Chasing Death

Chapter 19

"Life is stressful. Death is peace – said the people who are still on this side of the game. You should know what you're falling for ;-)"

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As soon as the door of the office closed behind me, I realised I had landed into a deserted verandah, with transparent walls on either side. Something swirled behind the frosted glass. I crept up to the walls slowly and placed my palm on the cold surface. A smooth white hand emerged from the silvery mist on the other side and touched its fingers to mine. A hundred different images rushed through me like a camera reel—a farrago of people, places, and emotions.

I drew back my hand in shock, feeling my fingers go pale and numb. My insides felt empty, as if something had been trying to drag out my soul.

"Hello again," a lilting voice whispered from somewhere in the dark.

Lachesis was walking towards me slowly. She looked different and out of her element. Gossamer fabric billowed from her willowy figure, fluttering in a non-existent wind. A dainty diamond tiara sat atop her head and her skin glowed in a pearlescent hue.

"You look heavenly," I whispered in genuine praise.

"And you're telling that to the queen of hell," she laughed, floating forward.

"You would be nice if you didn't try to be evil, you know." I crossed my arms.

"Nobody can pretend to be anything they are not." She threw me a knowing glance. "But how did you land here?" she asked, gesturing around us.

"Maybe I got lost," I shrugged.

"It's dangerous to get disoriented around here, little human."

Her fingers skimmed over the glass as she strolled loosely towards me.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Beyond these are the Fields of Lament," she cut me off. "Souls that aren't satisfied with the time allotted to them on earth are given the choice to reincarnate. These souls roam here till they're ready for reincarnation, and then they go on their onward journey from here."

"Could they be trying to communicate with me?" I asked.

"Souls who are fit to be reborn, are almost a mirror of mortal souls. So yes, they could establish connections with you. But I would encourage you not to, to protect your own sanity. The burden of eternity is too heavy to be imbibed into oneself. Don't even try."

Her face glowed eerily in the unearthly light.

"Is Nikhit somewhere here?" I asked abruptly. I had a strong inkling that he wouldn't be satisfied with his life being snatched away suddenly.

"Your dead lover?" she raised an eyebrow.

I nodded, my hands travelling instinctively to my wrist where my fingers traced the almost fading outline of the scar.

"I can check the system." She tapped a portion of the glass wall and a blue screen popped open, demanding a password. She placed her hand on the screen which started glowing in a million little scintillations which scattered like a handful of stars and the entire glass turned pitch black. And names after names kept on popping from the black nothingness as they filled the entire space with eerie minute blue text. Her eyes scanned rapidly through the rows and rows of texts, too fast for any mortal.

"Nikhit Arora, died at twenty-four years on twentieth of December, year twenty-twenty. Cause of death..."

"Yes, that's him," I said quickly.

Lachesis stared at the screen for a while before casting a sidelong glance at me. A knowing smile lit up on her face. I gulped.

"Unfortunately, this is a view only. We need the password to log in and make alterations as you want." Lachesis shrugged.

"I guess I can take care of that little issue," I smirked. "What is the favourite number of your sisters?"

"Oh, it's always been six hundred and sixty-six," she mused. "But why?"

"Obviously the devil's number," I hissed. "Can you open the password bar from here?"

"No, there is another system to access that. Follow me," she started walking towards the other end of the passage.

In the blink of an eye, something heavy swooped down on her from the dark. The inky night was bleeding into the whiteness of the walls. The temperatures dropped. Black thunder rumbled from somewhere. And there he was, Mrithun in his wildest form. His left arm was wrapped around Lachesis' body, trapping her - arms and all. His right hand held a tarnished silver blade pressed against her throat. I was paralysed with fear. This was the truest and the deadliest face of death.

"What did you do to her?" he hissed, his eyes melting into pools of black hate as his frantic eyes whirled around.

"Nothing." Lachesis's voice was calm. She just closed her eyes and her body melted into the wind. White snowflakes escaped from Mrithun's grip and floated over to where I was standing as she materialised into her form beside me.

"She's here," Lachesis spoke through her teeth. "Don't take my leniency or our old friendship for granted. It won't take me a second to destroy this mortal body of yours and transform you into what you were earlier."

Mrithun's nostrils flared red as his whole frame shook with immense uncontrolled fury. He looked like a time bomb about to explode.

"Stop him," Lachesis mumbled. "He has harnessed the darkest energies of the universe in his rage for revenge. Those powers are trying to control him. Don't let his sanity be lost. Save him, Tora."

The kindness in her voice drew me by surprise. It was a healing balm to the fear that was seeping into my heart. I took a step forward, unsure of what I was doing. The demonic form snarled. I shuddered but kept on going ahead.

"Mrithun," I crooned, as if pacifying a baby. "I am here. I am okay."

His eyes widened, the shaking in his body halting for a while as his eyes regarded me suspiciously. I bridged the gap between us in one long stride and lay my palm over his heart. The sparking flames in his irises died down slowly, replaced by a scary emptiness. I found his hand in the darkness and lightly pried his fingers away from the hilt of the blade. I took his other hand and placed it over my cheek, holding it in place.

"I'm here for you," I breathed.

"Tora?" It came out as a question. The black fire was still seething behind those lovely eyes. His mind dancing on the brink of insanity. I knew I had to do something, and I did the unexpected.

I reached up on my toes and crushed my lips on his - fire to frost.

He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, parting his lips willingly as I drowned in the taste of that kiss.

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