When we reach the plain white door at the end of the hall, Death places a hand on the handle but hesitates to open it.

"Aly,” she says, “You’re about to enter a different territory than the one we’re in now. Unlike this one, where you see everything crystal clearly, you’ll probably only see a haze or an elongated hall of sorts, this is because you don’t have the proper authority to be there.” 

“What exactly is authority?” I ask, having heard it all throughout today.

She takes her hand off of the handle and holds it out in front of me, palm side up. An instant later the air turns frigid as her hand smokes an icy vapor. A black ball the size of her hand forms, reeking of putrid decay and over baked roadkill. A chill of panic runs down my spine as she showcases her manifested power right in front of me. I find it hard to breathe through the cold fear running in my veins… not that I want to breathe the rotten air.

“Ahhh, that smells terrible!” I say clutching my nose shut. 

“Authority is the power someone has over something to be able to use it. I have the absolute authority over death, decay, and the dead. For thus I am named. The cold comes with the use of the power— just a side-effect.”

As the ball fizzles out the temperature returns to normal. I find myself breathing easier and not just because of the absence of that horrible smell, “That’s… wow…”

“You and each of my Grim have some varying ounce of my authority. That’s what is allowing you access to roam the halls of LIMBO unimpeded. It’s also the reason why the moment of your expiration grants you a seat in the waiting room without going through the filtering process. It’s fully granted to you when a deal is made. That deal is called Compensation.”

“Compensation… that’s what my parents did with you, huh? How is a deal made? With blood…? I don’t imagine you take gold pieces.” 

“You don’t need to know that. Especially since you’re not going to be making any deals with anyone. Ever!”

Curious, I ask, “Is that part of the deal too? You were ready to make a deal with me before.”

Her golden eyes harden, “That was before I found out you were alive! It would have cost you nothing and you would have been sent back without harm or manipulation!”

When I only give her a questionable look she explains, “Listen Aly, not all of us Hosts are the same. Some will be very eager to make a deal with you but never do it. There are few of us who are truthful while others will cheat you on the spot and it will cost you more than you could ever pay back! The same goes for making a deal with any Entities you may encounter. A good rule to follow is that if they aren’t a Host, never seal the deal. Actually, just don’t make any deals, period!”

“So like, what…? Making a deal with the Prince of Darkness or his minions is off the table?” 

“Especially not with them!”

I was joking… Is… is he real?

I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t think the Host of the End would be like this; caring towards humans. Well, at least towards me she is. I just thought, after hearing about the robbery, she would have a little more hatred towards humans. My legends teacher said that entire nations have sunk because they pissed off the wrong Host… And for people to steal from them, that’d definitely get dicey. I wonder what the rest of the Hosts are like, then.

Before I could get any more answers out of her, she turns around and replaces her hand on the door handle. 

“Just remember one thing, Aly.”

“Remember what?”

“In the unlikely event that things go south in here, just remember that you can always get out of a Host’s territory by exiting out of the same entrance you came in from. No matter how far into the territory you go, the exit will always remain in the same place.”

Is she expecting things to go wrong? Why? Isn’t this the guy she asked for help? 

I nod affirmatively as she opens the door to PURGATORY.

***