Chasing Death

Chapter 6

"The ones that are gone have no opportunity for regrets. The ones that are left behind are the ones who go through hell without actually going through it. Always remember that."

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"You've seen nothing regarding me," he said in a husky voice. "I'm appearing disguised in my mortal form. Would you be able to handle the real face of death?"

"Try me," I drew in a deep breath.

"Suit yourself." He flashed a devilish smile.

He took two steps back, his dark eyes boring into me. They reminded me of the instability of the universe and the profound secrets it holds. That gaze held me captive as I felt my sanity slipping away. And before my very eyes, the ebony of his eyes engulfed the entire white part, till his eyes were just an endless pool of ink and darkness.

His skin turned darker and darker till it was pitch black like raven wings. The lights dimmed and everything shifted to an all-consuming black. Then came the dread. Charcoal clouds started swirling around him, engulfing his frame in a curtain of shadows. The fear started creeping on me. It threatened to smother me. I started shuddering, my body moving uncontrollably.

The darkness seemed to suck all conscious emotions — happiness, sadness and fear, leaving me feeling empty.

"Look at me. Face the fear." His voice floated from somewhere far away.

It felt like the entire earth was talking to me. There was a sinking pain in my chest as if something was pressing down on me. But the worry started waning as soon as it had arrived. I took a step forward, instinctively.

"Don't come nearer. This form has no control. This incarnation can rip your soul out," he hissed.

"I will take my chances," I mumbled, closing the gap between us in one long stride.

"No," he cried, swiftly vanishing from sight.

I flinched and jumped backwards. Complete silence followed.

"Mrithun..." I beckoned to the darkness.

"Here," he appeared suddenly from the dark. He was back in his human form.

"Why did you run away? I was not scared," I insisted.

"Because," — He averted his eyes, his voice dropping low — "I don't trust myself to be strong enough. In that form, I am the beast or the devil, as you call it. That's the form that people see when I come to collect souls. You weren't even supposed to see that."

"But I was not afraid."

"Your reaction is weird, Tora. People fear death and you're chasing me. There lies the difference."

I stayed silent.

"I know you felt the fear," he continued. "That fear is what I am. As much as I want, I'm not welcome anywhere, not even for the ones that worship me or chase after me. People are afraid of the true face of death."

"I think you're beautiful," I said suddenly, regretting my words in the last possible second after they had left my lips.

He stopped speaking and looked for a moment at me, his eyes widening in surprise. And then he burst into laughter. The sounds echoed through the room, like the bells at the temples. It felt pure, innocent, something so far from Death.

"Flirting with Death, are you?" he chuckled.

"If that means he can bring back my love for me, then why not," I winked.

His face became sombre again.

"Tora," he said, taking a step closer, "bringing your guy back will be only as difficult as adding your name to the list. But I don't know what will happen after the resurrection. I collect souls. A soul can be resurrected. His body unfortunately might be gone."

"Nope," I chirped, "if we can do it fast it might still be there. They still kept his body in the morgue. It was a medicolegal case, so..." I trailed off, not wanting to talk more than that. The more I talk, the more those memories would haunt and I needed my focus in the present.

"Regrets of the past aren't something to dwell on. The past is dead. Live in the present," he remarked, almost as if reading my mind.

For a brief second, I felt afraid. It was scary to think that my mind could be violated by anyone. It has always been a safe space where I hid my darkest fears and doubts. I wasn't used to feeling so vulnerable.

"Can you read my mind?" I asked.

"Normally I can read minds. Yours is a bit tricky because some things aren't clear."

"Why not clear?"

"I don't know. Maybe you suffer from indecisions. You change your thoughts frequently," he mused, "or maybe there's something different about your ability to block out the interference of anyone. Some people have a strong mental shield sometimes. But yours just seems muddled up.

"What is it like inside my mind?" I whispered.

"Like a cacophony of voices speaking at the same time. Lots of confusion." His eyes twinkled in a smile.

"You like chaos?" I bit my lip, unsure about why his opinion mattered so much.

"I am Death. Chaos and confusion are my life," he grinned.

"Have you ever made a mistake in collecting souls?" I asked suddenly.

"Loads of times. I'm only human..." he paused, "No, that expression won't work for me."

"So then you restore them?" I pretended to ignore the slip. It was convenient to think of him as human. It was easier pretending he wasn't Death and that he wasn't indestructible.

"You must have heard of near-death experiences," he asked. "Ever wondered how they happen?"

"Those must be a big mess up," I giggled.

"Precisely so." He winked. "When you're immortal, you get away with a lot of things. And when you're Death yourself...well..."

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A/N Thank you so much for all the support! This means so much to me.