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Gewndolyn’s dark smokey eyes stared out of the window from the moving carriage apathetically. She couldn’t help but allow the intrusive thoughts to plague her mind as she sighed mournfully. 'Would it be too much to say that I want to die?' 

Slouching in her seat since she was alone, Gwendolyn felt her chest tighten while resisting the urge to break down and cry. 

'No...no I can't think like that right now, I should practice my smile for the crowd.' After taking several deep breaths a knight tapped her window, startling her before opening it. "Yes?" 

"There seems to be construction up ahead. What should we do?" 

Biting her lip at the fact she wasn't addressed properly by the knight her older sister lent her, Gwendolyn clawed her nails against her palms lightly when she started to think about her siblings. 'Why now of all days? Melrose said I can't be late, and Lysander said we could go back to the Academy after the event, but this is the only road that will get me there on time.' Smiling at the knight escorting her, Gwendolyn gave her answer. "Find another route quickly, and tell the coachman to speed the carriage a bit." 

"Right away." Giving a curt nod as he left, the anxious feeling she had wouldn't go away.

Her leg began to shake excessively, biting her lips after realizing she had almost no more nails to chew on. Negative thoughts of disgracing her family arose from her mind as tears threatened to pour, her heart pounding harshly against her hurting chest in the process. 'No, no, no! Not again!! I cannot break down now and ruin my makeup–Lenora worked so hard on it!' 

Sudden screams were heard outside the carriage, temporarily numbing her thoughts. "Stay inside! There is nothing to be concerned about!" The knight from earlier shouted. 

"Do not believe him, Lady Zamora! He created an ambush–you must flee at once!" A guard Gwendolyn had known as Sir Gilbert, shouted back. 

'Who...who should I believe?' Her moment of hesitation was her downfall as she stayed put for a mere moment to think.
Her sister's knight opened the carriage door as he gave a wicked smile, throwing a small object inside. Gwendolyn couldn't move her body due to fear and confusion of the knight's sudden burgundy aura.
‘Why didn’t I see his bloodlust before?’ Making eye-contact with Sir Gilbert who had tried to run towards her despite the number of enemies, she watched as he reached his arm out to her.
Time however, felt as though it had slowed down in an instant.
Gwendolyn stared at his magenta eyes that seemed to have screamed in both fear and concern, but she became horrified when she saw a silhouette aiming its weapon down onto Sir Gilbert. "GWENDOLYN!!" 

Those were the last words she heard as she blinked and the small object exploded; destroying the carriage and herself. 

Struggling to open her sore eyes, Gwendolyn pushed herself up and looked at her surroundings, but saw an endless black void instead. 'Where...where am I?' Memories of earlier events swarmed her mind, feeling herself grow cold when she whispered shakily. "Am I dead?" 

From the darkness a man dressed in a black hooded cloak appeared next to her, causing Gwendolyn to jump and search for an opening he may have come out of. "Follow me." 

Feeling a surge of warmth from the stranger despite his cold tone, Gwendolyn stared up and made accidental eye-contact while taking in his features; his luscious short mixed white and black hair, complemented his pale complexion nicely, while a small part of his hair covered his mixed red-violet eyes.
Blinking a few times before looking away, she pushed herself up and followed the man closely behind. Observing his height compared to hers, Gwendolyn was jealous of his good looks and tall frame, wishing she was half as beautiful as the stranger. 

What felt like hours of walking forwards, the man who had yet to introduce himself stopped, turning slightly around and extending his arm out for Gwendolyn to continue. She hesitated, not believing that there was truly an exit. The mixed haired stranger tilted his head in confusion, which caused Gwendolyn to become nervous as she lowered her head and walked straight ahead anyways.

Feeling the air swirl and become frigid around her, a bright light momentarily blinded her. Opening her eyes once she no longer saw the colorful stars between her eyelids, Gwendolyn gasped at what she witnessed. 

Surrounding her were buildings almost as tall –if not taller– than the palace of the Ehno Empire; teleportation devices she recognized at every other corner, and what she assumed to be people rushing elsewhere. But as she looked at the distance farther away, her knees went weak, stumbling behind but did not fall thanks to the stranger dressed in black. 

'How is it possible that wherever this foreign kingdom is, it's floating so high in the sky?!'
The stranger helped Gwendolyn back to her feet, but held her hand to steady her while she was still in shock.
'There is nothing holding this in place from what I can see, so how?'
She was in a state of fear and excitement, but neither one had full control over the other. 
"Wow..." She breathed out, the stranger raising an indifferent brow to her. 

"Follow me." Gwendolyn whipped her head to the man who repeated those two words from before, nodding as they began to walk and Gwendolyn felt embarrassed. 

The stranger led her to a high and wide marbling building, releasing her hand to open the door for her. Flustered at the sudden politeness, Gwendolyn couldn't remember the last time someone other than a servant had held the door open for her with extended patience.
"Th-thank you.." She squeaked, the man nodding in response. Once inside the stranger walked ahead of her again, Gwendolyn had figured he meant for her to follow. "Uh-um...is this the...the afterlife?" Stopping abruptly the man turned his head to her, making her flinch at the sudden coldness in his eyes, resulting with Gwendolyn lowering her head to avert his gaze. 

"...not exactly." Blinking several times at his two word responses, she stared at him, seeing his eyes had softened and the warmth she felt before returning. "All will be explained," her breath hitched, completely off guard by his longer than usual statement, "once at the destination." 

Nodding absentmindedly, the two continued their walk through several corridors and a pair of stairs before stopping at a pearl white door.
The nameless stranger opened the door and waited for Gwendolyn to move inside, only she was equal parts enchanted and disturbed by what she saw; a three sectioned room and a seemingly endless row of people. “What is this?” She mumbled more so to herself. 

"This way." Returning to his two word response, Gwendolyn followed behind in silence as the two made their way towards a bright grey door. Holding it open for her, Gwendolyn began to feel more comfortable with the man as she smiled politely, thanking him and entering the room with a flustered blush on her cheeks.
She waited for the man to show her around, becoming curious and frightened at the sudden thought that she was following a complete stranger.

"U-um...what is your name?"   

The man stopped just as they were about to approach a dark grey room, he turned around and stared at her with an unreadable expression, causing Gwendolyn to fidget. "Azarios." 

Tilting her head, she scrunched her brows in confusion. "You do not have a last name?" 

"Most Gods do not. Since humans typically use them." Blushing in embarrassment at how slightly deep his voice was after hearing him talk for a bit longer again, Gwendolyn had expected a simple "yes" or even "no" from the man she now knows as Azarios. 

She stayed quiet after nodding in acknowledgement as he led her into the room, Gwendolyn's eyes roaming around only to see nothing was there. "What is this place?" 

"It is called the Viewing Room." 

"Viewing Room?" 

Azarios nodded, lifting his hand only to wave it down as a rectangular blue light appeared in front of him, pressing his finger against it. "When a soul dies, I will bring it here." 

"Why-why is that?" Clutching her hand against her chest, Gwendolyn jumped as images from when she was born had begun to play. 

"To see its life before I decide to reincarnate it."