Chapter Twenty-Six:??? (Nirvana)

Haibara's POV

"Where... am I?" That's the first thing I've ever said as I saw a light peeking through the huge hole—or whatever it is, it is too bright to describe.

It is illuminating through me and I felt like I'm floating in the air but it felt so vogue. So empty, so cold. Why am I feeling that way?

"Welcome to the Gates of Nirvana, Ai Haibara—Real name, Miyano Shiho," someone's voice echoed to my brain.

My eyes widened as I suddenly felt a cloth wrapped around my whole body, leaving my arms and feet bare.

I looked up to see the light starting to form little flying objects with sparkles as their tails. The flying objects suddenly merged to one other and slowly, thin golden metals came in sight.

The magic-like objects go up, up, up, up... until my eyes mesmerized to the big thing in front of me.

It was an arch with golden jail bars. No handle but there's a gap between to doors.

It suddenly opened up slowly and light emerges from it.

I covered my eyes but it soon all disappeared as the gate seemed to be getting near me and sucked me in through it.

I heard a gate closed and when I looked back, it was gone. Completely gone.

"Welcome, newcomer," a female voice said. I turned to look and I saw a female with a glowing white skin, brown hair that's over to her feet, wearing a white silk dress as a smile plastered on her lips.

Many questions came into my mind. I didn't know this woman nor this place. But... I know Nirvana.

"Why am I in Nirvana?" I asked her.

"Blunt, I see," she replied while still keeps the calm smile on her lips. "Before I get to the answer, I shall ask some few questions to you. Should I call you Miyano Shiho-san or Ai Haibara-san?"

I crossed my arms, pouted in frustration. "Get to the most comfortable one for you."

The woman's head tilted calmly and answered, "Miyano Shiho-san would be great." The woman sighed. "I'm Nerva, the gatekeeper of the Gates of Nirvana. To answer your question, you're a soul now, Shiho-san. Dead—in mortal's term, perhaps."

My eyes widened. I felt my energy drained for some reason. "I-I'm dead?"

The woman smiled calmly as her hands clasped to her front. "Yes, Shiho-san, but. I would prefer to call you a soul than a dead person. Anyways, your file was sent after you had been shot by the woman named, Hayley Ford—Real name, Unknown."

I looked at her as she suddenly raised her hand and uttered, "Light of Nirvana, for us who could see the past, present, and the future, give us the memories of the girl standing beside thee."

A screen-like TV suddenly expanded like a rectangular object, floating through the air.

"Now, Shiho-san. I see you knew this part but it seemed you're confused so I'm here to confirm your questions to your head," Nerva said and raise her hand again to put the screen in front of me. "See the truth before your eyes, Shiho-san, before I took you to the Great World of Souls."

I stared at the screen and my eyes widened as I saw the blonde-haired woman swiftly went to my back and whispered something to me. I replied back but I couldn't hear what we are saying.

"That part is really traumatizing so I must forbid you to hear it— Threat, as what they called to the mortal world in general."

"You..."

Nerva looked at me with innocent eyes. "Hmm?"

"If a sould go here, will they have second chances to live as a human again?"

"Getting to the point now, aren't we?" she said and looked at the screen, witnessing my death once again before I got here. "That's the second question I'll ask to you. Will you want to be a human in a price of someone's body and soul or will you want to be reincarnated to another era with different people?"

I looked at her confusingly. "Huh? What do you mean by that? Ressurecting someone is just the same, right?"

"It was the one you learned from the books but no, in the Gates of Nirvana, the rules here are too way different to the mortal world. There are five questions being asked to the new arrival and will be transferred to the Great World of Souls. The new soul will be keep intact in the world of Nirvana for five weeks before telling to The Guardians the choices of the soul. Until then, the soul should be sent down to Earth again inside a different body but with two choices though. "

"Two choices... You mean, the one you had said earlier?"

"Yes. The first choice was being reincarnated to another body, which means your soul would be transferred to a human but that human should have a disease. Once the soul goes down the body and merge with the human's original body, the person would be completely healed but you must control the body as what it used to be controlled by the owner. The condition here was that the half of the person's soul would go in the Great Worlds of Souls."

"How much time would it cost to do that?"

"If you calculate the time, you're going to be arrived on your destination for just an hour."

"How about the second choice."

"What the motals believe, the reincarnation of a person through self-process, meaning the soul could be kept in a reincarnated body of theirs. There will be no half souls involved. It was pure reincarnation."

"How much time?"

"Took at least a hundred years until the body will be reincarnated."

I looked down and clenched my fist so tight. What should I choose? What should I choose?!!!

If I choose the first choice, I could easily get back to the era I was before but in a different body, sharing my soul to the half soul of the owner.

If I choose the second one, I could be reincarnated as myself but I shall not see Kudo-kun and the others again. I'll still wait for many years.

I have to risk for what I desire and it was for my sake and not theirs...

"The first choice," I replied as I looked at her.

Her eyes widened. "Pardon?"

"I'll choose the first one."

Her jaw dropped. "Eh?!!! Seriously???"

"What? I've made my choice. You should ask the last questions," I said and crossed my arms.

"A-Ahm... I... I've never encountered such soul that could choose the first one to the second question. You're the first."

I'm the first? That sounds weird.

"You have something left to this era, aren't you?"

I smiled at her and looked at the screen where I'm seeing the last footage—the killing scene.

"I have someone or maybe—people that I should thank for. For them trying to save me even though it is still a risk to their lives, I think I shall put the risk high too for myself."

She sighed. "Well, then. You seemed like a stubborn woman trying to end your last chapter. I guess I should ask you the third question."

"Spill it."

"Yin or Yang?"

I gave her a dumbfounded look. "Seriously? Is this a joke?"

"This is the rules!" she said as her cheeks went tinted red. "I should asked it although it's quite embarrassing!"

I smirked and replied, "Yin."

"Fourth question. The biggest mistake of your life?"

"For being Shery and do some stupid things that'll never work out."

Nerva sighed. "I shall interfere with the answer of an arrival but mind if I ask what are those stupid things? The answer must be precise here, you see, Shiho-san."

"Feelings that never shall be reciprocated and trying to give all I can to notice me. That's the most stupid thing I did in life," I replied and looked down.

I heard Nerva sighed again but this time, heavily. "This is why I should never interfere the answers of the new arrival. Feelings of the person's soul is still kept inside," she muttered under her breath but I heard it. "Okay. Last question: Your soul has been reincarnated. What will you do once you revived?"

"Get into the point where I could my realization for the last time."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"What I mean is..." I smirked and looked at her straight into the eyes. "... Love."