Page 73 of Dante's Circle Reborn

Ashen shook his head. “I remember fire, but I do not remember my name, or who screamed for me. I know I was once a bear. I can feel it prowling inside me, wanting to get out, but I am not strong enough to reach him.”

“You’ve progressed farther than most would at your age.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Ashen asked, truly wanting to know the answer. He didn’t know if he ever wanted to be a true reaper. He didn’t like the idea that he was death personified now. However, he didn’t think he had a choice.

“You died in fire, as you remember. The others mourned for you, and enough time has passed that while you have not been forgotten, they have progressed to a new stage of their grief. You will not see them again, for you are Ashen, not your former self. With the strength within your veins, I suspect that, one day, you may be able to shift into a bear, once your bear finds purchase in this new reality. That will be some time. Now, because of your strength and your training, the Collective of Shadows is ready to give you your first assignment.”

Ashen’s brows rose, and he stood up straighter, looking down at the scythe in his hands. He took in the long, billowing black robes around him.

He looked exactly like the Grim Reaper of legend, only he wasn’t skeletal. Rather he was a man, a shadow of who he once was. His cheekbones were prominent, the flesh slowly sinking in. He had dark shadows under his eyes, and he didn’t have as much muscle as he once had. He was still broad, however. Still strong. At least he could remember that much. But he didn’t feel exactly like he had once before. How could he after death?

“The Collective of Shadows?” Ashen asked, coming back to what Reaper had said.

“The Collective metes out the assignments. They know whose thread must be cut, just like the fates themselves.”

“The fates are real?” Ashen asked, thinking of the three fates of Greek lore.

“Who is to say what is real and what is not? What is myth and legend, and what is pain? After all, we are living in a world of the supernatural, where even our most imaginative minds can’t fathom every type of paranormal out there. Every type of realm that exists.”

Ashen noticed that Reaper hadn’t actually answered the question. However, he hadn’t really been expecting it. Not with a life that now consisted of unanswered questions and riddles.

“What is my first assignment?” Ashen asked.

“You will know soon. The Collective will be here with your first assignment.”

“And I…kill this person?” He still wasn’t exactly okay with that, even if they said he wasn’t the bearer of the death.

“You take their soul as they die. You do not kill. You’re not that person.”

“Yet I still don’t have a choice.”

“No, it was written in your destiny long ago that this is who you would be. There’s no need for you to be worried. Scared of who you are. This is part of life, and there must always be an ending.”

“I thought the paranormals were supposed to live for eons. How do I take them from this life?”

“You take them just like I took you. It is your destiny, just as it’s theirs to fade into the next phase of existence.” He paused. “You are not killing them, Ashen. Remember that.”

He wasn’t sure people would agree with the other man. It was hard to do so when he wore the black hood and held the scythe of the fictional Grim Reaper who killed and took souls. However, he didn’t have a choice in the matter.

He waited in silence along with Reaper until the Collective showed, ten men and women in robes that hid their faces. Reaper slid his cowl farther down his face so he was cloaked in shadows. So, there were eleven. Eleven that made up the Collective. Those who decided who would die and who wouldn’t.

“Ashen,” Reaper said, his voice deeper than usual. “You are now of the reapers. Your first assignment will be a woman named Eva. It is her time. This is her place. You are not the cause of her death, but the reaper of her soul. You will send her to the new phase and help her in this new stage of her existence. Go forth and reap and know that you are just.”

Ashen rolled his shoulders back. “It will be my honor.”

“Good, because this is your test,” one of the members growled out. Ashen didn’t like this one already, even if he didn’t know who he was. “If you fail, your end will come sooner than you would like.”

The others muttered in agreement, and Ashen held back a frown.

So, if he didn’t do this, they would end him? Take him to the next plane? No, he didn’t think so. He had a feeling if he didn’t do this, if he didn’t take Eva’s soul, he would lose everything. And he would be but a blip in existence, not able to go to the next phase.

However, he knew his duty, knew his role. He was a reaper. And he would reap the soul.

They sent him the information on who Eva was, along with a mental image of her.

She was of average height, but nothing else about her was average. Her bronze skin glistened under the sunlight, her dark hair lustrous and shiny. He wanted to run his hands through it. He wondered where that weird thought had come from. She had dark eyes that seemed to see into the unknown, and gorgeous curves that begged for a man’s touch.

But not his, he didn’t think reapers were allowed that.

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