Amaranthine - JENLISA (completed)

PROLOGUE

I've always had the desire to see the paradise. I've heard stories from fallen angels that have been cast out that it's beautiful and everlasting. But my question was how the hell did they end up here if they say it's beautiful? As you might not know, some reapers used to watch over the living to protect them and keep them away from harm.

They stay close proximities with the living and sometimes transform themselves into humans as they do their duties. They are the so called "guardians of the living" until they commit a royal crime. Which meant they did something against the divine council's orders.

Fallen angels often depart or get cast out from the paradise because they lusted over humans on earth. The consequence to that action is an eternity in the underworld just so they can get what they desired. They can get what they want but of course, in exchange is their purity and title as hands of God. It's kind of like their own personal suffering to pay the price for their lust.

Meanwhile, there are reapers like me. The angels of death, the guardians of the dead and the bringer of the inevitable. Unlike the fallen angels, we were brought here with no memory of anything other than what we are now. Were we once humans too? Are we the sons and daughters of Thanatos? Is Thanatos real? We had no previous identity and our job is to deliver at all costs.

There's about 55.3 million people that die each year. That means, 151,600 people die every day, 6,316 every hour, 105 each minute and nearly 2 each second. That's in this universe alone. We were told that there's an infinite number of universe and this is just one of those infinites at least for the living. So there's a chance that one's death is a reincarnation for another. It's an endless cycle.

But there are souls that are stubborn. They fail to surrender and leave their lives hence ending up wandering on earth where they aren't supposed to be. These are what we call the wanderers as they still try to be a part of the world of the living, lost in their own memories whilst still alive, failing to accept their fates. At the beginning of it all, death is in fact a hard thing to deal with. I have witnessed it from different people in three millenniums and doing that every day had been my life for the past 3000 years. That is if you call it living.

We collect the souls of the dead that ascends from their physical bodies as they pass. However, there are some complexities.

Just like what I said earlier, some souls can be wanderers too. I've encountered every soul you could possibly think of.

There are holies, murderers, warriors, politicians, knights, prostitutes, priests, fathers, mothers, all of them except for the infants. Cherubs carry them as they pass and ascend to the paradise to become the children of God.

I want to be in that paradise. What does it take to be Seraphim anyway? If I were to ascend to the paradise, I'd aim for the highest rank I could get. Well, I didn't want to be a God if you know what I mean but don't Seraphs have six wings? The great celestial beings that fly around the throne of God. I want to be a part of that divinity.

I've never broken a single rule in my three thousand years of existence in the underworld. Do I have a shot at redemption? What did I do anyway? Did I deserve to be here?

Seung Hyun, my partner in job, like human detectives, we have always collected souls together. He's a thousand years older than I am so he pretty much know more about me. "Seung Hyun, what are the chances we'll ever leave this place?" I asked him. "Why? Are you bored of taking souls?" He asked me. "Not quite, but I was just wondering what it takes to be a Seraphim." I said and he gave me an odd look.

"You want to be one of the Seraphs? Why?" He asked. "I just thought of how it would feel like to be up there." I said and looked up as far as where my eyes could land. It is nothing but pitch black though, of course, there is not a chance any of us here will get a glimpse of the paradise.

"That's your only reason?" He asked. He knew me too well. He knows that is not the entirety of it. "Well, no. I also want to feel that divine state those fallen angels were talking about. They were once there but I don't understand why they chose to be here. There's nothing but dullness here." I said. "That's exactly the point of them being here. It's there punishment." Seung Hyun said. "But why are we here? We aren't fallen angels like them. We guide the dead. They used to guide the living. What did we do to end up here?" I asked him and he did not answer.

"I know you know something and you're not telling me." I said and he gave me a serious look. "Asking to be a Seraph alone is like asking to be God." He told me. "What? You haven't met anyone that tried?" I asked him. "I have and he's still here." He said. "Ohh crap. By He, did you mean you?" I asked him and he brushed it off. "Look, it's not easy if you plan to try. It's something that will either make or break you." He sighed in defeat. "But I believe I can endure it though, How hard can it be?" I said. "You are too sure of yourself Lisa but if you want to go ahead and give it a try, go for it but don't say I didn't warn you. Talk to the council and request for an evaluation." He said and so I did.

"You really want to do this?" One of the councils asked me. "Yes." I answered shortly. "And if you fail, are you aware that you'll be given a consequence?" He asked again. "What are the consequences?" I asked. "That'll depend on how you fail." The council simply said. I'm at a point where there's not even a reason to hold back anymore. Three thousand years of service did this to me. What else could be worse than having no purpose? If you call collecting souls a purpose then I don't know. It's not what I want anymore. I was becoming ambitious. That's a good thing right? That means I aim for greatness.

"Very well then, if you have no objections and you want to proceed, your final mission will be handed to you. You are to be given privileges during your mission. You are going to have to figure that on your own though, after all this is your greatest test. If you pass, you'll get a chance to be evaluated by the higher power and ascend to paradise." The council said and handed me a golden scroll. "Good luck." They said as they ported me back to the underworld.

I stood still and opened the scroll as it glimmered brightly. This truly is some sort of a special mission. I've never seen one before until now. A name started to appear on the scroll. Jennie Kim, 23, to be collected on midnight, the 25th of December due to a fatal gunshot wound.

Okay, so I'm supposed to collect one final soul before getting re-evaluated? How hard can this be? Plus, I get to have the council's so called "privileges." This just became even more interesting. I wonder what's with this soul though. Unless this is a demon child then that's probably the challenge. But I'll have to find that out myself. Who are you Jennie Kim? Why are you my final mission?