CHAPTER ONE: Grim Reaper

SERRA

“Serra. ..” a scratchy voice of a woman called my name.

I pretended that I didn’t hear her. I just continued walking and increased my pace. I tried to lose her in the crowd of both the living and the dead that were passing by the pedestrian lane but she was very persistent.

“Serra Hilario!” She appeared right in front of me with messy hair covering almost her entire face.

“Holy cow!” I cursed and swiftly took steps backward. I even dropped my travel bag because of shock.

Who wouldn’t? Her voice alone was terrifying what more seeing her gloomy face. The skin surrounding her eyes darkened. She was pale and her chapped lips purpled. I could only see her left eye and the corner of her grinning lips.

I held my chest as it pounded fast as if I was being chased by a wild hound. I took deep breaths to calm myself.

“You can see me?” she said astound.

I shook my head and grabbed my bag. I held it tightly and avoided her but she kept on appearing before me without prior notice as if she was glitching.

“I’m glad you can see me now after eighteen long years!” she exclaimed in front of me floating on the air.

I keep on striding forward while she kept on floating backward still facing me. She was wearing a hospital gown stained with blood. She was also about my age maybe because she died early.

“Of course I can see you. I’m a medius.” Annoyance was evident in my tone but I lowered my voice as low as possible. An anti-medius mormian might hear me.

Medius is a Latin word that means middle. Mediuses are creatures that can interact with ghosts. Mormians are the ordinary people of this island, the Island of Vitam et Mortem.

“Is that so? Why only now then? I’ve been following you for eighteen years,” she responded emphasizing the last two words.

I rolled my eyes heavenwards to conceal my curiosity. If she was telling the truth about me not seeing her for eighteen years I want to know why. My third eye was wide open during my birthdays, I even saw grim reapers but not her.

I tried to lose her again but she was perversely tenacious. I wouldn’t mind her following me like a dog if she shut her mouth. The hot weather and a heavyweight on my shoulder were already exhausting but she kept on spitting unnecessary words making me feel worse. I was tired of listening to her nonstop chitchat. I halted as the last drop of my patience drained.

“Shut the f*ck up!” I raised my hands leveling my ears and shook them back and forth three times.

She just stood in front of me and stared at me for a couple of seconds. I did the same since I myself was shocked because of my sudden outburst. She slowly looked on the ground and floated away. My eyes followed her until she disappeared. I nibbled my bottom lip feeling a pang of guilt. Did I just upset a ghost?

I heaved a sigh and returned my sight at the front. I was taken aback when I noticed that everyone on the sidewalk is staring at me.

“Who is she talking to?”

“Is she a medius?”

“A creature like her is a curse.”

“She should be burned alive.”

Their words were stones thrown at me. They were knowledgeable of our existence but we we’re far from being accepted in society. I bitterly smiled and continued on my way. I was heading towards Silverio University. Our first semester started a week ago and I received an email early in the morning from the admins. It was stated that Mr. Arthuro Silverio, the governor of the island of Vitam et Mortem and the owner of the university required the students to stay in the school dorm for free.

I was grateful for the idea since it will decrease my expenses. Renting a room in the city was expensive for someone like me. I barely afford a small and old room with my pay in a part-time job in a coffee shop.

“Excuse me," I uttered at the man standing in the middle of the sidewalk under the maple tree. He was facing sideways focusing his sight on the road.

I couldn’t pass through since two couples were walking like turtles on each side of the sidewalk.

My brows furrowed when the man in front of me didn’t budge. Not even an inch. My brows furrowed more seeing his attire. He was wearing an eye-blinding shiny black shoes, fitted black slacks, rolled-up white sleeves, a black vest with a black tie, and a black cowboy hat. His outfit was like an insult to the hot weather.

“Umm... excuse me, sir,” I repeated but he didn’t look like he heard me. Is he deaf? “Sir,” I called for his attention pulling the hem of his shirt.

He slowly turned his face at me. I couldn’t stop myself from staring. Some strands of his brown hair were covering his forehead. His diamond-shaped face defined his cheekbones. His thick and angled brows framed his almond cat eyes. His Grecian nose dropped straight from the forehead and was nearly a perfect straight line just like those centuries-old sculptures of Greek gods. His nose complimented his long face and obtusely angled chiseled jawline. His lips were reddish, super plump, and full of glamor. His bottom lip was fuller than the top almost like pulling me into his handsome face. I’ve never seen someone on this island as God-favored as him.

I gulped staring at his luscious lips before traveling my sight back to his eyes. His eyes had a sense of movement and flow -a subtle smirk- that intrigued me. Besides that, there was something else. His eyes were way colder than his straight face. He was giving off a dark aura enough to make anyone shiver.

He averted his gaze on my hand which was still holding the hem of his shirt making me let it go. He turned his sight back on the road.

“A medius with a power at its peak.” He released a grin. His voice was low and deep enough to make my knees weak. “Too careless... too naive... too innocent...” he added.

My forehead knitted. I remained my composure and stood still to hide the fact that I was a bit shaken. His words puzzled me. How on earth did he know that  I was a medius and my power was at its peak at this moment? Unless...

I peeked at his right wrist and I saw a black mark like a dripping tattoo. It was a wooden scythe with a u-shaped moon.

He’s a–

“Grim reaper,” I mumbled. “You’re a grim reaper?” With wide eyes, I took two steps backward.

“I sure am.” He grinned more seeing my reaction.

I looked at him from head to toe. “You don’t look like one though. Grim reapers usually blend in with the mormians making it easy for them to catch evil spirits.”

He gave me a stern look. “It’s because I’m born to stand out.” He stared back to the road and put his hands in his pockets. “Besides, no evil spirit can escape Grip,” he boastfully added.

My lip rose upon hearing his ironic response. Grim reapers were never born. They were not dead and not alive either. Their life stopped as a punishment. Their clock of life will continue to tick if they accomplished their mission and if the heavens allowed it.

“How did you know that I reached the peak of my powers?” I curiously asked.

He faced me and asked, “how old are you?”

Is he interested in me now?

“Seventeen,” I shortly replied.

“You sure about that?” He leaned closer leveling his face to mine with hands still in his pockets. I slightly leaned my head backward to distance myself. “Then what’s that?” he added and glanced at my chest.

I glanced at myself and saw a glowing symbol of yin-yang on the left side of my chest below my collar bone.

“Is your life that miserable for you to forget your birthday?” he remarked turning his attention on the street.

I immediately dropped my bag and slid my hand into my pocket. I brought out my phone and took a look at the date. It was damn the 13th day of August. It was my 18th birthday. I slid my phone back afterward.

When a female and male medius turned 18 and 21 respectively their markings will appear in any part of their body.

“You should have stayed home. You’re attracting too many evil entities. It’s Friday the thirteenth afterall. Your mom knows better since before conceiving you she’ll receive a vision of you being a beyond of a medius. Did she not tell you?” He didn't even bother to look at me and just tightened his tie.

“I don’t have a mom.” I caught his attention making him look at me. “I mean... I never met her. I think she left me,” I added and avoided his gaze by lowering my head.

I lived my entire 18 years alone. I don’t know how I managed to survive that. When I was a kid I stayed at random orphanages and no parents would take me as theirs since I am a medius. I got no friends too. Most of the kids were avoiding me while some bullied me. Everything changed when I started interacting with ghosts. They were good companies not until a grim reaper showed up. I stayed away from ghosts because I got attached too much making me lonely for days after they left. Grim reapers took away my happiness and it made me feel awful knowing that I just spitted out half of my life to this cold reaper before me.

“She didn’t leave you,” he said making me lift my head high to face him.

My forehead wrinkled seeing him looking at something behind me. I looked back and saw the same ghost hid inside the body of a bystander woman with weak vitality.

Ghosts could enter and control a person with weak vitality. If ever they’ll find a perfect body that matches their soul they won’t be able to leave that body and after seven days they’ll end up devouring the soul of the person who owns the body. The succumbed soul won’t be able to get reincarnated and after the body dies the new soul will be sent to a fiery pit of hell.

“Show yourself,” I firmly demanded.