A warm light appeared, and from the light, a figure approached me.
The warmth emanating from this was the first thing I'd truly sensed for what felt like an eternity.
Closer and closer, the warmth approached, till I was now aware of what or who it was.
A woman.
She wore the whitest dress I'd ever seen and had the most gentle look one could ever imagine. Her presence was enough for me to feel relaxed. She held a lamp, which gave off light, but most of the light came from herself.
Moria.
That was her name. Maybe she mentioned it, whispered it to me, or I saw it. It suited her; Death was a gentle being.
She smiled at me, and I was ready to give up everything and accept whatever she told me.
I didn't notice until then that I was afraid. The fear I felt was because I didn't know what I had become, or what awaited me.
At least, she was here to answer those questions.
"You've carried enough. Let me carry you now."
Moria reached a hand out, and I prepared to be accepted, but...
Her hand froze, and her smile faltered. For the first time in eternity, Death had a never-before-seen expression.
Confusion.
She stepped closer, raising the lantern as she studied me.
"I know every human soul," she said as her confusion grew.
"I do not know yours."
The warmth disappeared from all around me. Another feeling arose.
The second feeling since forever—panic.
What did that mean?
"You're not mine," she said finally.
With the disappearance of the warmth, it should just have reverted to the way it was before, but immediately, I was assaulted by coldness that came from everywhere all at once.
The darkness beside Moria fell like a cloak, settling over another being that stood beside her.
This one took a step, and frost spread towards me.
What happens when I'm rejected by death?
It approached me, chilling my surroundings further with each step.
Lethe
That was the name this one used to identify itself. I thought it was now appearing, yet it also felt like it had been here all along.
"An unclaimed soul."
It had a voice that was emotionless. It wasn't gentle like Moria, speaking with a voice that was defined by its chill.
Its face was hidden by the darkness cloaking it as it stepped closer.
"You are not here because of sin, not being punished for a wrong you have done. You have no place with the living."
It stepped back five times.
"You are not mine to be claimed."
Rejection again.
That was when I understood...Lethe wasn't another being. It was another embodiment of death.
Now that I had been rejected twice by death, I wasn't sure what would happen.
This encounter with death disturbed the understanding I had of death.
How could I have known death had more than one form?
My thoughts were disturbed by countless voices.
Fear
This was a third feeling that overshadowed all I had felt from Moria and Lethe.
The voices whispered in overlapping volumes, and I could hear what every voice said, yet I heard nothing at the same time.
None of the voices sounded human. Beasts, creatures I couldn't relate to. It filled me with terror. Some voices wailed, groaned, whimpered, shouted, growled, and screeched.
It was hellish.
A bloody mist appeared before me, and from it came twisted antlers that looked like dead trees.
Endless rows of jagged teeth and a pair of crimson eyes formed its face.
I felt hunted.
It laughed. I knew it was laughter, but the sound didn't come from it. It existed in the form of the whispers that came from every direction.
"What strange prey," it whispered in countless voices as it circled me, sniffing me.
It grinned at me. "You smell of humanity."
It sniffed me again.
"You smell of death."
It sniffed me a third time.
"You do not smell like any beasts; your scent has no identity."
It twisted its head upside down and stared at me.
"I have hunted every beast and creature that exists beneath creation, but I have never hunted one such as you. Where do you belong? You're not mine either."
Khaelos.
That was the name of this one.
It was another embodiment of death, and it rejected me also.
Three embodiments of death studied me; the impossible possibility.
What am I?
They all concluded I wasn't human, rejecting me immediately.
Moria turned to the side, and I looked there.
I saw what seemed to have existed before, but didn't exist.
An empty throne.
Khaelos' grin disappeared as he looked there as well, and even Lethe, who was unresponsive, had a reaction.
"Could it be..."
Moria whispered, but Khaelos hissed back.
"Impossible."
"No new creation has been born, and he doesn't belong to them either," Lethe added.
"Then why can't he be claimed?" Moria asked.
Khaelos smiled. It was a cruel smile that filled me with dread.
"Remove him then."
It stepped towards me.
Remove?
"An anomaly without a place threatens the order of all things," Khaelos whispered. "it is better to remove than to let this exist."
It raised a claw towards me.
Moria appeared between us, lantern raised. And for the first time, she was angry.
"No."
Khaelos didn't step back, his grin growing wider.
"You would dare to protect what isn't yours?"
"He's frightened." She shielded me with her other hand, sending warmth that scattered my fear.
"Destruction without understanding is inefficient," Lethe spoke coldly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"You would keep this abomination?" Khaelos sounded more predatory, even to Lethe.
But Lethe was unaffected. "I would observe it," Lethe replied.
They all looked at me, and I was disturbed by having no identity.
"There is one possibility," Moria lowered her lantern.
What possibility?! I thought desperately.
My hopes were crushed the moment they were born as she shook her head.
"No, it can't be. Because if it were, he would be allowed to—"
She paused, and they all turned around at once.
I felt something moving behind the empty throne, and Khaelos drew what looked like a sharp weapon formed from bones, teeth, and hides.
A different form of terror shrouded me, and I felt an overwhelming power approaching.
Click.
It was a simple sound, but with that sound, time stopped, freezing all deaths.
Click.
With this second click, the place was shrouded in darkness.
Death was nowhere to be found.