The Sins of Duke Evander (BOOK III)

Chapter 31- To Live or to Die

--Alina POV--

Two people, I would think that's what they were, but it was hard to tell, sat in front of me in the white room where nothing but three chairs sat in the middle, each chair occupied by each of us.

A woman, and a man.

Despite the fact that they didn't look very humane, they were both, undoubtedly beautiful. So beautiful that it wouldn't be possible for them to be human.

Their eyes, for starters, were unlike any other, the man had sparkling silver eyes, the same shade as his hair, with a golden border around the pupil, and he had large wings that dragged behind him, one of them white while the other one was black, making me wonder if he was a devil or an angel?

And as for the woman that sat beside him, she didn't have any wings, but that didn't make her look any less of a heavenly being. She had golden eyes, and deep black hair that hung around her in perfect waves, she was poised, graceful, and unnaturally beautiful.

"What, or who, exactly are you both?" I hesitantly decided to ask.

"Is that really important?" The woman asked as the man quickly spoke after her as if to prevent my feelings from being hurt.

"Well, I'm an angel, my name is Dorian, and this isn't my true form, but I'm temporarily working as a sustainer that goes by the name 4501. Call me whatever you are comfortable with,"

"A sustainer?" I asked.

"Yes. Sustainers are the bridge for humans, a bridge between life and death. We help humans that have passed away decide what to do moving forward, choosing between life after death, or reincarnation, understand?" I slowly nodded my head.

"Does that mean... I'm dead?" I asked, an empty feeling resting in my chest.

Not once did I think to entertain the possibility of dying like this. I was murdered in my own home, in my husbands' arms, without being able to hold my children even once.

"Not exactly. If you were dead then I wouldn't be here, and you would have a real sustainer talking to you instead of Dorian," The woman spoke up.

"And who are you?" I asked, having thought that she was the same as him, but I guess not.

"I don't have a title like Dorian here does... I'm often thought of as a soul catcher, an observer, but probably most commonly known to you as, a death reaper, or just a reaper for short," She crossed her arms and legs, leaning back on her chair.

"I'm sorry, I-I don't understand," I sighed, clenching onto the fabric of the white dress I wore. I had no idea what was happening right now. One minute I was held hostage with a knife pressed against my neck, the next moment I was lying on the ground after falling from the balcony, and now, all of a sudden, I'm in a white room with two heavenly beings.

"Nothing surprising about that. To put it simply, you, Alina, are in a coma... And we're both here to figure out if you want to live or to die,"

"You mean I'm not dead?" I quickly looked up at them as they nodded.

"You're not... You've been gifted with another chance, and it's solely up to you on whether you want to take this chance or not, but make sure you think before you tell us because there's no going back once you make your choice," Dorian said.

"If you chose to die, then I'll collect your soul and take you up to the heavenly realm where a real sustainer will help you decide on what you want to do from there; afterlife of reincarnation. And if you choose to live, then Dorian will properly align your soul with your body so you don't accidentally drop dead after waking up,"