The full moon cast an eerie glow over the graveyard as Soul made her way through the tombstones. It was close to midnight, and she had received a strange request to arrange a private viewing for a client at that time.
As she walked, Soul's eyes darted nervously around the graveyard. She was already feeling uneasy about being out there at that hour, but the strange request from the client had demanded her presence.
She made her way through the graveyard under the bright full moon, then she suddenly heard a voice calling out to her from behind a tombstone. Startled, she spun around to face the source of the voice, and her heart leapt into her throat.
Standing before her was a man, tall and imposing, with eyes that shone like emeralds in the moonlight. But it wasn't just his appearance that caught her off guard - it was the fact that he seemed to materialize out of thin air, as if he had been there one moment and gone the next. She could see that he was dressed in an old-fashioned suit, with a black hat pulled low over his eyes, his face half-hidden in shadow. She couldn't see his features clearly, but she could sense his piercing gaze at her.
"Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite her racing heart.
The man didn't answer, but continued to stare at her intensely. Layla felt a chill run down her spine. She knew there was something off about him, something otherworldly.
"I couldn't help but notice you out here alone," he said, his voice cool and controlled. "Are you lost?"
"No, I'm not lost. I'm just passing through," she said, trying to keep the fear from her voice. "I have a job to do."
The man raised an eyebrow, and she could feel his gaze linger on her. "And what job would that be?"
"I'm a funeral director," she said. "I have a private viewing to arrange for a client."
"At midnight?" the man asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yes," Soul replied, feeling a little defensive. "It's a strange request, I know, but it's what the client wants."
The man studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Well then," he said at last, "perhaps I can help you find your way?"
She hesitated, unsure if she could trust this stranger. But there was something about him that made her feel safe, despite his mysteriousness. "Okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man gestured for her to follow him, and Layla fell into step behind him.
As she walked, Soul couldn't help but feel uneasy. She was alone with a stranger in the graveyard, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves in the wind. Suddenly, she tripped over a protruding root and stumbled forward. But before she could hit the ground, a strong hand caught her and pulled her back.
"Careful there," a deep voice said, the words sending a shiver down her spine. "Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."
Soul felt a jolt of electricity shoot up her spine at his touch. She looked up at him, seeing his face more clearly in the moonlight. His features were chiseled and sharp, his eyes dark and intense. She couldn't help but feel a strange attraction to him, despite her better judgment.
"Thanks," Soul said, trying to regain her composure as she tried to ignore the heat rising to her cheeks.
The man gave her a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Be careful," he said, his tone cool and distant. "The dead can be quite unforgiving."
She shivered at his words and watched as he carefully let go of her and quickly distanced himself. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about him, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
As she continued on her way to the client's house, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"So, are you also heading to the client's house?" she asked, trying to break the awkward silence.
The man turned to look at her. "I have business with the deceased", he replied in a serious tone.
She was unsure whether to laugh or stay quiet, but she felt a sense of unease at the man's response. "Business with the dead client?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You're not a tax collector or anything, are you?"
The man's lips curved into a faint smile. "Let's just say I have some unfinished business with the deceased," he said cryptically.
Soul didn't know what to make of his words, but she could sense the gravity in his tone. "Are you a friend of the family?" she asked tentatively.
The man shook his head. "Not exactly."
As they continued walking, she couldn't help but steal glances at the mysterious stranger. There was something about him that made her feel both curious and apprehensive at the same time. She sensed that he was not an ordinary man.
The moonlight danced on the leaves of the trees overhead, casting a shimmering glow over the two of them. She was grateful for the man's company, but at the same time, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in company with danger.
As they walked, the man kept silent, but Soul could feel his presence beside her, a comforting presence in the darkness. She couldn't help but wonder who he was, and what his business was with her client.
Then, the man's demeanor changed, and he spoke in a deep and contemplative tone.
"Do you ever think about death?" he asked, his voice low and gravelly. His eyes on the dark path in front of them.
Soul was taken aback by the question, but she couldn't help but be drawn in by the man's mysterious aura. "Of course, I do," she replied cautiously. "It's something that we all have to face eventually."
The man nodded, his gaze fixed on a distant gravestone. "Death is a mysterious thing, isn't it? No one really knows what happens after death, but there's more to it than just the end."
She turned to him, curious. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man paused, as if considering his words carefully. "Death is not a finality," he repeated. "It is merely a passage to a new beginning. The soul leaves the body, and the body returns to the earth. But the soul... the soul moves on to a new existence."
She was fascinated by his words. They sounded like they came from someone who had lived for centuries and had seen things beyond mortal comprehension. "Do you believe in an afterlife?" she asked.
The man's lips curved into a slight smile. "I don't need to believe," he replied. "I know."
Soul was both intrigued and unsettled by his words. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something mysterious and alluring about him.
Finally, she spoke up. "You seem to have a deep understanding of death," she said, trying to keep her voice casual
.
The man turned to her, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I have seen it many times," he said simply.
She shivered, but not out of fear. There was something about the way he spoke. She couldn't explain it, but she felt drawn to him in a way she had never felt before. She, too, is fascinated by death after all.
When they reached the client's house, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. The house was dark, and there was no sign of anyone inside.
"I don't think we're in the right place," she said, starting to feel uneasy again.
There was a strange, eerie silence and her unease grew. "I'm certain we're in the right place", he sounded really sure as he looked at the house. He headed toward the front door and she followed him even as he walked through the dimly lit hallway, and she was relieved when they finally arrived at a room where the private viewing was to take place.
But as they were about to enter the room, a door across from it suddenly flew open, revealing a dark figure standing in the doorway.
She let out a shriek, quite startled.
The figure stepped closer, revealing itself to be a man, his eyes blazing with anger. "What are you doing here?" he growled.
She flinched, her voice caught in her throat. The stranger pushed her behind him and stepped forward. "We're here to arrange the private viewing," he replied calmly.
The man in the doorway snorted. "Private viewing? There's no private viewing tonight. And certainly not for the likes of you."
She felt a shiver run down her spine when she heard what the angry man said. Something in what he said seemed to have struck a cord in the handsome stranger.
"I'm not here for you", he said with a chilling voice. He had a menacing look on his face.
"The hell you are. You should not have set foot in this house. You're not welcome here, reaper", the angry man fired back.
She was caught in the middle of the two men, but that wasn't the one that bothered her. It was what the angry man said about the mysterious stranger.
"Reaper?", she whispered. Did she hear it right? Or was it just some name meant to offend the stranger?
Then the furious man shouted at the man beside her. "Get out of here, reaper! You won't take Sarah away from me!"
She was speechless and was just rooted to where she was, not understanding what the man was saying. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew that this was far from a normal private viewing.