Chapter 196
[ 1,229 words ]
10:06 am
Goddess Of The Underworld
Therapy.
By the time the last soul fades inte light, the emptiness has settled so deep it almost feels like quiet. Almost. I stare at the scythe in my hand, at the faul shimmer of soul-dust clinging to the blade, and let out a breath that rattles in my chest. Nothing. No calm. No clarity. Just the same ache and Macey’s fa flashing behind my eyelids every time I Blink, the sound of her voice replaying in the hollow between heartbeats. This isn’t helping.
The scythe vanishes in a coil of shadow, and I pull up the tablet again. The screen glows softly, the last completed reaping marked in white. Beneath it, a note in Haiden’s handwriting glows faintly in the corner-“Waiting room: overflow. Souls require groundling p>
Talking, not fighting. Maybe that’s what I need. So I open a portal straight to Haiden’s waiting room p>
The waiting room is warm and candlelit. A wide chamber, with cream coloured walls and silly inspirational posters. Benches stretch along the walls, and t air hums with the low murmur of new arrivals. Souls sit quietly, their shapes half-formed and misty. Haiden’s touch is everywhere, soft music playing from nowhere, tea cups that refill themselves, that strange, impossible warmth that makes even the dead feel safe. I step inside, and dozens of pairs of eyes tur
to me. Not afraid, just curious.
“Evening,” I murmur, rubbing the back of my neck. “Looks like we’re a little crowded tonight p>
A few of them smile, hesitant. An old man in a tattered coat raises a hand. “Who are you and where are we p>
“I’m not sure anymore, but I guess you can call me Elliot, and I’m here to welcome you all and get you ready for the next steps in your lives p>
That earns a faint ripple of laughter, small, but real. I sink onto the edge of a bench and gesture for the closest few to join me. “Alright. Who wants to talk
It’s not the process Haiden uses, but honestly, they’ve got all the time in the world. So why not?
A witch with a braid down to her knees drifts closer. “About what p>
“Anything,” I say honestly. “Whatever’s on your mind. Sometimes it helps to say it out loud p>
She hesitates, then nods. Her story unfolds with love, betrayal, and the kind of pain that never quite dies. I listen. I don’t fix it. I just listen.
Then a vampire tells me about the son he never met.
A knight admits he died afraid.
A healer confesses that she never forgave herself for surviving.
One by one, they open up, and for the first time all night, the noise in my own head starts to quiet. Because these souls they’re row, they’re broken, hut
they’re honest. There’s no pretending here, no shame in feeling too much. And maybe that’s what I’ve been running from. By the time the last star Jude’s
into silence, I realise my hands have stopped shaking. The ache is still there, but it’s softer now. Manageable.
“Thanks for the company,” I tell them as they begin to drift toward the light. “You made my night a little esser
Light flickers near the far wall, the familiar hum of a portal cuiting through the soft calm I’d pist managed to build.
Handen steps through barefoot, hair sticking up in sia different directions, wearing sweatpants and she of those skirts that definitely wain? Indent for punk be siewing te blinks at the room, eyes widening
hit the “His voice trails off as he takes in the arene, souls till hngering on the benches, some chatting quietly, others sipping tea that refisto „tavit en
10:06 am
Therapy.
pp
endless loops. “Dude, I thought you said you were clearing the overflow, not starting an AA meeting of some sort. What is this p>
I lean back, stretching out my arms, a smirk tugging at my mouth despite myself. “Therapy session p>
Haiden groans, rubbing at his face. You let them move around? There’s an order, Elliot. The entire point of this room is…” He stops mid-sentence wher
of the souls, a frail old man, waves politely at him.
“Thank you for the tea, young man,” the soul says kindly.
Haiden just blinks, his irritation deflating a little. “Oh. Uh. You’re… welcome p>
Another soul, the witch with the long braid, smiles faintly. “Your boy’s got a gift, you know. He listens p>
Haiden shoots me a look that’s somewhere between suspicion and amusement. “You listen p>
“Apparently,” I say with a shrug. “Turns out it helps p>
He sighs and surveys the room again, but the edge is gone now. “You know, I spend years building a system, a streamlined, efficient, easy flow of souls fr pit to portal, and you waltz in one night and turn it into group therapy with snacks p>
“They’re calmer now,” I point out. “That’s something p>
He studies me for a moment, then snorts. “Yeah, alright. You’re not wrong. Just… next time, warn me before you start rearranging the cosmic afterlife’s
queue, okay p>
“I’ll leave a note,” I promise, smiling faintly.
Haiden slaps a hand on my shoulder, the warmth in the gesture cutting through the exhaustion that’s been clinging to me since sunset. “You look like hell
“I’m in hell,” I remind him.
“Fair point.” He gives me a small grin. “But hey, whatever this was? You did good p>
I glance around the room. “Did I p>
Haiden nods once, the humour slipping away into something more serious. “Yeah. You helped them find peace. And maybe… that’s how you’ll find yours
too p>
He starts to turn back toward his portal, muttering something about needing coffee strong enough to kill a demon.
I blow out a slow breath and drag a hand through my hais, surveying the mess of souls still milling about the waiting room. Must look calmet now, a few even chatting quietly or staring curiously at the silly cat posters.
“Alright,” I mutter, pushing myself up. “Let’s get this circus back in order p>
A few of the spirits turn toward me, expectant. I raise my voice, just enough to carry through the chamber.
“Okay, everyone, who’s ready to go get their souls assessed p>
There’s a small ripple of movement, a few nervous laughs, and even a hesitant cheer frum one of the mencer arrivals. I clap my hands together, farcing a ho
of energy into my tone. “Good Let’s line up. No shoving, no drifting through each other, it’s weird, and it freak out the new ones?
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10:06 am
Therapy.
PP
open the first portal with a flick of my wrist, the edges shimmering like molten glass. “Alright,” I say to the first soul, “you’ll each get a room in the pods, kind of like a rest stop. You’ll have time to reflect on your life, your choices, and your unfinished business. Then the assessors will review your soul and
decide where you go next p>
One of the souls looks up at me nervously. “And what happens then p>
“Then,” I say gently, “you move on. Beyond or below, whichever your soul’s ready for Either way, you’ll finally get peace p>
Comments
Kitten_81
one chapter Per day is killing me I love this book.
7 days ago
21
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