The New World: Afterlife

Chapter 10

The sky was clear with a haze in the distance and no sign of life anywhere. Dead trees, silent streets, abandoned and ruined buildings scattered everywhere. It was very bright, Jim could barely see where he was going as he wandered the empty streets, alone. He was looking at the ground until he looked up to see that he was standing by his former home on the docks. He turned around to face the rest of the town to see it was now on fire and the sky was getting darker. Jim wanted to run but he could not move as the ground beneath him started to crumble. He ended up falling into the sea below, it was dark, quiet and he could still breathe somehow. He tried to call out for anyone but he could not speak. Jim could see something approaching him, he recognized them. It was the demon of First Name, a very blurry and not very detailed version, but he was running at Jim. Jim tried to get away, but he wasn't fast enough. First Name began attacking Jim and he tried to defend himself, but with one swift scratch to his eye Jim was defeated.
Jim woke up suddenly, it was still dark and he couldn't move. He felt someone cuddling him, he assumed it was Turg and he was right. Jim's heart was racing as he was starting to be able to move again. He put one hand over his left eye to be sure it was fine as Turg asked "Jim have nightmare?"
"Yeah, but it was just a dream." Jim responded as he rolled over to be facing Turg. He then asked Turg "Do you ever sleep?" 
"Turg don't need to as much as Jim." Turg answered before adding "Turg sleep earlier. Turg sensed Jim was unwell. Turg want to make sure Jim okay."
Jim was not okay. He told Turg "I don't think Jim is okay."
"Was it about that event?" Turg asked, Jim knew what he was referring to. Jim answered with "It's almost been ten years since it happened yet I continue to relive it in my dreams. I'm so tired of it." 
"Turg sorry." Turg told Jim as he then said "Don't be, I deserved what happened to me." 
Turg didn't say anything else, instead he continued trying to comfort Jim by keeping him close and safe. Jim was right, everything that happened to him during that time was karma for being who he was prior to it. He never felt remorse for his actions up until that night, or at least for some of his actions. 
"Jim want to talk more?" Turg asked, breaking the silence. Jim didn't really, he wanted to go back to sleep, though he didn't feel sleepy anymore. He only shook his head in response. Turg was then hearing something Jim wasn't as he got up, leaving Jim alone on the bed. He could hear Turg opening the door and the sound of cats coming in to no doubt bother Jim. Only two joined Jim on the bed, the rest just played around in the dark somewhere in their room. 
"Really? You let the cats in?" Jim asked Turg as he crawled back into the bed next to Jim. Turg didn't answer, instead he gave Jim the giant shark plush, though what Jim saw was a giant soft mass taking out his vision temporarily. Jim took it but set it beside him as he sat up and said "Might as well get up, I won't be sleeping anymore tonight." 
"Oh. Turg do same." Turg also said as Jim told him "Knowing you, you've probably been awake for a few hours now, Turg."
Turg didn't say anything else, Jim was correct. Jim was jealous of Turg's ability to not need sleep for days, Jim sometimes wished he could do that. Turg only ever got sleepy if he was doing a lot of healing. Jim turned on one of the lamps so he could find his glasses and phone before getting out of bed. Once he put on his glasses he checked his phone briefly to see that it was almost 6am anyways. As he started getting out of bed he accidentally stepped on one of the cats' tail, they let out a screech and Jim immediately apologized with "Oh shit, sorry."
The same cat then bit Jim's ankle before running off, to which Jim then said "Yeah, I deserve that."
He healed the bite and started putting his clothes back on, he wasn't naked but he needed more on if he wanted to leave the house. Jim could sense Turg watching him do so, he didn't mind Turg doing that but Jim could always tell when he was. Turg eventually joined him in getting dressed for the day. Jim was wearing his iconic outfit, he figured he might as well wear it if he's going to be around his weird uncle. The blue button-up sweater with grey trimming was older than Turg, which Jim only just realized at that moment. Turg was wearing his dark brown-ish green pants and black turtleneck with his amulet of course, he always had it on him so it wouldn't be stolen again. 
"Jim really like that sweater." Turg commented as Jim replied "And you like that turtleneck."
"It's comfortable." Turg then said as Jim replied again "And so is my sweater, which is why I wear it a lot."
"It's also the only thing that wasn't lost to that demon child." Jim added in his thoughts. Jim then asked "So, shall we go back?"
"Turg want to eat first." Turg responded as Jim then said "Yeah, good idea." 
The two then made their way down to the kitchen, all the cats followed while meowing at them. Jim assumed they wanted to be fed. While Jim went to go do that he noticed Default was in the room with them, just standing and staring at a wall, which slightly creeped out Jim. 
"What are you doing?" Jim asked Default. She responded with a very monotone voice "I don't know." 
Jim then felt inclined to ask her "Are you okay?"
"I don't know." Default responded again. Jim just shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, done all I can do." 
Jim then focused on feeding the cats as he could hear Turg talking to Default, but wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. Eventually Default ended up leaving the room and Turg went back to Jim. 
"Is she okay?" Jim asked Turg. Turg nodded and replied "Default do Default things."
Jim thought Default was rather strange, she was indifferent about everything, very rarely showed any emotion and will do anything anyone tells her to do. She was still somehow indifferent towards Jim, despite his past actions toward her that he regretted. Turg eventually found something to eat while Jim just stuck with some coffee. When they were both done, they headed back to the palace. Since Turg knew where it was, they were able to get there using his portals. 
"So, you decided to come back." Jim heard Leehoimen upon arrival. Jim turned to look at him as he continued speaking "I honestly thought you weren't going to considering how last time went and I would have to drag you back." 
"Is there another reason you wanted me here?" Jim asked. Leehoimen put his hands together and responded with "Yes actually, I have a certain task that only someone like you could complete."
"What can I do that you can't?" Jim asked Leehoimen again. 
"You're a killer and a pretty good one at that. I need you to kill someone for me." Leehoimen responded again to Jim. Jim crossed his arms as Turg was then suddenly listening to their conversation. 
"Sorry, I don't do that anymore." Jim told Leehoimen as he then said "I'll make it worth your while, Jim."
"What will you give me in return?" Jim asked yet again. Leehoimen responded with "I've given you this entire palace and yet you still expect more from me?"
Jim thought about it for a moment before finally agreeing to it and asked "Fine, you have a point. Who do I have to kill and where are they located?"