webnovel

Waltz with Death

Fantasy
Completed · 136.5K Views
  • 124 Chs
    Content
  • 4.8
    23 ratings
  • NO.200+
    SUPPORT
Synopsis

"So this is what they mean when they say your life flashes before your eyes when you die." Betrayed. Battered. Broken. Evangeline Vermillion has had enough of her pathetic life. She was young—only in her early 20s—and she had planned to end it all by setting herself on fire. That was how she met Death—cold, dark, tall, and...handsome? Huh. Who knew the Grim Reaper could look like that? He takes her hand and guides her through the In-Between, the sacred realm between the Land of the Living and the Afterlife. Together, they revisit her most important memories. From the misfortunes of her childhood, to the chaos and bloodshed of the wrong kinds of love, Evangeline must confront the demons of her past to get to The Other Side. Through all of the pain and anguish, Death stands with her, an enigmatic companion and unlikely confidant. And in their brief waltz between realms, Evangeline finally finds what she always wanted but never had: to belong and to be loved.

Tags
9 tags
Chapter 1Did He Just Call Himself… Death?

I was standing in the middle of the forest near my house. I was sweating heavily, even though the temperature during nighttime was unnaturally cold.

My hands were trembling as I was holding an almost empty lighter. Every time I tried to light it up, the evening breeze would repeatedly extinguish the flames as if purposely trying to thwart my plan.

In frustration, I threw the forsaken object that was supposed to bring peace to my soul. In the end, it only caused me more turmoil.

"For Heaven's sake!" I stomped my feet. The small twigs underneath my feet cracked with the force of my feet.

I could hear the loud chirp of insects as if they were trying to drown my voice. The air smelled of the gasoline that I poured around the forest.

"Why won't you cooperate with me!? Even this stupid lighter doesn't treat me with justice! This isn't fair! You don't have the right to do this to me! All I ever wanted was just to be…" My voice failed me.

The sobs that I was trying so hard to suppress escaped from my lips. If this was a normal situation, I would've been mortified at myself for cursing out loud.

But that didn't matter anymore; sanity has left me long ago. Pathetically, I fell to my knees as the leaves flew everywhere. 

"Happy…" I laughed in a cracked, forced voice that didn't seem like mine.

Tears streamed down my face. The hideous combination of my sobs and hysterical laughter and the choir of insects singing a song that only they could understand echoed throughout the peaceful place.

I could barely keep my eyes open. They were puffed up after crying for so long. My eyes felt painful and couldn't produce any more liquid. I sat silently, staring at the ground with nothing else to do.

"Someone..." I whispered. "Please help me…"

I snapped my body when I suddenly heard the leaves rustling behind me. "Who's there?!"

There was someone behind the shadows, and it was watching me. My body shook in fear, and my eyes widened in terror as the figure started to walk towards me. I then found myself standing a few steps away from the intruder. 

The figure was wearing a long black-hooded cloak that covered his whole body, and the hood cast a shadow on his face, so I couldn't see who it was.

'What if this person smelled the scent of gasoline and was here to stop me?!' I thought to myself as I stood there in trepidation.

"No! You can't stop me!" I screamed. "I will never have another chance to do this ever again!" In desperation, I ducked down and felt for the lighter that I had thrown a while ago.

An insane smile spread on my face, and my fingers immediately spun the spark wheel. As if agreeing with me for once, it produced a small flame.

I sighed in relief and laughed at my triumph. I smiled as I looked at the small flame that gently swayed with the wind, and when I had enough, I let the small container fall on the grassy forest ground.

But before the lighter could leave my hand, I felt an indescribable pain when something suddenly hit my hand and blew out the fire. I shrieked in agony as I realized that a sharp heel was piercing through my flesh. I couldn't help but sputter a set of colorful words as I felt blood oozing out of my hand.

Another scream came out of my mouth when I realized that my plan had failed once again. The anguish was stabbing through my heart and soul. I just wanted it all to end.

Finally, the person stepped aside. I pulled my hand, and the lighter fell from my hands. Now, it was stained with crimson blood. I held my bleeding hand tightly to stop the blood from pouring out.

"What are you doing?" A deep but somehow gentle voice asked. It probably came from the intruder.

"Applying first aid, you bastard!" I hissed.

He smirked. Even under his hood and in the forest's darkness, I could still see a hint of smirk.

"Isn't that ironic?" He chuckled, sending shivers down my spine. "Why would you feel bothered by such a minor wound when you were about to burn yourself and this forest for selfish reasons?"

Add something in here to break the dialogue, like a description, a narration or a dialogue from the other character. 

"Don't you know, dying from fire is one of the most painful methods of suicide, and yet you're here, making a fuss with something so small?" He spoke again.

He knelt on the floor, taking the dirty container with his gloved hands. 

"And this," Now that he was closer, I could faintly see how this person looked. "Why would you use an almost empty lighter? Are you going to make an excuse that it was the only thing you found in your house? That's bullshit."

He slowly stood up and looked at the container one last time before he threw it towards me. The lighter hit my face, and I could already feel my cheeks throbbing because of the force behind the action.

"This thing is cheap. You could've bought a new one from the store around your neighborhood, and they wouldn't ask a thing because they don't even know you. Because you're such a pathetic shut-in." 

He slightly bent his knees and patted my head. I felt disgusted as those hands touched my hair, but then, after a while, it turned out to be a bit comforting.

 "You never truly wished for Death, right?" He added.

I gasped loudly, insulted by his words. In reflex, I slapped his hands away. He chuckled and slowly retracted his hand. He stood up and moved a few steps away from me. 

"I do!" I replied indignantly. "Never have I ever wanted something this bad in my entire life! You don't have the right to tell me that because you don't understand what I'm going through!"

He laughed. It was a laugh only dedicated to something funny. He was really amused at what I said, which made me even more annoyed. 

"Don't worry, Miss. I knew that you longed for Death to such a high extent. I was only messing with you." His blood-red irises glowed under the moonlight, just like a cat's. "Because if you didn't, you would never even see me in the first place."

Chills ran down my spine after hearing his cryptic message. "W-w-what do you mean…?"

"Lo and behold," He removed his hood, revealing a pale white face. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. I am what you are seeking for; I am Death."

He had the palest and clearest skin I have ever seen, free from blemishes or beauty marks. You would consider his face "handsome," with high, sharp cheekbones that could cut you up like a knife and a jaw that could last for days. His nose was well-shaped, like a statue from those art museums. While his lips were thin, not in a bad way since it perfectly fit his face.

Aside from his bloody red eyes, the other weird thing about him was his silvery hair that reached his shoulders. It didn't make him look old, instead, it made him look inhuman. Then, something dawned upon me.

Wait, did he just call himself… Death?

You May Also Like

The Devil's Betrothed

[Main Plot Completed] A love doomed from the start, a lost cause, a losing battle—and yet, neither hearts are willing to let go until the very end. ----- Arlan Cromwell, the epitome of the perfect Crown Prince. All he wants is to live a normal life of a human but the life of a dragon is anything but normal. He has but one goal—to find his runaway betrothed and behead her. What happens when he discovers that the woman who has snagged his heart is the one he vowed to kill? Oriana, a Black Witch, disguising herself as a man, has spent her entire life on the run without knowing what she is running away from. When the mysteries of her past slowly catch up to her, she has no one to turn to…except Arlan. But when she learns that the man she has given her heart to is the same man who wants to kill her, how can she accept the cruel card life dealt her? Two people with secrets to keep, identities to hide, and answers to find. When the certain darkness threatens to take Oriana away, will the Dragon be able to protect his mate? ----- Excerpt- “If I knew you were my betrothed, I would have killed you the very first moment we met." Arlan's gaze darkened with hatred. “If I knew I was betrothed to you, I would have killed myself before you even killed me!” Oriana mirrored the same emotions as him. He pulled out a dagger and offered it to her. “It’s not too late. Just slit your throat with this and you'll bleed out painlessly.” She accepted the knife, her fingers clutching its handle tightly. The next moment, he was pressed against the wall and the knife was on the right side of his neck. “How about I try it on you first, my betrothed?” “Feel free to try. But when you fail, this knife will first taste your grandpa's blood, then yours.” Anger rose in her eyes, and the next moment, blood was flowing through the right side of his neck. She cut deep enough to severe an important blood vessel. “You should not have challenged me,” she sneered and stepped back, waiting for him to collapse. He simply smirked and brushed his finger along the deep wound on his neck. “Seems like you failed.” She watched the wound on his neck heal on its own and felt shocked to her bones. “You.. what are you?” “Guess?” ----- Instagram- mynovel.20 Facebook- Author mynoveltwenty

Mynovel20 · Fantasy
4.6
787 Chs

Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates

"Let me take a look." The handsome professor, with his broad shoulders and powerful muscles, lifted me effortlessly and placed me on the desk. His strong hands gently lowered the strap of my uniform to examine the bruise from training. "Helanie! Why do you always end up hurt?" His voice grew husky, sending a shiver down my spine as I struggled to catch my breath. I had to remind myself that he’s my professor... and my stepbrother. I shouldn’t be seduced by his touch. "If anyone bullies you again, come to my office and I will deal with them," he murmured, his beautiful eyes locking onto mine. Despite knowing he’s forbidden, I couldn’t help but wonder—should I tell him about the mate bond I felt the night he was drunk? .. When her parents rejected each other, Helanie went from being her daddy's angel to a neglected and forgotten child. But on her eighteenth birthday, things took a dark turn. When her body went into heat, she attracted a group of alphas. Instead of rescuing her, her secret alpha boyfriend ran away. That night changed Helanie’s life forever. Accused of consenting to the attack, she was sentenced to execution by her own pack. Desperate, she fled, determined to find her mother. What she didn’t expect was to find her mother preparing to marry a rogue king with four dangerously handsome and beastly sons. Things turn even darker when she felt a mate bond with her bully stepbrothers, will she be able to escape their claws or their seduction will ruin her life to next extremes? .. Facebook - Alexis Dee

AlexisDee · Fantasy
4.2
454 Chs

Abyssal Awakening

Having spent her childhood confined in chains, Alice was a child who knew neither love nor joy. Scorned by her family while being tortured in the name of the greater good for years, she grew numb to all feeling and thought. That is, until one day, a man in black offered her a chance to escape. There were once rumours widespread of an endless hell, a land of glorious death and dreadful opportunity. Fools went in search of it, and the clever never ventured into it. Only when its baleful mysteries spilled unto the earth did all hear its name — the Abyss. A single drop of its blood could give someone the power to control shadows, move faster than sound, or strength greater than the strongest man. Yet, it all came at a cost; the blood would always make sure those who consumed it became part of the Abyss, with one exception — Alice. Cast away by her own blood, it was her destiny to rot in a gilded cage. But, that fateful day changed everything. Gifted a second chance at life, a chance to turn her life around and claim vengeance against her family, a chance to dive deep into the Abyss and gain the power to govern her own fate, Alice took his hand, unaware of the destiny unfolding before her. Discord: https://discord.gg/vrdTSkj8Va Author Notes: This is my third book, going to take what I learned from before to improve. This book will be focusing on plot, action, depths of character bonds and overall a darker tone/take on this cruel fantasy world I've cooked up for this book! If you give this book a try, I hope you enjoy! A very different experience and tone to Nanomancer Reborn.

Reili · Fantasy
4.7
639 Chs

The Fate Of The World Is In My Hands, But All I Want To Do Is Eat!

'Kill monsters, eat meat' 'I mean, Kill monsters, save lives. Got it.' 'Tut, I could've sworn that the first one sounded better.' She wasn't a girl looking for freedom or self-righteous liberation by a hero, or whatever shit a girl who suffered for almost all her life would crave. -the shit of a life she was living was horrible, but it was bearable, and so she got used to it. Rather, instead of freedom, what this little missy wanted was money. Lots and lots of them so she never has to worry about the next day. Money - bountiful enough that when she has to spend, she doesn't need to look back or calculate her assets to see how much she has left. Money - bountiful enough to get all the fried chicken she could ever dream of. Yeah, you heard it, fried chicken. For those who did not have money to spare leisurely, getting fried chicken was like a pipe dream to them and she had been one of those unfortunate souls. A comfortable roof above her head and no worries as to when she would get ordered around to steal. No worries about when she would get her next meal-- That was her liberation. And she got it. Just that, she got it most absurdly. Awakened! Those were the people ruling the world, alongside beastly and deadly monsters who threatened the safety of average human beings. And those awakened call the shots. Alice never dreamed she would one day be awakened, and compared to others with their game-like system displaying their attributes and strength; she had a full-grown man whom only she could hear, watching her back at every turn and telling her what to do. He was kinda a pain in the ass but she couldn't complain. It was this gift he had bestowed on her that made her the most powerful Awakened there was with stats that even S-class awakeneds couldn't compare to. She was the boss, now. Mwa-hahahahaha. But life didn't go as easy and leisurely as she planned. With great power comes great responsibility, right? Well, in her case with great power comes great hunger. She couldn't go a moment without getting hungry and her stomach had become a bottomless pit. And to get food, she needed money, and to get money, she had to hunt monsters. The monsters plagued humanity, causing catastrophes and taking lives mercilessly. Those monsters, as scary as they may be, were her target and she had to face them head-on. The bigger the monsters the more money she would gain. Yeah, that was the plan, but... This guy acting as her system seemed to have other plans, putting her at the forefront of 'justice' and having her clean the mess he somewhat created. 'Ugh, I can already sense a shadow of foreboding. Someone, please tell me I'm not acting the main character role. I just want to eat, okay?'

Author_fredah · Fantasy
4.6
366 Chs
Table of Contents
Volume 0 :Auxiliary Volume
Volume 1

ratings

  • Overall Rate
  • Writing Quality
  • Updating Stability
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • world background
Reviews
Liked
Newest
de_writer
de_writerLv4
Rin_Nurnia
Rin_NurniaLv4

SUPPORT