Mortal Transferal Headquarters, Afterlife Realm.
The place known for its peace was now in a mess. One of its chambers had suddenly received a gift from the Crescentic world. And, they were presented to bones, real bones they never fathomed to see one day.
The workers, mostly immortals continued circling the scene as if it was some Christmas Eve. Murmurs spluttered around, a few godly guards guarding the scene as their comrades were being curious now.
"Are we having a feast here?" Came the loud, daunting voice that instantly made many clear the place. Ohh, well now that the devil was here, they needed to focus on their work, just on the work!
"Well Well, this is new!" The lady, leading a group of people wearing all black, commented tapping her fingers.
"At least, it wasn't something in flesh." She further commented, bending down to check on the bones.
"It was a Witch," Her assistant came forward with a tab, and passing it she showed Kyra's profile, "Kyra Yang!"
"She is summoning one of us." She further added, as their Majesty, CEO in modern terms skimmed through the profile. "And offering a contract," She cleared her throat, whispering in her ear.
"Amusing!" The lady commented, with a smirk! This was completely new!
"Clean this!" She ordered the guards, before walking into another chamber.
And it was a modified AI-run unit of their headquarters, where everything was automatically documented on the computers.
"Greetings, Majesty!" Everyone greeted her, before sitting back on their chairs as she made her to the large big screen.
"We have traced the location and it's near the E3H highway in New Manston," The team leader presented her with the location on the screen, which basically had Kyra and others simply staring at the sky.
"And," Scratching his brow, he further added, "It is the exact location where one your of junior didn't find a soul in the dead body!"
"The Soul-Eater thing?" She asked raising a brow and he nodded in response.
"Did you retrieve their recent past?" She questioned further, mainly to her assistant as she scanned the screen, specifically Kyra.
"We are still working on it," Diana nervously answered, only to receive a glare as she expected. Their CEO needed them to work at the speed of light, and if failed nothing would go well for them the next few days.
"You bunch of lazybones!" Shaking her head, Lady Winter walked out of that unit mainly with surprising questions.
"You guys head back on your duty!" She commanded walking through the corridors. And turning to her assistant, she added, "Get me my Grim Reaper suit! I will handle this myself."
"But, you will only," Her assistant shut her mouth at her sharp glare. Her boss was typically cold just like her name, and even after working for centuries under her, she hadn't managed to get used to her expressions.
"At your command, Majesty!" She bowed, before teleporting to get things ready for her. She just wished all lives to be spared by her tonight! Specifically of that Witch's who had dared to envoke war in their afterlife realm.
---
While on the Highway.
Kyra sighed as nothing showed up in front of them. She wasn't sure if she had a mistake or was it those afterlife people who were ignoring her little demand.
Was it that hard to just show up? Or would they lose their faces by showing up? She barely held her anger now that it looked like they were actually acting blind.
"Kyra!!" Kevin burst out again, this time even entering the Chakra as Kyra just like a statue.
"Will anyone show up?" He asked, looking into her eyes, and added, "We barely have 15 minutes now!"
"I will just call Chief Adams!" Anna worriedly reached for her pockets. Now that Kyra's black magic wasn't working, she needed him to in form and at least prison the Wendigo that could eat souls!
"I think we should wait a few more minutes!" David mumbled as he saw the sky rumbling for some odd reason. No, it wasn't a storm but due to something else, and a blue hue soon started coating the dark sky.
"Everyone, get on your knees!" Kyra ordered, looking at the sky. Finally, there was some response.
"I said right now!!" She yelled as everyone just looked at her as if she was acting mentally weird.
"Follow her orders!" Even Anna demanded, getting on her knees and so did everyone frantically as the thunders roared to their surprise.
Kyra looked at the culprit, barely managing to sit as its skin was almost turned into green by the reaction of a spell cloned in shackles. Just a few more minutes, and that bastard will see hell! She thought, looking up at the sky that was looming with magic rays all around.
Something shined, those clouds shattering like twinkling stars as a shiny blue ray struck the ground. Soon after a second, a lady wearing a black cloak, stood in front of them, that ray reaching back into the sky and settling as a star.
She removed her hood, connected to that cloak made of luxurious silk, so shiny that it enriched her ravishing beauty. Her body was still in perfect shape, unlike her age which was rotting behind decades. A pair of enticing, constellation-blue eyes gazed at them, her heart-shaped, red-painted lips curving up as she saw the awe in their eyes. Her moon shadow-black hair, reaching up to her waist, swayed as she walked towards them, her smile alluring them to continue staring at her.
Wait, weren't they expecting a grim reaper here? A skeletal figure holding a scythe? But why was a goddess showing up? Many thought, specifically as he stared at her blue eyes.
And as she reached them, standing just at the edge of Vishachati Chakra, Kyra who just like everyone was stupified, suddenly realized her job.
Placing her palms, one over the other, she lowered her eyes, and greeted, "On behalf of my teammates, I apologize for our disrespect," Calculating the right words, Kyra further added, "and also thank you for honoring us with your presence, your high... Ms. Grim Reaper!"
She then bowed, her head almost touching the ground, and at her gesture, others followed who were busy admiring the goddess, bowed just like Kyra.
Lady Winter chuckled hearing her address, Ms Grim Reaper! That was a pleasing to hear. She further laughed out loud recalling her lines, that were typically the best greetings she had heard in centuries! Ohh, she missed those medieval times when people would greet her the same way, unlike the present modern world.
"You may rise!" She replied, crossing her hands behind her back. That gave off a whole dominant and cold vibe, tickling fear in many of them.
"It's good to be back in the living realm!" Lady Winter mumbled, looking around as everyone stood up on their feet. Since when was it that she last lead a soul to the afterlife realm! Ohh, it was 80 years back when the present King Arnold's father passed away, she thought recollecting her memory.
"And, thanks for the compliments!" She added, nodding to everyone and most of them blushed, flustered that she had caught them staring at her. "We Grim Repears are very beautiful creatures, unlike how many folklores describe us," Lady Winter cleared their thoughts, and then staring at Kevin, she added, "And scythes are too outdated! We have stopped using them in 17s itself!"
Kevin bowed his head in response. They could read thoughts as well, that was a new piece of info about her whole Grim Reaper cult.
"Now, Now!" Rubbing her hands that were covered in lacy black gloves, she smiled at Kyra, "Shall we get done with the business?"
Kyra nodded but was too scared to speak, worse demanding anything from her. She looked poised as well as dangerous that Kyra's mind wasn't willing to manipulate her and crave more disasters.
"Why did you summon us?" Lady Winter questioned, looking at her black-painted nails and when Kyra stammered to even utter a word, she further asked, "To retrieve all of your souls?"
And immediately, everyone felt their heart sink. This lady didn't look like she was joking as she even pointed at each one of them. Oh wait, she was actually counting them! Like, for real!!
"No! I summoned you to inform something else!!" Kyra answered boldly, though sweat was flowing all over her body even in that harsh winter.
"I am sure you are tracking a lost soul that had escaped this radar, exactly on this time yesterday," Looking at her watch, Kyra continued, "11 minutes farther than now!"
Lady Winter's brow twitched, merely interested in her theories. She was actually here to devour them all! To warn the world know what it costs to summon them, the greatest of all!
"Well, we have eased your worries and found that soul for you!" Such arrogant words, Lady Winter just wanted to slit her neck!
"It's inside that creature! You can extract it out and take her to the afterlife!" Kyra added pointing at the Wendigo. A few wolves standing beside it, immediately bowed as Lady Winter turned around to take a look.
"And why should I believe you?" She questioned, crossing her hands behind her back, and everyone almost had a heart attack seeing her devilish smile.
"Because it's the truth! If you don't act now, that soul would get dissipated in less than 10 minutes!" Kyra pressed. At first, she wanted to play polite but being her true self sounded better. And unfortunately, it wasn't helping them either.
"And why should I care? Often lost souls are considered criminals! Most of them, try to run from us and our office doesn't care to run behind them." Lady Winter explained, "As unlike you mortals, we have plenty of jobs to do!"
She was totally degrading them! Giving back the arrogance that had angered her at the last minute!
"But, she isn't a lost soul! She is a trapped one!!" Kyra grumbled, her eyes almost blazing like fire. Lady Winter liked that color in her eyes, one filled with both honesty and frustration!
"And why should I believe you?" Lady Winter questioned instead. "After all, Soul-Eaters are now just children's Halloween costumes!" She further commented fueling their anger.
"And, most importantly," Turning around, Lady Winter looked at the creature and stated, "It looks so weak! What if I hurt the innocent by believing in your irrational theories?"
Oh, Kyra wanted to murder her by now! She was so difficult to handle that she wished to strangle her to death. Pity, she was not a mortal like them!!