Time

Prologue 21

Death thought. He thought and thought until he was past thinking and had started remembering.

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A young, thin man with jet-black hair and pale skin walks along the road. Next to him is a blond-haired woman beautiful beyond compare. Onlookers startle as the woman kisses the man on the cheek.

"Why are you doing this, Sophia?" the man asks in a voice of a man who is dead. Or will be dead.

"Because I want you to be happy, Krin." the woman answered. "I don't want you to be sad. That would be completely opposite my goal." The couple rounded a corner and came to a clearing connected by alleyways. There were several men robed in white, all fixated on a bonfire in the middle of the clearing. One of the men noticed Krin and hurried over.

"Sir. The ritual is about to start. Erm... perhaps your lady would want to leave?"

"Patrick," Krin told the white-robed man, "Remember when I told you about the second person? Sophia here is that second person." The man named Patrick gasped.

"A-a woman? Bu-but that is unthinkable!"

"Well, you'd better start thinking." Sophia stated, walking with Krin to the bonfire.

"Everything is ready?" Krin asked Patrick.

"Erm... yes sir." Patrick answered, sweat pouring down his face. "It's just that... well..."

"If you say anything about my lady being unable to receive this right, then I will twist your arms into a playable saxophone."

"Gulp... erm... I'll try to shut up, sir... erm..." Patrick nervously stepped away. Krin took two black robes from one of the white-robed and draped one over Sophia's shoulders. He put on the other one and the couple separated, going to opposite spots around the bonfire. The white-robed men started chanting softly and one raised one hand.

Krin got ready.

The man raised the other hand.

Krin's muscles tensed.

The man quickly brought his hands down and Krin jumped into a sprint and dove straight into the flames. Sophia did the same, and they both dived into the fire at the same time. Krin felt the flames burn his skin and felt the skin melt and flake away. When he looked at Sophia, he saw that the skin was completely black. The fire suddenly flared blue. Krin felt something tug at his soul. His vision blackened and he passed out.

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Krin... no, Deayh. Yes, His new name was Deayh. Deayh got up from the ground. Except it wasn't a ground, it was the sky. He was floating in the clouds. He looked around and saw Sophia's body floating several yards away. He started walking and was surprised that he could walk through the air towards Sophia's unmoving body. When Deayh reached her body, he was surprised with two other bodies next to hers. They each looked almost identical, except for a few details. They each had golden blond hair with a grey streak. However, one of them was taller and thinner. Another was more muscled and medium sized. Then there was Sophia, who looked exactly the same except for the grey streak. Deayh quickly turned the body over and was relieved to sense a heartbeat. He didn't bother to wonder how he was able to sense one without feeling her heart, but he was in panic. He did notice, however that the other two bodies were fading. He felt stirring and saw Sophia slowly open her eyes. She got up quickly and faced Deayh with horror in her eyes.

"Who are you!?" She shouted, pointing at Deayh.

"It's me... no... it isn't me." Deayh could sense that he wasn't the same man as Krin. Not only were their names different, but Deayh knew what the two men had as difference in physical appearance. Deayh was like a zombie, pieces of charred, rotting skin barely hanging on a bony frame. A sunken nose and dead, black eyes. A torn black cloak hung around his shoulders. Even his voice was different. "I used to be the man named Krin. I am now Deayh. But the only things that have changed are my appearance and my name. Nothing else..." and yet, Deayh new that this was a lie, and that Sophia knew it. His soul was emptying its emotions into the trash. He was losing them. He could no longer feel anything but love. He tried to hold on, but it slipped away. "I'm sorry, but I am not in any way the same person. That is the truth, and you know this. I am Deayh, and you are Presence, and we are both forces, beings with duties. I will perform my duty. For both our sakes, please perform yours."

"For the man who was once Krin, I will perform my new duty. Goodbye." The woman who was once Sophia faded away and left Deayh alone in the clouds.

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Death rapped on the labyrinth walls. A distant roar sounded and a dragon flew overhead, descending upon Death...

...and giving him a bath of saliva.

"Thank you, Bobo. I was planning to take this cloak to the dry cleaners, but it seems your... saliva has returned the suitable... dampness."

Present made herself present in front of Death, taking her usual form of a robed priestess. "And what do I owe this visit?"

"I just wanted to talk to my old love. It has been a universe since I saw you, you know."

"Yes, I know. How's life been for you?"

"I am a skeleton, you know."

"Oh, yes. I forgot. Sorry. Well, how's everything been?"

"Not much. I don't enjoy those force gatherings. They're so easy, but I don't get anything worthwhile. Just useless things like immortality and strength. I want to adopt."

"Remember when Sophia and Krin discussed if they wanted to have children?"

"Please don't bring up a past I'd rather not remember."

"I understand..." The two forces faced each other, and Death sadly snapped his fingers.

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Death felt black tears fall as the remembering faded and he was left with thinking.