The Hero

Chapter 35

The void, a place of nothingness and timeless decay. There was only darkness with no shape or form. No sense of direction. No destination. For the souls that had the misfortune of going there, either by force or the bad deeds they had committed, all they could do was aimlessly roam for the hope of finding some sort of relief. An escape, even.

Sadly, there was none, at least as the common rule went.

"How much longer?"

The voice belonging to that of a crazed executioner rang through the air, its echoing nature making it impossible to ignore. Even for the floating eye that watched all activity around him, no matter how slow or repetitive it could be.

It will be decided when the time is right, the eye spoke, though his voice was one with the void itself. There could be no escape from him, for once he found his target, business could be attended to promptly.

"We're wasting away down here, and you still want to wait?"

In irritation, the eye blinked and rotated to face the speaker beside him. The executioner once clad in armor and wielding a cleaver sharpened by his victims' bones had turned into a mere spirit. He had no arms or legs; he was just a floating embodiment of the void with nothing but a mouth and eyes. It was a generous gift, for they could easily be stripped of such tools. The eye wished it was that way, but he had to keep some spirit alive in what could easily be a vacuum devoid of any sound and movement.

My will, my decision, and my time.

The eye widened his pupil as the thought struck the soul and those nearby directly in the head. As he calmed down, he cast his gaze up to scan the area. Many spirits had formed groups and remained still in their levitating.

Among the main group lay the most talkative and popular of the bunch: Jewel. No matter his more humanoid state and lack of age, the boy fit in well. He was brought to perfection. There was nothing holding him back from becoming the void's true master. Within due time, he would be unleashed in the world. He just needed a form to take. The rest would be given ever so generously.

Jewel, the eye called out, which silenced the boy's rambling about one of his many made up stories. Somehow, he knew exactly how to tame the much more ancient spirits around him.

Jewel left the group and headed toward the eye. While there was no visible surface, he could walk on his two jagged legs like there actually was one. It felt like yesterday when he was but a small little orb, just barely the size of a finger.

And still, underneath the shell of void particles, there was a glowing mass of yellow. The eye could remember the beating all too clearly. He despised it greatly. At least now that the boy was larger and more developed, the yellow was no longer visible; however, his eyes and smile were that color as well. That was only a good sign. Let the yellow exist up there, but it had no place in the chest.

"It's getting very, very boring down here," Jewel remarked, stifling a yawn as he approached the eye. He let his narrowed eyes fall upon the much larger one before him. The smile displayed ambition that could not be resisted. "Can I go now? I want to see the world—all the trees, rivers, blue sky!" His elated smile and excited eyes were disappointing for the eye to see. "So many colors... all the tales my uncles and cousins talk about are far too fantastical! I wish to see for myself if they are true or just lies to keep my hopes up!"

The world up there is no different than down here, the eye stated, which wiped the smile off Jewel's face.

"But it's so dark and gloomy here," Jewel said, then looked around. "There's nothing to do! If I didn't have anybody to talk to, I would try to find something different around. Even if it takes a whole lifetime!"