Otiose by sink.122

The After Quarters are where souls go after they die. Souls are given two choices to heighten or lower the chance of meeting their loved ones in their next life. First, they have to choose whether they wish to continue to a second life or not. If they wish for the latter they will simply disappear. If they do wish to continue on to a new life, the first choice is whether they wish to remember their previous life or not. If not, the chances of those souls reuniting are lower. If yes, that soul can use their memory to their advantage and try to find their loved ones until they have to go to their next life. After making these choices, the souls that decided to live another life must go to the After Quarters where each soul is matched to an occupation before living their next life.

"I want to keep my memories," Olivya decides.

I want to remember them even if they don't remember me, they're my best friend.

"Don't force someone to remember their previous life. I told you the consequences. Be careful, you and all of the other souls will look different. Not entirely, but it is possible to mistake one for another" Voice states.

"I understand."

"You have six hundred years."

The conversation replays in Olivya's head repeatedly as she's guided by Otiose, her mentor, to the quarter she'll be helping with.

"Why am I glowing blue?" Olivya asked, looking at her hand emitting a vague blue glow that becomes brighter as they walk down a dim hallway.

"You've been matched with the Mourning Quarter; each quarter gets a color" Otiose states proud of themselves for knowing this fact.

"What are the After Quarters exactly? That voice earlier mentioned souls go there after death, but they didn't explain in much detail."

Otiose sighs, "Why do they never explain anything clearly. Firstly, their name is Voice not 'That Voice.' Second, it's where souls work and live."

"That wasn't a good explanation."

"Think of 'The Bee Movie'."

"Never watched that."

"'Inside Out'?"

"Uh…no."

"..."

"..."

"Ask someone else then" Otiose says, breaking the awkward silence. The two make a turn and continue walking.

"I don't understand why I have six hundred years when we live in the After Quarters for twelve-hundred."

"After your six hundred year period, your soul has to be prepared in the Prospering Quarter"

Is six hundred like six years?It seems like a lot but Voice said it's hard to specifically find someone. I mean Voice said something about helping with lost souls or occupations, but what does that even mean? Will all the souls be busy? Is there really that many souls in the Mourning Quarter to where it affects the After Quarters as a whole? What about Alan? How am I supposed to convince him to want to remember me? To remember what happened? It would be selfish to make him remember just to make myself feel better. If he remembers, what am I supposed to do if he doesn't hear me out? What if he kills me again in our next life? I hope he doesn't remember. If he remembers then he might make Alia remember. That'll create a bigger misunderstanding. Maybe I should find him first.

"Anyone there" Otiose says plainly to Olivya.

"Where" Olivya says, turning her head confused.

"Have you listened to anything I said just now?"

"Not quite," Olivya admitted rubbing the back of her neck.

Otiose sighs, "I was letting you know that you'll forget your name once we open these doors."

"Wait, why?" What am I supposed to do if he doesn't even know my name?

"I heard it's a new condition that has to do with the whole forcing souls to remember their past lives and all" Otiose explained before opening the doors.

"You heard?" Olivya said worriedly.

"I've only been a mentor for a few months. Give me a break. Let's go."

"Wait-"

It's too late as Otiose opens the doors to the After Quarters.

This makes everything harder.

Two Hundred years later

The girl has had no luck finding Alan, or Alia for that matter. She was sure Alan also died because she saw him drink poison. At least she thought it was, the vial in his hand looked hazardous and before dying he was coughing a lot. If he didn't die then, he's surely dead now, it's been a hundred years. The girl guides the last soul in the Mourning quarter to their room for the night. Souls have much more stamina in the After Quarters, she's been working without rest for a month and she's only just now getting tired.

The girl yawns and stretches, kicking a few pebbles as she walks out of the Mourning Quarter to her home. Walking in the city area of the After Quarters makes her feel reminiscent. She's had many walks with Alia, her best friend, on her way home from work where she was an intern at her dad's company.

"You should've been my father's daughter," Alia stars. "You seem to know much more about the business world than I do."

"That's not true, you know just as much as me," the girl says.

"I guess, but at least you want to know. I don't really care for my dad's company like that," Alia admitted.

"That does suck, maybe he'll skip you and choose your brother to be the heir. It's not like he's much younger" she says, trying to brighten up Alia's mood.

"I doubt it, but it's okay as long as I have you beside me" Alia says smiling at the girl.

"Always. I'll even sneak and do your work for you."

They both laugh as they walk back to the girl's apartment.

I wonder where she is. I don't know what I would do if she didn't believe me. While I have the courage, I should find Alan. I hope they didn't go to the Passing Quarter, where souls end their time at the After Quarters early. Souls must take some test to know if they'll even be allowed the chance. Those chances are low for any souls, especially since the Passing Quarter has been closed due to the shortage of mentors and the overflow of lost souls needing to be retrieved. I'll just hope they're safe somewhere in another quarter.

The girl bumps into someone and causes them to drop all of what they're holding. She apologizes immediately, "I am so sorry! I was not paying attention, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." The soul kindly smiles.

That smile…

The girl looks at the person she bumped into and feels familiarity.

This can't be. Is it really him? I wasn't even looking for him this time.

"Excuse me," the girl said, eyes wide without thinking.

"Yes?" the soul said.

I can't get my hopes up, but his demeanor is the same. His hair is a bit different but his eyes... It must be him.

"What's your name?"

"...My name?"

"Sorry, I meant if you went by a name. Some souls choose one for themselves since they don't remember or would just like another one" the girl laughs awkwardly.

Am I dumb? Some souls are sensitive about this type of thing. Why would I ask a stranger something so personal?

"Oh."

"Oh."

Great.

"I-"

"I never thought of giving myself a name," the soul says.

"Really are you new?" The girl is shocked.

How can it not even cross his mind?

"I got assigned here only a few months ago" he started. "With the whole new stamina thing, my mentor has been putting me to work, so I haven't had time to think of much to begin with..." the boy says, a little embarrassed.

"Oh" she asks, not acknowledging anything else the soul says.

"Yea I'm in the Fostering Quarter, though you probably already know that since I glow yellow" the soul said scratching their neck.

It's not him. It would've been his hundredth-something year. I was so sure it was him, they even have similar tones in their voices.

The girl just got from a meeting at her father's company. As she walks down the hallway she bumps someone.

She apologizes immediately, "I was not paying attention! I am so sorry. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Alan smiles.

"Are you Alan by chance?"

"Yea, you must be…?"

The boy seemed to say more to the girl but she didn't hear him.

"But anyways, I'll see you around?" Alan asks.

"Yea. See you."

They go their separate ways.

I know enough, right? We even ran into each other the same way; this must be him. It has to be him. It has to.