1 Bridge To Oblivian...

Bitter cold... the only thing I fell.. seeing nothing around me, complete darkness... I felt myself start to choke, unable to get a breath.. suffocating but not know how.. clawing somewhere anywhere but not seeing my own hands, trying to speak but hearing nothing, not know how to make a word. Suddenly a sight of a candle starts to glow next to me... Its distant from me, approaching it watching it not come any closer, another candle lights next to me, they begin to grow brighter and more substantial, a flash of light and as I open my eyes.. a desk is in front of me. The cold continues to linger as I move around the room, looking at the empty office and bookcases I spot a mirror. I come close to it, and as I look at it, I see nothing...

The sound of a door opening behind startled me, I turn around and see someone standing there. He had black hair short hair, dressed in a trenched coat and blue jeans; his eyes had a strange tint to them. The man began to walk around the room, rubbing his hand Against the desk as if he is examining the room itself utterly oblivious to me. Walking up to the chair on the other side of the office and pulling it outward, as he looked at me and said.

"That's some dream, there.. an interrogation room, of all places." In a soft but dark tone.

I try to speak, but no words come out, I fell as if I have nothing at all, the man walks up to me and snaps his figure. Suddenly I fall to the ground I fell myself gasping for air, the sudden pain in my chest and the growing pain pulsating in my head makes me wish he never did what he did, I mutter in pain.

"Wh-what did you do to me.." I fell the tears swell up in my eyes as I force myself to raise my head and look at him still trying my best just to catch my breath

The man is standing over me, hunches over, and smiles.

"There there, take a moment. we have much to discuss."

The pain continues to swell in my chest, I groan in pain Coughing. The man walks back over to the desk and sits down, he pulls out a book and places it on the table and starts to wipe away the dust that was on it. He looks down at me laying on the floor and waves his hand towards me; Suddenly the pain is gone. I pat at myself around the area where the pain was, noticing there is nothing, weakly I stand up and look at the mirror, this time seeing a reflection. Hair down to my shoulder blades, with a crown braid, followed to a ponytail. A short shirt exposing my bellybutton and a jacket battered and riped all over. I have ripped blue jeans and running shoes. I Examine myself for a little bit until I hear the man behind me, clear his throat.

"Please.. take a seat.."

Hesitantly I walk over still eyes glued to the mirror when I reach the desk I sit down across from the strange man and ask him.

"What's going on? Where are we?"

The man stops reading his book and looks up at me for a moment before speaking.

"Welcome to your final dream, on the boundary between life and death."

I sit there for a moment.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

the man takes out a pen and starting writing onto a loose piece of paper as he explains to me

"You have died... my name is Psychopomps, and I am the guide to the deceased."

I shake my head back and forth and sign for a moment.

"Do you think I will believe that?"

Psychopomps start to laugh to himself as he continues to write, he looks at me with his glowing red eyes and says.

"You won't be able to get your head around it, not just yet."

I hunch back into the chair, thinking to myself *This man must be nuts..* I sit up and reply to him.

"Riiiight will go with that."

Psychopomps stand up for a moment and walk over to the mirror, picking it up looking into it, he then asks with his back turned away from me.

"You seem to have a lot of doubt... Let me ask you something, what is your name?"

Impatiently I reply

"Ugh, please. just get to the point, will you...."

A Moment of silence passes as I sat here looking down, thinking. and I ask

"... Hey... what is my name?"

Psychopomps began asking me more questions.

"What were you doing before you came here? Even the smallest detail will do.."

I sat there wondering through my empty mind, not remembering anything but a blank... darkness... then this room...

"I... I can't remember anything..."

Candlelight blew out as psychopomps walk past it walking over to me with the mirror at hand, he lowers it so I can see myself in the mirror.

"Tell me, what is it you see right now?"

I look at the mirror and see a reflection of myself, and I look up at his red eyes.

"Me..."

Psychopomps, without wasting a moment, continued.

"I would like you to look again.."

I look down to see a dark misty shadow in my place I go to cover my eyes to see my hand, and my body itself is nothing but a dim shadow, I look at Psychopomos to see a Shadow monster floating there one Bright red-eye and a demonic toned voice.

"That is you now!"

The mirror drops, as it hits the ground and shatters the light in the room disappears and comes back, I see my body again. No longer a shadow, I look back over to the other side of the desk to the Psychopomps sitting in the chair, rereading the book. He began to say.

"Let me explain, your name is Asura, and you are on the verge of death. you are one of the few given a chance at resurrection.."

He then places a photo on the table, its a picture of me with the exact clothes that I have on now. I reach over the table and take the picture looking closely at it... I start to think about what he just said, look up at him and ask.

"So what do you mean by one of the few? Are there others... where are they?"

He began to laugh to himself.

"We will get to that soon.. first I must tell you, it's my role to guide those who have a chance at resurrection. But of course, there is a catch. you must complete a task which I will provide."

I sit still motionless, waiting for him to continue.

"To be resurrected, you must be worth; the test is to see whether or not you are worthy..."

I snap back at Psychopomps.

"Not that this isn't all... Great and everything, but why would I want to be resurrected?"

He pauses for a moment, eyes still locked with mine. his finger tapping the desk almost as if it's to a beat.

"Well, that is not a question I should be answering. You need to find the answer yourself. As you have no memory, you probably have no reason or motive to seek resurrection. If you do not want to become one of the deceased who wander the netherworld unable to find a reason to live... you must out who you are..."

He grabs his pen off the desk and puts it to the book he pulled out earlier.

"Now then... Let us find out about you, Asura..."

I Nervously cross my arms and ask.

"So whats next?"

He continues

"You need not have a memory. It's about knowing yourself while going through the test... now, I will ask you some questions... answer as you please.."

I sit down thinking to myself *What more do I have to lose, I guess...* then I ask.

"and if I answer wrong?"

He looks up at me for a moment then back to the book, ready to wright still.

"There is no right answer. But as you answer my questions, you will find out more about yourself. In other words, you will learn about your personality."

he starts to write in the book

"Now, for my first set of questions, Asura - is there anything you'd like to find out right now?"

I ponder on this question for a few minutes and ask.

"I wanna know why I died."

He continues to write down in his book.

"Naturally, you are curious. The odds of a woman your age dying of natural causes are almost zero. that would suggest it was an accident, or that someone killed you."

He pauses after saying that and stares at me. I ponder on what he said and say

"I think someone murdered me."

He starts to write again.

"I see - is that what you think? If you knew who the killer was, that would you do?"

I answered without hesitation.

"I'd pray he stop sinning."

psychopomps look up his eyes lit blue and brighter for a moment then he looks back at his book writing again,

"Wait, are you speaking of forgiveness? I had not expected you to be so kind; I can tell you were quite an affectionate person when you were alive. I am sure many were saddened by your death."

as psychopomps stop writing he asking another question

"Now, for my second set of questions. Imagine there is a small animal in front of you. what do you think this animal is?"

I wonder for a just a few seconds and say

"A Dog."

He continues

"Why is it that the dog is in front of you?"

I continue

"Happy to see me home, I guess.."

he smiles for the first time

"That is a good boy, what would you do to this dog?"

I smile across my fave forms as I picture a Dachshund.

"Tummy rubs."

he continues

"Ah, I can see that dog liking that. The dog will be happy to see you again when you come around next time. Anyhow Asura... Are you a dog person?"

Without Heasatashion I reply

"Yes"

His eyes flash a blue again for just a moment.

"Hmm, is that so? Thank you for telling me. Let me summarize... him; I see a rather emotional side of you. this will help you empathize with other people's happiness and pain."

he wrights down in his book again for a few moments then ask

"Last question, how would you like to be remembered?"

I look down at my hands scraped up and dirty, thinking to myself *How I can answer this question... I don't know what I did...* I look up at him still wondering what to say, a moment passes.. and I replied

"As an inspiring person."

His eyes flash blue once more, he wrights down in his book and closes it.

"Asura I think we both learned a lot about you today, I hope this helped you as well... Now it is time for you to know your Trial.."

I sit up in my chair, firm eyes glued on him. as he continues

"You will have only 31 days to do this task; I do not care about how to complete it. All I care about is the results, do you understand me?"

I shake my head in agreement he stands up and walks over to a cabinet across the room and pulls out an old-looking sheet of paper and hands it to me, I unravel the wrapping around it to see a map. I look up at him and ask.

"What is this a map? I don't see anything on it... it's just blank..."

He starts to walk towards the door, Continuing to speak.

"Your task is to go where the map leads you to; it will only show you the path to go after you drop the blood of someone who has died onto the map."

He stops and looks at me.

"It's called the map of the dead."

I pause for a moment and look at him, registering what he just said.

"Are you telling me I have to kill someone to make this thing lead me to where I must go??"

He nods his head, yes. The room flashes black again, and when the lights turn back on his ghost-like body is back, Shadowy mist and a red glowing eye staring into me, I fell my body getting lighter.

"Remember There is but only a 31 days to do your task... if you fail, you will never leave... and there are others in the Netherland trying to do there task as well.. you are not alone...."

I fell my body get lighter the room starts to go pitch black and the cold returns to me, I felt the hint of cold wind pressing against my exposed skin, I begin to walk towards the light as I become colder and colder, the wind picking up. I am pushing forward as soon as I pass the light barrier.

I see nothing but snow starting to fall. destroyed buildings, and the wind blowing past me chilling me to the bone, faintly I hear as the wind passes by

"Be-gin....."

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