2 Chapter 2 : Reapress

"Hey… Hello… Are you okay?" a voice was faintly heard in a distant.

Who is this? Where is she? Where am I? Why is it so dark? Questions after questions appeared in Lyte's mind. He decided he should just take a look instead of asking himself questions he couldn't answer.

Lyte slowly opened his eyes and allowed his eyes some time to adjust to the darkness. It was already night. The full moon was slightly illuminating the sky and the stars blinked around the moon.

That is odd, I don't remember it to be night time when I fell asleep. Lyte thought to himself as his brain became more cleared.

When his eyes had finally gotten used to his surrounding, he took a look around. He saw, standing in front of him, a pale young lady about his age. She had slightly curled silver-coloured hair, her right eye was silver in colour while her left eye was blood red, slightly covered by her bangs. She had a poker face but her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, showing a concerned expression on her pale face.

"I-I'm okay. Uh… Where am I?" asked Lyte after fully regaining his consciousness.

"You are in the Dead Forest. It is very dangerous here. You are lucky I found you on my way back from running some errands. It's getting really late. Plus, it is a full moon tonight, the creatures of the dark are more active tonight. Come on, get up. My house is just up ahead. You can stay there for the night. It will be safer than wandering in one of the most dangerous places known to men all alone," replied the mysterious lady while helping Lyte up without any expression.

Lyte accepted her offer and took her hand. After he stood up, the mysterious lady started walking towards a direction, gesturing him to follow her.

Lyte followed closely behind her after hearing her statement about the possible danger while observing this mysterious lady walking in front of him.

She was wearing a black jacket, black slacks, black gloves and black shoes. In short, she was a shadow. Seemed like whatever she was working as was something that needed her to conceal herself in the night. To be invisible to the unaware prey. Maybe an assassin? Lyte kept on observing silently, his thoughts the only sound he could hear in the dead of night.

After a little more observations, Lyte realised the lady was holding a large weapon that gave away her job. She was holding a silver scythe laced with blood red precious stones. It was clear to him now that she was a reapress, a female soul collector. Snatching up lost souls and bringing them to the land of the dead. An experienced one too by the looks of it.

Lyte suddenly felt a wave of emotions. Fear and hate.

Fear because a repress like her can easily kill him even though Lyte had studied high level magic from a skilled mage in order to protect himself. All she had to do was will it to happen and Lyte would drop dead on the ground. Nobody would find his body here and he has no more relatives that would come looking for him. His only relatives, which were his parents, had both passed, leaving him all alone at the early age of 10.

Hate because of his childhood trauma.

A reaper took his mother away from him at the age of 7. Taunting him with a traumatising nightmare before claiming his mother's soul. He lost his father to the grim reaper too at the age of 10. He could remember the tragedy clearly. That evening, he walked into the house after returning from the market out of his father's request to buy some fish for dinner. His father was not there to greet him like he used to. Instead, Lyte had to look for his father and when he found what he was looking for, he dropped the fish he was carrying. His father was hanging on a noose, a letter held tightly in his hand. It was for Lyte. The letter read : Lyte, I'm sorry. I'm a bad father. Please forgive me, but I am not strong enough to continue anymore. Take good care of yourself for me, ok? Live a happy life for your mother and me. Goodbye, my dear son. I love you.

Even though flashbacks are hitting Lyte like bullets from a machine gun pointed at his chest, he willed himself to calm down. The lady in front of him was not like the others. She helped him even though she did not have to. She even offered to give him shelter for the night, something nobody would do for a stranger they find lying around in the woods in this era. An era where monsters and humans live together, hating each other and constantly generating war. Although she might just be trying to trick him into her house to kill him, but his thoughts were rather positive.

After a while of walking in silence, Lyte decided to speak to the lady to sooth the awkward moment.

"Um… So I ah-" Lyte was cut short by the lady pressing her left palm on his mouth. The same lady who was leading him to God knows where.

"Shush- Do not speak. You will attract unwanted attention. The silence of this forest make even the slightest sound rings loudly. There are loads of creatures here that are more than happy to have a late night snack and I am not going to stop them when that happens. And trust me, when I say loads, I mean it," said the lady in a hushed tone while gesturing him to move faster.

Understanding the truth of her words, Lyte shut his mouth as he didn't know the area at all and he did not know what was lurking under every nook and cranny. He didn't even dared to look around in case he saw something that he did not want to.

After a little while more of speed walking, they arrived at their destination – the lady's house. In front of Lyte, a dark-themed mansion loomed over him, making him shuttered.

Oh great! I just walked into my grave. Why did I follow her? I don't even know her. She is going to hella kill me here and nobody will ever know. I'll be dead and buried in an unmarked grave and she is going to reap my soul. Why is there even a freaking mansion here, in the middle of a forest? And why would she own it? A reapress live among the Gods, not here in the middle of nowhere. Why would she help a stranger like myself? I'm so screwed. Lyte's thoughts raced in his head while he tried to think of an escape.

As Lyte was about to give an excuse to leave the place immediately, the lady opened the main door. Lyte took a look inside and…