"I bring death everywhere I go, such is my fate... You need to leave now!"

The desperation in Ina's voice reached her friends. Despite her demands, they had no intentions to go away.

"Come on Ina, let's go home."

Neige extended his hand toward his friend, in the hope of bringing her back. Ina shook her head with no intent of taking her friend's hand.

"Neige... Silva... Sepide... I'm sorry..."

Ina was about to jump but once again grabbed her head in pain. Neige took this opportunity to grab her and take her away from the ledge. The three friends stayed next to Ina, who seemed stuck in a nightmare she couldn't escape.

A faint voice echoed in Ina's mind. She woke up from the soft bed she was on and looked around the room. The only source of light was a lightbulb on the ceiling, and along with the black color that made up this room, gave a dark atmosphere. In the center, a table and two chairs were waiting to be used. A girl entered the room and sat on one of the chairs, inviting Ina to join her. She recognized the little girl quickly, Nia, the one she saw in her nightmares. Ina stared at her from a distance, declining her invitation.

"Why are you here?"

Understanding that her invitation was rejected, the girl explained without waiting.

"My name is Nia, like you already know, I am the former Goddess of Death. It is time for you to give up your current identity and accept your fate as the Lord of the Demise."

"I can't... I can't take this role."

"I gave you time, but I cannot give you any more. Our duty is to send the souls that still live in this world to the afterlife. The Goddess Peolyetta created us to bring balance to this world by getting rid of those who go against her will. It's your fate Ina, and it has been ever since your birth."

"The Goddess? Bring balance? I... I just wanted to bring a smile to those around me..."

"Death is not a bad thing, it is a part of life. There are no reasons for you to be afraid, your friends will be safe."

"I just... I can't accept such a burden..."

"You just have to give up your life, Ina will be no more, only leaving the soul of the Goddess in you."

"I... Will be no more and my friends will be safe?"

The girl slowly nodded her head. Ina wasn't sure whether she could accept such a fate, it was too much for her to think that she could bring the end to so many people. But in the end, maybe it would be better for everyone.

"I too had to give up who I was, and everyone before me knew it too. It is the wish of the Goddess, don't resist."

Ina couldn't accept but didn't have the strength to refuse either. Her eyes closed by itself, leading her to a deep slumber.

The three friends stayed around Ina to ensure her safety. They were about to go back to the ship but were stopped by a voice behind them.

"Neige? What are you doing here..."

Everyone turned toward the anomaly, who just woke up in pain. She flinched at the sight of Ina but relaxed when she saw that the woman was unconscious.

"We came to get our friend back, what happened to you?"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"It's your friend! She attacked me!"

"Ina?" Sepide looked at Ina, sleeping in Neige's arm "She wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I was surprised too, I barely went toward her when everything went black suddenly."

Ina gently opened her eyes. When Neige noticed that she was awake, he put her on the ground and helped her stand up until she was fully awake.

"Ina, are you alright?"

"Ina? So that's my new name."

Ada stepped back when she heard Ina's cold tone, horrified by what she just heard.

"You're not Ina..."

Ina turned toward Ada and stretched like she came out of a deep slumber.

"I told you I'd come back to get rid of you. Your existence is an insult to the Goddess."

A black fog surrounded Ada, just like when she traveled to another world. This time however it seemed like the nun couldn't leave. Ina walked toward Ada with slow steps, bringing dread to the woman. Sepide stepped in front of Ina and stared her straight in the eyes with a worried gaze.

"Ina, let's go home..."

"You're not supposed to exist either, what are you?" 'Ina' looked back and stared at Silva with her lifeless eyes. Her face was expressionless but it was still possible to feel her frustration "You're supposed to be dead, I should get rid of you all."

After Ina said those words, the world suddenly cracked. A sharp pain ran through everyone's body, making it hard for them to move.

"You will all disappear with this world. You should have joined the afterlife long ago."

Neige tried to return to the ship but couldn't use his watch. It seemed that like Ada, they couldn't leave.

"Ina!" Yelled Sepide "Stop it, you can't continue!"

"I am the Goddess of Death, I am doing what needs to be done."

The world was shattering, causing the buildings to collapse under their own weight. Sepide grabbed onto Ina, trying her best to not fall to the ground. Everything suddenly stopped, the pain, the destruction, and every sound. Ina stood there, her eyes closed.

Ina opened her eyes in the same black room. She was surprised to not see the little girl but herself instead.

"Is that a mirror?"

The other Ina looked at her, even more confused.

"H-How are you here? You were supposed to be gone. It's too late now anyway, you are the Goddess of Death now, there is no turning back."

"But I'm still here, and I don't feel like a Goddess."

"That's curious indeed. Something must keep you from going away."

"I think... I felt something warm, like someone's embrace."

Ina and the Goddess of Death stayed silent for a moment, waiting in the heavy silence. It was hard for Ina to accept everything, she was ready to die a few hours ago, and now, she couldn't bring herself to leave.

"Is there... A way that we live in harmony?"

"This wouldn't bring any good, human's feelings shouldn't interfere with nature's law."

"Making sure that there aren't any anomalies, that every world follows their course... It's just the job of the Kronos."

"Are you implying that mortals are enough to do our job?"

"Let us prove ourselves. I'll make sure that Miss Nun goes to the afterlife but in my own way, a way that won't put my life or the ones of my friends in danger."

The Goddess of Death looked at Ina for a moment. After a few minutes passed, she silently went toward the bed and sat there.

"I'm giving you a year. If by the end of the year, this abhorrence of nature is still here and the universe is in peril, I'll come back. I'm doing it out of respect for the first human to resist the control of the Goddess of Death, you better not disappoint me."

Ina smiled softly and nodded her head.

"I... I'll do my best. I'll find a peaceful way to send Miss Nun to the afterlife and protect the balance of this world."

Sepide held Ina tightly in her arms, gripping the fabric of her clothes in her hands. She was suddenly surprised by the woman's hand caressing her head softly and whispering in her ear.

"It's over, don't worry."

Neige and Silva approached Ina while Ada hid behind a box nearby, away from Ina's sight.

"Ina? Is that you?"

"Yes Sepide, it's me. Let's go back home, shall we?"

Neige was surprised by the sudden shift in mood of Ina but decided to ask more once they would return to the ship. Once Silva and Sepide were ready as well, the four of them returned to the ship under Ada's worried eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone gathered around Ina, who stood embarrassed in the middle of everyone. She glanced at everyone for a moment, everything felt so different suddenly. She explained everything that happened about how she managed to talk with the Goddess of death and how Sepide and the others saved her. The leader listened to everything, trying her best to understand everything.

"So, you're now the Goddess of Death?"

"Not exactly, I guess I'm more like her assistant. I'll do my best to do everything correctly so she won't have to come back."

"Having a divinity on the ship is pretty cool." Neige said with a smile "I just hope you won't just leave out of nowhere again, you really scared us.

Ina was a bit embarrassed but glad that no one saw her differently from what she was now. She hoped that everyone would go back to normal soon but knew they now had to find a way to get rid of the anomaly. She also couldn't look at the leader in the eyes anymore, it was like she could feel that her time had come long ago and that she shouldn't be here anymore.