? First of what? Why do they all look so scared? "Can anyone tell please tell me what happened?"

"You really don't remember anything?" Michael tilted his head.

"No," my head is aching. What the hell is happening? "I absolutely don't remember anything."

"I think that's gonna have to wait." Stephano flew to the middle of the room. His fire flickered wildly as he flew past me. "We have company. Not the good kind."

"Oh, yes," A seemingly disembodied voice came out of nowhere and started materializing in front of everyone. "Some bad company indeed. Quite an amount of soul hunters are on their way in here."

His was tall, a little bit below six feet. His skin was pale, white than snow. His hair was messy, unruly, as if he just woke. His stare was maniacal, as if he was planning something crazy with his gray eyes. His mouth didn't agree with his eyes, though. Those lips were never meant for smiling.

He wore a black suit and tie on top of his white polo. His dress shoes seemed to glimmer just like the clear, slightly soot stained marble floor.

"Hades," Loki smiled. "About damn time."

"P.l.e.a.s.u.r.e," Hades bowed. "Now shall we kick some soul hunter butts?"

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