The sky is as black as night with many a star lighting a pathway through the whole Afterlife. This domain which he transported us to, unlike Judgement’s white canvas, is inhabited by several souls of varying colours, forms and conditions. Some are blackened, some are evolved, but all of them are here in stasis, inhabitants of this kingdom, each with their own livelihood here, unable to move on or dissipate. Death leads us through what looks like the main road of a marketplace. Souls whisper as we trudge by, several bow at Death, several snarl at us. This city bustles ironically with life, and it seems that Death here is king. The palace at the end of the road is painted black with smoke and shadow, endowed with formless architecture, creaking and twisting from every angle. Sika winces at the sight of it and whispers to me, “The shit looks unstable as hell!”

“This is Hell.” Death flicks his wrist and Sika stumbles, just about catching himself. Smoky hands creep up from the ground and nudge us along the road.

At the gates of the palace, an amoebic soul of no fixed shape floats before us and whips out a giant magnifying glass. Death steps aside and motions us to kneel as the blob of orange light pops out an eye from somewhere and looks us up and down through the magnifying glass.

“What’s it doing?” Ray whispers.

“It’s checkin’ us out!” Sika muses.

Funnily, Sika is right. The blob makes a happy noise, like a little wind chime, and floats over to Death. A tiny glass-like voice says confidently to him, “Lord Ssshhhhhuiuuwww–ow–ow–ow.”

Death grabs its lips with one hand and glowers. “What of them?”

The blob squeezes itself out from his fingers and circles his feet a few times before bouncing up and down in the air. “My Lord! Golden one is under contract and cannot be collected! Green one is under contract and cannot be killed! Red one is under blessing and cannot be harmed!”

Death frowns. “Who are the contractors?”

“My Lord! Golden one is under contract of God! Green one is under unknown contract! Red one is under blessing of Death!”

Sika looks at me in surprise. “Dude you’re blessed by this weirdo?”

“It’s a long story.”

Death suddenly grabs my arm, dragging me to the front. “Yin Rivers, under my blessing you have slain mortals. To stain my hospitality in this way, you have much to explain before I strip you of your soul right here and now.”

Sika reaches out for me but I shake my head. I kneel in front of Death. “I didn’t intend to kill anyone.”

“Then why have I collected three additional souls during your ‘Life Trial’? Explain.”

“I…I lost control.”

Sika makes a stifled noise but the smoky hands cover his mouth. I glance at Ray. She coldly gazes back at me without a word. Fine. I will take responsibility. After all, I’m the one who stole away her time with Robert. She set this up because of desperation and revenge. All the things she said before were a lie. She knew of the ritual, she knew how to control me, and she knew that…if I was strong enough, I would have been able to regain control.

Death steps forward, he lifts my chin up with his scythe. “I see.” He snaps his fingers, the orange blob scoops me up into itself, engulfing me. “What’s happening?”

“Amon, contain him. Having suffered so much damage, at this rate he will succumb to fragmentation.” He turns to Sika and Ray with a wicked expression on his lips. “Now,” He grabs Ray by the neck and lifts her off the ground, “Who is your contractor?”

She frantically puts her hands together in prayer and bows her head. “Sir Death, Sir. Please, we’ve met before, you know my reasons.”

“You’ve met him?” My voice is muffled from within Amon. Death glances at me. “The day you and your friend left your previous life trial, she approached me for a boon. Frankly speaking, I refused. It was a ridiculous plan.”

So then who helped her? Death taps his scythe on the ground in front of her, she flinches. “Speak.”

Sika and I don’t make a sound. We want to see what she says.

“I-I-I formed a contract with Life!”

Death scowls. “You lie.”

“No it’s true I swear! He promised that I’d get a chance to see Robert again if I completed the ritual!”

“That ritual is forbidden. Only those who…” A lightbulb goes off in Death’s mind. He lets go of her and pulls Sika up from the ground instead. “Sika Bright, age 27. Frankly speaking, not very bright, but very perceptive.”

“Wh-Whatdya mean!”

“You were aware that Yin Rivers was under the influence of your so-called God and this green one here. Why else would you fail to stop your dear friend?” He throws him back into Ray, they both stumble backwards onto the smoky hands. “Did he tell you to see me?”

Sika’s trembling. I’ve never seen him lack the confidence to speak. He stutters a single ‘yeah’. Death’s eyes narrow and the stars in the sky flicker. The souls around us snarl and creep in the shadows. Amon floats me slightly higher and moves in front of Death. Its voice comes from everywhere when I’m within it. “My Lord! Mercy! Mercy and patience and we will find the Book!”

Death pinches his brow and reaches forward, his finger presses into my forehead. “Yin Rivers. Tell me what you know of this ‘God’.” I nod. He prods the point between my eyes. I close my eyes, trying to recollect every ounce of information I can remember. Voices from the past flood my mind.

“Yin-ah! You going lah?”

“You be careful outside.”

“Hey, hey, uh…be not afraid?”

“His name is Milko.”

             “Ahaha!”

                            “Where are you?”

                                                        “Gold, red, gold, red, Outlier Divine, hear me…”

“Student, 18. Math major, no family.”

“You didn’t help me when he disappeared. God did.”

“Then kill me! Let me go, let me–”

                           “Divine Grace, all eternal, Outlier of Fate, my soul begs thee…”

“You did not kill them…they were fated to die at the very moment you chose to die.”

“Be not afraid. I got you.”

“Osmanthus, osmanthus, the moon shines bright~”

“I think you can kill us, Yin Rivers.”

“It doesn’t matter who you were, you chose to not tell me because you wanted to protect me, didn’t you?”

                                                                                                                                              “Why isn’t the rune working?!”

“Yin Rivers, ah Yin Rivers. Destiny does not lemme let you off scot-free.”

“You’re losing control!”

  “Why won’t you respond?!”

“You’re pretty useful for getting this little girl’s revenge.”

“I AM YOUR GOD! THIS IS MY TRIAL!”

“DEATH!”

I snap my head back and sever the connection. My head’s zinging, I massage my temples and look up at him. “You never came when I called.” I glare up at him. That’s right. The soul phone is on my original body. I tried your silly little communication rune. “I didn’t disobey you. You failed me.”

“…Yin Rivers.” He drops his hand and sighs. The stars in the sky dullen ever so slightly. Sika and Ray have puzzled expressions. They look at each other and then at me. I look away.

“…Amon, I want names.” Death doesn’t look at us. “Contact the Divine Realm. Do not waste time.”

“Yes Lord Shiuueeeeee–I won’t say it, I won’t say it!” He lets go of Amon’s ‘lips’ and I bob around in the space. “Um…can I get out of…Amon?”

“My Lord!”

Death grabs my arm and yanks me out forcefully, I stumble into him as he begins to lead me away. “Wai–Wait, where are we going? What about–”

“Your friends will be sent back to your time when Amon is done with the interrogation.”

I look back at the two of them just as Amon floats around, its colours changing. It starts to take on a humanoid shape and the last thing I can make out before Death teleports us away are the large grey wings sprouting out of its back.

I’m led into the palace, through several corridors, until we reach what seems to be a spacious bedchamber. The floor is made of some kind of precious glittery stone which lights up as we walk on it. It looks like the starry sky outside. The scenery beyond the oblong windows display the whole city below, merely a colourful blur of lights. Death stops and takes a seat on the high-backed chair by the window, staring down at me. I stand in the centre of the room, the floor lights up in concentric circles around my feet.

He motions for me to come up to the chair and pats the tiny space next to him. I look around, the room is empty. Not a soul exists apart from the both of us. Sheepishly, I make my way up and sit beside him. I barely squish against the side arm. He fiddles with his scythe and it transforms back into a ring on his finger. “…Tomorrow, we will be seated at home on the cushions like this.”

“Huh?”

“Do you recollect the time you were in hospital? When Life broke down on the soul phone?”

“Vaguely. You’d said one of the Tomes had been stolen.”

“The Tome of Life. It is a book entailing all the vast Soul Arts of breathing life into creation, including a set of forbidden magics which use life to create life anew.”

This is very complex. “So you’re saying, Ray has this Tome?”

“Incorrect. Whoever that child formed a contract with, they possess its knowledge.” He rubs the space between his brows and looks at me. “Your memories.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your memories contain information. You did not let me finish seeing them.”

“Fine. I have nothing to hide from you anyway.”

“…Very well. Pardon me.”

He takes a deep breath and leans down, touching his forehead to mine. He didn’t do this last time…is he…trying to apologise???

The cool touch of his skin against my brows sends shivers down my neck. I instinctively move away but he grabs my head and presses firmly onto my forehead. The point between my eyebrows zings with energy. I can feel a string of emotions pass through to him. I close my eyes and try not to be too disturbed by the zinging, but it starts to hurt so I gently tap his hands. He doesn’t let go. “Um–”

“Ow!” I grab his hands and open my eyes. Pink fires stare right back into mine, inches away from burning my sockets. I lurch back, breaking the flow of memory again. My chest is heaving, my heartrate is unusually high. He slowly leans back and rubs the area between his brows before rubbing the same spot on my forehead. “Apologies. Did it hurt?”

“No…” For a moment there his face was way too close to mine, I thought he was going to do something else. A small smile finally plays on his lips. He rests back on the seat and takes out his soul phone. “Hello. Yes. I accessed some information. Azure Bird of the Storm. Find out whose familiar it is. Yes. What…?” His eyes flicker for a moment before returning to normal. “…An Outlier…very well. We are up against no ordinary occurrence. Yes, inform them. Thank you, Amon.”

He gets up. “Come, let us go home.”