Once More

Darkness, I guess what is what happens after death? A void filled with nothingness. No, that can not be right. If I'm dead, how can he still hear the giggles from that girl?

"Oh?" Within the darkness of my mind, I heard a familiar voice clearly. The girl stopped her giggling. "Whatcha got there, child?" Sora's voice was sweet, but there was an aggressive undertone to it. The sound of heavy steps echoed loudly as if it were being on purpose to build tension.

"Tsk." A heard an irritated click of teeth come from next to me. "The vixen comes out to play, huh?" This voice sounds similar to the girl I thought had just killed me. However, her tone was cold, similar to my instructor's back in the city. A voice filled with no remorse for killing. To think I had let my guard down.

"Oh no no no, I may look like I want attention from the younger generation, but rest assured that I am a faithful woman till the end." Then her tone suddenly changed to a bitter one. "Now you best be prepared to face the sin you committed."

"Oh?" The woman sounded unfazed by the threat. "I kinda half expected you to weep at the sight of your dead grandchild, but you have a fire in your eyes… I like it. But too bad for you old hag, playing the hero only gets you KILLED!!!"

As she said that, I heard quick movements from one area to another with the echoing sound of a clash of metal. The woman let out a surprised gasp as the sound of something thick landing on the wooden floor took the mic. There was nothing but silence for a few seconds before Sora spoke.

"Hmph. Did you really expect me to just be a normal human?"

"Old hag…" Then the woman spoke in a low, irritated voice. "No wonder he was so eager for me to accept this mission. He just wanted to get rid of me."

"HELLO!?" Sora called out.

Within a few seconds, the woman let out a pained scream. A metal object bounced onto the ground alongside the dripping of some liquid.

"Next time, respect your elders, child." The sound of metal scraping the floor was followed by the sudden silence of the woman. "Man… I'm glad he pulled it off, but how the hell am I gonna tell my daughter that I accidentally made her son immortal…"

Immortal? Just what is going on? I feel as if I'm just being dragged around in someone's puppet show.

"Oh, Holy River of Time, please reverse the flow of this man's life."

After she said that, my hearing went blank. I was once again sitting in a void of nothingness. I wonder what the hell happened, but ultimately in my current state, I had just assumed I had died. A short-lived life in this harsh world.

"..." After thinking those thoughts, I suddenly found myself back in the attic, staring blankly at the ceiling. Now I'm confused. I was just in a void and now I'm suddenly back…? With a sour look on my face, I turned to find Sora holding onto the old book with a concentrated look. Small, illuminating characters that I saw from within the book circled her.

"Even with the book opened, I still can't read it. Oh, well." She said.

How could you read it with your eyes closed? I dared not to speak that out loud. But then again, I could understand the book without actually reading it.

Sora then began to speak a strange prayer with her eyes still closed. "Oh, Holy Earth Dragon. Please hold no grudge against this maidan's sins as they were not out of her own violation. As the apostle of the earth, I command thee to carve the path towards her oppressor."

After she finished, a disembodied voice called out. "Sora, you are too trusting of other humans. She is a Fallen." The disembodied voice felt powerful. However, despite that, there was concern that leaked out of its heavy tone.

"Don't worry so much, Holy Dragon. Everyone deserves a second chance, no?" Sora replied in a somewhat cute tone.

The voice sighed. "Please, don't let your naiveté cause your downfall." The voice then faded out.

Sora opened her eyes and stared straight at me. With emotion, she moved to the side, revealing the body of a woman whose head was sliced clean off. Her blood was non-existent. Before I had the chance to get a better look at the woman's body, characters that had once surrounded Sora shimmered brightly and created a path from behind her toward the ladder that served as our exit. Sora then walked toward me with the book in hand. The corpse of the familiar woman shimmered with a trail of strange characters leading from her. Sora placed her left hand on my head and handed me the book.

"Keep this book safe." She smiled. "Your soul is bound to it."

"I don't understand…" I stood motionless, staring at the book. The book was untainted by dirt or blood. It was as if everything that happened to it was simply undone. As I stared at the book, I felt a strange warmth in my hands. I know a normal person would be freaked out over a situation like this, but I'm completely calm. I'm just confused.

"You'll understand soon. As the Apostle of Earth, I swear that you'll be ready in due time." As she said that, a small circle surrounded her right hand and a large staff appeared. The staff was worn-looking and appeared like it was gonna break at a moment's notice. The top of the staff looked like a fractured gem that emitted a brown shimmer with a brown mist wrapped around it. Thick brown vines bounded the top of the staff to a marble rod that was chipped all over. "Oh Earthen Spirits, bend the earth to my will!"

As the ground rumbled, a large pillar of dirt broke through the wall of the building and collided with my body. I felt the bones in my back break as the pillar sent me flying towards the only window of the attic. While in midair, I coughed up a small amount of blood. I tried to grab onto the window, but as I did, the shimmering characters from before moved behind Sora. A watery mist formed behind her. A shadowy figure materializes from within the mist, with a large item behind them.

"SORA!!!" I called out. However, it was too late. My body broke through the glass window and I was sent hurtling head first onto a rock below. A felt a quick and painless tap on my head followed by a slat and the thump of a book. Once again, my vision darkened.

Just what the hell is going on… was it a dream or was it real? All I knew was that I had died twice yet-

"What an unlucky man. But it looks like we can fix ye up, or so I hope anyway." Naval's voice echoed within the void. "A shame that I failed to predict where Sora was gonna toss him." The sound of a car door slamming shut followed by a car's engine starting. "Nevertheless, I'm glad he did it. Though, I feel sorry for the lad. Dealing with two wars now." There was a strange silence that followed as the car began driving. "Sora, my love, we are only human. The Earth Dragon's wisdom can only get you so far."

-I can fully hear everything… but I can feel nothing. I know I just slammed my head on a rock, yet I feel no pain. It's as if my body is not even my own. Sora… Naval… just what the hell did I sign up for? And what war are you talking about?

After what had seemed to be an endless car ride, the sound of screeching tires reverberated within my dark void of a consciousness. Naval let out a grunt as he slammed the car door shut behind him. After a few moments of silence, I heard the car door open once more.

"Phew, he bought it with him." Naval said. After hearing the car door shut once more, an unfamiliar voice called out from the distance.

"Naval!" A female's voice shouted with an annoyed tone. "I'm not a miracle worker. I cannot just resurrect your grandson from the dead."

Naval chuckled loudly.

So I am dead. But how am I hearing this? More importantly, why are you laughing, old man? Your precious grandchild DIED and you're laughing?

"Don't worry about it, Sara. It won't go against the Laws of Divinity. His body is a vessel now." Naval said as he heard a soft thump of a book hitting the ground. "And by the Laws of Divinity, soulless vessels are allowed to be fully resurrected by healing magic."

"I hope so…" Sara said with uncertainty. After a few moments, any sound I had once heard drifted away into the void, leaving me with nothing except my consciousness.

If what Naval says is true, then once I wake up, I swear I'm gonna punch him.