♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A Reunion Of Friends 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 

Left alone in the Hallway of Life, I took in all these different colored candles and their shapes. My candle was the only candle that was a dark shadowy color, though, which was strange. I’d so severely love to look into my past, but if Yushin says I can’t access my history, that’s fine. But to know who exactly my birth parents were - that would be great. I’m sure she had a candle, right? Yushin would say consistently that she wasn’t dead. 

Maybe I could find him and ask him myself and confront him. Would it be possible to work an agreement out with him? Like, he doesn’t kill me, but maybe I get information, and I won’t banish him? This reminds me I should probably learn how to banish souls to avoid this happening in the future… Nevertheless, if I could explore why he wanted me dead, that’d be great. Does he know I’m alive anyway? I’m sure the last time he saw me. He had every idea that he had killed and taken Enoxon.

… Poor Enoxon, trapped with that monster. We had to save him and end this curse on the underworld. Was Mundus behind the frozen terrain of the underworld? Kurai had mentioned something like that but didn’t give me the full details. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the kind of magical powers that he had anyway - all I know is he was the underworld’s ruler - he had to have some sort of extraordinary power - something solid and powerful. 

Ugh, this was all so confusing! So much needed to be done, and I still have to be this all-powerful reaper that saved souls! A lot was thrown at me, and I was meant to deal with it. I don’t want this stress - I don’t want to deal with training to become strong just to defeat this powerful demon, then turn around and guide souls and make sure my personal affairs are in order. I felt overwhelmed, and perhaps I was overthinking it all. But I felt overwhelmed and alone. 

Sure, I had Kurai. But he’s already sacrificed three years to save my life and remove Mundus’s mark from me - why put him through more? I’ve already snapped at him today, not even an hour or two after he saved my life and changed my marking. A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned against the cave wall and stared at the flickering flame below me. “I wish… I had guidance,” I whispered. “I wish I knew what I could do to make this so much easier.”

“Nothing is easy, Sweet Aria,” A soft, hushed voice made its way to my ears.

“Hello?” I gasped, jumping off the wall and gazing around the suddenly darkened area. The candles had disappeared, and I was alone in the darkness with a single white light in front of me. Staring hard at the light, I tried to make out the figure that was submerged within the light. 

“Aria Kirasa, my sweet daughter,” The whisper sounded to me. “I’m so happy you have finally come to us.”

Sweet Daughter? My body tensed up, and I stared at the light a few feet ahead of me and slowly made my way to it. This voice - was it my mother? Was that my birth mother not but a few feet away from me? Just barely out of reach?! It wasn’t the voice of Sayuri, as far as I remember - but my actual mother’s voice. My mother, the previous reaper, her voice fluttered to my ears.

“Please understand what I did was for your safety,” Her voice is like a lullaby, gentle and soothing. It’s as if she’s singing a melody only my heart can hear. Her words flow like honey, with a hint of playfulness that makes one smile. It’s a voice that can lift you when feeling down and make you feel like you’re floating on a cloud. “I thought about bringing you home every day I was there…”

I continued to trot after the voice, the outline of her figure just barely coming into shape. When I thought I was close enough, I reached out to her. I saw no color in this figure - just the white light shimmering around her. With a hood covering her face, I did everything I could to try and see her, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get a single glimpse of her face, hair color, or anything. Why couldn’t I see her? Why was there nothing but a blank outline? 

“Mother - The Lady in Red?” I questioned, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I wish to see you once more, Aria. I will continue to search for you - I will find you and protect you like I always promised to do so,” Her voice sounded.

“What do I need to do to find you? Can I find you? Are you alive? Where are you? Please talk to me!” I begged her, crashing to my knees in front of the figure that seemed to disappear backward. It’s as though I wasn’t allowed to see her or be with her. What was keeping me pulled back, and what was pulling her back? 

“We will see each other soon, Aria. For now, please keep safe from Mundus,” Her voice sounded to me again. 

“Mundus did this to you? Are you hurt? Are you ok? What do I need to do to bring you back?” I called out to her.

“See you one day, Aria,” The voice whispered once more, and then the darkness and light merged into one and faded back to the candle-lit room. I stared at the candle that belonged to me as it flickered brightly still. 

I was confused - how had I just seen it? Was it because of my candle? Had I accessed a memory? No. There was no way I didn’t touch the candle. Are we connected through these tunnels - and what did she mean by staying away from Mundus? I already knew how bad of a demon he was, and his ultimate goal to kill me. Did she want me to stay away from him now? She didn’t answer one of my questions - but I knew I needed to find her. This meant finding Mundus - they were connected somehow. He had the answers that I needed. There were so many different questions and answers. Mundus was the one. 

Feeling a couple of mixed emotions between anger and fear, but also resentment, I felt determined. If I could train beside Kurai and Yushin - I could find my mother, Enoxon, and Mundus and destroy him. That was my goal. I couldn’t be a reaper, but couldn’t disappoint my mother and Yushin. Shaking my head, I jumped and marched down the hallway back to the portal that Yushin brought me to. I put my hand on the portal and was immediately pushed to the other side to see Yushin and Kurai practically butting heads.

“She just woke up after three years, Yushin. A demon is chasing her, and we need to take him down and get Enoxon back,” Kurai was snapping at him, giving him a cold glare.

“As hot-headed as ever, aren’t we Kurai? She’s a reaper who has been marked by a new demon who should be letting her make her own decisions - not controlling her every move,” Yushin sighed, pulling back and pinching the nose of his bridge.

“Controlling? She’s been awake for three hours!” Kurai growled, his hands reaching out to the spirit walker. 

“And she’s been sleeping for three years, Kurai. And no one can understand what you were so nervous about regarding getting her awoken and remarked,” Yushin huffed, crossing his arms. He looked almost like a child as he turned his back to the enraged fox demon, who looked like he could rip him apart. It reminded me of how Enoxon and Kurai would fight. 

Frowning, I shook my head and tried to break up their little spute. Whatever Kurai wanted to do was done. He had his three years to ‘rescue’ me, and it was over. I stepped in between them and put my hands on their faces. “Please stop. The last thing I want is to hear more bickering.”

Kurai’s glance flickered from me and over to Yushin once more. “I did what had to be done,” He growled under his breath.

“What you needed to do was fix this three years ago,” Yushin called over my shoulder to him.

“Tensions are high,” I stated between their bickering. I gave them both a look that silenced each other rather quickly. Kurai backed down some, looking away and turning away from us. Then I turned my attention toward the Spirit Walker and spoke to him, taking a deep breath, “We have a lot to get done, Yushin. And I want to be your underworld’s reaper, but I must also make things right.”

“But Snow-” He began to interrupt me, and I stopped him with a quick hand gesture.

“Please, let me finish. Mundus wants me. Mundus gets me, and all this ends, the same thing I told Kurai. Will I let him have me? No. I’ve got priorities and standards - so we have to get to business and discuss things,” I told him, stern and strict.

“Snow, as your Guide, I highly suggest-”

“No,” I simply stated, feeling extremely motivated right now. “I will train beside you, learn my basic duties as a Reaper.”

“But it’s so much more than just basic duties, Snow. It would be best if you learned how to judge, guide, fight off corrupted souls, banish demons, and so much more. There is so much for you to learn,” Yushin argued with me, his voice cracking at the explanation and how annoyed he seemed. 

“And I will - I will learn what I need to. We need to take down Mundus, bring Yuna home, Enoxon home, and bring my mother home,” I stated, rambling continuously. “I can’t do it alone,” I told him with a slight smile. 

“Bring your mother home?” Kurai chimed in from behind me.

“Ah-” A look of shock appeared on my face, and I sighed, turning to look at Kurai. “Yes, my mother - the Lady in Red.”

“Isn’t she… Dead?” Kurai asked, hesitating to say that word. 

“No, she’s not. I’ve continuously told people that her candle is still lit, but not a single soul believes me,” Yushin sighed, crossing his arms and putting his weight on one leg.

“Yet, no one has seen her for a long time - probably around the time this world got put into a pit of snow and ice.”

“I believe you, Yushin,” I told him bluntly, turning to look back at the Spirit Walker. “But I can’t bring her home if I’m chasing souls right now, and you know that.” My voice turned a bit harsh, and I didn’t mean to sound so straightforward, but I cannot take on the duties of the reaper right now. I had to fix this.

Yushin seemed rather delighted to hear that I believed him - but after the encounter with my, well, I hoped my mother, I had no choice but to believe him. I didn’t know where her candle was in the Hall of Life, but perhaps I could take the time and look for it. Maybe I could find it. If I know she is alive, I wouldn’t need her soul to commune with and see everything she’s seen. I could simply use the candlelight. I’m sure Yushin knew precisely where it was, and I asked him about it.

“The Previous Reaper’s Candle? Why?” He asked me.

“Personal reasons,” I told him.

“You’re hoping to locate her, aren’t you?” Yushin asked, his eyebrows cocking upwards. He pursed his lips to the side a little, the corner of his lip turning upwards in a smirk. 

“Something like that,” I replied hesitantly, keeping quiet about the woman I met with. I can’t say it was my mother, as I do not know what she looks like. Regardless of what she called me, who knows if it was another trick by Mundus. “Does… Mundus know I’m alive?” I questioned Kurai, changing the subject. 

“I am unsure - if he felt the mark being removed from you, it’s highly possible. That connection you shared with him would’ve felt like the connection between us being ripped apart as well, possibly. However, who knows how many humans he has marked. Or if he was completely focused on Enoxon,” Kurai replied. The fox-demon sat in one of the chairs a few feet away as he continued, “If he felt the mark being removed, he would know you are alive. Will he be able to track you? No, probably not. But it is possible. Your blood is powerful.”

“My blood?” I replied, shaking my head and sighing. “Never mind, we can get back to it. He’s probably in Tartarus, isn’t he?”

“... Not exactly. He comes in and out of Asturdorm as he pleases. When he leaves, he tells everyone he’s got important business to attend to with other royal bloodlines. Typically, he leaves Astaroth in charge,” Kurai explained, leaning backward in the chair. I could see the confusion on his face as he tried his best to understand what I was getting at.

“Does… Astaroth know about Mundus?” I asked.

“No one but you, Yushin, Mati, and myself,” Kurai replied.

“Well, that makes things a bit harder. Wait, how does Mati know?” I questioned, taking a seat myself.

“He knows a lot,” Yushin stepped in, glancing towards me. “For some reason, he knows a lot. He eventually knew who you were, which I did too, but he knew about Mundus and your parents. I believe he was working beside your mother for a while as well. However, I never had any encounters with him.”

“Interesting, ok. Well, this is what we need to do. Free Yuna, Free Enoxon, take down Mundus, and all will be well!” I cheered. Giving that short pep talk made me feel so much better. It wasn’t much of a plan, but it must do.

As if reading my mind, Kurai shook his head. “That’s a horrible plan. You, for one, don’t understand how powerful Mundus really is.”

“But you do,” I pointed out, pointing toward the new markings on my body.

“Yes, but… That’s not how things always play out,” Kurai argued. “Could be a trap, could be waiting for you - who knows.”

“So, we just got to banish him. That’s easy enough, right? Can’t you teach me how to banish demons, Yushin?”

“I know the basic spell for it, but that doesn’t mean I go around banishing any demon. Banishing a demon - especially for a novice like yourself- takes much energy. You’d be better off learning banishment and dark magic from Astaroth and reaper duties from me,” Yushin shared, his voice twisting with confusion. “So, it’s really not that easy. Enoxon was supposed to help you with your magic… but things worsened. He was weak to Mundus.”

“He wasn’t ‘weak’ to Mundus, idiot. Mundus bribed him,” Kurai called the spirit walker out.

“Whatever. His ex-fiance or girlfriend or whatever it is the humans call it basically got him trapped and sucked into a contract with the demon. So, he was stupid. Giving up everything for a human… A human.”

Thinking about how he said that made me rather saddened. I didn’t know much about the human girl that Enoxon had fallen in love with. Still, I remembered a woman named Nova who changed all perspectives of Enoxon when we were in the beach area. He had dropped to his knees, begging her to return. He must love that woman a lot. But knowing that he gave up the entire underworld for her, well… It put everyone in a bind, meaning both needed to be saved. I sighed, thinking quietly as the two continued arguing about Enoxon. I toned them out - as they would bicker like children regardless of what I said.

The best option I had was to train. I needed to unlock my inner power and unlock my inner reaper. If I did that, I could turn everything around and fix it. Finding my mother will help, but also Yuna. Then again, if Yuna were guiding souls, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Maybe Mati could talk to her and get a message to her. Or perhaps I could try and find her in a dream again. There were numerous options, but I had to tell her what was happening. I needed Yuna to help Yushin, too, and myself. She was powerful, especially if she could initially stir away Mundus’s power when he attacked me. I was clearly stressed; my foot was tapping, and I just wanted to fix everything now with a quick snap. 

“Why not…. We go and get something to eat, maybe have a drink? Mundus is not in the town right now, and perhaps we could relax a bit?” Yushin offered, trying to help with the stress.

It sounded like a beautiful idea, but Kurai seemed to be against it because he immediately said, “No. Too risky. Eyes and ears everywhere. You don’t know who’s working for Mundus and who’s not.”

“Can we hide her?”

“Can we mask her blood? No. Mundus has a taste for it,” He continued to argue with Yushin.

“But he’s not there, you said. Astaroth will be there with us. I’m sure he’ll have something available.”

“I’m okay with staying here,” I murmured. “It’d be nice to see everyone, but that’s okay,” I forced a sad smile on him and shrugged, letting the idea escape my head. I wonder how the rest of the crew, Casielle, and Zarall, were doing and how Jenieva was doing. I’m sure they’ve been doing well. 

“Great, then it’s settled. We’ll stay here, and you go do Spirit Walker stuff,” Kurai dismissed Yushin.

“Hungry though, aren’t we?” Yushin asked, giving me a quick wink. “I’m sure you are. Being asleep for three years probably brought up your appetite.”

As if on cue, my stomach did let out a tiny growl. Somewhat embarrassed, my cheeks felt flushed, and I nodded to Yushin. “I could go for a quick meal, honestly.”

Kurai’s eyes rolled, and he sighed, standing up. “Fine, a quick meal and a quick hello to everyone. Being after hours, this will be fine, I guess. The second I sense danger, though, we’re out of there.” Approaching me, the fox-demon held his hand to me, and I reluctantly took it, being pulled up onto my feet. With a quick snap of his fingers, a small portal opened up and led to the Wet Rose, owned by the demon woman Jenieva. 

On the other side of the portal an empty room but with a few sounds of laughter coming from the back corner. The laughter turned silent when our portal closed behind us, and I could feel their eyes burning into me. It embarrassed me more than just a second ago, but I could see everyone’s friendly faces. Casielle’s long pink hair was thrown up into a ponytail, her hands out on the table, cuffing a drink, and beside her was Zarall with his arm around her, and his hair a bit messy. Across the table, I could see Jenieva’s bright red hair as she turned around to greet us with a loud squeal - that I thought I’d hear from Casielle. Next to Casielle, surprisingly, was Astaroth, who was finishing up a quick sip of his drink before gently placing the cup down.

I was grateful to see all of them. 

Though, it hurt my heart knowing that Enoxon was not here. He would be sitting next to Jenieva with his head on the table, probably from having too many drinks. Astaroth would probably be poking fun at him, alongside Jenieva, calling him names and telling him he can’t hold his alcohol. A soft sigh escaped me as Yushin pushed me along, leaving Kurai slowly trailing behind us.

“Snowwwwwwwwwwwww!” Jenieva’s voice roared through the empty bar. “Welcome back, Hun! I don’t smell an ounce of that demon on you! Congratulations!” 

“It’s so wonderful to see you again, Snow!” Casielle’s low but excited voice sounded as she leaned closer to Zarall, who greeted me.

“Good to see you up and moving. Glad to know the demon didn’t win,” He greeted, holding up a drink to me in honor. “Congratulations.”

“I take that Kurai led you to your temporary home safely, yes?” Astaroth’s voice chuckled. 

I pulled a chair over to them at the end of the table and greeted everyone with a smile, “Thanks, everyone. I appreciate it. I’m doing better already!” 

“Kurai didn’t try anything, did he?” Jenieva’s voice slurred as she finished her sentence but gave the fox-demon a quick glance. “Nothing crazy while you were in stasis, right?”

An awkward grin played on my lips as she said that. I shook my head and replied, “Not that I’m aware of, Astaroth?”

“Can confirm Kurai did not get near her without me,” Astaroth nodded, putting his hands together as he took the last sip of his drink. 

“Ah, Mati should be here too! He said he’d like to see you again, Snow!” Casielle’s voice gasped as she sat up straight and off of Zarall. 

“He will be here shortly,” Yushin’s voice sounded beside me. He had ended up pulling a chair up to the table and sitting beside me. 

I glanced over my shoulder at Kurai, who sat at one of the other tables near the front of the bar. I frowned and wondered if he’d like to join us, but quickly had my attention veer away from him with the voices from those around me. 

“Jenieva, a drink for the lady and me?” Yushin asked.

“Yeah, yeah, help yourself,” She said, motioning to one of the bars with a flick of her wrists. She grinned wickedly at Yushin, eyeing him, “Don’t make me carry you home again. I don’t want to see a drunken Spirit Walker, please,” She teased him and laughed loudly. 

“How are you feeling, Snow?” Casielle asked me through the roar of waves of laughter. 

Jenieva had gotten up from the booth table and made her way over to the bar drink area, creating some drinks with Yushin’s help. They seemed to be getting along nicely, which was wonderful to know. I’m sure Yushin was tired after a while and just wanted to take a break. Jenieva was terrific for that. She knew how to settle down and just relax. Knowing that the spirit walker, well, my Spirit Walker, could just rest made me feel at ease. I forget that I’m the reaper, and Yushin is practically my help. I guess you could almost call him my employee. I smiled at the sight of the two, relaxed and seeing them so at ease. 

I sighed softly, “I’m doing well, Casielle. Thank you. I am just a bit hungry, is all.”

“I’m glad to hear you’re doing better. It’s so nice to see you out of that blasted crystal stasis. It’s all Kurai talked about,” Casielle groaned, leaning back in the booth.

Zarall chuckled, putting his hand on hers and nodding. “Every time he returned from wherever he was training, he consistently asked about you and ensured you were okay. We were busy attending to our assigned duties and relaxing in the underworld. It’s a nice change from the Celestial World!”

“The drinks here are much different than those in the Celestial World,” Astaroth added. “I appreciate the help you’ve provided here to us while Lord Mundus was gone - such as today as well.”

“Absolutelyyy!” Casielle giggled, pulling her knees to her chest and leaning back on Zarall. “Anything to help - I’m glad Snow is back up and moving!” 

“I brought pizza - from the human world!” A voice echoed from behind us.

A gasp sounded from Casielle as she immediately jumped up in the booth and nearly lost her balance. Standing in her seat now, holding onto Zarall’s shoulder to balance herself, she eyeballed the voice that spoke. “Ah, I love pizza! Yay, Mati!” She cheered, jumping over the Celestial beside her and nearly tripping towards Mati. “Yes!!” 

“Pizza?” I echoed, turning my head to come into contact with the red-headed Celestial.

For a moment, we locked eyes, and he flashed a quick wink and smiled in my direction. “Welcome Home, Aria.”

“Don’t call her Aria. You’ll get me confused, Matiiii,” Casielle groaned again, grabbing one of the boxes from his hands. 

“My apologies, Lady Casielle,” Mati replied softly as he took Yushin’s seat and sat beside me, setting the boxes of the delicious-smelling pizza down. 

The scent combines melted cheese, tangy tomato sauce, and savory toppings, like pepperoni and sausage. Its mouthwatering aroma makes my stomach rumble, and my taste buds tingle. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into a slice of hot, delicious pizza. It’s been so long since I’ve had some. And my stomach was growling up a storm! I stared at the golden box of deliciousness down below. “Thank you so much, Mati!” I cheered to him.

“Absolutely,” He chuckled as he began to pass out some plates. “Bring me a drink, Jen!” 

“I told you not to call me that, dummy,” Jenieva growled, thumping him on the back of his head. 

“Heyyy, you took my seat!” Yushin whined, coming up behind Mati and trying to push him away.

“What can I say? You snooze, you lose,” Mati chuckled once more. 

As I sat here watching my friends reunite after so long, my heart filled with joy. Seeing their faces light up with excitement and hearing their laughter and chatter is a heartwarming experience. It feels like everything is right in the world, and I can’t help but smile as I watch them catch up on old times and reminisce about memories from the past. It’s a beautiful feeling to be a part of this reunion and to see the bonds of friendship. However, my heart still sank with the absence of Enoxon and Kurai being so distant from everyone. 

Join us? I asked Kurai, wondering if he could hear me.

Too many people, his voice chimed through me. 

I knew he was jealous - his heart longed to join the group. I could feel it. I knew he was comfortable being alone, but I also knew he felt alone. Feeling that tug at those strings between us, I couldn’t help but worry about him. I know he’s probably tired - he wants to rest or sit back and do nothing. He’s had a long day, so I asked Jenieva to make Kurai a strong drink. Perhaps I could get him to open up with the rest of us tonight. 

Jenieva nodded, understanding the mission, and her face twisted into a bright smile as she began to mix drinks alongside Yushin - teaching him about whatever drink she was making. Astaroth conversed with Casielle and Zarall, discussing whatever they were discussing regarding the underworld and the Celestial world. I could feel Mati munching on his pizza beside me like he had never eaten.

“Hungry?” I asked him.

He gave me a sideways glance and shrugged. He finished the bite he was chewing and began to speak, “I am always hungry - I just can’t help it,” He chuckled beside me.

“Thank you for the pizza,” I said calmly, glancing at him. My eyes settle on his dashing features, with luscious, flowing locks of red hair. The curls cascade down his back, resembling a vibrant and intense sea of flames. Between his hair growing longer and him almost looking like he’s aged a few years (which I didn’t think was possible being a Celestial), I was a bit embarrassed. Now that I sat and stared at him, he didn’t look the same. In fact, everyone’s changed a little bit. Their voices and attitudes were still the same, but they all had such a tiny change. Each has a slight difference, whether one has longer hair, shorter hair, or whatever. Yushin had new tattoos, Astaroth’s hair grew, and Casielle’s hair looked shorter than usual, even in her ponytail, as did Zarall’s. Jenieva also gained a new tattoo similar to Yushin’s. 

“Hey, welcome back, though, Little Snow. It’s good to see you again and not put in an emergency crystal,” Mati’s voice is deep and resonant, with a commanding presence that exudes confidence and authority. His tone is smooth and rich, evoking a sense of masculinity and charm. When he speaks, it’s hard not to be captivated by his words’ force and his voice’s compelling power. It’s a voice that demands attention and respect yet remains warm and inviting, drawing you in with its magnetic allure. Between he and Astaroth, they always had this crazy charm to their voices and their personalities.

“SHOTS!” Jenieva’s voice screamed out as she slammed a tray on top of the pizza. “One for everyone. You too, lonely fox over there!” She called out.

Everyone reached for a shot, including Astaroth. I was stunned that he was interested in alcohol, being the Duke of a Mad Demon. I guess he didn’t know who Mundus really was, but I was intrigued by the shots in front of me. 

Please? I asked Kurai, glancing over my shoulder at his silhouette. 

One shot. He replied. 

Feeling giddy at his response, I reached out for two shots - one for me and one for him. The fox demon approached us, and everyone cheered as he did so. Perhaps Kurai didn’t spend much quality time with the rest of them, no matter how much they tried.

“To Snow Returning!” Mati started the cheer.

“To Snow!” The group cheered, and our shots were gone within a second.