~~Meanwhile, The Underworld~~

“ARE YOU DEAF?! I SAID MY FRIEND’S MISSING!!!”

Ye-ji’s voice rang out throughout the vast waiting room, causing many to glance at the fuming newcomer. Rolling his eyes, the grim reaper dressed in a black hanbok*, ignored the soul in front of him, motioning over the next soul in line. Her hands shaking, the 30-year-old placed them on the marbled counter, trying her best to calm her nerves. She couldn’t understand what was going on. A few minutes ago, she had been arguing with her best friend while on a tour bus in London. But now, she was having a one-sided screaming match with someone dressed like a typical Korean grim reaper.

The young woman bit her lip, scanning the rows and rows of people aimlessly waiting in line. Ye-ji had been sure that she had seen Hee-yoon standing in one of those lines, but the next moment, her best friend had disappeared without a trace. 

“Ha. Can you get back to your line? Making all this fuss won’t help you.”

“Look, I don’t know what this place is, but I need to find my friend. We were on our way to the Tower of London, and—.”

“If your friend isn’t here, then it’s likely she’s passed on. Now, for the last time, get back in line.”

“Hold on. What do you mean ‘passed on?’”

The grim reaper let out a dramatic sigh and stopped the next person in line from coming closer, “If you haven’t noticed the many signs around here, this is the entrance to the afterlife.”

“Afterlife…? Wait, I’m dead?!”

“Not yet, but you will be IF YOU DON’T GET BACK IN LINE!” The reaper roared, his blue eyes turning black as Ye-ji flinched away from the counter.

This was the afterlife…? That wasn’t possible! How could they be in the afterlife? They had just been alive a few minutes ago! There’s no way we’re dead—! Ye-ji froze, her brown eyes widening as she recognized the familiar faces before her. Weren’t they the tour guides from earlier? Her heart racing, Ye-ji dashed towards them, hoping that they could provide her with a clearer answer. 

Yet, before she could even reach them, an invisible force prevented her from running to the other side of the line. Confused, Ye-ji looked up to see a large red sign above her head, 

“WARNING: NO TRESPASSING BEYOND THIS POINT. INTERNATIONAL BORDER.”

“What the heck? International border?”

“You won’t be able to interact with others who are a different nationality than you until you reach the other side.” A soft, but chilling voice spoke from behind.

Ye-ji glanced behind her to see a woman dressed in a black velvet cloak, her shoulder-length blond hair barely visible. She was holding a huge scythe in her skeletal hands, just like the Western depiction of a grim reaper. Stunned, Ye-ji could only stare. Do these grim reapers dress according to whichever jurisdiction they’re in charge of? 

“Stay in your lane. Intake is already a difficult process; don’t make our jobs harder.”

“I just wanted to ask them a question. It’ll be quick—.”

“No.”

Ye-ji clenched her teeth, but didn’t dare try to aggravate the reaper. If she wanted to find Hee-yoon, she couldn’t keep attracting attention to herself. With a quick nod, Ye-ji slipped back into the line she had been earlier. But the tremor in her heart wouldn’t subside as her eyes continued to sweep around the vicinity. She refused to believe that her best friend since college was gone because that meant their fight was the last conversation they’d ever have. How could she accept that? 

Burying her face in her hands, Ye-ji had no idea that she had already stirred the interests of the gods ruling the afterlife. 

 “Another living soul?”

“We mustn’t let God take yet another. It isn’t fair!” 

“Exactly! Should we take a vote on who will take this one—?”

Rising from his seat, Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, smirked at the monitor, ignoring the conversation taking place beside him. His face was hidden under the large hood of his black himation*, but a flash of gold emanated from within the shadows. The runes etched into his exposed, ashy gray skin glowed vibrantly as a low chuckle escaped from the god. The gods of the underworld, who were seated in a circle, froze. What was he doing?

Suddenly, Hades threw his head back, letting out a guttural laugh. The other deities flinched at his wide grin that stretched from ear-to-ear. His long, red hair glistening under the dim light, the immortal god slid his gaze to one of the grim reapers behind him.

“Bring her to me.”

~~***~~

“Oh my God! Just how much longer am I supposed to wait?” Ye-ji huffed, peering around the corner at the never-ending line. 

As much as Ye-ji tried to stay calm, she felt like her patience was slowly running out. She had watched countless people walk into the tunnel of light, yet none was Hee-yoon. Did she really pass on already? But how? If we were involved in the same accident, shouldn’t we be here together—? 

“Park Ye-ji?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Follow me.”

Confused, but excited to get out of the line, Ye-ji didn’t notice the pure white feathers glistening from underneath the reaper’s black durumagi*. The bringer of death grinned as the 30-year-old eagerly followed him towards an elevator that seemed to be made out of glass. As they drew closer, Ye-ji let out a small gasp. She had seen her share of luxurious elevator lifts, but this one seemed so ethereal. The design was simple, but the detailed gold accents adorning the lift reminded her of antique gas lanterns. Its beauty seemed so out of place in this dry, sterile environment. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? 

Turning to the man beside her, she was about to ask why there was an elevator, but frowned at his guarded gaze. The reaper kept surveilling their immediate surroundings as if he was looking for a potential intruder. 

“… Um, so where are we going?” 

“To see your friend. You’ve been looking for her, haven’t you? Come on, we don’t have much time.” 

Stepping into the elevator, the disguised reaper held out his hand for her. Although suspicious, Ye-ji willingly grabbed his hand and was about to step into the lift when chaos erupted from behind.

“Stop! You can’t take her!”

A horde of grim reapers darted across the large waiting room, their ghostly pale hands outstretched to pull Ye-ji back into the Underworld. But before they could even take another step forward, the man pulled Ye-ji inside as the doors clanged shut. 

“Phew. That was close, huh?”

“W-What’s going on?! Who are you…?”

The disguise he had been wearing melted away, exposing the majestic wings that had been hidden from view. Unable to fully spread his three pairs of wings in the cramped space, the angel pulled Ye-ji closer to him, enveloping the stunned human in a feathery embrace. Ye-ji could feel her cheeks grow hot as she gaped at the angel’s sculpted torso. 

Despite his initial lanky appearance, the divine being had the body of a warrior, with tanned skin and faded scars lining parts of his exposed arms and torso. Not knowing where to look, Ye-ji glanced up and accidentally made eye contact with the amused angel. His mint-green eyes and mid-length hair softened his prominent features, making him seem more human than an ethereal being. Before she could help herself, the young woman swallowed hard, her heart pattering rapidly against her chest. 

“Pfft.”

“Don’t laugh!”

“Sorry, your reaction was just so… blatant.” The angel mused, enjoying the flustered look on the mortal’s face.

“Whatever! Ugh, can’t you do something about these wings of yours?”

“You’ll have to wait a bit longer. I can’t retract them since my disguise has worn off.”

 “Great,” grumbled Ye-ji, crossing her arms while making sure that she wasn’t touching any part of the handsome angel.

The pair rode the elevator in silence as flashes of bright, reflective hues illuminated an iridescent glow on their skin. Ye-ji, despite her embarrassment, was glad that the angel was covering much of her view since the blinding fragments of light were starting to hurt her eyes. 

“… Say, am I really going to be able to see Hee-yoon?”

“Well, that’ll depend on what you decide.”

“Huh? Meaning what, exactly?”

Just as the angel was about to answer, the elevator suddenly came to a stop, thrusting Ye-ji into the toned abs she had been admiring earlier. With a loud ding, the doors slid open, welcoming them to a lush garden surrounded by a group of small children, who were touring the Arch of Reincarnation. 

“Zadkiel? What are you doing here?!” the Archangel Uriel exclaimed, surprised by the dominion angel’s unannounced visit.

Shielding Ye-ji from view, the mint-haired angel smiled at the famed archangel, “Hi, it’s been a while! I’m just here to report to God about a task he assigned me.”

“I see. It’s a shame that we no longer work together. Everyone misses having you around.” Uriel glanced at the figure hiding behind Zadkiel before flicking his gray eyes back to his superior, “Anyway, it was nice seeing you again! Come along now, children! Who wants to see the Grand Mausoleum?”

“Me~!!!”

Zadkiel waved goodbye at the children until the group disappeared from view. Letting out a sigh of relief, the angel glanced down to see Ye-ji sitting on the floor and pitifully staring up at him.

“What is it?” Zadkiel asked, unable to take his eyes off the human woman in front of him. She reminded  him of a feeble animal, unable to fend for itself. Such a fragile little thing. 

“Did Hee-yoon and I really die? This is Heaven, right? Since you know, we didn’t go down there....”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Stepping off of the elevator, Zadkiel held out his hand, waiting for Ye-ji to take it. The human woman hesitated, too afraid to step off the elevator. She had no idea what was going on, and the angel’s vague responses weren’t helping to ease her nerves. 

“I know you can’t trust me yet, but I promise that your friend is safe.”

Swallowing hard, Ye-ji took Zadkiel’s hand and had just stepped onto the grass when she felt someone yank her back from behind. Before she could scream for help, the young woman was swallowed into the darkness.

“Ye-ji!!!"

SIDE NOTE:

*Hanbok: Korean traditional attire that consists of jeogori (technically a top) and skirt or pants, depending on the gender.

*Himation: A type of shawl/ outer garment worn by ancient Greeks.

*Durumagi: A type of outer jacket worn with hanbok.

**NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.**