Gehenna's Gate

Where The Skies End

Sapphire eyes blew open wide, head whipping back and forth as she pressed her back to the nearby wall, confusion setting her brows.

There weren't many people nearby, but that didn't help the fact that she was only in a t-shirt and her underwear, the essentials barely covered as she began to recognize her surroundings.

The bar? How did I get here?

Too spooked to move, the girl continued scanning the area, gaze finally resting on a familiar figure across the room, sat on the couch.

He looked as if he was deep in thought, hands clasped as he leaned over, golden eyes locked on the floor with a blank expression on his face.

Vena moved as quickly as she could, slinking over to sit on the couch next to him, pulling the bottom of her t-shirt down further over her thighs.

"What happened? How did we get here?" The girl hissed in a whisper, wondering why he didn't even bother raising his head to look at her.

"This isn't the time to ignore me, idiot, I'm half naked and anybody else could walk down those stairs and see me. Can I barrow your jacket at least?"

Again, nothing.

Xiao simply stayed the same, exhaling and inhaling air, but not even budging other than that.

Irritation growing, Vena raised her head to look around, trying to see if there was anything else nearby that she could drape across her lap, at least until her eyes centered on a calendar strung up on a wall nearby.

Eight months ago?

Violet brows stitched together, trying to make sense of her current situation.

"Xiao, I-" Gently, she rested a hand on the man's shoulder, confused and still far too exhausted and worn out to be playing along with whatever game he was trying to drag her into- only for her hand to go straight through him.

Almost as if he was a ghost.

Vena recoiled, startled as she let out a little yell.

There were two other people at the far end of the room, playing pool, and even despite Vena's out burst, neither moved or even turned to acknowledge her.

What the hell?

Her gaze returned to Xiao's form, slowly inching her hand toward his shoulder again, only for the same thing to happen again, phasing right through him.

Am I dead? What the fuck..?

No, because the calendar was set to months prior to today's date. That wouldn't make sense.

Nobody could see her? Or hear her?

Standing to her feet, the girl went over to a table nearby, trying to grab a pool cue that was laid across the edge, only to repeat the same process as before, phasing straight through it.

She couldn't interact with anything, it seemed. Or she was dead, and her brain was still functioning for some reason. Or maybe she was in a dream.

"Yo Xiao," Light foot steps came from behind the girl, causing her to spin around, only to have a figure walk straight through her.

Yep. Definitely a ghost or something.

This time, Xiao raised his head, yet his expression remained unchanged, bored and blank.

"Someone's here to see you, won't give me her name. I told her you were busy, but she said it was urgent. Want me to throw her out?" It was one of the other male cashiers Vena had seen before at the bar.