The New World: Afterlife

Chapter 19

Jim was back in the realm of the living, or at least the one he's from. Though he wasn't alive still, he looked more like a ghost outside of the afterlife. He was translucent and was glowing a dark blue colour. Jim was standing where his home once was, the entire cult compound had burned to the ground. Everything Jim had worked for was taken from him once again, all taken by a deranged relative again coincidentally. He just hoped everyone made it out alive, including the cats. His manor still stood, but it was still obvious that there was a fire. 
"What did you do to your uncle that made him burn down this entire place?" Grim asked Jim as they headed back inside. The inside was heavily smoke damaged, but Jim couldn't smell it despite trying to out of habit. It had been a while since he was last a ghost. 
"I don't know, maybe because I know something that others don't about him?" Jim asked in response. Grim replied "Could be it, but he could've just killed you and be done with it. Then again, you and your family tend to overreact." 
Jim wanted to deny that but he knew that Grim was right. He bombed an area because the people were annoying him, and because there was demon spawns everywhere, but mainly because the people were annoying. Grim led Jim back into the basement, which was still mostly in-tact except for a bit of water and smoke damage. While they wandered through it, Jim assuming they were going to the portal, Jim asked "How long was I gone for?"
"Only two days. But in those two days the entire compound fell apart, clearly you were the glue holding everything together. Emilee left with the kids, Default was no longer indifferent about this place, Fang left with his partner and Turg has been waiting for you in his home. I don't know where the cats are, but they haven't died." Grim explained to Jim in response. Upon entering the portal room Grim then added "They all think you're permanently dead, except for Turg, he doesn't know what happened. Yet." 
Grim lit up the room with their own magic and Jim saw the aftermath of what happened in there. Dried blood all over the floor with the axe that killed him still embedded in it. It was Jim's blood. 
"Either that axe is really sharp or Leehoimen is just really strong to have been able to behead you with that." Grim mentioned as they floated past it towards the portal. Jim didn't say anything. He noticed that the sword he was reaching for was gone, Leehoimen must've taken it. Grim activated the portal and said "Whatever, we better go find Turg."
The portal closed behind them as they went through into the magic realm. Jim thought out-loud "Surprised Leehoimen didn't try to destroy that."
Shortly after Jim said that Turg suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Jim didn't see him coming. Despite standing in front of him, Turg didn't seem to be acknowledging Jim's existence, only Grim's. Grim turned into his human form and asked "So... uh- Turg, how do you feel about having two dead partners?" 
Turg had a confused look on his face as he asked Grim "What Grim mean?"
"D-do you not see him? He's literally right beside me." Grim asked Turg again in response. Turg looked at where Jim was standing and shook his head. Grim then looked at Jim and said "Well, I can see him." 
"Is Jim gone?" Turg asked as Grim sighed and looked back at him. Jim could tell that Grim was having a difficult time trying to tell Turg what happened. Grim eventually told Turg "Yes, Jim is dead. I'm sorry, I couldn't get to him in time."
Jim didn't know what to do or say, Turg couldn't see or hear him anyways. Turg looked around the room before saying "But Jim come back. Jim always come back. Turg not understand."
"I can still bring him back, I just need two things to do so." Grim tried to reassure Turg before adding "Which I may need help with."
"Turg help?" Turg offered Grim, who accepted by saying "Yes, I knew you would." 
"You sure you want to bring him along for whatever we're going to do?" Jim asked Grim, who briefly turned back into a Reaper to reply "I need him to get back to the vault and I don't want him waiting for eternity for you." 
Before Jim could say anything back, Grim then turned back into their human form and asked Turg "So, think you can still take us back to that vault?"
Turg put his hand on his amulet and a portal opened behind him leading to the vault Grim was talking about. Jim was surprised he still remembered it, since the amulet relied on memory. Jim never thought he'd be back in that place, it was dark as the power was most likely out with only a few emergency lights still on. It had been years since it was last used most likely and Jim wondered why Grim needed to be there. Grim left the room to go search for something, leaving Turg alone in the old kitchen. Jim was standing in the same spot where he first met Turg, except Jim was alive and Turg was the ghost. Turg seemed to recognize it too as he went to stand in that doorway with his hands to his chest. Jim was still glowing a dark blue colour, he was understandably upset over everything going on. Eventually Grim came back with a book with a black cover while saying "If I am remembering right, I captured some of Jim's life essence in this."
"A book?" Turg asked as Jim remembered Grim doing that a long time ago. After he was killed by the Mother Plant, Grim managed to find a way to store some of his life essence in a book they wrote just in case anything else went wrong. Grim opened it to a specific page and started reading it.
"In case of death, read this passage out-loud to bring Jim back from the dead. I cannot come up with anything clever to write so this will have to do." Grim read out-loud. Jim assumed that nothing happened, considering he was still a ghost, but Turg was able to see him this time. He was looking at Jim in shock as Grim closed the book while saying "Well, that sorta helped."
"Can you see me now?" Jim asked Turg, who nodded in response. Jim then laughed a bit and said "Well, now I'm the ghost in the vault."
Turg responded with a question "What happen to Jim? His head floating."
"Oh, it fell off." Jim replied as Grim gave their own answer "Jim lost the fight with Leehoimen." 
Grim then asked Jim "You still have that ambrosia here? Could maybe try that too."
Jim crossed his arms and responded "I gave that to Turg."
"Right, I forgot. It's been a while." Grim said as they then left while thinking out-loud "Guess you needed the essence to be seen by others."
Jim assumed they were putting the book away. As Jim started thinking more, he began to realize something that would've saved him a lot of trouble. While Jim was doing that, Turg was trying to grab onto Jim, but his hands were phasing through Jim. 
"Sorry, we can't hold hands right now." Jim told Turg, who was visibly saddened by that fact. Jim did feel bad for Turg. It was likely not a good idea to constantly flex his ability to get revived around him because now that he was really dead, Turg was struggling to comprehend that. 
"I know you're most likely upset about what happened to me, but I promise we are going to fix this. It's just going to take some time." Jim tried to reassure Turg, which somehow worked. Turg then responded with "Jim not gone yet. Jim will live again."
"Exactly, Jim will live again." Jim said as Grim returned while adding "We just need his body, wherever it is." 
"Leehoimen most likely has it." Jim mentioned as he was about to ask about something he was thinking about, but Grim started speaking again.
"Also I just thought of something. If your specific bloodline reincarnates then First Name wouldn't have been able to fully claim your soul." Grim said as Jim also said "I was about to ask about that." 
Jim then asked "So I was afraid of him for nothing?"
Grim replied "No, he probably still could've claimed it. But not worth worrying over, he won't be bothering us anymore." 
Since Jim was now immune to First Name's abilities, he often thought about summoning him again but as a weapon, if he could convince him. However there was no way Turg would've allowed that to happen. 
"Anyways, if Leehoimen has it then I guess we should go search around there." Grim suggested as Turg put his hand on his amulet again. Jim told them "If you see someone who looks like me, kill them. That's probably whatever experiment Leehoimen is using my body for." 
Turg gave Jim a concerned look as Jim told him "You don't have to kill if you don't want to."
"Turg would never." Turg responded, though Jim had witnessed him do it before. That guy deserved it. 
"We still need you though." Grim also told Turg as he opened a portal to Fecktopia. It led to inside the palace, but in an area more hidden from view. Turg was kind enough to do that for them.