A Little More Time...

TEN

"These are souls?" Ryan asked, looking at the ground. He had stepped on quite a few souls...

"Yes." The creature replied.

"If my soul is here... Why can't I just take it?"

The Soul Keeper still didn't blink. Did he ever blink? "It is as I said. You are written to follow a different path."

Ryan shook his head, feeling his stomach twist in knots. "You're condemning me to kill?"

It grew closer without ever moving its feet. "You were condemned to this fate long before you could know."

"What does that mean?" Ryan asked, feeling as if the creature was boring a hole through him with his unrelenting stare.

"You must discover that for yourself, Ryan Ross." The Soul Keeper responded with the wave of his hands.

The sheets of light, the souls, suddenly rose from the ground as if a gust of wind had just rushed through the space. They all fluttered up, almost as if in a sped up reverse to rest back up against the ceiling. Ryan was transfixed by the sight. One of those souls was his own, but they all looked the same. Is this what everyone, everywhere, came down to in the end? A shimmering sheet of light? Is that what rested inside of everyone?

"Leave now, Ryan Ross." The Soul Keeper said, turning his back on Ryan. "You have fulfilled your purpose here."

Ryan snapped out of his trance from staring at the souls. He looked toward the Soul Keeper, who was already walking away from him. He wanted to ask more questions, but something seemed to be holding his tongue. He found himself stepping slowly backwards, until he was somehow walking out of the room, getting the door slammed in his face.

"Well, you made it out without getting sucked into his shadows." Brendon said from behind Ryan as he blinked at the door, "What happened?"

Ryan was silent. What had happened? Memories of his words with the Soul Keeper were already beginning to blur for some reason. He couldn't even picture what the creature looked like.

"No one retains full details of the Soul Keeper." Brendon said, "He let's you remember what he wants you to."

"He rejected my request." Ryan spoke as if Brendon's words had triggered a memory. The Soul Keeper had turned him away. The reason was nonexistent in his memory, but the words of his rejection were clear. "He was told no."

Ryan turned to face Brendon, who had raised an eyebrow. "He told you no?"

"Yes."

Brendon grinned, showing his teeth that were sharpened like fangs. "So, you're doing things my way."

Ryan nodded, feeling defeated by whatever had just transpired. He was going to have to murder to become a demon. It shouldn't surprise him; evil creatures performed evil acts... He didn't want to be evil, however. He just wanted to have an upperhand against this demon that had instigated his own murder.

"So," Brendon was standing next to Ryan, though Ryan had no idea when the demon had shifted his location. "how do you intend to do it?"

Ryan looked down. "How many people were involved?" He asked, though he didn't want to know the answer.

Brendon held his grin. "Five."

"Five!?"

"You're pretty scrawny, but they like the idea of teamwork."

Ryan shut his eyes. Murder teamwork. What a concept. Could he even kill one person? He had never realistically considered the thought of killing one person, let alone five! Was it really worth it?

"You never answered my question." Brendon's voice cut through Ryan's doubts like a knife, causing his eyes to snap open. The demon stepped in front of Ryan, cocking his head. "How do you intend to do it? Decapitation?" He slid a finger slowly along his throat. "A stab to the heart?" He hit a closed fist against his chest.

"I don't know." Ryan responded, hating the sound of each option. He especially hated the eager tone that Brendon had while listing them off.

Brendon rolled his eyes. "You'd better figure it out." He said, "There can be no hesitation."

"What's the worst they can do, kill me again?" Ryan asked, crossing his arms. What else could those that killed him possibly do to harm him?

"They can learn to hide." Brendon glared at him, "Dumb as they may be, they can find sigils to keep you away. You may not be a demon yet, but you're dead and the dead can be held at bay in a lot more ways than a demon."

Ryan held his mouth tightly shut and nodded. Well... That really shrunk down his options. "So, I'm like a ghost?"

"Don't be a fucking idiot." Brendon snapped, "You can't walk through walls, disappear, or fly. You have no heartbeat to mortal ears. You're like a shadow that can take form."

That sounded rather ghost-like, but Ryan kept his mouth shut on that detail. "How would I find them?"

"It's not that hard." Brendon crossed his arms. "They come whenever I call."

"They also call you emperor."

Brendon chuckled, darkly. "Which means, they'll come when I call."

Ryan's eyes widened, "You'd lead them to death?"

A dark, fang exposing grin played across Brendon's lips. "I already lead them to murder, why wouldn't I lead them to death?"

"For me?" Ryan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Brendon shook his head. "For my amusement." He corrected before jumping forward, covering Ryan's head with a sack, and tackling him to the ground.