Chapter 36: Chapter. 37: Obvious Solution

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Child of the Nekros family."

His cold voice sent a shiver right through me and my heart skipped a beat, the tears and sadness from the loss of the hound had vanished, but… I looked at the hound’s soul, it was clearly right there beginning to form its shape. I had no idea what would happen when it finally happened but I had to do something. I was well aware of what stopped me, but I didn’t know the why. A Grim reaper…

"I want to send this hound to Elysium…" I resolutely said.

The hand slowly made my scythe come down before finally letting go. "I cannot allow that Kaiti," the figure of cascading shadows said. "Elysium is a special place."

I closed my eyes feeling slight anger and confusion. "It is my choice who to send to Elysium."

"Hmm," he pondered. "You are correct, but unfortunately you are not ready for Elyisum." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The soul vanished in an instant before I knew what happened. "Moreover, this is my realm."

"But…"

"Consider this a warning, you’re not ready for Elyisum." He nonchalantly said. "Sending a soul to Elysium is not a price you’re ready to pay." He shook his head in disapproval. "A dog that fought a bear by accident is not a worthy being."

I frowned. "Why do you get to decide whether it is worthy or not?" I scoffed, feeling enraged at the fact that he had vanished its soul and now was telling me off. "It was my choice and yet you took it from me."

"This is my realm," he repeated. "This will be a favor then, one for the Necros family." He snapped his fingers once again and the soul came back. He extended his arm and a scythe was formed, in an instant it tore through space and the soul entered the opening before it quickly closed. "Elysium. Are you happy now?"

I felt my body tremble in anger, his face was devoid of nothing or features, he was just a wriggling mass of shadows and yet⁠— he was mocking me? I couldn’t stand it.

"You," I pointed at him. "You did it in the name of a favor? I don’t even know you, you’re just the Grim reaper of this realm and yet you stop me and my training just because you felt like it? Because you don’t approve of my activity? Moreover, why would it be a favor if I was going to send the hound to Elyisum anyway?" I gnashed my teeth.

"Why should access to Elysium be a favor? A route to all happiness should not be about worthiness." I took a pause to sense his emotions, dull and void. "In the end, you don’t even know what happiness is. I don’t expect you to understand, but next time…" I expanded my aura as the air seemed to still. "Don’t interrupt."

The shadows of his body seemed to come to a pause for a split second.

"I see, I understand." He nodded. "Very special, very, very special." He muttered before looking at me in the eyes, or rather I just felt his gaze amidst the dark shadows of his face. "Elysium is not a place you can afford to send souls to, it’s not a warning but a fact."

I sneered, feeling insulted. I was a Grim reaper! "I get to decide that."

He shook his head. "I will speak with your father, death is inconsequential, but your actions are not."

"Go ahead then," I said with slight surprise. "Talk it with my dad."

"Sure," his voice once again just came flat. And with a gust of wind he vanished as if he never appeared in the first place.

A long breath left my mouth as soon as he vanished, finally glad that he was gone. Though… I looked at the ground, the blood splattered and the carcass of the hound⁠— dog. I felt rueful.

"Sorry I couldn’t send you to Elysium myself." I lamented, and a second later I shook my head in disapproval about what the Grim reaper had said about things.

Not ready for Elysium? Who was he to say that? I silently scoffed in annoyance. It was insulting. Unfortunately I also couldn’t do much. Why would I try to fight another Grim reaper? Even if they were the rules of the Underworld there was no reason to try to fight one of my kin. Moreover…

I was not strong enough to fight him unfortunately. At the same time I didn’t like fighting. Though… I looked at the dog once again, it had given his life for me. Would it be an insult to not fight over it? I didn’t really know, it made me feel slightly conflicted. I took a look at my surroundings, the trail was quiet and peaceful. The only thing that remained was the soaked dirt and the vestige of the dog.

I shook my head in disapproval at myself, perhaps if I had acted faster and killed the bear none of this would have happened. But I didn’t do that. Instead I just watched. I looked at the trail ahead, then at the path I had already crossed, and simply stared. Not wanting to go ahead, or go back.

Guess I’ll just go home. I held my scythe and swung to open a portal before crossing, not bothering to check where it led. I crossed and entered a familiar room, though⁠—

"Why are you here?" Ash was laying on the bed with a frown.

I paused as I stared at the room and noticed the window, carpet and familiar door mirror. I was back in the apartment. My heart skipped hearing Ash, but I quickly remembered that I simply wanted to be away from the trail. Far away from the things that happened.

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"It was a mistake," I informed Ash. "Why are you here in my room though?"

"Your ex-room," she corrected. "I was thinking about things. What about you, how did you make the mistake to come here?" She definitely wasn’t happy, I could tell that much from her tone and mood.

"A dog died, tried to send it to Elysium. Grim reaper showed up and stopped me." I felt slight anger come to me. "Needed to clear my mind after… meeting him, though…" I looked at Ash. "Nothing that should concern you."

She nodded. "It shouldn’t but it does, what did he say?"

I frowned. "It doesn’t concern you, it's a problem that I must deal with myself."

Ash slowly sat upright lifting her brow. "Anything Grim reaper related concerns me, especially if your stay was arranged by another Grim reaper."

I scoffed. "Is that why you saved me? No⁠— forget it." I shook my head. "Given your regret then perhaps regardless of repercussions I should be dead." Ash seemed to pause but I continued ignoring her reaction. "As a dead person I don’t see how that concerns you."

Ash looked at the ground, her emotions becoming dull and melancholic. Huh? It was odd. Did she regret saving me that much? I felt newfound anger within me, but before I could say anything Ash spoke.

"Kat," she took a deep breath. "The reason I saved you is because you reminded me of my old companion. I don’t regret saving you, the mistake I mentioned was killing the human." She shook her head before laying on the bed again and turning away from me. Her sadness lingered in the air.

The mistake was killing the human? No⁠— why didn’t she chase after me then? Why did she never tell me that? I looked at her incredulously feeling as if I had been cheated. She was lying. She had to be. But why? Why was she lying?

What did Ash have to gain from this? My nervousness grew as I tried to think of all the things she could possibly gain and arrived at nothing every single time. The best she could do was get rid of me yet she had said that? Why? All it would accomplish was to keep me around? Why?

"You…" I paused the accusation. I had no proof. "Why apologize now?"

Ash shuffled but stayed facing the wall. "Because I am not good with apologies. I can tell you’re doubtful, but know that if I found it to be a mistake I wouldn’t be speaking to you."

"But⁠—"

Ash sighed and turned to me, she had a small frown. "I can see why you still doubt me." She shook her head. "Excuses are just excuses, but unfortunately us denizens of the Underworld should remain in the shadows, though I killed the man out of spite and fear. The world is subjective and I don’t expect you to agree with my way of doing things."

I frowned hearing Ash. Spite and fear? Should remain in the shadows? I didn’t know what she was saying but one thing was for certain. Her emotions. Ash was still sad, regretful perhaps. Her face didn’t have any trace of her usual nonchalant attitude, instead it was just crestfallen; though it was subtle. In the end, I took a deep breath.

"You’re right, everything is subjective," I concluded, letting all the tension I had built up escape me. I decided to sit on the carpeted floor against the wall. "The Grim reaper said I am not ready for Elysium, and prevented me from passing the dog there. Afterwards he passed the dog himself and I couldn’t do anything." I sighed before clenching my fist. "I almost feel as if the dog’s soul was… desecrated. He passed it, then brought it back and put it in Elysium without letting me do anything…" I frowned, feeling the anger catch up to me. "I should’ve done something to prevent it, but I didn’t dare…"

Ash said nothing for a second or two. "What is done is done. But…" She took a pause. "Perhaps you cannot do anything about the dog, but what about the future? I can at least tell you that I never expected to get another companion," she chuckled, making me raise my brow in response.

"What do you mean?"

Ash did a small smile. "Based on the little you said, the Grim reaper stopped you. What about sending the next soul in your care before he can show up? I know that’s what I would do to prove to them that I am ready anyway. Though take my advice with a grain of salt, I am a runaway after all."

"Before they show up?" I asked with confusion.

Ash nodded. "They stopped you right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then," she smirked. "Just do it before they can stop you."

Just do it before the Grim reaper can stop me? How did I not think of that! It was so obvious!

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