Point and Time: The Book of Eight

Chapter 21: Ethan: Sticks and A Cross

"Guys, we did it! We beat him!" I energy come back in my body and I stood up. "We actually won!!!" Why didn't they react to me? They acted like I wasn't there.

"Hello? Guys? Whats going on?" I asked desperately trying to get an answer from them. Everyone had tears on their face and I was confused. I was scared. What happened?

They seemed so upset, like they were looking at someone who just died. I was terrified. What happened? Why weren't we celebrating? We just beat Gornid, we won. We did what gods themselves couldn't and they were upset. It wasn't making sense. I looked where everyone was kneeling around and I saw what happened. I was dead.

I didn't know what to make of it. I was scared but my heart wasn't racing. I felt like I should've been sweating but I wasn't. Some sort of panic attack felt like it should've happened but it just didn't. I was just standing there, scared. I looked at my hands and they looked normal for the most part, I just couldn't pick anything up. My hand passed through everything. I went to touch my own body which sounded weird and nothing happened. I was laying there lifeless. There was no promise land for me. My friends won. They beat Gornid. I lost. I was gone. The rest of their battles had to happen without me.

I started walking away from the area of my demise. What else was I supposed to do? Stand over my own body and hope that things would change? That I would come back? I know we lived in a realm of gods and monsters but hoping that me being brought back to life was a little farfetched. We did what we were supposed to but I didn't feel very rewarded. This whole thing was a journey we went through but there wasn't a we anymore. Just them. I had to watch from the outside window. So walking away was the best I could do.

Right when I turned I felt a white portal open in front of me. I went to walk through it but couldn't. Good to know that even extra terrestrial things dont apply to the dead. A man walked through, wearing a black robe, floating with black essence falling from the bottom of it. Along with a man with a pointed black goatee and long black hair, wearing a black and purple robe. He looked at me directly held his hands out and both of them were looking at me now.

"Good to see you Ethan." The man in the robe said.

He could see me? How was that even possible? I was dead. These two could see me and were looking directly at me. I wasn't sure how to react. These two had some sort of power that helped them see me.

"Uh... Hi?" I responded looking back at my friends and they didn't seem phased.

"Let's go somewhere a little more private." The man with the goatee waved his hand and we were in a forest, with snow around it. The sky was covered in stars. It was beautiful. I wasn't cold. I wasn't warm. It was perfect. I couldn't feel the snow. I went to touch one of the trees and my hand just went through it.

"I'm sure you're very confused as to who we are." The man in the robe said.

"Correct, and also why can you see me because from what I know I'm not exactly alive?" I responded.

"You are dead that is correct. Meaning that your soul exists only in two places, with you and in the underworld." The man with the goatee responded. "That's why we can see you. I am the lord of the underworld."

Ohhh okay got it. Casually having a conversation with a god. No nerves at all. Absolutely mind-boggling that they wanted to talk and chat with me but hey it's whatever at this point.

"And that makes you?" I pointed at the man in the robe.

"Erebus, hello son." The man in the robe, or my actual dad said. It took me dying for him to notice me but hey he actually did so I can't be that mad I guess.