Chapter 15: The River Of Afterlife

Chapter 15: The River Of Afterlife

"Where am I…?" Daniel questioned. It felt as though he was adrift on the surface of the water, surrounded by a profound darkness.

It seemed that only his consciousness remained, and he could barely perceive his own body. "What is this place?" he pondered aloud.

"What just-"

Just as he was about to continue his inquiry, a portal suddenly materialized, casting a faint light that partially illuminated the surroundings. Thanks to the portal's illumination, it was finally visible. Something akin to his physical body, yet translucent, floated upon the water's surface—it was his soul.

However, Daniel's attention remained fixated on the portal, where a scene from his past began to unfold—a vivid playback of his own memories.

In the scene, Jorren held Vineca before turning and walking away.

Anger surged within Daniel as he witnessed the man's departure.

"Vineca!", he called out to her.

"Who!?"

"Who is that man?" he exclaimed with frustration.

The urge to rise and pursue Jorren, even within the confines of his memories, coursed through Daniel. Yet, his efforts were in vain, as if his soul were affixed to the water's surface, carried by the gentle current, drifting away from the unfolding scene.

"No!" he protested, pushing against the intangible restraint. Regardless of his struggles, he found himself unable to break free. To add to his frustration, an echoing voice suddenly reverberated around him.

The voice began with a sinister chuckle.

[Haha…]

[Hahahaha.]

"Wha-? Who?!", Daniel's surprise was evident as the laughter continued.

[Hahaha, the great Daniel Rosfeld.]

[Oh, how pitifully weak you are.]

"Identify yourself!" Daniel demanded.

[You can't even rescue the one you hold dear.]

"What?"

[Haha, observe yourself. See the depths of your weakness.]

As if commanded by the voice's eerie authority, another portal materialized. Within its frame, Daniel's unsuccessful attempt to wield the Aqualus spell was laid bare, a demonstration of his futile efforts.

The relentless display of his failures only served to intensify Daniel's anger. Amidst this growing turmoil, a throbbing pain began to pierce through his consciousness—a pounding headache that escalated in agonizing waves.

"Stop it…" Daniel's words were a mutter, a plea for the torment to cease.

[Haha, bid farewell to your beloved. That man shall undoubtedly employ her blood for a ritual.]

"I said stop it!" Daniel's scream reverberated, causing the voice to temporarily recede. The portals, too, dissipated, leaving a momentary stillness in their wake. But before long, the voice returned, shattering the silence once more.

[Why scream when death has already embraced you?]

"What?" Daniel's voice trembled with shock at this revelation.

[Observe.]

A portal materialized, revealing the man uttering an audible incantation—Bredio Bulvago.

"A spell…?" Daniel's voice wavered, his disbelief evident.

[Not a spell, Daniel. A curse.]

"A curse?"

[Indeed, struck by a Death Curse! You were. Hahaha!]

Daniel fell silent, his voice swallowed by the abyss. Though reluctant to acknowledge it, a realization began to take hold within him. And in the face of this truth, his pitiable soul wept...

"And what of her...?" he inquired.

[Vineca? Haha, already said.]

[Her blood shall likely serve the man's rituals.]

"She'll die?"

[She might.]

"No..."

"She can't die," Daniel's voice wavered, gradually growing weaker.

[But she will. And do you understand why? Because of your weakness! You failed to protect her!]

Daniel felt anger, yet a profound sadness seemed to overshadow his urge to argue. A bitter chuckle escaped him upon hearing the voice's words.

"Yes… Weak."

"I've been weak from the start... I never truly decided to become stronger..."

"Undetermined… always…"

"I fled from countless things..."

"I even tried to kill Lucifer. I almost became a... murderer…"

"Looks like this was a result of my actions. My destiny." Daniel murmured, his tone heavy with sorrow.

"But Vineca, she's different."

"She extends her care to all, without discrimination."

"Kind, resolute, and courageous... and she's the one who captured my heart."

"She doesn't deserve to meet such a fate!", Daniel said with a pained voice, a hint of despair in his cry.

[But she will. Hahaha.]

"No, someone will come to her rescue."

"Gods… the Deities wouldn't allow someone so pure to perish in such a manner."

[Gods? Deities? Ha. You still believe in them?]

[Hahaha.]

"I—" Daniel found himself at a loss for words.

[You tell me.]

[Who will go after her? To save her?]

[None know of his identity. None know where he took her.]

[And she isn't even that important to be cared for by others!]

[No one will rescue her.]

[What you said is merely a delusion, to fool yourself.]

In the river of the afterlife, a soul remains motionless. It is confined to the current's pull, unable to defy its force or move independently. Its voice, however, resounds not from its mouth but from its mind, reaching all who listen. It can express sorrow, lamentation, or remorse, but its form remains still.

But Daniel… he was different.

"No one? Who decided that?" his voice started to grow louder.

"I am here!", he said with the first sign of motion—a clenching of his right fist. Then, teeth gritted, eyes wide open, he strained, his arms breaking through the water's adhesive grasp, defying its attempt to pull him back.

Persistently, he pulled himself further, gradually rising to an upright stance. "I shall rescue her!" he declared, propelling himself forward, retracing his path.

Now he stood on the surface of the water, unaffected by the current. He stared ahead.

Before him stood a massive gate, a multitude of souls drifting through it toward another gate beyond—a golden gate. They flowed with the current, unable to move.

Furthermore, their voices seemed dormant, as if all of them were asleep.

Yet, Daniel forged ahead, each step laden with weight. The water's surface sought to engulf him, but he persisted, striding atop it until he reached the gate. There, he caught sight of his own body, lying on a bed.

Just beside it, sat Noah, whose wand poised at Daniel kept chanting a spell, causing his body to glow momentarily.

He paused, gripping the gate, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke.

"You are no God."

[Oh? And what makes you say that?]

"Divinity wouldn't manifest in such malevolence."

"The Gods wouldn't subject souls to torment..."

"They wouldn't unveil agonizing memories to force repentance."

[Haha, are you sure?]

"Yes. Rather than doing all this, it would send me to hell, to bear punishments for my sins..."

[Is that your conclusion? Hahaha.]

[I must say, you are quite the clown. Hahaha!]

"Clown? Yes, why not. Let me be one."

"I can be that for you, as, now, I very well know…"

"The Devil, aren't you…?"

[…]

His inquiry was met with a silence that spoke volumes.

Chuckling, Daniel leaped from the gate, departing with a single word lingering in the air, "Thanks.", for he knew it all too well that it was the voice, that woke his consciousness in the river of afterlife!

.

.

.

Daniel's slumber was abruptly shattered by distant cries, jerking him awake. Gradually, his eyelids fluttered open, his vision initially hazy before gradually coming into focus. He made an attempt to lift himself, striving to sit upright, but his strength faltered. Unexpectedly, a supportive hand seemed to extend from behind, aiding his ascent.

Noah's figure came into view, offering assistance, his face marked by the same fatigue that Daniel had observed earlier. It was clear that Noah had expended his magical prowess to sustain Daniel, striving to counteract the grip of the Death curse that had ensnared him. Though uncertain of the passage of time, Daniel understood that Noah had dedicated himself for an extended period.

"Sir Noah..." he murmured, the words barely escaping his lips before he was enveloped in Noah's embrace.

"Sir Noah?" Daniel's confusion was palpable, feeling the warm hug.

"Thank the heavens," Noah whispered, his arms still holding Daniel.

"My efforts were not in vain," he uttered, his voice revealing a sense of relief.

"Sir, what exactly-"

"You were hit by a strong curse, my boy!"

"Everyone! Everyone here affected by it died despite my attempts."

"But you…"

"You showed signs of recovery."

"Everyone?", Daniel was confused with what Noah said, squinting his eyes upon the reveal.

"Thank God…"

"Sir, what do you mean by-"

Before Daniel could inquire further, Lucifer, who occupied a spot on the bed to his left, interjected, "Let him rest for a while. I will tell you the details."

"Very well," Daniel concurred with a nod.

"Sir, please take a small break. You've been using spells for eighteen hours now," Lucifer recommended, rising from the bed he had been seated on.

"No, you—" Noah began to argue against Lucifer resting further, but both Daniel and Lucifer were steadfast in persuading Noah to take a rest.

Noah stumbled slightly as he walked to the bed, then lay down. Placing his wand beside him, he closed his eyes, rapidly succumbing to slumber as the accumulated weariness overtook him.

Lucifer approached Daniel, settling into a chair adjacent to him. Daniel remained silent, his curiosity mounting as he anticipated Lucifer's explanation.

"The situation outside is bad," Lucifer began, his tone somber.

"What?" Daniel's surprise was palpable at Lucifer's words.

"Seven hundred and thirty-nine… that's how many died," Lucifer revealed, the weight of his statement landing on Daniel like a blow.

As the realization settled in, Daniel's eyes widened, and the resounding cries he had heard earlier echoed in his mind once again.

Lucifer advanced towards the closed door, pushing it open to reveal a heart-wrenching scene outside. There lay numerous bodies shrouded in white cloth on the ground.

Daniel's eyes widened, chunks of saliva being swallowed.

"What is this, Lucifer..." Daniel's voice trembled as he witnessed the grief-stricken women and the lost children.

His gaze fell upon a young child who sat in silence, staring at one of the covered bodies - the child's parent or sibling.

"How, Lucifer? How did it come to this?" Daniel's voice quavered, a tear tracing its path down his cheek.

"They were lively people. Even with the Devil's curse, they clung to life, hoping for a day of liberation..." Daniel's voice trailed off in sorrow.

"Yet, this..."

Daniel's concern then shifted to someone else, suddenly recalling, "What about Josh?" he inquired urgently, his eyes wide.

"Josh... Yes, he..." Lucifer's response was hesitant, hinting at something grave.

"Tell me. Where is he?" Daniel's voice was insistent, demanding answers.

Lucifer shook his head, his expression heavy. "He's gone."

Daniel was taken aback, nearly losing his balance on the bed at the revelation. Josh was no stranger to him, and his loss hit hard.

Lucifer proceeded to share more details, compelling Daniel to want to see Josh's lifeless form at least once.

With Lucifer's support, Daniel managed to stand, his steps unsteady as he ventured outside. His clothes were stained with blood, yet he paid it no mind.

Daniel pressed forward, limping a bit, covering a relatively short distance—about fifty steps—before arriving at the grim site where numerous bodies lay. Among them, one was undoubtedly Josh's, yet Lucifer couldn't discern the exact one amidst the tragedy.

"Which one is he? Where's Josh?" Daniel's urgency was clear.

Lucifer's response was a mournful shake of his head. "I… I don't know."

"What?"

"These bodies are all kids between twelve and fifteen," Lucifer continued, the weight of his words heavy in the air. "Josh, being fifteen, is among them. But their state is so disfigured that identification is near impossible..."

As if drained of strength, Daniel's form lost its stability, his weight leaning heavily on Lucifer. Despite Lucifer's efforts to hold him, Daniel withdrew, choosing to kneel, his attention locked onto the ground.

"Daniel, please, you—" Lucifer's entreaty halted abruptly as his gaze met Daniel's red-tinged eyes, which now seemed to smolder with an inner fire. Rage simmered beneath the surface, manifesting through the intensity of his gaze.

"He..." Daniel's voice quavered, his emotions a tumultuous sea. "It's all his doing," he uttered, his fist clenching as he swallowed hard.

"I'll kill him.", a blood curdling scream left his lips, startling every single soul present there as he swore to kill Jorren.