For the damned | ✓

28

"I - My name," he began, collecting himself with a breath," it doesn't matter. I don't have a name. I will probably have a title though within the next century, so you can call me by that then."

"And which title is that?" she asked.

"I'm the Grim Reaper's successor," he said bashfully," hopefully I'll be good enough to do the job."

"The Grim Reaper?" she said, tilting her head to the right," who is that?"

"You don't know him?" he frowned confusedly," you're a goddess, right? All divinity falls underneath him and the Soulweaver's rules."

"I'm guessing the Soulweaver makes the souls," Delilah mused out loud," so does he reap them?"

"You're actually correct," he said," are you sure you've never heard of them both?"

She nodded, resting her face on her hands. "So, if you're the Grim Reaper's successor, I'm assuming that other person has one as well?"

"Yeah," he said," but I've never seen her successor. I've heard it's her daughter, but at this point that could be a myth as well, because it's been a century ever since anyone last saw her apparently. I do hope she gives her spot away though when I succeed, because working together with her would be terrible."

His eyes widened then, his hand flying in front of his lips. "Don't tell anyone I said that. She's powerful and has quite the temper, I'm not looking to die before I start my job."

"You're immortal," she remarked.

"Only the Reaper and the Weaver can kill divinity and bring them back to life," he said," I don't have that power under control yet."

Interest sparked in her heart as she placed her hands beside him, leaning forward with glittering eyes.

"Can you show me?" she said.

He seemed completely taken aback by her reaction, flustered as he shook his head. "Did you not hear me say I can't control it?"

"I don't mind," she said," besides, there's no one beside the two of us here. You can break some stuff, I'm bored of it all anyway."

"I don't want to break stuff!" he exclaimed," I'll feel so bad about it afterwards. More importantly, you are here. I could hurt you."

"Don't worry," she smiled," you can't."

Even though she had never heard about all the stuff he had told her before, if there was one thing she knew for sure it was that she was powerful as well. This finally was a way to test it and to end her boredom, the excitement at meeting someone new almost flowing out into the sky, but she clenched her fists before any divinity could run wild underneath her skin.

"What's wrong?" she asked, his hesitation clear," it's alright even if you hurt me. It was my request, so it wouldn't be your responsibility."

"That's not how it works," he said," I must always be the responsible one when I'm the powerful one, the Reaper taught me that."

"Why?" she questioned curiously," power is a shackle around your feet, so why not just do whatever you want? My mother's powerful and all it has brought her is a burden to work all the time. I am powerful and all it has brought me..." She stopped talking for a moment, gaze fixated on her hands clenched on the clouds. After a moment she looked back at him. "So why?"

"Why don't you?" he replied.

Why didn't she? It wasn't like she hadn't thought of it, every second she spent here feeling like an eternity. All she had become fluent at in her years here was reading the language of the stars, but even that was something she had grown tired of. Still, even though her mother wasn't here often, when she was she was kind and warm. Leaving was not an option. Her mother only had her left.

She locked gazes with him then, flashing him a smile.

"Let's make a deal," she said," you'll show me your powers and I'll give you a name."

"What makes you think I want a name?" he said.

"Aren't you curious which one I thought up for you?" she teased, their noses almost brushing," so don't be stingy with your powers now."

"You have to lean back a little," he said, looking away," I can't concentrate with you this close."

"So that's a yes?" she beamed, immediately pulling back as she clapped her hands," alright!"

"Only once though," he warned, holding up a finger," so watch closely."

She nodded, gaze intently on him as he placed his hands down on the clouds and breathed out. A ripple of jet black spread out, inking all the clouds and contorting them in nightmarish shapes, the stars dying out of the sky as it spilled over with death. Pale souls swirled around above them, incoherent whispers mixing together, the tower crumbling as cracks started to appear in the gray bricks. He somehow had placed a protective barrier around her, his powers going straight past her, until he breathed out and a wave of death accidentally hit her.

As soon as he sensed it happening he immediately tried to reel it in, but it was too late, the shadows already dissolving in her body. He ran over, desperately grabbing her hands as he murmured some spells, but electricity flashed across her skin, turning her pale blue. She could feel her heart rate dropping, her lungs fluttering like butterfly wings, her bones breaking. Despite the fact that she could feel herself dying, all she could focus on was how pale he had become, the pure stress in his eyes as he pulled her closer.

And then she laughed.

"It's fine," she smiled, the color of her skin immediately turning back normal as soon as she breathed out," I'm fine. That was amazing though, it did surprise me for a moment."

"How are you alright?" he blinked, stunned," no one has ever survived my powers before."

"I don't know," she said honestly, voice warm as she locked gazes with him," but thank you for showing me, Helio."

He went completely silent for a moment, staring at her. "Helio?"

"Yeah," she said," I've never seen the sun before here, but I imagine it's something like you."

His cheeks flared up red as he lost his footing, falling down backwards, his eyes still on her. She took his hand in hers, a foreboding sensation already hitting her before anything happened.

"My mother's coming over," she said," you'll have to leave, or else she'll..." She paused, smiling instead. "Anyway, will you come back, Helio? I'll show you something next time."

"I don't know how I got here," he said," so I don't know how I would get back."

She pulled off the jewel around her neck without any hesitation, the necklace shattering on the clouds as she placed it in Helio's hands. Worry flashed in his eyes, his lips parting.

"Your necklace," he started," are you sure that's alright?"

"You'll find me with this," she replied simply, extending her pinky towards him then," so, is it a promise?"

He glanced from her hand back to her eyes, nodding then as he hooked his pinky with hers.

"I'll come back," he murmured.

For the first time in a century, her smile felt genuine.

"I can't wait to see you again, Helio."