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Chapter Twenty-One
The Embrace of Fear
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After Astaroth had left, I went upstairs to clean up and change to get ready for bed. I wasn’t tired, as my brain kept shifting to the thought of Kurai - wondering if he was okay. I could feel the strong bond within me, but I felt like I could feel the little strings being played with occasionally. Sounds cliche, doesn’t it?
I was lying across my bed, staring at the roof above me and looking through the skylight. After the house was burned down, my room changed as well. I must say, I love this skylight window. There wasn’t much above me except the dark abyss with a few white dots in the night. My thoughts were going back and forth, left and right. Was Kurai okay? How did he get to Tartarus? What exactly was Tartarus? I couldn’t believe how much this specific demon wanted me dead. What did I do in particular? Maybe having the blood of a reaper was sacrificial, or there was some clear motive behind it. No idea.
A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts, and I looked over the edge of my bed. “Come in,” I called out.
Enoxon gently opened the door just a crack, “Are you decent?”
“Yes, Enoxon,” I replied, sitting on the lavender-colored bed. I grabbed a pillow and held on to it as he came inside.
Within a few seconds, Enoxon walked in, dressed in his casual clothing that didn’t even look like he was a sorcerer. He looked like a normal human being, wearing just a simple white button-up shirt and some black pants, not tucked in, no hat or robe or anything. When he walked in, though, something was off. It was like, his easy-going aura was gone. The sorcerer seemed bothered by something.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“I was going to ask how you were feeling,” He said gently and quietly.
“Oh,” I offered a small smile and replied, “Training was real simple today! Astaroth taught me a lot, and if it got out of hand, he was able to help me control it. Nothing to worry about!”
His lips twisted into a barely visible smile as he lowered his gaze, “I’m glad to see you not hurt then or consumed by your inner black magic.”
“Ah, no. We didn’t do anything major. A bunch of beginner’s spells, but I didn’t get a lot of them. I kind of had horrible luck today. But I was able to teleport his pendant!”
“That’s great. I’m glad to hear that…!” His voice sounded excited, but it quivered a bit towards the end.
“Enoxon…” I said, skeptical of his voice. “What’s wrong?”
A smile covered his sadness, but I could see it lingering in his eyes as he sat beside me. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you made a different decision?” He asked me, staring upwards now.
“A different decision?”
“Yeah, like. What if you chose to go to your friend’s home after all? Would you still have been followed?”
I plopped backward onto the bed, staring back up through the window above me. “Mmm, well. I guess perhaps I wouldn’t have met you guys,” I told him. “At least not yet. If someone was coming after me, I’m bound to have been caught.”
“You think so?” He asked me.
I quickly gazed at him, his green striking gaze returning to my face; his expression seemed to have relaxed slightly. “I think so. If I didn’t have this,” I reached over to the pillow my dagger was always stuck under, “Maybe I wouldn’t have had you and Kurai. I think it was almost like… Destiny to meet you and Kurai.” I smiled at him, holding up the blade and examining it. I could feel the sorcerer shuffling, consistently shaking the bed a little. “Stop moving so much. You’re causing an earthquake,” I teased him.
“Heh, sorry, Snow.” He replied quietly.
“Can the underworld even have earthquakes?” I asked him, still looking at the dagger and watching the gentle shimmer of the amber stone under the moonlight.
Enoxon shuffled once more and thought about it for a second. “I don’t think so. I’ve never experienced one before.”
“You’re still movvvvvingggg,” I complained to him.
Suddenly, he flopped back next to me and was now lying on his back, staring at the window above us as well. “A bit more comfier now.”
“Invasion of privacy, sir,” I contested, pursing my lips at him.
“Oh, sorry,” He nervously said, sitting back up and folding his hands in his lap.
“It’s really honestly fine - I’m just teasing you. You seemed down.”
“And you seem perfectly fine,” He murmured.
“I know,” I sighed, dropping my arm beside me while gripping the dagger. “I can feel this… Connection with Kurai, and for some reason, I know he’s okay,” A smile gently played my lips as I stared at the stars above me.
Enoxon had awkwardly laid back on his back, staring at the roof again at the same stars as I was looking out. “I’m glad we could get to you fast enough, though. To be able to find the Reaper after so long is incredible.”
Reaper. Those words echoed in my head as I thought about the sense of action I will have to engage in about two weeks with Yushin. To train beside him and learn how to become the Reaper. I feel as though I won’t have any free time. I get to collect the souls of those who are ready to go. Trying to imagine collecting a soul that belonged to a baby or a child will kill me inside. I couldn’t imagine trying to be able to manage a soul such as that and guiding them to the Celestial World - ensuring their happiness ever after. It broke my heart, and I pray I wouldn’t have to come across that. But I know I would.
“Is the Reaper’s job hard?” I asked Enoxon sadly.
“What makes you say that?”
“I would consistently collect people’s souls who have passed, watching their last moments as they take their last breath before bringing them to their final resting place. That seems like hard work.”
“And it can sometime’s be the most rewarding,” Enoxon replied quietly.
“Rewarding?”
He nodded. “Knowing that you’re bringing someone to their final resting place and making sure they’re not lost in the dark after they’re gone, that’s the rewarding part. Bringing the souls home… Everyone has a fate. You just have to help them be okay with it. Some people are scared of death … But,” He turned his look to me and smiled lightly, “I have a feeling they won’t be scared of you.”
I smiled at his response and nodded.
“Well then again….” He trailed off, “You can be pretty scary when your hair is messy,” He teased me as he picked up a strand of my loose white hairs. “You look like a fuzzy ghost.”
“Hey!” I huffed. “I just brushed it.”
“You might want to brush it again,” He murmured under his breath and chuckled.
I gently punched him in the arm, rolling my eyes at his response. “Your hair isn’t any better. Your hood is always covering your hair. Have you seen your hot mess up there?” I asked him, pointing at his head.
“I’m a guy; I’m allowed to have messy hair.”
“Since when?”
“Always.”
We couldn’t help but laugh together, enjoying the moment. I guess whatever sadness trickled over him, I helped a little bit. It made me feel better knowing that he was feeling better himself. I smiled at his reaction and sighed gently, returning my gaze to the window above me. “Are those actual stars?” I questioned him.
“They are similar to stars,” He replied.
“Do you guys get to see actual stars?”
“Not very often in the underworld. It may be another world, but the sky is usually dark or red when the moon is out.”
“Red moon?”
“It’s a phenomenon that happens once every several hundreds of years - typically enhances the demon’s strengths.”
“What?” I questioned, slightly panicking. “It enhances demon’s power?! They’re already strong!”
The sorcerer noticed that I had panicked and quickly rolled over to lie on his elbow, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean it’s happening tomorrow,” He tried to calm me.
I frowned, only imagining what could happen when the Redmoon came out. Is that how the demon who murdered Kurai’s tribe and my parents did it?
“Don’t worry, Snow. We won’t let anything happen to you.”
I didn’t know how to respond. I stared at the dull sky above me, only thinking about how much stronger this demon could be on the night of the red moon. Did it last days, just 24 hours? How long would a red moon last?
Enoxon pushed himself up on his elbows, now seeing my discomfort, and asked, “Want to see something?”
I glanced at him, taking in his warm smile. I could feel my body heat slightly from his breathtaking gentle green gaze. “Se-see what?” I asked him.
“Here,” He got off the bed and held his hand to me. “Come on.”
I reached for his hand, and he gently eased me off the bed and pulled me in. With a quick snap of his fingers, his black wooden staff emerged from thin air, and he tapped it on the ground twice. Suddenly, a burst of light envelops us, blinding us momentarily. I feel weightless, as if I was being lifted from the earth. I held onto the sorcerer as we were teleported elsewhere and could feel the soft sandy ground beneath my feet.
When I felt the ground, I pulled away from Enoxon and gazed around the clearing. To my surprise, he had brought us to a beach. It was dark, a pitch-black sea out beyond where I could see. The sand beneath my toes was cool to the touch. My eyes widened at the view that was sitting in front of us.
The ocean at night was a sight to behold. The water was calm and serene, reflecting the brilliance of the stars above. The sky was full of twinkling lights, each shining brightly against the darkness of the night. It was as if the entire universe had come to life, illuminating the world below with its majestic beauty. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was the only sound that could be heard, adding to the peaceful atmosphere of the scene. It was a moment of pure tranquility that would stay with me long.
I stood there in awe, staring at the beach and the stars that twinkled above. This was not the underworld anymore. I’m not sure where we were, but it was a beautiful sight. “Wow!” I squealed.
“Welcome to The Cosmic Seas,” He introduced me, coming up beside me and motioning to the great ocean and sky.
My eyes could not dare rip away from the scenery before me - this was much prettier than the Celestial World!
“This Realm is pretty much empty - as it’s full of ocean and this tiny little island. You may see a few critters occasionally, but it’s more of an. Underwater realm,” He explained to me, coming up beside me.
“Underwater realm?” I asked him. “With, like, mermaids?”
“Mostly mermaids. There are some water beasts here. Leviathan was from here too.”
“Leviathan?”
“Giant sea creature that knows guards a part of the Underworld - after humans were wiped from this realm.”
“Were the humans bad or something?”
With a simple nod from the sorcerer, he began to walk along the beach, his feet getting covered with sand and then washed off by the gentle ocean waves.
“That’s too bad. Is the mermaid population still well?”
He nodded again as he walked along the beach coast. “Yes, they’re doing well. The demons do not communicate much with them - as they do not need to.”
“I’ve never seen a mermaid before!”
“You may get to see one tonight,” He chuckled.
I smiled as all my thoughts raced away from me for a little. I was still heavily concerned about Kurai, yes. I knew he was okay, though; our connection was still there. But most of my mind now was focused and distracted by the beautiful ocean and scenery. A thick, dense forest was behind us on the beach and beyond the landlines. You could see paths here and there but nothing more. These lands had turned into a wild mess. But the ocean! Oh, it was so pretty!
However, my mind drifted to Kurai. As much as I enjoyed the distraction, I couldn’t help but think about him. He and I had a pact, right? A contract was forced between us between my blood father and his father. Knowing that he was forced into this made me sad.
“Is the ocean not your thing?” Enoxon’s voice snapped me into reality.
“No, no. That’s not it, Enoxon,” I told him, pausing and turning to face the ocean again. “This is beautiful, extremely beautiful. I’ve never seen something this amazing before, and for that, I thank you,” I told him. “However-”
“You’re worried about Kurai?” His voice spoke, sounding somewhat saddened.
I nodded, avoiding eye contact with him, ashamed. He brought me here to stay distracted, but instead, it got my mind closer to Kurai.
“I know you are,” He sighed, standing beside me. “I’m sure you can feel he’s okay, given the connection.”
“The connection that we were forced into,” I murmured.
“Agreed upon, not exactly forced…”
“Do you think he’s okay?”
His voice still was low, full of disappointment. “He’s a strong demon. His six tails give him the power he needs to defend himself.”
“Still. I don’t even know what Tartarus is; you just said I’d be eaten within 5 minutes,” I huffed.
He gently placed a hand on my shoulder and nodded. “You would. If I let anything hurt you, I would be torn and destroyed by Kurai. I’m not quite ready to go. There’s a lot I want to do still.”
I didn’t reply; I just turned away from him and kicked a small piece of sand. I then sat in the sand and stared at the ocean, my head resting on my knees.
“Snow…” He trailed off.
I glanced over at him, seeing how awkward he looked, as though he had something on his mind.
“Kurai cares about you, and I hope you know that…” He trailed off, gaze staring into the ocean. “To him, you’re more than just a pact.” As he said those words, he seemed hurt - like it hurt him to say it.
I turned my attention away from the ocean at the young-looking sorcerer beside me. His green eyes were stuck on the stars above me, but they were full of sadness and a hint of… Regret?
“I’m not sure what you had done to him… Whether it was the pact or it was something else. Maybe the healing sessions, you calling out to just him specifically while you were being attacked. I don’t know. But whatever you did, it’s taken a toll on him.” Enoxon murmured to me, avoiding my gaze as he stared into the ocean. “And I hope you understand he’s not a bad person.”
“... Why are you telling me this?” I asked him, searching the side of his face for any hint.
His lip curled up in the corner when I asked them. His green eyes were sorrowful and seemed to reflect the world’s weight. They had a dullness that spoke of deep sadness as if the sorcerer behind them had experienced significant loss. “Well, because…” He trailed off, turning his head away from the ocean to lock with mine. When he had locked gazes with mine, his face suddenly turned a deep shade of red, but he couldn’t find the words. His mouth had gapped slightly as he tried to think of something to say, but nothing came out. The sorcerer then turned away from me and let out a slight cough.
“Because… It’s hard for people to admit their feelings for someone,” He murmured quickly. “Just… Know that if anything ever happened to you, Kurai has the power to burn the underworld.” A gentle sigh escaped him. “Just… Be careful, okay? He’s got a bad temper and one false move. You could be hurt - or worst. I understand you’re the Reaper, but just…. One… Tiny… Move….. Will destroy everything,” His voice quavered towards the end as he stared with sadness - as if he were speaking from experience.
This made us silent - with nothing but the waves crashing near our feet. Enoxon was brimming with sadness, his voice and his reactions – all saddened by something.
“Sorry, I um,” The sorcerer stood up and brushed his clothing off. “I didn’t mean to intrude on you.”
I watched him get up in embarrassment. He looked so vulnerable - so heartbroken. Why? Why was he talking to me about Kurai anyway? He obviously has something else going on in his mind. I could help him get through whatever was bothering him.
“Enoxon?” I questioned right as he began to walk away. I pushed off the sandy beach, back to my feet. “We don’t have to leave. I can see something is bothering you. From my experience, I know how good it can be to help someone with some problems. If you need someone to talk to, I can listen. I’m not the best at advice, but I can help.” Innocently, I smiled and folded my hands together behind my back.
The sorcerer froze right a few feet in front of me.
“It’s not good to leave things bottled up.” Watching his stance made me sad; he was stressed out, and his body was tense. I noticed the smallest bounces in his shoulders. “I would know.”
“Snow…” He turned around quickly. “I…” His eyes were a deep shade of green, but they looked dim and lifeless. The sorcerer approached me and stopped right in front of me.
I stared into those empty eyes and smiled, “You can trust me.”
Those words just hurt this man. As soon as I said those words, he hugged me tightly, wrapping his arms around me. I was so stunned that the only thing I could do was bury my face into his shoulder and stare into the darkness I was engulfed in. I could feel his body vibrating, and I could feel a few tears streaming down his face. What had gotten into him? Why was he crying? This was the first time I’ve seen a man cry. I felt so much empathy for him that I couldn’t help but hold him in this hug that he needed so badly.
“Enoxon?” As the sorcerer pulled me into his embrace, I took in a deep breath and couldn’t help but notice the scent of their cologne. It was a strong smell.
“I want you to know you’re as important to me as Kurai is to you,” He whispered. “I’m beyond grateful I can have someone to trust; please don’t break that trust. I don’t want it broken again.” His voice heaved as he couldn’t help but let out a few sad and gentle sobs.
What? Break his trust?! I was stunned to hear that, thinking he thought I would hurt him like that. Does he think I was the one to break trust, break loyalty? Nothing in this underworld would ever make me betray Enoxon or Kurai. Every ounce in my body wanted to make this sorcerer feel better, but I knew something more was going on that I couldn’t help with. How he held me, felt like he was hugging someone he hadn’t seen in a long time. It was a tight hug but a warm hug. I had no choice but to give into this hug and do my best to calm the saddened Enoxon. Whatever was happening in his head made me curious. Does it perhaps have something to do with the words Yushin said to him? Those words, ‘The one who destroyed an entire village? The one that practically killed his fiance’s entire family?’
I gave in to the embrace.
I had to.
“Enoxon, what happened?” I whispered gently, holding him in the embrace he desperately needed.
When I pulled away from his hug, he seemed still heartbroken - like someone had stabbed him in the back. I lowered my gaze from him and looked down towards the sand under my feet - and that’s when I noticed something strange. He rolled his shoulders when I saw this weird thing on his arm like he had been bruised. This caused his sleeves to roll down his arms, covering the bruise or whatever it was. I shrugged it off.
“You know, for someone as old as you, you’d think you’d have a bit more practice expressing emotions,” I said softly, with a gentle smile.
It caused him to chuckle a little bit. “I’m not all that old,” He told me.
“How old?”
“200 Years or so.”
“Or so?” I replied, raising my eyebrow and looking him up and down. “Are you feeling better now? Do you still want to talk?” I asked him.
“Ah,” He looked away, his cheeks a bit pink with embarrassment, and shook his head. “I don’t think it’s a good–” Immediately, he was cut off when his eyes grew wide as he noticed something behind us. The sorcerer shoved me hard to the side, immediately putting his hands before me as some shadow came at him.
I fell to the sand with a thud, gasping as I did so. “HEY!” When I saw the black beam hit Enoxon, he had cast something to deflect it, but he was sliding back some in the sand, glaring ahead of him. I followed his gaze, and my eyes landed… On.. Nothing? There was nothing there. I looked around - maybe the beach was too dark to see anything, but nothing was there. I tried to see where the beam was coming from, but it was coming from the thick woods.
“S-snow, get behind me,” Enoxon growled through the loud beam shot at him.
I scrambled through the sand to get behind the sorcerer, seeing a large blue shield-like reflector before him. He would lose his balance, though; that beam was powerful. The sense of energy I could feel from it was potent. I then noticed something walking out of the shadowy dense thicket on the lonely island. I saw those same red eyes that I remember from the first day.
It was him.
The Cosmic Seas
