"Wake up…"

Terry was confused as he heard the low voice, he couldn't tell where he was due to the pitch darkness and the numbness of his body. Terry felt light almost like he was floating in the air while feeling heavy like his body weight was pulling him down.

'What is this? Why am I here? What happened to me?'

His head was filled with deafening noises and voices which echoed in his ears. It was the sound of an intense ringing in his ear, followed by the familiar sound of sirens which he became accustomed to in the past few months. The voices are a mixture of whispers and gossip, he can sense most of the conversation is directed at him. 

Terry is just a rookie constable for the police force but that's all he can remember, any attempt to think about how he got here would result in a painful headache, almost as if his mind was prohibiting his thoughts. As he tries to make sense of things, the voices become clearer and louder.

"OH MY GOD!"

Terry’s head jolted to the source of the voice before a flash of light temporarily blinded him for a split second which was swiftly a painful burning sensation which made the constable scream in agony. Terry’s body felt the severe heat as he felt his body peeling away, the sounds and sensation of his ribs, bones, muscles, and limbs being pulled apart from the intense heat and wind. He felt his tears evaporate almost immediately as his vision returned into darkness.

Terry continued his screaming, all he wanted was the pain to go away if not wish for death at that moment. What is happening to him? Why is this happening?

His pain would continue for a few more minutes before Terry felt as if he was plunged into a pool of water, extinguishing the flames which consumed him. The relief was short-lived as he started falling again, the winds pressed against him with such force it felt like he was being stabbed by knives. Terry felt the air escaping from his lungs as he continued to fall towards what he hoped was the end of his suffering.

As Terry fell, he could see a small spec of light growing bigger as he fell towards it. As the light grew closer, he could feel the air leaving his body faster and faster as if it was eager to escape from his body. He felt choked up as he felt the air being squeezed out of his mouth.

'Is this my end?' Terry asked himself as he looked forward to the light.

Suddenly Terry felt his body jerk as he came to a sudden halt. Terry felt a massive force pushing his body upward which made him scream as he felt the pain of his organs being compressed together. Terry was so close to the light yet it seemed to move away from him as if it was teasing him. His screaming slowly died down as he felt the pressure dissipate and his body moved downward, slowly falling into the light.

"Wake up." Terry heard someone say as he felt something slapping his face lightly.

Terry opened his eyes and found himself in an empty meadow with pitch-black skies above him. Terry looked around confused about where he was, why he was there, and who brought him there. Wandering through the dim and deserted grass field, Terry could be seen staring into the light in astonishment. The lights illuminated down like a spotlight on a single hill that had a tea table and two seats. But one was occupied by a lone woman, who sat there with a poised demeanour.

This wasn't normal, but nothing in the past hours had been normal for Terry, who wondered what the hell was going on.

He then saw the woman waving at him from the table, trying to encourage him to come over. As much as his cautiousness is telling him it's not a good idea to approach the woman, his instinct tells him that he won't want to be here nor want to be any part of this.

But it was curiosity that certainly got to him first and there's no way he's turning back now as he turned around to see the field slowly consumed by darkness.

Terry tilted his head in confusion and resumed walking toward the woman.

As he got closer to the woman, Terry felt as if the ground had gotten harder and rougher. He looked down to see that his footprint had caused the grass to die and the dirt to dry up. The light then started to brighter with every step Terry made as if he was entering the centre of an illuminated stage.

Right there, Terry was facing a pale young woman who was dressed elegantly in her aristocratic-like dress which perfectly contrasted with her polished snow-white hair that fell past her shoulders, stretching like a silk road and her pale blue eyes that could easily block a man's thought. Her face was exquisite and would cause a few men to lose themself in her seductive trance.

Terry saw her fidgeting with her wide-brim straw hat as if bored. He couldn't understand what a woman of such contrast of natural beauty and deathly aura could be doing sitting in isolation, legs crossed, as if she was waiting.

"You must be very confused." A feminine voice said which made Terry jump. Her voice sounded sweet and warm yet had a cold tone to it like it was hiding a secret. Terry couldn't take his eyes off the woman as she seemed too surreal to be real, her face was pale yet flawless, her voice was hypnotic and enchanting, and her presence was both intimidating and comforting at the same time. She has an almost doll-like figure with her hourglass-like body proportions, large breasts which were tightly packed into her dress, thin waist which gave Terry a clear view of her curves, and wide hips which swayed from side to side as Terry was trying to break away from her trance.

"W…Who are you?" Terry asked, still mesmerised by the woman as if he was caught in her web of mystery.

The woman smiled softly before getting up from her seat which snapped Terry out of his trance as he stepped back to keep a distance between him and the woman.

Terry was relieved when the woman put down her hat which shielded most of her face, revealing more of her shoulder-length white hair. Terry gulped as he could see the woman clearly with the light shining down on them. The woman wore a black and blue aristocratically inspired dress with gold lining which complimented her pale skin, pale blue eyes, and snow-white hair. She was certainly a beauty and Terry could feel himself blushing slightly as he felt her piercing gaze.

"You may call me Nightingale," the woman said calmly as she gestured for Terry to sit down. Terry took a deep breath before approaching the woman who was offering him a cup of tea which he refused. “What’s your name?”

"It’s Terry, Constable Terry Liu. Why am I here? What happened to me?" Terry asked, trying to get straight to the point.

Nightingale giggled before taking a sip of her tea "Straight to the point I see, I like that." Nightingale placed the teacup on the table before smiling at Terry. "You were killed, Constable. You were killed by a bomb yesterday."

Terry's heart stopped as he heard those words. He tried to think about what happened to him before he ended up in the meadow but his head started to hurt once more as he began to think about the incident. Terry took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down.

"So this is the afterlife? It looks peaceful enough." Terry asked as he tried to change the subject. Nightingale shook her head before giggling at the Constable.

"This isn't heaven, Constable, nor is this hell. This is my prison where I am condemned for eternity. I am bound to this place which makes me a prisoner. My powers are limited and my form is restricted to this body, a powerless girl who is unable to interact with the outside world."

Nightingale sighed as she looked up towards the sky, Terry followed her gaze only to be faced with the darkness which spread like an endless void.

"Except for the souls who happen to stumble here by chance."

Terry gulped as he turned to Nightingale who continued to stare at the sky.

"Are you saying I'm a ghost?" Terry asked with fear in his voice.

"Not quite," Nightingale answered as she turned to Terry. "You are leaning between life and death but I managed to save you."

Terry tilted his head as he heard Nightingale's words. "How?" Terry asked in disbelief.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Nightingale got up from her seat and approached Terry. She stood face to face with him which made Terry nervous as he tried to move away from her only for Nightingale to grab onto his collar, pulling him closer to her face.

"By using my soul," Nightingale whispered, which made Terry blush as he could feel her warm breath against his face. Terry couldn't say anything as he was distracted by the woman in front of him. Nightingale smirked as she grabbed his left hand which revealed a crystal embedded in his flesh, pulsating with life.

"W-What is this?!" Terry shouted as he stared at the crystal in shock.

"Our new heart. It pumps your blood and gives you life. But it also acts as a tether which binds our souls together. Without it, we will die." Nightingale explained as she released Terry from her grip.

"W-Wait... What?!" Terry asked, still trying to comprehend Nightingale's words.

Nightingale giggled at the Constable as he tried to make sense of things. "I've seen your mind and your memories from beginning to the last... It's full of unfulfilled desires, conflict, and doubts. You want to be a hero, to protect the innocent, but you lack the confidence to do so. And that makes you weak." Nightingale whispered into Terry's ear which made him shiver as he felt her breath against his ear. "But when you did, it all went black and I saw you falling into the light and entered my domain." Terry continued which made Terry gulp nervously as Nightingale moved her face closer to Terry's.

"Your soul was like a drifting flame which I snuffed out before dragging you back into the darkness where I reside. A few moments more before you reach the afterlife and then I would be truly lonely." She said sarcastically as she walked behind Terry, her fingers gently caressing his neck before moving towards his chin. Nightingale lifts Terry's chin so they are looking eye to eye.

"And that's not good for either of us," Nightingale whispered, which sent another shiver down Terry's spine.

"And that's not good for either of us," Nightingale whispered, which sent shivers down Terry's spine. Terry could feel his heart racing as Nightingale got closer to his face, her lips inches away from his. "But...I'm willing to share my soul with you since I need you as much as you need me."

Terry looked at the woman confused. "What do you mean?"

Nightingale smiled as she pointed at the crystal embedded into Terry's left hand. "Our souls are connected which means if you die, I die, and vice versa. But if you're willing to accept me, I can offer you gifts which would benefit us both."

Terry's head was spinning as he tried to process the information Nightingale gave him.

"And if I don't? What would happen to me?" Terry asked nervously.

Nightingale giggled as she looked at Terry with a smirk on her face.

"Then you die."

“What about you? Won't you die too?" Terry asked Nightingale who giggled.

"Well, if you die then I'll die alone due to boredom." Nightingale shrugged nonchalantly. "But the choice is yours Terry, I'll respect whatever decision you make." Nightingale said with a smile on her face.

"But it would be a shame for me, sitting here alone.” She then intensely stares at the constable, “But when I pull you away from death, I saw your memories. Your ambitions, your passions, your desires. They reminded me of mine before I was imprisoned here.”

“Who where you before being put here?” Terry curiously asked. 

Nightingale smirks, “Someone who is beyond what you have seen. I’ve forgotten how long I was imprisoned for.”

“Right.” Terry said, disappointed with lack of responses. 

“But your world… it's such a vast and interesting place.”

“Huh?” 

“Unlike mind, it's full of marvels which I have never witnessed before. So many interesting new things to do, much more to see.” She giggles like an excited child. "Oh the joy of talking to someone again how I missed it."

The woman's sudden excitement had caught Terry off guard and wasn't expecting such a reaction.

“Terry Liu, you have two choice. I can bring you back to the overworld with a price, so that you can continue with your life, or I can help you to ascend to the afterlife and give up everything you've been working for.” 

Terry's heart raced as he thought about what Nightingale had said to him. The idea of a second chance at life was tempting but at the cost of something which she had specified but he did care. He worked all of his life for this job, it was his dream from his childhood. With the constant stream of thoughts rushing through his mind on how he Terry was determined to not let it go to waste.

Terry turns to Nightingale with a serious look on his face.

"I'll do it, I'll take your deal."

Nightingale smiles as she sees Terry accepting her deal.

"Excellent!" Nightingale claps her hands which made Terry jump. “Then a contract shall be signed!”

A scroll suddenly appears in Nightingale's hand. Nightingale unfurled the scroll which revealed a set of strange symbols and phrases which Terry couldn’t understand. Nightingale picked up a quill which Terry didn’t notice her holding as she offered it to Terry.

"Now sign the contract PC Liu and I shall grant you a gift which will benefit us both." she said as she points at the bottom of the contract. 

Terry nervously took the quill from Nightingale who simply smiled at him. As he touched the quill he felt a stabbing sensation onto his palm which made Terry scream as he dropped the quill onto the ground.

"W-What the hell was that?!" Terry screamed in pain as he clutched his right hand which started to bleed.

Nightingale giggled as she picks up the quill which started to drip with Terry's blood. Terry watched as the quill starts to glow with an ominous light which made Terry even more scared than he already is. Nightingale places the quill onto the contract which made the symbols on the paper glowed brightly before the light disappeared into Terry's crystal. Terry gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his chest which made him fall to his knees.

Nightingale giggled as she watched Terry writhe in pain. But the constable soon got back to his feet as he tried to regain his composure. Terry breathes heavily as he tries to compose himself. Nightingale watches Terry as he struggles to stand straight, clearly still recovering from the contract.

Terry took a seat opposite Nightingale who was still smiling at him.

"What now?" Terry asked as he catches his breath.

Nightingale giggled as she held a cup of tea in front of Terry.

"Drink PC Liu, it'll help ease the pain."

Terry looked at Nightingale suspiciously before taking the cup from her. Terry takes a sip of the tea which made him gag as he could taste a bitter taste in the tea.

"But before I return you to the overworld, I have some rules we must follow."

"Rules?" Terry asked Nightingale who nodded.

"Rule 1: You can never reveal my existence to anyone unless I say otherwise."

Terry nods in understanding, "Rule 2: Never use any of my gifts around civilians unless I say so and keep them a secret from others.

Terry continues to nod as Nightingale goes through the rules.

"Rule 3: Always be cautious when using my gifts and always be careful when you use them. Those are the rules PC Liu, do you understand them?" Nightingale asks Terry who nodded.

Terry coughs as he rubs his throat, "Yeah, I get it."

Nightingale smiles as she gets up from her seat and walks towards Terry. Nightingale smiles as she gets up from her seat and walks towards Terry. Suddenly a loud crack was heard and a gigantic blue crack formed in the empty black sky.

Terry looks up to see the cracks which started to widen as if it was trying to rip the sky apart.

Nightingale however looked ecstatic as her domain seemingly started to crumble from these cracks. Terry felt uneasy as he watched the cracks grow bigger as if the sky was trying to tear itself apart.

"What's happening?" Terry asked Nightingale who giggled as she placed a finger on Terry's lips.

“It’s finally set, our contract is complete," Nightingale said with a wide grin on her face.

Terry was confused by Nightingale's words and before he could ask questions, the floor of the meadow collapse like glass and then he fell into a dark void. Suddenly a massive flash of light blinded Terry which forced him to shut his eyes. When he opened his eyes he found himself submerged in a dark void. He tried to breathe but only choked on water and found that he was submerged in water.

‘Shit!’ Terry mentally cursed as he tried to swim his way up to the surface. Terry frantically swam up, trying to break free from the darkness.

He gasps heavily for air with some entering his lungs. Terry coughed and spluttered as he tried to regain his breathing.

“AHHHHHHHH!” A woman on the riverbank screams with pure terror in her voice. Terry turned to see a woman with a terrified expression on her face as she stared at the water.

Terry followed her gaze only to realise he was half naked with most of his uniform being ripped, burned and torn. Terry quickly covered himself as he tried to hide from the woman as she dialled the police.

"Help! There's a half-naked man in the water!" The woman shouted into her phone. Terry was panicking as he tried to get to land but the weight of his equipment dragged him down into the water. Terry struggled to stay afloat as the weight of his equipment drags him back into the river.

Terry swims up to the riverbank and crawls ashore. He gasped heavily for air with some entering his lungs. Terry coughed and spluttered as he tries to regain his breathing.

Suddenly, Terry heard sirens coming closer to where he was. He was still disorientated with what just happened and was unsure how to respond to the situation. Terry slowly got up only to hear a woman screaming which snapped Terry out of his confusion.

“What a bloody day…”