Flight of Frost and Aurora

Chapter 60

Suicide was strictly forbidden and must be avoided at all costs. One of the key responsibilities of the Keeper of Death is to persuade those contemplating it to choose life, as suicide is considered an unnatural death. It leads to damnation, and God does not wish that fate upon anyone, especially those who are merely grieving and hurting, rather than truly evil. While the Keepers cannot control human will, if they were to drive someone to take their own life, it would be a violation of the ultimate law of life and death. This act would mean influencing an innocent soul toward self-damnation. And that is precisely what Madame Katia had done. Her crime was so grave that hands and roots from the underworld rose up to seize her, binding her in shackles until the great Lord of Death, Zestial, could address her transgressions.

"What's happening?" Vagatha asked as she and Anthony stumbled upon a horrifying scene.

The sky had turned an ominous black, the ground was stained red, and Alastor lay bleeding to death, cradling the cold lifeless body of Charlotte in his arms. Nearby, a frantic Madame Katia struggled against her bindings.

"No! No! This isn't my fault! It's not my fault!" she screamed repeatedly.

A chilling wind swept through the air as Anthony and Vagatha clung to each other in terror, watching the tall, dark figure of Zestial emerge from the shadows. He was so angry, Vagatha had never seen him like this before. Normally, he was a patient and affable figure from her perspective.  But now his presence radiated fury and sorrow, a tempest of stone cold rage and dread.

"Who-who-who is that?" Anthony stammered.

"That's Zestial, the Lord of Death." Vagatha answered.

"You mean he's real too?! Oh shit! Has he come for us?!"

"No. He's come for her," she pointed a finger right at the sniveling Madame Katia that Zestial now towered over.

"I've finally caught you," he declared.

"Zestial, please, let me explain—"

"Silence! No words can convey the gravity of your crimes," he interrupted. "For over ten years, I've hunted you down as you recklessly took lives, meddling in human affairs and the divine, causing needless suffering and loss. I could never catch you because death, even when unexpected, is a natural part of life. But now you've crossed a line! You've caused an unnatural death! You've damned an innocent man!"

"I didn't do anything! He killed himself!"

"But you drove him to it! You filled him with such grief that he took his own life!"

"I didn't know he was going to do that!"

"You destroyed the woman he loved and taunted him about his failure to save her. What did you think would happen? Stupid woman! I rue the day you were ever a thought in my mind!"

"I beg for your forgiveness!"

"You mistake me for God; only He can forgive."

With that, Zestial turned toward Alastor's lifeless body, carefully extracting the scythe's blade from his chest.

"My lord, please!" Vagatha cried, dropping to her knees. "I beg you, don't let them die. Have mercy."

"It is not for me to decide, child. I merely carry out God's will."

"But this isn't God's will! This was never meant to happen! My lord Zestial, Katia has already taken so much from so many. Don't let her take them! Don't let them spend eternity apart—her in heaven and him in hell! Please! They don't deserve this!"

"Vagatha, I can't simply—"

"You owe us!"

"I beg your pardon, young lady?"