THE JOURNEY OF SHEIRA HART

34 | Staring Back at the Darkness is One Thing. Threatening it is Another.

“Do you think you could get away with me? Hm?” Thanis’s finger traced her jaw and she winced when Thanis gripped her cheeks.

“Thanis—“

“You two, stay out of this,” he said in a low voice that made me froze on my feet. He then looked back at Sara who was trembling with fear as she looked at Thanis. The man with the same face as Thorien.

“Why did you do it?” he asked and Sara’s black eyes were filled with fear as she continued to tremble. I can’t blame her. Thanis is darkness incarnate. And judging from his reaction, Sarah must have done something that made Thanis this mad.

Thief.

Darkness.

I gasped as I realized what exactly is going on.

“I don’t even have a punishment for what you did because I didn’t think anybody would even dare to try,” Thanis smirked. “Yet you did it. You dared steal my powers? And used it for your own gains?” Thanis laughed. It was low, vicious, and dangerous. I swear I saw the swirls of smoke around Sarah coiled as if they recognized who the man is.

“There’s a special place for you in the underworld.” He grinned and stood up. It was then that we saw Sarah slowly floating in the air with the dark swirls of smoke around her. The darkness that she once used as her own is now obeying its true master. And it was Thanis.

“You can’t take her!” I said and Thanis looked at me with his cold eyes.

“I’ve been thankful for the two of you these past days for helping me find these tainted souls but don’t ever think, even for a second, that I would go easy on you should you wish to interfere my business.”

But I won’t back down. I made a deal with Thorien. And I have to do what I needed to do.

“Please. Let her see Thorien first.”

It was then that Thanis got quiet. So quiet that I felt the hairs on my nape rose. Mikhael was silent beside me and I was swallowing hard.

“Thorien?” he asked as he ever so slowly turned to face me completely. One moment, he was several meters away and the next moment, he was already in front of me.

I have always found him intimidating. No. Intimidating is an understatement. He could make the mountains kneel. And he was standing in front of me, his piercing eyes seem to have penetrated me at that point. And maybe it was because of what I said or maybe because we were interfering or maybe both that he did not hesitate to wrap his dark worls of smoke around me, immobilizing my arms and my feet.

And the next thing I knew, I was already floating in the air.

“Let her go, Thanis,” Mikhael said but Thanis didn’t look at him. And then as I stared at him and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. Because it wasn’t the usual cultured male I see but a monster. A beast. And he was staring right back at me.

“If you don’t wish to go to the Underworld, then do not interfere, girl. Do what you’re supposed to do—“

“You should also do what you’re supposed to do, jerk!” I couldn’t help but scream at him and he blinked. The guardian of the underworld blinked. As if he wasn’t expecting it from me.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked. Gone was his vicious face. It was replaced with his human face laced with confusion.

“I said, you should also do what you’re supposed to do, jerk.”

“You got the nerve—“

“I mean, she’s right.” We both looked at Mikhael who shrugged. “The last time, you were late to take Monica and almost two mortals died. And we almost got beaten too. Nobody saw that except us.”

I felt the dark swirls on my arms and legs loosened until I was back on the ground. Mikhael went on, “The second time, you let your underling wreck havoc in the train and was late to take the two girls who could have hurt us since we were on the same cabin, trying to get away from your underling who looked like a zombie who didn’t completely transform.”

“What on earth—“

“And may I just add the fact that you said you were drunk that’s why you mistakenly sent your zombie underling to do your job.” I added. I know where this is going.

Mikhael shook his head. “Negligence of duty. What will the higher ups say about that?” I could see the faint smirk on Mikhael’s lips as Thanis slowly clenched his fist. We could see the darkness swirling wild around him.

He’s mad. But he can’t do anything about it. And I think it makes him madder.

“I mean, we could be silent about it. Nobody will know about it except us. But it will come with a price,” Mikhael continued. Thanis’s eyes were sharp, as if he could shoot daggers from it as he looked at Mikhael who was staring back.

And ever so slowly, we saw Sarah being put down on the ground. The black swirls of smoke that bound her hands and feet were gone and she was weakly sitting on the ground. I looked back at Thanis who was still looking at Mikhael.

But moments later, we heard him sigh as if surrendering. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as if he had the roughest week. I glanced at Mikhael and he did the same. I gave him a secret grin and he just wiggled his brows before he looked back to Thanis who let out another sigh and looked at us.

“Do you know what happens if I let a tainted soul like her roam around this world? Do you remember Monica? She will be capable of harming other innocent lives—“

“What we ask,” I started, looking at Sarah who’s probably hearing everything, “is to let Sarah see Thorien. For the last time.” I whispered the last sentence so I Sarah couldn’t hear it. I don’t know if he knows anything about Thorien aside from the fact that he’s the Grim Reaper. But Thorien seem to have claimed they both have a past together. And it’s a bitter truth that Sarah seemed to not have any recollection of it.

“Why did my brother send you both?” he asked. I looked at Mikhael but he was just looking at Thanis.

“I am not entirely sure but he said he couldn’t come and find her personally as he is not allowed to leave the Silver City—“

“Sucks to be him,” he merely said. But then he added, “But I know that isn’t the only reason though. There must something more reasonable for him to ask you both. I mean it could be that—“

“Thanis,” Mikhael called, cutting Thanis off. And Thanis looked at Mikhael as if they communicate with their eyes.

Thanis scoffed and looked at me from head to foot. “This far more interesting that I thought,” he said and glanced at Mikhael. I raised a brow at Mikhael hoping for an explanation but he didn’t so much as glance in my direction.

“Call Thorien,” he said and Thanis scoffed.

“He hasn’t answered my letters and you expect him to answer it now?”

“Well, we found Sarah. That would make him haul his ass down here,” I said and looked at Sarah who was just looking at us, confused.

“There will be no need for that.”

We all looked behind us only to see Thorien in his white robe and silvery hair walking down the grassy path. No, he wasn’t walking. He was floating. His feet aren’t even touching the ground. And yet, it was as if the plants coiled as he passed by. The wind became a bit violent and the grasses swayed away from him.

I heard Thanis click his tongue.

“It’s an honor to be graced by your presence, dear brother,” he said and bowed to his waist but I knew somehow, it was sarcasm speaking.

Thorien didn’t so much as paid attention to Thanis and went straight to Sarah who was also looking at him.

I can’t blame her. For a Grim Reaper, Thanis looked heavenly. I mean, when I was alive, I have always thought Grim Reapers to be ugly, and scary but damn me to hell. I was wrong. Not that I believed in them when I was alive, anyway.

“Such a doting brother, that one,” Thanis said and pointed to Thorien who crouched down in front of Sarah. Sarah was unable to move. And she was crying as Thorien was holding his hand, probably checking the marks on her arm and her face down to her neck. Sign that she did something that she shouldn’t have done. Sign that she is now a tainted soul. And that she must go to the Underworld.

And as I looked at Sarah, I could see pain in her eyes. Pain as she watched Thorien. She mumbled something we couldn’t comprehend and tears didn’t stop falling from her eyes. But Thorien was patient. He slowly wiped the tears in her eyes. He has known her before. And has watched her die, get reborn and die again. He couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t tell her anything. After all, Sarah couldn’t remember him. Sarah couldn’t remember her past lives. But then as I look at Sarah’s face, I knew right away she has finally remembered.

“I’ve been looking for you for so long,” she said. “The man in my dreams. I…I saw you in my dreams and I know I needed to find you but I couldn’t. I couldn’t find you, I’m sorry.” She sobbed.

“And now you did, good job.” Thorien’s voice was gentle. As if being carried by the wind that caresses you very being. “Now you found me,” he said as he cupped her face and leaned to kiss her forehead. “I have loved you ever since before. I have never forgotten about you.”

“I don’t want to go. Don’t let me go, please,” Sarah begged and I couldn’t bear to watch it. But Thorien caressed her hair before he did something and Sarah went unconscious. She fell right into Thorien’s arms. Thorien stayed for a moment to stare at her sleeping face before he stood up and carried Sarah. He floated back at us with the grasses and bushes swaying as far as they could. And before anyone of us could say anything, Thorien stood in front of Thanis and handed Sarah to him. His eyes never left her even as Thanis took her in his arms. And he leaned in again to kiss away the tears on Sarah’s eyes before he mumbled something we couldn’t hear.

“Good bye, my love,” he said to Sarah. His eyes were sad. But I guess it was enough to tell it pained him as much as it did to her. Tears weren’t necessary.

Or maybe he has lost all the tears for those decades he watch her die countless of times.

I could only guess.

Then he turned to us and a smile was plastered across his face. Though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Thank you, to the both of you. Thank you for letting me see her again,” he said and went closer to us. The grass underneath her feet coiled and it didn’t escape my eyes. I watched it until he was close enough that I had to look up into his eyes. Then I felt his hand on top of my head, patting me gently. And he did the same to Mikhael.

“You still have a long way to go on your journey,” he started then he looked at Mikhael. “You know what to do, di Angelo.”

Mikhael clicked his tongue. “I know, I know. And are you supposed to be worrying about us now? Go back to the city and mourn,” Mikhael said to which Thorien just laugh. He then turned to his brother and clasped his shoulder.

“I trust Sarah with you, brother.”

Thanis just smirked. “I don’t have special places for certain people, brother. And you know that.”

Thorien let out a sad smile and looked down on Sarah who was peacefully sleeping. And I could tell the regret and the pain as he looked on her. And he couldn’t do anything about it. Which makes it more difficult.

“I have to get going,” he said and looked at us one more time before he raised his hand leveling his shoulder. I looked at his wrist were I could see a timer and it was going down.

“When this timer goes zero, you will be sent back to the place you are supposed to be. Thank you so much for your help.”

Thanis stepped back as Thorien started to glow. He was looking at Sarah the whole time until he disappeared into thin air. The air became a bit violent again and the grasses swayed back to what their position was before Thorien arrived.

Thanis sighed and looked at Sarah before he said, “You were driven by your anger and did this to yourself. Life would be hard down there.” But I will look out for you. Thanis seems to say. He then looked at us. “I have made my end of the deal, I trust you two would keep yours?”

Mikhael and I both nodded and Thanis lifted his head. “Good,” he said and dark tendrils of smoke started to creep into him. “Your threats won’t work on me the next time,” he said and then disappeared, leaving wisps of dark smokes.

We were left there, dumbfounded, happy, yet sad at the same time. Who would have thought for it to end like that?

Not us. Not Thanis.

And not even Thorien.

So we waited until we felt being pulled from above. I looked at Mikhael who was silent ever since Thanis left and he was looking down.

When I looked at what he was looking at, I could see a blotch of grass, coiling and slightly withering. I looked at Mikhael who was looking at it too.

Before I could even ask anything about it, we were suddenly spiraled into the air. 

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