I look up and see Death’s hooded form towering over the bloody scene, scythe and book in hand. The body disappears as he collects its record in his book. The blood fills the pages, not one drop remains on the ground. The smoke around him laps at the ground, almost like a sigh.

“Are you purposely avoiding my warning?”

“No, that’s not what I–”

“Yin Rivers.” His eyes meet mine as soon as I blink and I feel a lump form in my throat.

“Do you have something to say?” Death’s voice is like a low, damp beat of a drum, prodding my conscience.

“I’m sorry.”

“You should be.”

“…” I look down. My eyes fall on the hem of his black robe. A beautiful golden embroidery borders the fabric. I subconsciously clench the ripped fabric of my sweater. A cold sensation envelopes my chin. His fingers grip my face and lift my head up. “Look at me when I am talking to you.”

“I-I said I’m sorry, Sir! I really didn’t expect to fight that…that…”

“That Soulless, trapped in this mortal world? You saw them follow you, yet you still ignored the signs.”

He lets go of my face and rests his scythe against the wall of the house. Now in human form, I can clearly see his long, braided hair garlanding his collar, and the pale white skin reflecting the glow in his eyes. A cold drop of sweat runs down my back as he looks at the spot where the body was.

He strides towards me and grabs my collar, I flinch.

“Hold still.”

His hand is freezing cold. It traces a line across my neck and runs down the wound on my shoulder, all the way to my chest. I suddenly realise just how serious the injury is. The places where his fingers run burn under the cold as they heal, my soul slowly recedes back into my body.

“You are hurt. Again.” He takes a step closer. “As expected, for failing to heed my warning.”

“…Sorry.” My heart is racing. Neither his gaze nor his fingers let go of me. They make sure to catch all the little bits of my soul before finally resting at the back of my nape when the work is done. I feel a wave of energy enter through the back of my spine. “Uhm.” I clear my throat, but he doesn’t let go. “Um…y-your hands are really cold!”

“Oh.” He lets go and sheepishly glances to the side. “You are quite warm.”

“I’m–I’m a human.”

“Well frankly, most humans I meet are cold to the touch, so I, er, I was just–”

“It’s fine, I didn’t really mind.” My hands tremble slightly as I rub the back of my neck. “You’re not…angry because I did that to the spirit, right?”

“It matters not. The Soulless–Blackened Souls–are empty, devoid of thought, devoid of humanity, consumed by the darkness of their hearts.”

“So…you’re not angry?”

“…Mn.” He sighs softly and picks up his scythe with a graceful motion. I stare as he holds it with one hand and makes a seal with the other, shrinking it into a tiny pendant, before stringing it onto a bracelet on his wrist. Actually, looking closer now, there seem to be a couple more tiny weapons strung on the bracelet. There’s a pair of daggers, his book, some sort of curved spoon, a…a gun? Whoa he’s got a gun!

“You did not answer my question. Why are you here?”

“Smuggling drugs for money.”

He shakes his head as if it was a stupid thing to ask and looks at the sky. Dawn is almost here. Death gives off a faint pink glow which bounces off the grass.

“Yin Rivers?”

“Hm?”

“Where is your cat?”

“Huh? My cat? You want to see Milko?”

“Mn.” He paces around the area before peeking inside the house. Milko, as if hearing he was wanted, comes trotting up with great pride from somewhere, and jumps atop Death’s shoulder.

Just how comfortable have the two of them gotten since I passed out???

He strokes Milko’s fur and lets the cat perch on his shoulder. How Milko does it, I don’t know. I cannot just casually go up and nuzzle this man, even if I wanted to. “Ahem, uh, so, the others will be coming back…”

“Do you want me to leave?” He asks, busily scratching Milko behind the ears.

“Nothing like that. I just don’t want to explain more than necessary.”

 “Yin Rivers, remember that you are only to investigate the Life Trials, not the Soulless. I do hope you will be more aware of your surroundings.” He leans down beside my ear. “Do not forget that you, right now, are an incredibly delicious-looking candied apple hanging from a tree–”

“C-Can you stop that!” I can feel the heat rushing to my ears. He steps back, a smirk playing out on his face as he takes Milko off his shoulder and cradles him, poking at the cat’s paws.

“Out of curiosity, why does everyone want to eat my soul?”

“Well frankly, it is rare to come by one like yours. There is a rumour among the gods and realms, that red souls can become like us.”

“You mean, I could become a god?”

“I do not believe in such things.”

“Oh…”

“I have a different belief.”

Milko jumps from his arms into mine.

“I think you can kill us, Yin Rivers.” He looks right into me and smirks, almost like he’s been waiting to tell me a dirty little secret. “I think, you can kill us, remind us of what it means to be alive.”