"Tell me how to kill you!" I demanded.
"You can't, if it is not within Theós' plan then it cannot be done. Even if there was a way, do you really expect me to just tell you?" she said with a confident look, but her tail still trembled.
"Is that so?" I say walking closer to her. I give her a deep glare as I wrap my dark cloud around her neck and ask, "Then why do you still fear me?" She keeps silent, but her tail increased to tremble until…
"AAAHH!" The tailed Lilith screams then collapses on the floor. "I see, you experience a similar pressure to the dark cloud's decaying effect when you go against me. Although the force of this pressure seems more…conscious. You cannot disobey me can you tailed Lilith?" I say out loud observing each reaction from her tail.
"My name is Lilith… just Lilith," she tries to say still feeling the effect of the pressure from before.
"It would be rude to not give my respect to such an important part of you, consider it an honorific. Now, get up, we're leaving," I say offering her a hand.
She looks at me in confusion but then takes my skeletal hand anyways. "Thank you," she says 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. Until I find a way to strip you of your existence, any bad blood between us will only be a waste of time and get in the way of my objective. So, if you have any problems with me, you tell me," I say nonchalantly.
*Lilith sighs*
"So, what is this objective of yours? Your only job is to collect souls so what else could you possibly have in mind?" the tailed Lilith asked.
"First, I need more information. Show me this Theós," I say 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 him/her. 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 flat, dark cloud appear beneath her then she immediately dropped into it. I walk towards the dark cloud on the floor and observe it for a while before stepping into it as well.
For a moment, there was nothing but darkness everywhere. Then immediately after, I found myself before two antithetical roads diverging, with Lilith 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. Just looking at this road gave one the feeling of helplessness. If one was to step on this road, they would immediately be plunged into complete despair. Surprisingly, this road felt somewhat inviting to me.
However, on the right side, was a narrow road that was paved to perfection. A bright, blinding light could be seen at the end, which made it difficult to even look at. Just looking at this road gave me a feeling of peace. The light gave off a 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 be reduced to ash in their mortal state.
The roads weren't the only thing 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.
On the right road however, were two beings, dressed in full white, escorting two slightly bright souls on 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 completely different. They weren't frightened; they were at peace.
"How did we even get here?" I ask in confusion. "Through the entanglement of particles. You can appear anywhere that your shadows have been. By connecting two points in space, you can go anywhere on this planet in an instant. 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 ask her. "I'm not quite sure myself, a separate dimension I believe. All I know is that this is where all souls end up," the tailed Lilith answered in a humble tone. "And where is Theós?" I ask. "I believe it 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. The moment 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 on moving….
First step,
Second step,
Third step…
The closer I got to the light the more the pressure fell on me. I looked back and saw the tailed Lilith still standing where I left her.
'I see why she didn't come along, the pressure keeps getting more intense.' I thought to myself as I kept pushing forward with each step becoming more difficult to make.
Thirtieth step…
Fortieth step…
Fiftieth step…
It was only upon reaching the fiftieth step did the pressure finally become 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, there was something else keeping me in place. It was like I couldn't make the decision to move on my own. The longer I stayed there the more suffocating it felt.
'Is this really as far as I can go…? I'm not even half way there yet.' I thought to myself in despair. I look 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, but also noticed one of the beings in white was coming back from the golden gate and towards me.
"So, Cain is really no more….What is your name new Reaper?" the being in white asked. 'Reaper!' I thought to myself in shock. I then take 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 angel here to guide a soul to eternal peace. My name is Daniel…. Wait, you are able to see the gate!" he replied with a shocked yet gentle voice.
"I could barely see it," I answerd the angel then went into deep thought. 'Isn't he basically telling me that this is Heaven and angels are real?' I began to think. "Heaven is real?" I ask 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 really be that hard to believe there is a heaven, angels, and even a hell?" Daniel replied sympathetically. No one could have ever forseen the cursed role of a reaper could have come to befall another human being.
'Hell! Could that be what was beneath the dark pit at the end of the wide road.' I thought. "No, just open to different possibilities," I replied to the angel.
"What are you trying to accomplish here?" Daniel asked genuinely curious. "I need to speak with someone or something called Theós," I reply.
"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 simply do what you are meant to do. If it is not within Theós' plan then it cannot be done," he says smiling then proceeded to walk away.
'Hm, that tailed Lilith said the same thing…but why did it feel familiar to me even then, as if I had known of it all my life.' I thought. I then proceeded to walk back as well.
The pressure began to decrease considerably with each step back. As I walked back, I thought to myself, '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 that is continuaously against my very being?' I finally approached the tailed Lilith who was 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, and what gate are you talking about?" she responds with a question of her own.
"So, Cain really 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 I and my old master have learnt about over the 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 your very existence from moving any further.
I'm sure you have also noticed how that 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 just took place.
"Yes, the light seems to be alive. It gives a feeling of consciousness, as though it has a mind of its own, whispering into my soul," I thought out loud.
"Well that light and that pressure is what we have come to know as Theós. Beyond that light, no one has ever really seen Theós. My old master not only heard its voice, but had even spoken to it. That was before this curse had fallen upon him. However, he never saw it.
Now days, 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 very specific 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 ask myself as I went deep into thought.