"The final stage of evolution is laziness. True laziness can only be achieved through pain and hard work," the female Grim Reaper declared, her hands resting firmly on the twins' shoulders. Her voice, both ominous and oddly soothing, wove through the dimly lit void surrounding them. "The world I'm about to send you to is riddled with danger at every turn. The only way you'll survive is by overcoming it all."
She stepped behind them, lifting her arms high, her joyous tone rising in fervor. "In that galaxy, there exists only one sun, one moon, and one planet in its entire system. Imagine the adventures you could have—perilous, yes, but adventure is promised nonetheless. The planet itself rivals Jupiter in size, and the humans who inhabit it were not altered differently by evolution. As a result, every single one of them bears black skin."
"I've heard of Jupiter before... from one of our mothers stories ," one of the twins murmured, eyes glimmering with curiosity.
The Grim Reaper suddenly lowered herself onto the ground, reclining against the seated twins. A moment of silence stretched before she spoke again. "Before I send you to this world, you must answer me one question." Her voice softened, almost wistful. "Why do you cling so desperately to life?"
The boy hesitated before answering. "I... I don't know."
"The darkness, brother," his sister reminded him, her voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Yes, I remember now. Mother... before nightfall, she would always light a candle—every single night. She knew our greatest fear was the darkness, and she wanted to protect us from it. We grew up knowing that when we die, we'd be doomed to eternal darkness. That's why we cling to life... because we're afraid."
The Grim Reaper exhaled deeply, as though satisfied with their answer. "It's time."
Above them, a swirling portal erupted into existence, its gravitational pull growing stronger.
As the twins felt themselves being drawn in, the Grim Reaper began to sing—a lullaby, her voice weaving through the air like a distant memory.
The boy's heart clenched. "Wait... wait! That's my mother's lullaby! Do you know where is she?".