Death's Solace

Prologue

What does it take for a scarred soul to heal? How broken should you be to feel valid?

What do people feel when they die?

Do they feel satisfied? Regretful?

Death is feared by everyone, except for her.

To her, death is her escape. The only thing she believes that can put her out of misery.

Death is not a hellhole but rather her solace.

Lumiere Eclise has been living her life in sheer demise. She is the perfect personification of the quote, "Not dead. Not alive. Just breathing."

A family, according to everyone else, is the foundation of love. But how could it be that in my supposed home, love binds nothing? It does not exist.

Her right hand gripped her clothes, as the other hand caressed her bruised cheek, sore from the stinging pain she received from her father. She licked her lips as she savored the metallic taste of blood on her purple lips.

At a very young age, Lumiere had learned how to keep quiet when being beaten. She had practiced herself not to shed a tear or make small noises. She did it because her parents forced her to.

"It was a simple mental arithmetic question, yet you failed to answer correctly! You were in a national contest! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for us?! Disgrace! Get out of my sight!" Her father's voice echoed across the room, his tone etched with disappointment and disbelief.

"But dad... look I-I still placed second... i-it's just that the time was running short a-and-" The child's trembling, yet soft voice resonated in his ears. One could tell that she was afraid with minimal effort.

And it irked her dad even more. He quickly turned around and kicked her hard in the stomach before shouting,

"Who the fuck cares if you place second, you dumb brat?!" Another raised tone made the child wince in fear.

Every word he spouted stabbed the little girl's heart. And yet she did not cry. She bore with the pain and curled her body, hoping to lessen the ache of her father's attacks.

"What is that noise-? Ah. Dad, you're at it again?"

A yawning figure entered the picture. It was Stan Eclise. Lumi's half-brother.

"Tsk. Don't just enter the room. I already told you a couple of times that I don't like it when I am being bothered," Winston complained while glaring at his child, obviously telling him to get away.

"Chill. I just want to congratulate my little sister for being the most pathetic kid this year. Oh, and maybe for being an idiot second placer too." Stan smirked as he ridiculed Lumi. His hand was in his pocket while his face leaned towards the poor girl.

"Brat, get out of my sight! You're never leaving this house until you've learned your lesson!"

Lumiere suddenly snapped back to reality. Her breathing got ragged, and her pupils shook violently at the memories of her abusive father. "It's fine. No one's here. It's all nothing but a memory now. They can't hurt you anymore." She silently consoled herself while wiping the tears streaming like waterfalls down her face.

Just as she was about to take a deep breath, flashing lights blinded her sight.

She froze.

But she's not feeling anything.

She was fascinated instead.

With the different colors, from the traffic lights to the loud noises of the cars, she felt amazed. It was like she was looking at a masterpiece about to be completed.

As ecstasy filled her system, she said, "What a beautiful day."

She closed her eyes, letting the cold breeze brush against her skin.

It's cold, but my body heat prevents me from shivering. Why does it seem the truck is moving slowly? Wait-why is it getting way too out of reach-?

Her thoughts were instantly cut off when someone grabbed her.

"Tsk. This woman is about to give me a hundred problems." A voice rang through her ears. It was chilling enough to send shivers down her spine.

The cold from the night seems to have no impact. But that speech-that expression, it made her lose her mind for a second.

Lumiere quickly turned her head to see the owner of the voice-the man who stopped her from almost dying.

"What-? What did you do?! I was halfway to death, imbecile!" She tried to push his shoulder, but it didn't move an inch.

Yet Lumiere-who expected the man to get mad-got an unexpected response.

"How'd you do that?" He asked with narrowed eyes, glancing from right to left, and knitted brows causing him to grimace. "How can a mere mortal like you possibly see me?"

"What are you talking about? Are you on drugs?" Her brow raised as she eyed him with sarcastic disbelief.

"If only I am. But that's not the problem here. You shouldn't see me, and you can't die."

At least not for now.

Even though she was still unsure of the situation, she mustered up all her remaining courage and raised her voice as she spoke, "And why is that? Who are you to decide my fate?"

"Grim Reaper-"

"Excuse me, what?" Her eyebrows almost formed a line at the man's unbelievable answer.

I understand that he's no ordinary man, but how the heck is he a grim reaper?!

"-I am a Grim Reaper."