Winter Nights of Hell

Chapter Seventeen

A Reaper's Coming

 

When Mati explained that he could help me find Yuna, I was very much on board with finding her rather than my body. Indeed, wherever my body was, it was safe, right? Mati explained that I was in some kind of ‘astral projection’ state, which meant my spirit had left my body. My body was currently a laying target somewhere. Wherever it was, or whoever had it, I couldn’t help but trust it. Getting my body back was important, but knowing I had the chance to find Yuna meant everything. She’s the only one that could help me with this demon that has marked me.

The one thing I prayed for was that that demon wouldn’t kill my body.

My gaze turned to the owl sitting a few feet in front of me, staring at me with his giant yellow eyes. “Mati, where are we?” I questioned him.

We hadn’t gone back to the tower. He had brought us elsewhere, but we were no longer in the open fields of green. It looked like we were high up in the mountains. 

The bird had flapped his wings and pushed himself off the ground, taking flight into the air. I watched as his wings reflected the little bit of sun that reached the peak of these mountains, and I found myself smiling at his uniqueness. 

“Come along, Little Snow. To the top of the mountain,” He spoke to me.

A soft groan escaped my lips as I climbed up the mountain. Luckily, it wasn’t a rock climb. Just a lot of uphill I had to climb. Surprisingly, being a spirit sure took a lot of you! I thought, you know, maybe I could float - like you’d see in the movies. Nah, not today. The mountainside was beautiful, though. The trees were green, and the wind was soft as it whispered through my ears, but it was chilly. The cold chilled right through me, and as a spirit, you’d think you couldn’t feel that. But apparently, I can. 

At the pinnacle, I stood with a triumphant air, encircled by a vast expanse of trees and encompassed by a dense shroud of mist. My hair was disheveled and tousled by the winds, and my cheeks glowed with a rosy hue from the strenuous climb. Despite the eerie fog that obstructed my view, I felt an acute sense of lucidity and determination that I’m sure I’ve never felt before. I felt accomplished even more. From this elevated vantage point, everything looked so different. It was an entirely different perspective. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes and savored the tranquil silence of the mountaintop. I plopped down to the soft ground underneath me, feeling incredibly relaxed. Staring at the sky above me, I could only wonder if this was what it was like to be in Kurai’s shoes. He was able to teleport damn near anywhere he wanted - whenever he wanted. Thinking about Kurai made me sad - just trying to figure out what he could be doing or thinking. 

I gotta admit I missed Kurai and Enoxon both. I could only hope they were doing okay. 

Thinking about them made me somewhat depressed. 

Mati came hopping over and looked down at me, cocking his head slightly. “Do you know where you are?” He questioned me.

“I do not,” I replied to the owl, staring past his yellow eyes and at the foggy sky above me. 

“Would you like to know?”

“You wouldn’t have brought me here for a reason other than to find Yuna, correct?”

He shook his head, “Yuna is not here. Yuna is here.” The owl gently placed a wing over my heart, like you would see someone do in a movie when they want to be all spiritual. 

My eyes rolled, and I sighed. “Mati, this isn’t the time to play like that,” I muttered. “The Underworld needs Yuna.”

“I know. The underworld also needs a Reaper - they need someone to take care of the souls so that the Sinless Council is no longer in charge,” He explained. 

“Why is everyone against the Sinless Council redirecting souls?” It was genuinely a question. Every time someone mentioned that the Sinless Council was in charge, it was like the entire presence of everyone became negative. It was confusing to know that people want this ‘perfect’ council to not lead souls to their eternity. They were the definition of perfect - even their name states they’re perfect! 

“They’re perfect - you’re right. However, it can mean a bit of harm for the future of the Celestial World and the Underworld,” Mati explained to me. The owl looked concerned, his brows furrowing as he shuffled his talons in the green grass below him. 

I watched as the celestial scratched at the ground, wondering why he seemed so concerned. If they were perfect, they should be perfect for the job.

“No one is perfect,” The owl said softly. “Every Celestial that has come to our world has a flaw, as every human and demon does.” His voice became slightly hum as he thought about his following few words. “They may be that born of Michael, but that does not mean they are fit for the job of a Reaper.”

Listening to the owl, I took his words into my own heart. I couldn’t help but smirk as I turned back to the blue sky above me, clouds drifting by. “Reaper seems like an important person,” I murmured.

“She is,” The owl is good to me. He hopped over to me, standing beside me and staring at me with his big yellow eyes. “The world needs their reaper,” He told me. “And she needs the world - more than she knows it.” 

I glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow, “How do you for sure know that she’s alive?” 

“The entire upper Celestial Community knows she’s alive - but her. She’s the only one who doesn’t know.”

I shook my head, “Well, I hope she realizes they are the reaper soon. It’ll make this a lot less stressful for me. Mati, where is Yuna? You brought me here to find Yuna.”

“No, I know where Yuna is. But I cannot get to her,” He explained to me.

“What do you mean? You literally said you could,” I groaned, sitting up straight. 

“Yuna cannot be seen by anyone but a soul,” Mati explained, jumping onto my lap and staring at me. “She cannot be seen, heard, or found by anyone but a Soul or the Reaper themself.”

“What about in a dream?” I asked.

Mati looked away and halfway shrugged with his long wings. “She rarely shows herself in a dream - she is not a Dream Walker, but a Spirit Walker. She walks along those of Spirits - of children, men, and woman who have passed and are entering the world of the afterlife.”

 “Yuna saved me from a Demon, though; why would she do that if only a spirit or reaper can see her?”

Mati’s eyes narrowed at me, and he shook his head, “You are dull,” He muttered. “Ugh, this is so hard.” His voice had changed entirely, and he covered his face with his wing. The small owl hopped off my lap and jumped a few feet back, a shimmer floating from his body. The owl shifted into something more significant and shaped differently. 

I stared at the figure in front of me and watched as his body morphed into a human’s body with wings. I gasped as a young man appeared before me. His face was annoyed as the shimmer faded away. He was a tall, handsome man with striking red hair that seemed to glow in the dim lighting. His skin was light and flawless, and his golden eyes shone captivatingly. But what caught my attention were the large, majestic red wings that sprouted from his broad shoulders. They were magnificent, with feathers that shimmered like they were made of pure gold. He was dressed in a flowing white and golden kimono that only added to his otherworldly beauty. Clearly, this man was not an ordinary human but an actual Celestial - an angel. I couldn’t even foam the words to my mouth.

He stood there, staring down at me, his eyes darting through my soul as he spoke. “I’m not sure how much more clear I could be, Snow,” A sigh escaped the man. “The Sinless Council is an actual threat to our world, and you’re lying in the grass like you own the world!” 

I was utterly astonished by this young man’s bashfulness as he began to pace back and forth. I could not speak. He’s the Dreamwalker? Damn, he was as enchanting as Yushin, that’s for sure! I couldn’t believe this owl was a human - rather a Celestial. 

 “Snow, you are the reaper! How could you be so dull? You led a soul to their demise after Yushin brought you to the Spirit Portals. You can see Yuna, made with the previous demon’s blood!” His voice was full of agitation.

“What?” I murmured, listening to him explode. 

Did he just say I was the reaper? 

No. This was a mistake.

He stopped and took a deep breath to calm himself, counting quietly to 10. The man turned his body to face me, even got down to my eye level on the grass, sitting on his knees and hands as he stared through my soul with his golden eyes. “You. Are. The. Reaper,” He told me sternly.

I couldn’t help but chuckle in his face, immediately covering my mouth as I did so, but my shoulders bounced with amusement. “And I could say you’re not an owl after all,” I giggled to him.

“What?” He muttered and looked down at his form. “How did… What?!” He huffed, gazing over his human body. “I’ve never been forced into my Celestial Form before.”

My brain was scattered, but I couldn’t help but continue giggling at this entire experience. “Like Yushin, I made him transform in front of me too, so I guess you are a Spirit Walker.”

He glared at me, narrowing those perfect golden angel eyes, and huffed, “I am not a Spirit Walker - I do not guide souls. I just work for the Sinless Council - who, by the way - are not as ‘sinless’ as you expected. I’ve been working side-by-side with the Reapers for many years but staying to myself in the Celestial World, watching them and working beside them as requested by The Lady in Red.”

The Lady in Red.

The story about the previous reaper that Yushin shared with me jumped into my head. He told me that the Scarlet Reaper, or the Lady in Red, had a baby but disappeared after she had the baby. My eyes widened. So, my parents weren’t my parents? I stared in the direction of Mati, sitting up quickly. “The Lady in Red had a baby,” I told him swiftly. “Am I that baby?!” I exclaimed.

“You are the Lady in Red’s daughter, yes.” 

“What?!”

“Is it finally starting to make sense?!” Mati asked me, raising his eyebrow and crossing his arms, still sitting on his knees.

Without even thinking, I reached over to him and gently placed my hands on his shoulders. “My mother and father… They were not my mother and father?” I asked him quietly.

Mati frowned at me, placing only one of his hands on my shoulders, and shook his head. “No, Snow. Ren and Sayuri are not your real parents,” He murmured gently. “I can only assume that the demon who marked you,” He paused and gently removed my marked arm off his shoulder, placed his hand on the marking, and continued, “Knew who you were… That’s why he wanted you dead. This demon…” He murmured sadly, his golden eyes glossing over. “He will kill you, just as he did Sayuri, Ren, the Sayaki Tribe… The previous Lord’s… You are his marked target.” The man’s voice trailed off as he gripped my arm where my marking was. “You cannot let him win, Snow. You must find him and kill him before he kills you.” His eyes raised and locked with mine, and I could tell he was hurt and scared. 

“Mati…” I murmured to him, searching his eyes for that spark of hope.

A small smile appeared on his face, “If anyone can bring balance to our three worlds, it has to be you, reaper. There is so much more you must discover - I know who you are, your story - your life. Watching over you was my promise to The Lady in Red, so I chose to join the Celestials. I am your Guardian Angel. I am sorry about Ren and Sayuri’s Death - they did everything they could to protect you,” He told me.

 I feel a tightness in my chest, and my breathing becomes shallow. My fists clench, and I can feel the anger rising within me. My eyes begin to burn, and I can feel the tears forming. I try to hold them back, but it’s too late. The first tear falls down my cheek, followed by another, and then another until I’m crying from anger. It’s frustrating and overwhelming, and I don’t know how to stop it. This entire situation got my blood boiling, but I was so angry that I couldn’t understand it. 

“The Council of the Sinless must be stopped from turning souls into Lost Souls. I have watched misjudge so many innocent people - turning them into souls to be devoured by demons or watching them wander the Fields of Mourning, or as you know it, the Shadow Realm. The demon can sense you since you are marked, but also because of the blood similar to the Reapers.”

Innocent souls were sent to the Shadow Realm? That’s awful. I couldn’t believe they would send innocent people there - just to be forever forgotten by the Demons who would eat their souls or to just roam by themself. It broke my heart.

“Sora was a lost soul being hunted by the demon attacking you at the portal to the Celestial World. That demon, not as powerful as the one who has marked you, was chasing Sora, and you got in the middle. Sora was sent to the Fields of Mourning. After retrieving her, every high-up Celestial knows you’re alive. They don’t know who you are, just know you’re alive.”

“What does that mean for me?”

“It means whatever corrupted demons that the Council of the Sinless can get their hands on will chase you,” He said with all seriousness. 

“What? Why would they want to chase me?” I asked him.

A sigh escaped the Celestial as he dropped my arms and shook his head. “I… Don’t know that answer,” He murmured sadly. “All I know is you’re safer in the Underworld than here in the Celestial World.”

I nodded and raised my head, my face drying from the angry tears. “Can you go with me?” I asked him.

He shook his head, “If I go with you, I will be stripped of my wings, and they will know I betrayed them. I will be forever lost as well. I… Do not want that.”

“How does Michael not understand what’s happening with his council?” I asked him.

Mati shrugged, “They’re perfect beings - how can they ever mess up?” The young man replied. “Now, I need you to go back to the underworld. You will not be able to contact me from there.”

“Perhaps in a dream?” I asked him with a hopeful smile.

“Perhaps, but not likely. I’m glad I got to meet the next reaper,” He told me, smiling brightly. He put his hand on my shoulder once more. “I would suggest keeping your newfound status on the down low. If word gets out that the reaper has returned, more than one demon will be after you for the bounty that lies on your head.”

“... can I tell-”

“You need to decide whether or not you want to trust Kurai. I have not met him, but I heard his story from Celestial Casielle. Please, just be careful. I will not be able to protect you. Not many will have the power to take on the demon until you are ready for your unimaginable talents. Yushin will take you back now.” The Celestial took a few steps back; his wings stretched out as he transformed into his small owl form again. He reached out, rested the tip of his wing on my nose, and stared at me with those golden yellow eyes. 

Please be careful. 

I smiled gently at the owl and reached out to him. I hugged him, grateful for the guidance he had provided me. To the point, I even patted him on the head and nodded, “Thank you, Mati. I appreciate you tons. I’m glad you were by my… My … Mother’s side when you were. I hope to see you again.” 

The owl furrowed his brows gently and nodded to me, replying gently, “Any time” He pushed away from me and disappeared within the shimmering light. As I focus on my surroundings, everything slowly begins to fade away in a bright light. The once familiar space around me dissolves into a blinding white until all that remains is a sense of weightlessness. It’s a disorienting feeling, and I struggle to make sense of my surroundings as I float in this bright void. The light is intense, and I can feel its warmth on my skin, but there is no discernible source. I am left with nothing but the overwhelming sensation of being engulfed in this bright, all-consuming light. 

Good luck, Little Aria.

There was that name again. Aria.

I tried to call out to him to ask him what he meant.

But there was nothing but that bright light - darkening by the second as my surroundings completely faded out. The light slowly darkened to a gray - turning the scene into something else.

Mati's Celestial Human Form