The world was black all around Glen.
This was weird. He expected to wake up at Zerem's side by now. Then he would bug him to tell stories about his life.
However, no such thing happened.
Did something go wrong during his reincarnation process?
Wait!
Zerem had said something about heaven and hell. He didn't remember the exact words since it's been almost three decades now.
So did that mean he was in hell right now?
After all, he believed in the existence of God even if he was not a worshipper.
"...Ugh..."
Glen tried to move but an unintentional groan left his mouth. His whole being hurt like hell.
Yep, it was official now. He was in hell!
But where were the flames though? Wasn't there supposed to be flames here that would burn him?
"You are finally awake..." a solemn voice sounded beside him.
"What's this skyrim like bullsh-" That was when Glen noticed the peculiarity.
The one that spoke just now was him. Not Ogden but Glen.
If he was in the Underworld he should have gotten back his body.
Glen opened his eyes to see an old man in his fifties sitting beside him.
He had green eyes, high cheekbones and a sharp chin. His grey sideburns and hair created the image of a wild animal.
Glen felt familiarity towards his aura. He used to know such a man.
"We did everything we could" he said as he handed Glen a mirror and waited for his response.
Using the mirror Glen looked at himself.
What is this!?
His face that was clearly burnt black looked fine just now.
Just to be sure it was him, he moved it left and right but it was still there.
His handsome face was looking back at him!
However, compared to the past, there was one glaring difference he couldn't ignore even if he wanted to.
His right eye.
It was white.
"...We can fix what is there but we can't help regrow what's already lost" and he pointed somewhere.
Following his finger, Glen finally became aware of the fact that his right arm was still gone.
It was weird.
Just now, he was sure that he could feel his right arm. Why was it suddenly gone now?
Then Glen tried to move his right arm but-
!!!!!!!!
Pain!
Unbearable pain assaulted his senses.
He wanted to scream and shout towards the sky but held himself back. He didn't know if there were any zombies around and he couldn't risk drawing them.
Beads of sweat appeared on Glen's forehead.
"Relax your right arm. Close your eyes and imagine you are holding a gun. Then slowly let it go" Noticing his pain, the old man tried to give him some advice to lessen his pain.
Glen did as he was asked. He closed his single eye and then imagined he was holding his navy.
The rough sensation that felt just right in his sweaty palms.
He slowly put the gun in its holster.
Finally, he could feel the pain slowly recede from his arm.
"Good, I didn't expect you to get the hang of it so fast. So shall we have a talk now Mr Glen, or should I call you Night Rider?"
***
Ezekiel was patiently waiting outside the infirmary. It had been three days and aside from when he ate or slept he was always waiting for Glen to wake up.
Even though the priest showed him that Glen was fine and all the burn marks were gone, he still didn't leave his spot.
Oh yeah, priests. The men that saved them were priests but unlike the crooks from the church of night, they were proper priests from the proper church.
Of course, everyone got on edge when they revealed their identities.
After all, they had just been betrayed by a bunch who called them priests and these ones were also holding them at gunpoint.
However, unlike the others, Ezekiel was not on edge. He could feel that they were good people compared to the previous ones. He didn't have any basis for it. It was just his instinct, just like when met Glen.
So he told them about everything that happened.
Afterwards, they sent someone to check the town and found out that Glen had actually annihilated all the zombies inside the town... alone.
They didn't like the fact that the townsfolk had left him there to die but they still helped them.
It was their duty to help the weak and needy as men of god.
"Why don't you go and play with the priests?" Ezekiel heard a voice from his back.
He didn't turn around as the voice belonged to Ms Wright.
After what happened that day a rift appeared between Ezekiel and the townsfolk including Ms Wright.
Even before that their relationship was dubious at best. And now that they had burnt the bridges between them, Ezekiel had no intention of being kind to them.
"You know that if you have a good relationship with them the priest would take you away from here to somewhere safe right? So you should be good to them"
Ezekiel still didn't say anything.
He didn't understand why Ms Wright was trying so hard to talk to him. If he could be like Glen he would have already killed this two-faced snake!
"It should be you that's getting the attention of the priests. Not that crippled Glen. So why don't you listen to the big sister and go talk to-"
*SLAP*
When she called Glen a cripple, Ezekiel suddenly turned back and gave Ms Wright, who was leaning forward to talk to him at eye level, a slap across her face.
"Don't you EVER call him a cripple!" Ezekiel shouted at Ms Wright. He had never felt so much rage in his life.
She was the reason he had lost his right eye and arm!
She was the one that decided he was not going to make it.
She was the one who stopped Ezekiel from leaving.
So how dare she!
How dare she call him a cripple!
Glen's veins in his forehead bulged and wriggled like snakes. He wanted to eat her alive and tear her from limbs to limbs!
That was when the old man came out of the infirmary.
"He is all yours, kid" he said before leaving and giving Ms Wright and the giant red mark across her cheek a look.
He heard what the boy said all the way from inside. So he wouldn't find any fault with him, despite his belief saying a man should never raise their hand against women.
However, there were creatures like her that couldn't even be considered human, let alone a woman.
He was okay with her taking the kid away. It was a decision made with clear rationality behind it. What disgusted him was her attitude. Whenever she gets a chance, she always tries to bad mouth Glen and have the kid be closer to them.
She was already lucky enough that he didn't spit on her face!