THE JOURNEY OF SHEIRA HART

35 | The Tale of The Grim Reaper

I couldn’t take my mind off of what happened. We’re back in the same spot where we used to wait for the express train. We just finished removing the dried leaves and dirt on our clothes because we were sent back flying face first earlier.

“Damned old hag. Can’t he afford to transport normally and doesn’t involve falling face first? If we were not souls, we could have died several times,” Mikhael complained and I just sighed.

“Maybe they do that because they know we can’t die. At least not by falling face first on the ground.”

What happened earlier seem to happen a long time ago. The sun was bright, I could see the lush green trees and the bushes swaying in the wind. Unlike that place which was almost barren if not for the small grasses and the bushes that grew on the almost dried up soil. The trees there were barren of leaves. The weather was gloomy. As if it was the perfect place for the painful goodbye of Thorien to Sarah. As if it predicted such was going to happen.

From the distance, we could hear the sound of the train. I stood beside Mikhael and secretly took a glance at him. He was quiet. And I couldn’t bear to ask what was bothering him.

Even as we entered our cabin, he was quiet. And all I could do was take secret glances. But then I figured I should ask him something that I think he could answer.

I cleared my throat and looked at him as he was staring at the scenery outside the window.

“The plants…” I started and he gave me a sideways look. As if waiting for me to continue what I was going to ask. “Why were they coiling when Thorien came? Is he like the god of death or something?”

I was asking it purely out of curiosity and for the fact that that’s what I usually see in movies. But Mikhael sighed and leaned back on his seat, his eyes are now on me. “Yes and no,” he said and I looked at him questioningly.

And then he crossed his arms as he said, “You saw that huge tree in Arbor, right?”

I nodded. And now that he mentioned it, I realized Thorien got close to that tree but it never coiled. I never saw it coiled or sway as far away as it can. It remained sturdy and unmoving.

“Come to think of it—“ I started and Mikhael just nodded.

“Yes, it didn’t behave the way the other plants did whenever Thorien is around. And so are the other living things on Silver City. They don’t coil or stay away from him.”

“Is that why he said he isn’t allowed to come down here? Because he will cause death to everything he comes in contact with?” I asked as I fit the pieces together.

Mikhael nodded. And that explains the grasses that coiled earlier when Thorien came. Did Sarah perhaps unconsciously know about it? Did she purposely brought us there so Thorien won’t hurt anything should he come? She might have not remembered him but perhaps unconsciously, she did.

“But why?”

“Being a Grim Reaper comes with a price. That’s the price he has to pay. Death to anyone or anything that he touches except for the ones in the Afterlife,” he said and looked outside the window. “Perhaps that huge ass tree took it all. Perhaps it was one selfish tree and took Thorien all for itself.”

I scoffed and looked outside the window too. “That’s one selfish tree, indeed.” I glanced at him. “How did he become the Grim Reaper?”

Mikhael was silent for a moment before he decided to open his mouth.

“I was … quite close with Thorien but I didn’t hear this from him exactly and I don’t know if it is the whole truth.” He sighed. “Decades ago, Thorien met Sarah. His name back then was Nigel. He was an author and coincidentally, someone whom Sarah—who was Emelia back then—admired. Emelia didn’t know she was already talking to her favorite author as nobody knows the famous’ author’s identity. But aside from being an author, Nigel is from a family of dangerous people. He was someone dangerous.”

“Did she ever find out? And what kind of dangerous?”

“Of course,” Mikhael looked at me. "Thorien and Thanis were trained to be best at killing. It's necessary. It's what they do. Being an author was just Nigel's front. To cover what and who he truly is.

At that time, Nigel was at the peak of his career and his mysterious touch left his fans curious as to what he looks like. It spiked his popularity even more. To make the story short, Emelia met Thanis and she fell in love with him. But then Thorien found out about Emelia's identity. She was a spy. And was tasked to kill the twins. Thorien tried to warn Thanis about it but the latter was too blinded by it. ”

I remained to stare at the ice-cold drink served to us earlier. The ice was slowly melting and I haven’t thought about drinking it. Perhaps I’ll need it later.

“The story ended when Thorien killed Emelia and Thanis killed Thorien.”

My hand flew to my mouth as he said it. Because of a woman, they killed each other. 

"So they have to pay the price. What they did was very heavy and that's how they became Grim Reapers. While Sarah doesn't have any recollection as to how she died and who was Thorien and Thanis, the two brothers could only watch her as she got rebirth so many times. Until now that she became a tainted soul.”

The ice on the drink clattered against the grass. The only sound I could hear was the one from the moving train. I remained to stare at the glass of cold drink as I processed what I just heard. Killing somebody for the person you love. I never knew something like this really existed. I thought it’s only in the movies. I thought nobody loves somebody enough to make them kill another person just to save the person they love.

“But today, that cycle is broken. Sarah…Emelia is now in Thanis’ care. She won’t be born again in this world. Thorien will never see her again.”

“He won’t. It was probably for the best. Perhaps Sarah somehow knew. Sarah unconsciously did it to break the cycle. Perhaps she knew it had to stop. Perhaps she realized they’ve been suffering enough. Perhaps it was that.”

I remembered when Sarah touched Thorien’s face. Probably the first time after a very long time of waiting. And just when she started remembering things, she had to go. Just when she started remembering Thorien being someone precious to her a long time ago, she couldn’t see him again.

“What a cruel story they have.” I lifted my head to look at Mikhael and found he was already looking at me. I furrowed my brows and blinked. He looked like he was spacing out so I snapped my fingers in front of his face. It caught his attention and he slightly jumped on his seat.

“What?” he asked.

I shook my head and picked the glass of cold drink. “You were spacing out,” I said and took a sip.

Mikhael just sighed and rested his head on the back of his padded seat. “What would you have done if you were Nigel?” he asked. He was still staring at the cabin’s ceiling and went silent. As if waiting for an answer. I put the cold drink on the table.

“I never really have loved someone to the point that I would kill for them. But if that kind of love really exists, I would be satisfied with what we have. I wouldn’t want to kill another person. What if that person has someone who loves him or her too? If I kill a person, I would be the reason for somebody else’s sadness. And that is something I wouldn’t ever do. And I am sure, the person I love would never let me do it too.”

I looked at Mikhael who was still silently looking at the ceiling. I couldn’t see his face but after a moment, he asked, “Even if you really want that person to live?” 

“Of course I would want the person I love to live. But killing another person for it is something I would never do. And I am sure, he will never let me do it too. If I know that I would never see him again or remember him for a long time, I would never do it. I would rather lose him than forget him. At least, even as he isn’t with me anymore, I still have the memories. The life we shared together is something that made me happy at some point in my life and I wouldn’t want to forget that. No matter how painful it is.”

I waited for him to say something but there was nothing. He remained staring at the ceiling. He probably was sleeping already. The tiny droplets of water around his glass of juice were pooling underneath the glass and it shook slightly with the movement of the train.

But then he said, “You’re right.”                            

I gave him a questioning look. “What?”

He lifted his head and look at me. A wide grin was plastered on his face as he said, “You always say the coolest things, Sheira darling.” He winked and I furrowed my brows at him.

“Since when did I say cool things to you? Since when did you consider I’m cool?” I made a gesture with my hand to emphasize the last word. “And would you stop calling me that endearment?” I crossed my arms and gave him a glare.

“Be thankful I consider you cool. Not all people get that kind of compliment from me,” he said and laughed.

I scoffed and mimicked a curtsy while sitting. “Well then, Your Majesty, you are very generous to give me such fair compliment but I am merely an ordinary and boring soul. It is an honor,” I said and curtsied again.

He roared in laughter and picked up his cold drink before he gulped it in one go. I stared at him as he wiped the liquid around his mouth. Something is still bugging me but I don’t want to ask him yet. Not now. Not yet.

“I know I am quite good looking but don’t make it too obvious that you’re attracted to me, Sheira dear.”

“I was going to say you have a very ugly face. What makes you think you’re good-looking?”

He shrugged then glanced to the side where we could see the opposite cabin through the small windows.

“I mean, they wouldn’t be staring at me for the whole ride if I am not physically appealing, would they?”

I sighed and he winked at the group of girls on the other cabin. The next things I heard were their giggles and their muffled whispers which I can still hear, by the way. And indeed, they were talking about Mikhael.

I never thought he was ugly, though. In fact, I think I told you all that he could be someone famous if he was alive. He is charming. He has a dashing smile. He could get serious if he wants to. He is extremely annoying and most of the time you just want to snap his neck only if it’s possible.

I rolled my eyes when he looked at me and grinned when the girls giggled again.

“I have quite a huge fandom, don’t you think?” he asked before he closed the window.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said and crossed my arms. And it was then that the train made an announcement about being an hour away from the destination. The trip was shorter this time. Very different from the previous ones.

Mikhael was about to reach the glass of his cold drink when I looked at him and said, “What would have you done?” He looked at me. “What would have you done if you were Nigel?”

He was silent for a moment. Clearly not expecting me to ask him the same question. But he let out a low chuckle before he took his drink and took a sip on it. He eyed the glass as he swirled it with his hand. “I would kill for her. Even if it means to keep her alive.” He looked at me.

“And besides, being a Grim Reaper isn’t too bad, don’t you think?”

* * *