THE END IS NIGH

  “Darius!”

  Peyton screamed Darius’ name when she saw the clutches of Tartarus drag both him and Azrael beneath its surface. She ran to the edge of Tartarus, only stopping from diving in to go after Darius because Eve had grabbed her arm and held her back.

  “Darius!” Peyton screamed again. “Darius!”

  Eve dragged her back, away from Tartarus, Peyton struggling to break free, but not succeeding. The two finally fell backwards on the grass at the edge of the beach, Eve still holding Peyton immobile by wrapping her arms around her, holding Peyton’s elbows against her body as she struggled to get back to her feet, still screaming Darius’ name.

  “Peyton!” Eve shouted, sounding pained. “Peyton, he’s gone! You can’t save him! He’s gone!”

  Peyton shook her head and continued struggling. “No! He isn’t! He isn’t! We can save him! Let me go!”

  Eve held firm, refusing to let her go. She held tight, letting Peyton struggle and kick and scream, still calling out to Darius. Finally, Peyton seemed to lose her energy, all the fight falling out of her and she collapsed against Eve’s body, letting the tears fall, crying loudly. Eve finally loosened her grip and sat up on the ground, pulling Peyton up into a sitting position beside her. She let Peyton bury her face in her shoulder, holding her close and trying to soothe her. She held Peyton like a sister, letting her cry, blinking hard as she also felt the tears come.

  They both lost track of how much time passed as they sat on the black sand beach, staring out across Tartarus. Eventually, Peyton stopped crying loudly, but let the tears continue to fall down her cheeks until she had nothing left inside. She felt lost. She knew Azrael was no longer a danger to her, but not having Darius there to assure her she was safe made her feel anxious. She kept wanting to hear his voice. To silently roll her eyes at how serious he was. To talk to him. To thank him for everything he had done for her. She wished, desperately, for just one more minute with him, so that she could thank him for saving her life. She thought about the last time they had been together. He had just saved her, again, from Azrael taking her soul. She had tried to tell him to be careful, but couldn’t speak due to the chronic coughing fit. She thought of all the things she wished so much that she had been able to say to him when she still had the chance, but now she couldn’t. She would never get to say anything to Darius ever again. She suddenly realized that she knew almost nothing about him before he became a Reaper. A fact that made her feel miserable all over again. She would never get to ask.

  “I never told him,” Eve suddenly said, her voice thick from crying, “how much I respected him. He was so… honorable. And good. He took no pride in what he did. But he recognized the importance of it.”

  Peyton sniffed. “Is there any way to…” but she didn’t finish asking. She knew the answer. There was no way they could save Darius. He had told Peyton what happened to a Reaper that had been claimed by Tartarus. They would be trapped forever. Just like Darius was now, to relive the suffering of others for eternity. Peyton wiped her eyes and lifted her head from Eve’s shoulder. “What do we do now?”

  Eve sighed. “We do what Darius wanted. We send you home, safe.”

  “How can I go home?” Peyton asked. “I mean, after all of this? How can I go back to my life? My home, my job… How can I just go back like all of this never happened?”

  Eve stared out across Tartarus, thinking before replying. “You don’t. You don’t go back like this never happened. You go on. And you remember. Remember everything Darius told you. Everything he did. Everything he believed in. Honor his memory and never forget a single moment of your time with him, however brief. That’s how you go back.”

  Eve rose to her feet and held out a hand to Peyton. Peyton took it and Eve helped her stand. Eve smiled at Peyton encouragingly, though her eyes were still filled with sadness, squeezing her hand gently. Peyton managed a weak smile back, but still felt like she had been hollowed out. She and Eve began to slowly walk off the beach, heading back into the trees. Eve led the way back into the forest, Peyton following sadly behind, not wanting to leave the beach, but knowing that staying would serve no purpose. Even so, as she reached the tree line, she couldn’t help but stop and turn, staring out into Tartarus one last time. Tartarus was silent as he had always been, there being no sign of the epic chaos that had happened there. No sign that a good soul had been taken beneath the surface. Sighing, she turned to leave, but she suddenly planted a hand against the trunk of a tree, as though stopping herself from walking any farther, and stopped in her tracks. She turned around and squinted into the distance. She took a step back onto the black beach, uncertain if she was seeing anything at all. She took another step onto the beach, watching the strange sight.

  In the distance, slowly coming closer, Peyton could see something. Tartarus was moving. The black water had risen and was slowly moving towards the beach, like there was something large moving just under the surface. The lump was coming closer and closer, moving slowly but certainly towards the shore. Eve stepped out of the forest beside Peyton, having turned back to see where she had gone and also seeing the strange occurrence within Tartarus. She stood silently beside Peyton, watching as the anomaly came closer.

  Finally, the bulge in the water reached the shore and stopped. It began to grow. It grew taller and taller, stretching up towards the sky. It then leaned over the beach like a giant dark candy cane and touched the sand. Then it began to suddenly peel away, revealing something it had been holding inside. Tartarus pulled itself off of the object inside, slowly letting it free, peeling off like a sticker, leaving only a thin residue that quickly faded away. And as Tartarus pulled away, Peyton and Eve could see what it was.

  “Oh my God,” Peyton gasped. “Darius!”

  Darius was standing on the beach, his eyes closed as Tartarus slowly released him, his arms still spread wide. Tartarus was only attached at Darius’ back, now, but the very moment he severed all contact with Darius’ body, Darius’ eyes snapped open and he gasped in a deep breath, instantly falling to his hands and knees, gasping for air. Peyton ran forward while Eve only stared in amazement, her mouth open in surprise. Peyton dropped to her knees beside Darius and held his face in both her hands while he sucked in enormous lungfuls of air. Behind him, the section of Tartarus that had held Darius slowly lowered itself back into the main body of water and silently disappeared, resuming the usual quiet stillness that Tartarus always maintained.

  Peyton threw her arms around Darius’ neck and held him close, hardly able to believe he was real. Darius, starting to regain normal breathing, slowly put his arms around her. Peyton held him even tighter, clutching the back of his shirt tightly, just in case he was going to disappear again.

  “I thought you were gone,” she whispered. “I thought… I thought…”

  “I know,” Darius said weakly, holding her tight. “I know.”

  Suddenly, Peyton pushed away from him and thumped him on the arm. “What the hell were you thinking?” she snapped, suddenly angry. Then she grabbed the increasingly confused Darius and pulled him in for another tight embrace. “Don’t do that again,” she said.

  Smiling weakly, Darius said, “I’m not planning on it.”

  “Darius, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Eve said, stepping forward. Darius and Peyton rose to their feet and walked back up the beach towards her. “But how? How are you standing here right now?”

  Darius looked down at himself, then glanced over his shoulder, back at Tartarus. “I don’t know,” he said. “The last thing I remember is being pulled under the surface. Then I was here.” His eyes suddenly widened and he looked around wildly. “Did Azrael get out, too?”

  Eve shook her head. “No, Darius. Just you.”

  Confused, Darius ran a hand through his hair. “Why? Why did Tartarus let me go?”

  Eve shrugged, but Peyton gasped and grabbed Darius’ arm in her excitement.

  “Darius, it was becau
se you’re not tainted,” she said. “You told me that Tartarus claims tainted souls, people who aren’t good enough, or ready enough, to go to Heaven. So if he let you go, doesn’t that mean you don’t belong there? That you’re good?”

  Darius considered it. He always felt like he had sinned, like he had done many bad things and had tainted his soul, but could Peyton be right? Could Tartarus see a side of him that he didn’t know was there?

  “I suppose we’ll never know for sure,” he replied. “But that’s as good a theory as any.”

  They all turned and looked out into Tartarus, standing side by side.

  “So, Azrael won’t be getting out any time soon, then,” Peyton said.

  “No,” Eve replied. “I don’t imagine he will.”

  “Maybe if he realizes his mistakes,” Darius said. “If Tartarus can show him the error of his ways, and if Azrael lets go of all his anger, maybe then he will be freed.”

  “I doubt that will happen for a long time,” Peyton said. Smiling, Peyton turned to Darius. “So, can you see my fate now? What’s my destiny, Mr Reaper?”

  Darius looked down at her, silent for a few seconds, his eyes half-squinted and serious. Then he grinned at her, looking into her eyes. “That’s more like it,” he said.

  “What?” Peyton asked, grinning. “What do you see?”

  Darius shook his head, grinning. “Knowing would spoil living. It’s the mystery of it all that makes life worth while.”

  Peyton stared up at Darius with her bright blue eyes, flecked with green, a small smile playing across her face. Darius smiled back at her, still confused as to why Tartarus released him, but in that moment, he didn’t care. He was with Peyton and everything was alright.

  “We should get Peyton home, Darius,” Eve said. “I think she’s had enough of our world for now.”

  Darius nodded, breaking his gaze from Peyton’s. “Yes. Yes, of course. Peyton, I’ll take you back to your home.”

  With a wave of her hand, Eve opened the violet portal, the light swirling madly before them, the sudden increase in wind blowing their hair about as they stared into the vortex.

  “Will I ever see you again?” Peyton asked.

  Darius grinned at her. “Of course, Peyton. Not even Death could stop me.”

  Peyton grinned at Darius as he took her hand. Together, they walked towards the vortex and stepped through. The black sand beneath their feet was suddenly gone and the green trees vanished, being replaced with a dimly lit living room, the ceiling lights still burning and sunlight peeking in through the windows as the sun rose over the city. Peyton blinked in the change of lighting, letting her eyes adjust. A moment later, Eve appeared through the vortex behind them, smiling pleasantly around the living room, even though the room was still half-destroyed from the fight that had taken place there.

  “It’s weird being back here,” Peyton said, looking around. “I know I wasn’t gone that long, but… Jeez, it’s weird, you know?”

  Darius stepped back and smiled at Peyton. Eve stood beside him, also smiling at Peyton. Peyton smiled back at the pair of them.

  “So… with Azrael gone,” Peyton began, “what does that mean for you and the other Reapers?”

  Darius spread his hands to show his ignorance on the matter. “Who knows? I’m sure someone will eventually replace him. But then, the other Reapers and I are so used to governing ourselves, most of the others might not ever even know he is gone. We will be fine, though. If there’s one thing that endures, it is life and death.”

  Eve rolled her eyes. “Life of the party, isn’t he?” she said sarcastically to Peyton, who smirked back at her.

  So, now what?” Peyton asked.

  Darius’ smile became a little sad, because he knew he was saying goodbye. “Now, Peyton, you live your life the way you were destined to.”

  Peyton considered Darius and arched one eyebrow. Then, without warning, she walked directly up to Darius, grabbed his shirt and pulled his face down, pressing her lips against his. Surprised at first, Darius quickly leaned into the kiss, feeling the warmth of her lips on his. Eve smiled at them and turned away, giving them their moment together. Darius lost all thought as he pressed his lips against Peyton’s soft ones, raising a hand and brushing it through her hair.

  When they broke apart, Darius stared at Peyton, still surprised by the kiss. Peyton straightened his shirt and stared up into his eyes seriously. “I don’t believe in destiny.”

  Darius, still stunned, could only stare at her, the memory of her lips on his still tingling. Eve stepped toward Peyton and embraced her in a sisterly hug, a huge grin on her face.

  “Take care of yourself, Peyton,” Eve said. “It was truly a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Eve,” Peyton began, not knowing exactly what to say. She looked at Darius, directing what she was about to say to both of them. “You two changed my life. I don’t think I will ever look at things the same way again.”

  Darius finally found his voice again and said, “My life is changed as well, Peyton. Ever since I first saw you.”

  Peyton blushed and grinned up at him, playfully pushing him away. “You better visit me.”

  Darius inclined his head, silently promising to see Peyton again. When he could.

  “We should go, Darius,” Eve said, placing a hand on Darius’ shoulder.

  Peyton took a step back as Eve opened the vortex, the violet light flooding the room. Darius and Eve walked into the portal, both stopping to look back at Peyton one last time. Peyton raised her hand in a sign of farewell, and Darius felt a pang of longing, of wishing he could stay. But there was work to be done. There was always work to be done. Not taking his eyes from Peyton’s, Darius watched her until the vortex closed and he found himself staring out across a field full of flowers. They were back in the Garden. Darius stared out across the beautiful field of flowers, listening to the breeze rustle the leaves of the trees and watching the flowers sway gently.

  “You lied,” Eve said.

  Darius shook off his daze and looked at Eve. “What?”

  “You lied,” Eve repeated. “You didn’t see Peyton’s fate at all.”

  Darius frowned with concern. “Yes. I lied. But only to keep from frightening her.”

  “She has a right to know, Darius. It’s her fate.”

  “I’d rather tell her when I know more,” Darius replied. “I’ll tell her when I have something to tell her.”

  “What does it mean?” Eve asked. “If Azrael is trapped, why is her fate still blank to you?”

  Darius frowned across the field, looking in the direction of Tartarus, imagining Azrael trapped and frozen beneath the surface, imprisoned inside his own mind, tormented by the pain and suffering of all of his numerous victims.

  “I don’t know,” Darius said. “But it definitely means something else is coming.”

 

  THINGS TO COME

  Far away, across Tartarus, through the jungle of the Chthonic Island, deep underground beneath a smoking volcano, an old woman shuffled around a pool of brightly glowing blue water. Fate was cackling, talking under her breath, staring down into the water as she circled the pool.

  “The Reaper stopped Azrael, yes-yes-yes, that’s good, very good. Of course he stopped him, we knew he would. It didn’t look good for a while there, no-no-no. But he did it, he did, yes, he did. I still think he got lucky. Lucky or not, the design is playing out. But will he follow through? He still has choices to make, choices that will be difficult, far more difficult than any he has ever made before. Before too long, his choices won’t matter. No-no-no.”

  Fate continued to shuffle along, wringing her hands and cackling quietly as she spoke to herself. Suddenly, the luminous blue water began to change. The light began to shimmer and pulsate, quickly changing from blue to a color beyond description. It seemed to shift and melt, changing from blue to red to purple, but was never any one of them, continuously changing colors, but not being any color recognized by
mortals. Fate saw the change in the water and froze in her tracks, staring down into the water. She looked surprised, but then laughed loudly and clapped her hands together, cackling as she approached the water and kneeled before it.

  “It’s him, it’s him, it’s him! He’s finally making contact with us! Yes-yes-yes! Finally! Finally! Speak to us! Speak to us!”

  There was then a strange sound. It seemed to pulsate out of the pool itself, a deep resonating bass, but there was no echo in the enormous cavern. There were no distinguishable words, but Fate listened intently, captivated.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, lord… Everything is going as you asked.” She paused and seemed to listen to the resonating sound again. “Yes, Azrael is where he needs to be, for now. The Reaper is on his path… You will have your chance soon, lord. We have laid the path out for you. The way will soon be open.”

  The bass boomed again and Fate grinned and cackled at the sound.

  “Yes, lord!” she laughed. “Yes! The traitors will all soon kneel to you once more! This abomination of a universe will soon be at your mercy. Oh, the destruction will be glorious! These humans, lord, they are terrible creatures! We need you, lord, we need your help. These humans must be annihilated. They are cruel and impulsive and selfish, the choices they make, they are erratic and foul, they should never have existed, they-”

  Fate stopped as the bass emanating from the pool grew louder and drowned out her voice. She was nodding fervently.

  “Yes, lord. Yes. We only ask for your patience. You will have your revenge, we swear it. But to succeed, we must put the pieces in place. Azrael was acting too soon. We have ensured that he must wait until the proper time. Only then will you be able to lay waste to this universe and Heaven.”

  Fate’s wrinkled old face broke into a wide grin, the lines in her face deepening as she imagined a universe where humanity no longer existed, and Heaven, along with all of its inhabitants, was destroyed.

  “Your time will come soon, lord.”

 
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