Mayhem [Novel Anthology]

A kiss from a reaper

The vast desert of howling winds and dusty sandstorms. Or maybe it wasn't just the winds, but the pained voices of the unfortunate souls, which were forced to stay there.

Cold and unwelcoming, the place which the locals call "The Abyss". There was probably no other name that could describe it better.

Something appeared in the middle of nowhere. A warp bending the reality followed by a rift. A being steps out, or more like floats through it, and lands softly on the ground, without making a sound.

The reaper Mutio has arrived at the destination. Not like the usual image of a reaper, there was no ominous dark robe nor a skeleton wrapped in it. It was a tall man wearing black, skintight clothing, his face hidden under a white mask. It lacked any features, except the openings for the eyes, and two black stripes running across the surface. There was a tattered white cloth wrapped at his waist. In his hand a scythe, oddly shaped like a crane standing on one foot, the beak being the blade.

He looked to the side. His target was just few feet beside him. The target being a lost boy at the very end of his existence. The poor thing was lying there on the ground, wrapped sloppily in a cloak, its torn ends flowing in the wind. Most likely dehydrated and possibly wounded, as he was clutching to his stomach.

"What a terrible death." Mutio mumbled to himself. "I better get this over with quickly. He suffered long enough." He thought and approached the boy from the side.

The poor soul noticed him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the tall man.

"H... Help..." He said with a weak voice, but there was a spark of hope in his eyes. The hope of being saved. But not the kind of salvation he wished for.

Mutio gulped.

Those deep, brown eyes. And even though the face looked tired and gaunt, the skin pale and the hair messy, those deep eyes were so captivating, he still looked attractive.

"What a cute face..."

The thought crossed Mutio's mind. He crouches and reaches out, gently sweeping the black hair from the boy's forehead. No, not a boy. Looking closer, even though his body is short and slim, almost like a girl, he has the features of a young man.

While Mutio stared at him from behind the mask, the man's expression turned to terrified as he noticed the scythe. His eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Oh no... no... NO! I can't... can't die... not now...!"

He panicked and tried to get away. But without any strength left, it was just a desperate crawl, his movements however causing only more pain.

"Fear not. Shh... Calm down."

Mutio cradles the man in his arms and speaks in a soft tone. The man just struggles to get away, tears flowing from the corners of the eyes.

"No, please... I don't... want to... I can't..."

His voice fading with each word just like his strength.

"Don't fight it... it's time to rest."

Mutio hugged him warm, calming him with his soothing voice. The man was shaking, his eyelids growing heavy. He closed his eyes still mumbling something under his breath.

"Sleep..."

Mutio reached to his mask and slowly took it off. He rarely ever does that, as there's a deep scar on the left side of his face. A good chunk of his flesh is missing from the corner of the lips, exposing the teeth, the deep wound going all the way to his ear. The reason why he's called "Scar" by the other reapers.

He leans down and places a soft kiss on the man's forehead.

And so the poor man gave his final breath, his body becoming limp in the reaper's embrace. Mutio sighed as he put his mask on, and gently brushed the man's pale cheek. The expression on his face calm, as if he were asleep.

"What a waste... such a precious little soul... dyig so miserably... Really such a shame."

He put's the man back on the ground. With one swift swing of his scythe, he rips the soul apart from its body. He takes it in the hand and raises up, as if examining carefully.

"Let's meet again... sometime, someday, precious little soul. Under different circumstances... under a different name. I will be waiting."

He embraces the soul in a warm hug, before covering its corpse with the cape. He stands up, makes a few steps and looks over the shoulder one last time. A caw is to hear and a crow lands in front of him. Mutio nods, the crow flaps with the wings and suddenly changes it's shape, becoming a black circular portal of the reaper's size. He holds the soul tight as he steps through it.

The portal closes soon after, without making a noise, as if not to wake the body from it's final sleep.

Table of Contents:

A kiss from a reaper