Louise stood at the edge of the abyss, staring out into the endless void. The oppressive heat of Hell seemed distant here, muted by the eerie silence that surrounded her. It was hard to believe this was the same world that had tried to crush her under its weight—its demons, reapers, and restless souls all competing to break her spirit. But she had survived. And now, she faced the most important decision of all.
Azrael's words echoed in her mind.
"Do you want to stay, or do you want to go?"
It was such a simple question, yet it felt impossibly complicated. When Louise had first arrived in the Underworld, trapped after a freak accident, she had only wanted one thing: to escape. She wasn't supposed to be here; it wasn't her time. She had fought tooth and nail to stay alive, to prove her worth, and to fend off the reapers who saw her as an intruder.
But now, after all the struggles, the threats, and the endless work as Azrael's assistant, something inside her had shifted. The desire to leave wasn't as clear anymore.
She glanced back at Azrael, standing a few paces behind her. His cold, calculating eyes watched her with that same detached expression he always wore, though there was a hint of curiosity there now. He wasn't pushing her to choose, just waiting. The choice was entirely hers.
In the beginning, it had seemed obvious. Hell wasn't where she belonged. She was human. She should have returned to the world of the living. But the longer she stayed here, the more she found herself adapting. The tasks Azrael gave her, the strange, dangerous encounters with the other reapers, and even the rare moments of quiet like this—they had all shaped her into someone she didn't recognize anymore.
Could she really return to the life she'd left behind? Was there anything left for her in that world?
Azrael's voice cut through her thoughts. "If you return, you will not find the world you left behind. Time moves differently between realms. The life you knew has changed."
Louise had suspected as much. She wasn't the same person she had been before, and the world likely wasn't the same either. The people she cared about had probably moved on, assuming she was dead. Even if she did go back, she would be stepping into a life that was no longer hers. She would be a stranger in her own world.
And yet, staying in the Underworld seemed equally daunting. This wasn't her world either. She didn't belong here. But that didn't change the fact that she had survived in Hell, thrived in a way she never could have imagined.
"Maybe I don't belong anywhere," she murmured.
Azrael took a step closer, his long black coat brushing against the ground. "The Underworld is not where you were meant to be. But you have made a place for yourself here. Few can say that."
Louise considered his words. It was true. She had faced death, lived among reapers and demons, and come out stronger. The fear that had once consumed her was gone, replaced by something new. Confidence, perhaps. Or maybe acceptance.
But did that mean she should stay?
The void stretched out before her, dark and infinite. If she stepped through, there was no guarantee of what awaited her on the other side. She could return to the world of the living, try to rebuild a life there. Or she could stay here, continue working as Azrael's assistant, and embrace the fact that this strange, dangerous world had become her new home.
Closing her eyes, Louise let out a slow breath. There was no easy answer. No right or wrong path. But one thing was clear: she had the power to choose her fate, and that, more than anything, was what mattered.
When she opened her eyes, her decision was made.
Turning to Azrael, she met his gaze, silently conveying her choice. He studied her for a moment, then gave a slow, deliberate nod. No words were needed.
"Very well," he said quietly. "The path is yours."
Without another word, Azrael stepped back into the shadows, leaving Louise alone at the edge of the abyss.
Taking a deep breath, Louise faced the void. She had survived everything Hell had thrown at her, and now, she was ready for whatever came next. Whether it was life, death, or something in between, she would face it head-on.
And with that, she took her first step