Beneath The Surface

Conclusion 58 - Asta Nightingale

Normal text
Thinking
Onomatopoeia

Asta's POV
*... Asta...*

A ghostly whisper trailed off in the dark.

*Asta...*

I frowned at the disturbance, a little ticked off. I'm already a poor dead sod. Why keep harassing me in my sleep?! Ignoring the noisy ruckus, my consciousness continued to float about aimlessly in the abyss. But the voice only grew more disgruntled as it persistently repeated my name like a broken recorder.

When the calls refused to end, I had no choice but to groggily answer, "Huh..."

*Asta.*

This time, the echo sounded really close. Right inside my head, in fact.

*Wake up!*

The imposing command sent ripples to my fragmented soul. I really dislike hearing this kind of forceful tone. My heart trembled in fear, eyelashes fluttering subtly. Thankfully, the voice softened to a more pleasant one.

*Wake up, my child. There are people waiting for you.*

The familiar phrase made my heart skip a beat.

People waiting for me...?

Something clicked in my mind. A long forgotten wish. A wistful regret. A promise to change. My fingers twitched, slowly bunching into fists.

*Get up.*

Get up.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was instantly blinded by the glaring sunlight pouring into the cavern. Tears brimmed my vision. Squinting in annoyance, I propped myself up. Only to be shell-shocked at the sight presented before me.

What's this? I'm in one piece???

I clearly remembered crumbling to dust. So what's all this fleshy meat??? I sat there dumbly, completely flabbergasted. The hairs on my pores stood on end in the cold air. My legs tingle numbly. There were pins and needles from the lack of blood flow, but I could still feel them nonetheless.

What's going on??? Isn't my spine broken???

And why was I even alive in the first place???

I inspected my body, gingerly pressing every stiff joint. Besides the unnaturally pale complexion, nothing hurt. No bones were broken. No lacerations on my skin. I could move my arms. Hell, even my lungs didn't feel like they were leaking air as I breathed.

Was I reincarnated?

A soft clink caught my attention. I peered down at my wrist. There it was—the gold bangle. An intricate pink sapphire strung along the hoop, swaying gently in the breeze. With a shaky hand, I reached out and caressed the little flower. Without a doubt, this was my bangle. The one Kali had given me. So that means I didn't reincarnate like those protagonists in cheesy novels. Then am I in hell? But since when was hell so sunny??? Shouldn't it be all gloomy and nasty???

*'Hell', my ass! Stop being stupid. You're still alive, girl.*

Hearing a familiar snide remark in this strange place made my heart soar as I naively called out, full of hope, "Grandpa?"

A raspy hum responded.

"You didn't leave?"

*Hmph! And where else can I go? Which feeble human can even house me??? They'd keel over within an hour.*

True.

Stretching my dead legs, I asked, "What happened?"

*You disintegrated.*