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“was this your first time?”
asked the figure covered in white linens. the one standing in front of them, with his head lowered, gave a small nod. he was shivering, and he didn't dare to raise his eyes at the other. the reaper couldn't help a chuckle slipping from their lips - though it was more out of pity. “take my hand, dear. you can leave all of this behind, and start it all again.”
the soul hesitated. when he finally moved his head, he looked over his shoulder. he saw the lifeless body that used to belong to him, laying in the grass as the people that took his life walked away, satisfaction in every move they took. death passed the spirit, who quickly turned his head away to avoid facing them. he stood, eyes shut tight. he imagined a rotting figure, dark, torn apart fabrics covering it's body, and he was afraid to look at it.
death didn't bat and eye at that. they were well aware of the misconceptions spread about them amongst the humans, who feared them, for nothing. they knelt by the body, a delicate hand caressing over it. “what a waste of a beautiful being...” they started, examining the human in front of them. the entire scene was absurd. not only have he been strangled and hit multiple times on the face, chest, arms and abdomen, there was a wound so deep that almost cost his whole hand. it wasn't meant to turn out like that, this wasn't the time. “the people walking on this earth are not worth more than an insect crawling in the soil, disgusting and useless.” with a touch of their thumb, they dried up the tears streaking the human's cheeks, ripping a piece of fabric off their briefs to save one single drop. “they love to play with fate, and when it's time, they beg and wail for mercy and forgiveness that can never be given.” pushing themselves up to stand straight again, the reaper made their way back to where they were standing, a few steps away from the soul.
“i don't want this again. so much pain... all for nothing.” the spirit spoke up, hands closing in a firm fist. “you can choose not to.” the reaper answered, their voice nothing but a calming whisper. “this body was supposed to live longer, was meant to do great things to this world. it's purpose was not fulfilled, so you have the decision in your hands. do you wish to rest forever, or shall i grant you another chance?” the soul finally opened his eyes. visibly taken aback, he looked at the deity in front of him. the androgynous being sent him a warm smile, hand extending towards him. “you can decide on our way, and you may rest before returning to the earth, seonghwa.” with that, the soul reached forwards and placed his palm into the one offered to him. he took a step forward to close the distance between himself and death, who just turned their back towards the scene to start the journey into the afterlife.
“where's the siche?” asked seonghwa after what felt like a few minutes. he earned another chuckle from the deity, who lifted a part of their briefs to show the tool firmly tugged into a pouch held by a glowing string around their waist. “i only use it when it's necessary to harvest the souls that try to keep their connection to their assigned bodies.” content with the answer he got, the soul hummed and took their time to look around the path he was being lead through. there was no ground under their feet, there was nothing around them either. it was pitch black, yet he could see every detail on himself and the deity. just like they knew what he was thinking about, the reaper spoke. “your protectors are mourning your death, darling. this wasn't what they wanted you to do, yet fate decided everything for you.” as they were speaking, they kept their expression neutral, just staring through the void. “there are usually millions of stars welcoming you, but this time they fear they have failed you.”
the deity suddenly stopped in their track, their eyes closing and hand tensing. “i will do everything to give you the right beginning, young soul.” the soul mentioned just stood close to the other, not understand half of what was being said to him. it was all so strange, so many new things in such a short period of time. since the deity stopped so suddenly, seonghwa took the opportunity to look behind. it was just as dark as in front of them, other than his footprints. those were shining so bright he had to look away from them.
“i don't want to go back... will they do this again? is this what fate has kept for me?” spoke seonghwa. his voice was so sorrowful, it physically ached the deity's heart to hear it. “oh, you sweet, poor thing... do you wish to not return to the humans? or do you wish to forget what they had done to you?” to this question, the soul didn't know the answer. he just stood in place, hand still holding onto the other's tightly. “trust me, and i'll show you the way it should've been.” after a while, seemingly a few minutes, in reality, years, seonghwa nodded again. “then just close your eyes and let me help you.” and so the soul did.
with that, he was sent into a slumber of five hundred years. during that time, death did what they were supposed to - guide the spirits into their next life, or into their forever resting place. they were looking for the right one, the purest of all, whom they could leave seonghwa to. the wronged soul was sleeping, their state so peaceful and unbothered, thankful to the protection of the pouch on death's string. it took longer than the sleep to find that one, wise spirit, but it was only a matter of few months. proving themselves through multiple lives, this soul, with the name hongjoong, passed all obstacles and challenges thrown his way, and after eight travels and lives, the deity deemed him worthy enough.
their route was a routine at this point. hongjoong greeting them with the brightest of smiles, always ready for a new beginning, almost running off into the void to start earlier. but this time was slightly different. instead of offering their hand, death offered the piece of fabric they had kept the tear from the human body of seonghwa. “you shall guide and protect this spirit through all it's upcoming lives. i give to you the power to look after them, care for them, help them until they find what they were meant to find before.” hongjoong listened carefully, drinking in every word the deity had to say. with the cloth in his hand, he stepped into the new reality, new body, new task.
it took him almost seventeen years to meet seonghwa. that was when he came to the company, shining so bright and so pure. the two souls immediately knew they were destined to find each other.
but only one of them knew the real reason why.