Chapter 2

THERE was a long pause Shane said that.

What can he do, though? It's the truth. He's been waiting for a grim reaper to bring his soul in peace.

The woman just stared at him as if he just said the most ridiculous thing ever.

Who in their right mind waits for the end of their time in the land of living as they're just waiting for their order to be served?

Shane stood up. "Miss grim reaper, can you slit my throat now?" He asked.

Mara immediately wields her scythe and thrusts it at Shane. However, the same thing happened. The scythe wasn't able to harm Shane.

"What do you mean you've been waiting for me?" Mara asked.

"It's nothing. Never mind," He replied.

Mara did not say anything. She closed her eyes, trying to contact a Senior Grim Reaper or Azrael but it did not work.

It's as if her connection with the Eternal has been cut off. It's as if she's exiled without a proper judgment.

Her eyes lingered on Shane's place when she felt something that doesn't belong in this world anymore.

She jumped backward and swung her scythe at the lady who was sitting on the corner.

"You can rest now," She whispered in the wind the moment the girl's body dissipated.

If her scythe still works and she's still able to send the souls to where they belong, that only means one thing, she hasn't been exiled. Her connection was just cut off!

She faced Shane and then charged. She grabbed him by the collar. "You know something, Shane Hoseinzade. You must tell me now why can't I take your soul!"

Shane said nothing, nor he did do something. He just stared at Mara's fiery eyes and somehow, it did not scare him. It did not give him chills. It relaxed him.

It's as if he was staring at the purest ruby yet staring at the vast sky.

He doesn't have an idea though.

"Answer me," Mara demanded.

"I don't know," He said. "All I know is that I have known grim reapers like you always existed. I have known that demons lurk everywhere. I just know that lost souls wander around, looking for help."

Mara's eyes grew wide as she recalls the myth she read from the distant past.

His family must have a connection with a djinn!

It is the only explanation.

Mara let go of him and then sighed. "I can't put your soul into peace, Shane Hoseinzade."

A disappointed expression flashed through Shane's eyes.

"I can't even go back to the Eternal. I don't have a place to stay. I'm staying with you," She said.

Shane's eyes grew wide as his jaw fell to the ground.

What the hell is she saying?!

Shane stared at Mara and whether he admits it or not, Mara is too pretty for his own sake! Despite having this goth style, he can't deny the fact that any man will have the hots for a lady like her.

"No, that's not happening," He said and then he turned his back. "You can leave now."

"Once I find a way to take your soul, I'll do in an instant. You won't even have to beg," She said. "Give me a month or two. After that, throw me out."

Shane stopped his trials.

That's a good bet. This woman looks sharper than the past grim reapers who also failed to take his soul. And she might actually help him know why is his soul chained to his body. She might actually free him!

Shane turned around. "One month. I must die in one month," He said.

There was this unpleasant atmosphere the moment their eyes met. One looks determined and serious, and one wears no emotion.

Something intrigued Mara when she saw Shane's desperation to die.

Someone as desperate as him usually goes to hell or becomes a lost soul because they choose to die before their time ends. And yet, here he is, patiently waiting for someone to get him, to save him.

"Mara," The woman said. "My name is Mara." She offered a handshake.

An empty smile crept on Shane's lips. "I'll take that as a yes to the deal," He accepted Mara's hand. "You know my name already, don't you?"

It was already quarter to five when Shane went into his room to rest since he still has a lot on his plate right after the clock strike at eight.

MARA can't help but stare at the shut door. Suddenly, she's feeling her body changing. She then averted her gaze and then stared at the palm of her hands.

Her pale hands started to get tainted by pink. Blood started flowing in her empty veins. Her numb body started feeling the coldness of the dawn. Her heart started beating.

She placed her palms against her cheeks. It's warm.

She doesn't know how and she doesn't know why. She can still feel her comrades around to save their target souls. She can still feel the presence of unearthly beings. But the thought that she completely resemble the humans scared her.

Mara then found herself staring at her reflection. It's her first time seeing how she looks. Grim reapers don't have reflection since they're just like the wind but since everything about her screams she's a human, she's able to meet herself, eye to eye.

To her, she looks weird. The color of her eyes doesn't match each other. Her long black hair makes her face look even smaller. Her dark tainted lips make her look even paler. Her petite body makes her look younger than she is. Though, she loved how her black simple dress makes her feel she still belong with the people in Eternal.

Mara knocked on Shane's door thrice before she entered.

Shane's fast asleep. He looks damn tired. Mara feels cold since her dress is sleeveless. For the first time in countless years, Mara knew how good was it to fall asleep.

SHANE was still half asleep when the sunlight hit his face.

What time is it? He thought.

He became so comfortable that he forgot he should wake up as early as possible.

He groaned and stretched. Confusion swallowed him. His right arm feels heavy and it feels warmer than usual. He opened his eyes.

Shane stared at unfamiliar black hair. The woman used Shane's arm as if it were a pillow and is hugging the latter.

Mara's face is buried in Shane's chest and letting out a sound.

Blood rushed to Shane's face and instinctively moved, pushing Mara away which made her fall from the bed.

Shane's breathing is rugged while Mara sits on the floor, rubbing her eyes while yawning. Mara stared at Shane with the same intensity and then her eyes diverted to the scene outside the window.

"Oh, it's already morning?" She whispered to herself. She returned her gaze to Shane who still look flushed and then she said, "Take me to where you're going. I know nothing about your world and I don't know how negotiations work on this land."

Shane just realized how inconvenient it is to make a deal with a grim reaper. He placed his palm against his forehead and then shook his head as a sign of disagreement.

"You can't," He replied.

"You want to die, right? I may find a clue about the djinn who's keeping your soul in your body when your due is over," Mara replied and then rolled her eyes.

Shane can't do anything about it. There's something in the grim reaper's eyes that keep on pushing him to have more patience.

This will only last for a month, Shane. He said in the back of his mind.

AS THEY walk together in the crowd, people can't help but to look at them. How could they not? The young man has these attractive eyes and all and definitely could pass as a model. The petite lady beside him look gorgeous yet she looks weird because of her gothic style.

What is a fashionable man doing with a goth girl, anyway?

Shane entered the building who offers funeral services. He wants to give his mom a proper burial despite having no friends or close relatives, and despite being poor.

Mara came with him and in just a matter of minute, she got lost in the building.

She can't help but stare at the bunch of lost souls crying at the corner. None of them looks like they committed suicide.

One of them is wearing a school uniform and is staring at the wall blankly.

Mara sat beside her. She gave the girl a tap on her shoulder and in an instant, she started crying.

The seal on Mara's hand slowly opened the gateway to where the girl's soul belong. Though, Mara did not expect that the process will take three times slower that it should be. What a disadvantage.

"I can hear them saying I should have not wore something that caused me my life," She said.

Mara did not say anything. She just leaned her hrad on the wall and listened to the girl's cry.

The girl stared at her clothes. "Tell me, what has provoked those monsters to gang rape me and kill me when I was wearing my uniform?"

Mara's lips parted. The girl is not even wearing something revealing. She bit her bottom lip. No wonder tons of souls goes ro hell.

"I am not a whore, okay?" The girl said before she was consumed by the golden light.

Mara heaved a deep breath and then did what she's supposed to do. She sent the remaining lost souls to where they belong.

Most of them were killed for money or for pleasure.

She sighed. "Humans never changed, huh?" She whispered.

She went and look for Shane. Luckily, she immediately found the latter sitting at the waiting area.

His face was covered with a handkerchief and her arms are crossed under his chest.

Mara was about to approach him when she suddenly felt chills down her spine. It's as if something is pushing her back, preventing her to take a step closer.

Her lips parted the moment she noticed an unusual aura beside Shane. It took her a minute to realize that the unearthly being is a djinn, doing something to Shane.

THE GOTH girl suddenly vanished in the eyes of normal people, and to those who can see the likes of her, they witnessed how she summoned an enormous scythe and charge towards the being beside Shane.

The djinn managed to dodge the attack but Mara managed to severe the chain the djinn was trying to strengthen.

"Who are you?" Mara asked in a fierce manner.

The dark purple smoke started to take shape of a man. He has this long, dark horns and pointy teeth. His hair resembles the fire of hell. No... Mara can't even tell if the djinn is a man or a woman.

The djinn's sinister laugh was all Mara could hear. It's too loud and it is almost sending vibrations, enough to create a crack on the wall.

"Another mouse has fallen into the trap," The djinn said in an eerie voice.

"Hey, Mara, what the hell are you doing?" Shane asked when he noticed everything.

"Stay back!" The lady replied.

The young man looked at the grim reaper in confusion.

He can't see a djinn? No wonder they managed to create some disturbances in Shane's soul.

But what does this djinn want with Shane?

But what did the djinn mean when he said another trap has fallen into their trap?

The moment her eyes met those dangerous green eyes, it hit her.

Tons of grim reapers has been reported missing since a decade ago. They are the cause. The djinn! The rumors in the Eternal says that the culprit wears purple cloak, has green eyes, and a pair of long sharp horns.

No matter how Mara look at it, she's sure enough that this is the culprit.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"What do you think a devil will do, little girl?"

Mara had goosebumps in an instant. The djinn disappeared. Mara got frozen to where she was standing when she felt the presence behind her. Before she could even turn aroun and slash the djinn with her scythe, the djinn has already laid his hand on Mara's shoulder.

Mara felt like she was about to fall on the ground. His hand feels heavy and it's as if the djinn was sipping Mara's life force.

She started feeling dizzy.

"You'll die again while realizing what I have done."

Mara was already holding on the last straw of strenght when the djinn was repelled. Her scythe disappeared into the thin air as her body started having a physical form.

She fell on Shane's arm while the unearthly being's presence disappeared.

Mara is chasing her breath while Shane kept on tapping her cheeks gently. When she regained a part of her strength, she noticed the faint light on Shane's left ankle.

Mara stared at Shane's eyes. "Tell me, Shane Hoseinzade, were you offered to the djinns when you were a baby?"

Could be, right?

The only way a djinn or a devil can reach you is through insisting a connection to the underworld, to the hell.

Mara can't help but shiver with the thought.

"I don't know," He replied.

Shane lifted her up and then walked out of the building. All he has to do is wait until the funeral service to finish the final touches anyway.

They took the jeepney since Shane doesn't have enough pocket money to take a cab.

Mara is leaning on Shane's shoulders along the way. She feel feverish. The presence of that devil is enough to make her chase her breath, a single touch made her almost lose her life. She's still existing and it was all thanks to Shane, a mere human.

Shane gave Mara a glass of water as soon as they arrived at his apartment.

Mara sighed while Shane sat across her. She closed her eyes and then she exploded.

"You know something, Shane! You've been attracting tons of lost souls with both positive and negative auras! Was it you who brought the djinn in the land of living or was it one of your family members?" Mara exclaimed.

She's panicking in and out. She can't solve this matter on her own! She can't even contact Azrael or anyone in the Eternal.

"I told you, I don't know. I don't even understand a thing as of the moment."

"Shane," Mara said in a warning tone.

Shane sighed. "Though, there was a rumor in our province that my ancestors are witches, aswang, or some sort of people who uses black magic."

Mara fell onto her knees. Black magic? They must be connected with the djinns! Damn! This is even harder that she though it would be!

"That was actually the reason why me and my mom chose to leave the town when I was a kid," Shane mumbled.

Horror was visible in Mara's eyes as she stares at the young man in front of her.

"Shane, I fear you'll still suffer even if I successfully take your soul," She said in a trembling voice. "Shane, you migh just end up in hell because of your strong connection with the creatures of hell."

Despite not knowing an inch about the ritual, Shane's soul is already bounded to fall in hell because half of is soul is already on the hands of that djinn.

UPON realizing how messed up Shane's life is, his world crumbled down. The last thread of hope just snapped. The faint light from afar started to dim for him.

What happened to his mom's soul then? Where is she now? What will happen to him when the time comes?

"Unless you cut the ties with them and redeem yourself," Mara said.

The eerie silence filled the room.

Shane's feet felt cold as he started feeling random presence behind him again and Mara's just staring at his shoulder.

The cold air braced him even if the windows are closed and the air conditioner is off.

Before Mara could even slash the lost soul with her scythe, it disappeared as if it have some sort of super power lost souls are not supposed to have.

"Do you know that woman, Shane?" Mara asked which made Shane's blood run cold.

"Mara, I'll be fine living forever," Shane said.

Mara has always been suspicious of Shane, especially that lost souls kept on visiting him and vanishing into the thin air as if they were never there.

"That lost soul must be sent to hell as soon as possible. She's turning into a demon who can cross hell to the land of the living anytime she wants."

"Mara, I think it-"

"I am doing my best to do what my kind's supposed to do," Mara glared at Shane in a warning manner.

"She's my great grandmother, Mara. And she said they're expecting my return."