"...how do I kill you?" I asked impatiently.
"You can't. If it is not within Theós' plan then it cannot be done. Even if there was a way, do you expect me to tell you?" she said confidently, but her tail slightly trembled.
"Is that so?" I said walking closer to her.
I glared at her as I wrapped my dark cloud around her neck and asked, "Then why are you so scared?"
She stayed silent, but her tail increased to tremble uncontrollably…
"AAAHH!" The tailed Lilith screamed, then collapsed on the floor.
"What are you doing?" I asked apathetically, no longer glaring at her.
"I cannot disobey you. Doing so eats away at my soul and causes me immense pain," she replied, catching her breath.
"I'm surprised you're still so stubborn," I said out loud, observing her reaction.
"My name is Lilith… just Lilith," she tried to say, still feeling the effect of the pressure from before.
"It would be a waste not to give my respect to such a distinctive part of you; consider it an honorific. Now, get up; we're leaving," I said, offering her a hand.
Now that there was allegedly a way to keep her in check, killing her was no longer a priority. I was still unsure whether or not she was a threat, but knowing what I know now helps.
'She could still prove to be useful. There are still many things I don't know and threats I am unaware of. Having such information could be life-saving,' I thought to myself.
She looked at me, confused by the switch in my character, but then took my skeletal hand anyway.
"Thank you," she said with a slight smug.
"If I cannot kill you and I'm truly stuck with you for eternity, having a good relationship with you is only inevitable. Any bad blood between us will only waste time and get in the way of my objective. So, if you have any problems with me, you tell me," I said nonchalantly.
"
"First, I need more information. Show me this, Theós," I said, heading towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?" The tailed Lilith asked. "Outside, you mentioned before you had to show me Theós. I have a lot to say to whoever he or she is. Never have I heard of a being so imposing of their self-interest," I said sternly.
"In that case, follow me, then," the tailed Lilith said, making a dark cloud appear beneath her.
She immediately dropped into it. I walked towards the dark cloud on the floor and observed it for a while. A deathly aura came from the cloud. It looked like a pitch-black hole on the floor, with no bottom. The clouds that formed it rose into the air and dissipated like smoke. I finally stepped into the cloud hesitantly.
For a moment, there was nothing but darkness everywhere. Then, immediately after, I found myself before two antithetical roads diverging. Lilith was already standing next to me.
On the left was a rough, broad road stretching far and wide. At the end of this road was a dark pit radiating the aura of an evil existence. The aura felt old and ancient. Just looking at this road gave one the feeling of helplessness. If one were to step on this road, one would immediately be plunged into complete despair. Surprisingly, this road felt somewhat inviting to me, like a part of me that had been missing was calling to me.
However, on the right side was a narrow road paved to perfection with diamonds and jewels. A bright, blinding light could be seen at the end of the road, which made it difficult to even look at. Just looking at this road gave me a feeling of peace. The light gave off powerful life energy that repelled the aura of death radiating all around my body. It was like the light was against my very existence.
This was no ordinary light, it felt as though it were alive. If any living human being were to look at this light, even for a second, they would most likely be reduced to ash.
The roads weren't the only things in this place that were in contrast, though. On the road to the left, I could see hundreds of my shadows going back and forth, dumping numerous frightened souls into a huge, dark pit at the end of the wide road.
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However, on the right road were two beings dressed in full white, escorting two slightly bright souls through the narrow road.
The brightness of their souls differed. They weren't as bright as the light at the end of the narrow road, but I could feel them emitting a similar presence. Their souls felt utterly different. They weren't frightened; they were at peace.
"How did we even get here?" I asked in confusion.
"You can appear anywhere that your shadows have been. By connecting two points in space, you and your shadow, you can instantly go anywhere on this planet. All you have to do is think about where to go, and the dark cloud will open a gate to the said destination," the tailed Lilith replied in a well-behaved manner.
"So, where on earth are we now?" I asked her.
"I'm not quite sure myself; I believe it is a separate dimension. I know that this is where all souls end up," the tailed Lilith answered humbly.
"And where is Theós?" I asked.
"I believe Theós is at the end of the narrow road. Through that light, that is where Theós should be," she answered.
'Should?' I thought to myself.
Without wasting any more time, I began to walk towards the narrow road. When I stepped on the perfectly paved road, I could feel a slight pressure on my skeletal body. The pressure was barely noticeable, so I disregarded it and kept moving….
First step,
Second step,
Third step…
The closer I got to the light, the more pressure fell on me. I looked back and saw the tailed Lilith still standing where I had left her.
'I see why she didn't come along. The pressure keeps getting more intense.' I thought as I kept pushing forward, each step becoming more challenging.
Thirtieth step…
Fortieth step…
Fiftieth step…
It was only upon reaching the fiftieth step that the pressure finally became unbearable. No matter how hard I tried, I could not move another step forward. It felt like some force was restricting me from doing so.
It wasn't about the pressure anymore; something else kept me in place. It was like I couldn't decide to move on my own. The longer I stayed there, the more suffocating it felt.
'Is this as far as I can go…? I'm not even halfway there yet,' I thought to myself in despair.
I looked on towards the light in the distance, squinting with great longing. From where I stood, I could only vaguely see an outline of a massive golden gate within the blinding light. I quickly retreated my gaze.
Apart from the gate, I also noticed one of the white beings coming back from the golden gate and towards me.
"So, Cain is no more….What is your name, new Reaper?" the being in white asked.
'Reaper!' I thought to myself in shock. I then took three steps back to gain some relief.
"My name is Grayson…who are you? How are you able to go through the gate?" I asked.
"I am but a simple guardian, here to guide a soul to eternal peace. My name is Daniel…. Did you were able to see a gate?" he replied, raising a question of his own.
"I could barely see it," I answered the guardian, then went into deep thought.
'Does this path lead to what humans know as heaven?'I began to think.
"Heaven is real?" I asked with a hint of doubt.
"It has many names, but yes, this is what you would call heaven. Look at where you are; look at what you are. Should it be hard to believe there is a heaven, angels, and hell?" Daniel replied sympathetically. "No one could have ever foreseen the cursed role of a reaper would have come to befall another human being. I wonder whose blood you spilled to accomplish that?"
'Hell! Could that be what was beneath the dark pit at the end of the wide road?' I thought.
Grayson looked at the guardian in silence.
"What are you trying to accomplish here?" Daniel asked, breaking the silence.
I replied, "I need to speak with someone or something called Theós. "
"HAHAHA, some things never change! Cain tried to do the same thing for thousands of years and only got this far. However, he was never capable of seeing the gate…. That is a first, but I suggest you do what you are meant to do. If it is not within Theós' plan, then it cannot be done," he said, smiling, and then proceeded to walk away.
'Hm, that tailed Lilith said the same thing…but why does it seem so familiar to me now, as if I had known of it my whole life.' I thought.
I then proceeded to walk back as well. The pressure began to decrease considerably with each step back.
I thought, 'The more I know about Theós, the more questions I have. Why was I chosen to be a reaper? Why can't I go beyond fifty steps? What is beyond that gate? How do I get past that light?' I finally approached the tailed Lilith, still standing in the same spot I had left her.
"Tailed Lilith, how do I get past that gate?" I ask impatiently. "I told you, it's just Lilith. What gate are you talking about?" she responded with a question of her own.
"So, Cain never saw it," I stated out loud.
"Coming here still hasn't given me any answers regarding Theós. In fact, it has only raised even more questions," I added in frustration.
"Theós tends to have that effect. I don't have the answers either. I can, however, tell you what my old master and I have learned over many years. As you already know, you cannot get to the light at the end of the narrow road because, at some point, a pressure seems to stop you from moving further.
I'm sure you have also noticed how the light around the souls in the narrow path and the light at the end of the path are similar, other than just being bright…" The tailed Lilith began to summarize the events that had just taken place.
"Yes, the light seems to be alive. It gives a feeling of consciousness, as though it has a mind of its own," I thought out loud.
"Well, that light and that pressure is what we know as Theós. Beyond that light, no one has ever really seen Theós. My old master said he had heard Theós' voice and even spoken to Theós. That was before this curse had fallen upon him. However, he never saw Theós.
Nowadays, Theós is but a force that one feels. It guides and enforces the laws it has placed on us. You can also feel it within a few particular humans. Everything that you see, everything that you know, is the work of Theós. If it is not within Theós' plan, then it cannot be done," the tailed Lilith tried to clarify.
'That familiar saying again! What on earth is going on here?' I asked myself as I went deep into thought.