CHAPTER: 12 "What is"

Hello my dear, we meet again......

As I stepped forward the scenery cracked, changing to something anew. The wooden floor below now turned into jumbled muddy ground, walls became debris that were scattered all around, all the customers inside vanished, and in front of me was a corpse. Mutilated and distorted from head to toe, while warm crimson blood flowed out of it releasing the stories the owner of the body lived through. But even the stories released by the body were distorted, all I could feel was the sadness of realization that it was too late, realization that there was no dream left for her to pursue.

All of this info flooded my spirit, it was a surge of nausea filled emotions. Then all at once. The crack fixed and the scene reverted to how it was originally.

The headache made me lose my balance, and as I was going to fall face first a hand stopped my fall.

"Quite the weak one, aren't you?" Blue joked as she stopped my fall, one hand sipping her tea while the other holding my waist.

"Come on, you won't even thank me." Blue complained as I was in a dazed state.

"Oh my! Is this what people call forbidden love." Milia joked, her face still the stoic one while Ita (Milia's hat) was smirking slyly. A single glare of mine was enough to shut them up, as I moved my gaze towards Pachu and Axel, both of them avoided my eyes (Axel almost on the brink of laughter).

"Thanks Blue," I thanked her, "And you can remove your hand since I am fine now."

"Are you sure you are fine, this is your third time you fell since you died." Blue complained. "I am in charge of guiding you, what will you do if my rating drops."

What ratings? The hell was she talking about.

"The flavor of that candy she's munching on must be like dog shit." Axel proposed before going in deep thoughts, "what was the flavor by the way?"

I just ignored him, exiting the shop for some secluded space in the alleyway to get some lone time. Well, if only a rat wasn't following me that is.

"What is it Blue?" I asked, pretending to not notice a person following you is a stupid move after all.

A short girl, with unnatural blue hair came out of hiding, a big smile plastered on her face. "Well, your observation skills are quite sharp."

"Haaa, well can't you cut to the chase." I answered while squatting on the floor for some rest.

"I thought you would still be feeling sick, so I came to help you vomit." What the f*** was she even saying.

"I am fine." I answered my face buried in my sleves.

"Really." She asked back.

"...."

"..."

".."

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The silence was quite awkward and I had some questions I needed answers to. Why was I being such a jackass, instead of directly asking her?

As I felt Blue's footsteps that were starting to get further I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Blue, what do you think death is?" I asked. "Is it a happily ever after? Or the repeat of cycle? Or maybe something completely different?"

"...." No answer.

"Well, forget that I even asked it." Gosh I feel so embarrassed.

"......." She whispered something, squatting beside me.

"What?" I asked, unable to hear what she said.

"Death, well what's your perspective of death?" She asked back, and before I could say anything she answered. "Death is an opportunity. I don't know for those living, but for me it was an opportunity to forget my past."

"What?" Now I was more confused than I have ever been, it was not even what I asked for. But then, what did she meant by 'forgetting her past'.

Raising she said in an exaggerated manner. "Well gotta go now, our companions are waiting for us."

*********

Moving through the market we bought a lot of things. I don't know how does the economy work here, but it sure was concerning that all the things here were sold for free.

Milia and Pachu bought mufflers for all of us, even though it was of no use.

"Here, have it." Pachu whispered while giving me a red muffler, well it did suit by purple eyes according to others.

"Aren't we just strolling aimlessly." Axel complained, he looked quite restless. "I want some action."

Oh, yea. He was a shithead. Maybe I shouldn't have too high of an expectation from his just because he dines like a gentleman.

Then we found a large mob of people and mystical creatures surrounding a particular spot. Don't tell me Axel's wish actually came true.

It did come true, since at the center was a lost spirit. His neck elongated, his hands and feet twisted to function like giraffes leg, while his body bent with his belly up. It was quite disgusting, but why were people surrounding this place instead for hastily evacuating it.

Milia came closer and whispered in my ears, her voice was still stoic but it had a different kind of coldness. It was like I was listening to the final words of a person who never wanted to live. "Like I said, some of them have spirit too weak to survive in this plane. So now they have to pay the price so we may continue to live."

Cold sweat started forming on my forehead as realization dawned upon me.

Turning my head a bit I faced Milia, her face was way too close and her pupils— on closer look they were dialated, as if the muscles on the eyes didn't constrict it.

Before I could think of anything rash Blue jumped from amongst the crowed, her hands mimicking the pose of unseathing a sword a bright like in the form of water forming between the hands. It was like looking a beautiful sword being unseathed, but instead the blade was replaced by a flowing wave of light.

And in the next moment the monster dissipated. All it left behind were black smoke and something etheral. I don't know what it was, but it felt like a cool breeze. It was refreshing, to be truthful.

As Blue landed back the crowd had already left, she came closer and asked. "You saw it didn't you."

"What?" I asked, perplexed by her sudden question.

"The blue light that looked like water. You saw it didn't you." She was more discriptive this time.

I felt confused for a moment. Was this something that wasn't supposed to be seen? "Umm, yes." I said, taking a step back while observing Blue's reaction. "GREAT!!! That means you have a World." Blue exclaimed in joy.

A what?

"I know you must be confused, but hear me out, don't be surprised. Grey, you have a SUPER POWER!!!" With that Blue started jumping around like a monkey.

"Is it that great of a deal?" I asked Milia who seemed to normal for now. She looked at me with her stoic eyes while Ita looked at me like I was the dumbest person in the group (which is how she usually looks at Axel).

"Atleast you won't die due to encountering normal lost spirits." That was all Milia had to say.

My head suddenly started to throb with pain, it was like exhaustion from overperforming in a particular thing.

Blue came to me and handed me a mirror silver mirror that she took out of her pocket. "Look at your reflection." She requested her face plastered with that infectious smile.

Looking at my reflection which was blurry at first seemed normal by a regular standard. My face didn't have any chan- wait a minute. My forehead seems to be smeared with yellowish green paint and my eyes which were purple darkned to such extent that it looked like it was made of obsidian.

I looked at my teammates, questions without definite answers filling my mind.

"Don't worry," Milia said, "your eye and forehead will return to normal after sometime. Maybe."

As I was almost at the verge of crying Blue, Pachu, Axel and Ita started laughing.