Chapter 21: Eye To Eye With Death

DANICA

Stepping outside, I scanned the area for any sign of Death, but how could I possibly find him when I knew so little? The streets were quiet, with only a few cars making their way home from work.

I was at a loss for where to start my search. The only place I’d ever encountered him was at the park. I didn’t really expect him to be there, just hanging around waiting for me, but I had no other leads.

So, I set off on the familiar path I used to take to work. As I walked, the sky began to weep. What started as a light drizzle quickly escalated into a downpour.

It was oddly comforting to experience something so ordinary, so human, amidst the surreal circumstances. The rain soaked me to the bone, but the discomfort grounded me in reality.

I arrived at the park, its gates perpetually open, serving no real purpose. I couldn’t help but wonder, what’s the point of existing if you’re not really living?

The park was deserted, the rain had ceased, leaving only a few lingering droplets falling from the trees. Death was nowhere to be found.

Despite my disappointment, I sat down on a damp bench. I was already soaked through, so it didn’t really matter.

Leaning back, I took a deep breath and spoke to the empty sky. “I need you,” I said, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would hear me.

“For the first time, I need you to explain to me, why am I the way I am? Why am I expected to save the world when I don’t even know what I’m saving?” My voice trembled with the chill setting into my bones.

“Your wish is my command,” a voice said suddenly. I turned to find Death sitting beside me, his dark features and inky black eyes almost human. Almost, but not quite.

There was an otherworldly aura about him that set him apart. I noticed a few people in the distance. “Can others see you?” I asked, my gaze shifting to the figures ahead.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Only a select few. But no one here, so just be cautious if anyone passes by.” His casual explanation was unsettling.

“Your mother thought she was losing her mind when she realized she could see me,” he added with a laugh. I studied him, his almost normal appearance contrasting with his extraordinary existence.

“You are Death?” I asked, interrupting his laughter. He turned to look at me.

“Yes, I guide souls into the afterlife. It’s my job to ensure every soul finds its rightful place. I’m not the only one who does this, but you could say I’m the boss of all the death angels who collect souls,” he explained patiently.

I noticed his hair, as dark as mine. There was a familiarity about him that made us look related. “You’re my father,” I stated, more than asked.

A proud smile spread across his face. “Yes.”

I pondered my next question. “What about my mother? What is she?”

“A werewolf mixed with a water nymph.”

“She’s a werewolf?” I asked again, needing confirmation. The creature I feared most was part of my lineage.

He nodded.

“I’ve seen you around town for years. Why?” I asked.

Death removed his black coat and handed it to me. I accepted it gratefully, my body shaking from the cold.

“Are you asking why I was here or why I never approached you?” He didn’t wait for my response. “I look after my children. Even if I couldn’t be close, I needed to ensure you were safe. And I never approached you because there’s no easy way to explain everything. You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you I was Death, and knowing would have put you in danger,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

Our conversation felt unhurried, as if we had all the time in the world. “You said you look after your children. Are there more?” I asked.

“You have a twin sister,” he revealed, leaving me stunned.

“A twin sister?” I echoed, shocked.

“Yes. Her name is Adelie,” he confirmed.

“Where could she be?” I found myself asking.

“She’s living with her mate, Kairos, and their child, Elias, in a werewolf pack. She’s a forest nymph, like me, and can communicate with souls. She’s part death angel, a powerful and brave woman. Now that her life has settled, she’s an incredible leader, wife, and mother. Despite her nymph and death angel lineage preventing her from having a wolf form, she’s stronger than all of them combined,” he spoke of her with such admiration that it left me breathless.

She was nothing like me, didn’t even sound like me. I was terrified when that wolf attacked me, if he had gotten any closer, I would have had a heart attack from sheer fear.

“Why hasn’t she ever visited me?” I asked cautiously, afraid of his response. What if she was ashamed of me? Maybe she didn’t want a weak sister like me around. She had her own life, why would she bother with me?

Death looked at me with a serious expression. “The timing wasn’t right for either of you. She had her own battles, and she’ll have to fight for the rest of her life. She’s lived through terrible things but came out stronger. Every day she wakes up as if it’s her last, making every moment count, knowing her life could be in danger at any moment,” he said, and I felt a single raindrop slide down the back of my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Danica…we couldn’t tell anyone about you, not even your own sister, for a long time. We needed to ensure your safety first,” he explained.

“Who’s ‘we’?” I asked.

Something in him seemed to change, his eyes filled with sadness as he looked away. “Your mother, Meredith,” he said, looking at me as if searching for something.

Why did that name sound so familiar? I couldn’t remember anyone from school or town with that name. I remembered the vision I had, the one where I saw Death and a woman I assumed was my mother. Why did she look so familiar? Why did it feel like I had seen her before?

“A woman used to visit Ms. Moore. They were old friends,” I said, noticing a sweet smile on Death’s face. “I haven’t seen her for many years, but she used to visit frequently, once a month I think. I remember her being a kind woman,” I recalled, picturing her face from the last time I saw her. It was the same face from my vision.

“Meredith Murrell…,” I said, looking deep into Death’s eyes. “Is she my mother?” I asked, and he nodded.

“She never showed any sign that she could be my mother. She was kind and welcoming, but my mother?”

“She had to be as distant as possible for your safety. She didn’t want to, but it was the only way. She loves you with all her heart, but there was no other choice.

“It’s not natural for someone like her to see Death, let alone have children with him. Your celestial nymph side was too strong to contain in the forest wolf pack, we tried. We really tried to keep you close, but everyone saw that you couldn’t control your element in the forest, we couldn’t keep you a secret, Danica.

“From an early age, your powers had a mind of their own. We had no choice but to move you into the human world, away from everything, to a town where even if you were to escape, there wouldn’t be many places for you to hide,” he explained.

“We sought advice from every trusted person we could, the place where we were wasn’t right for you. All I ask is that you understand we tried to do what was best for you.

“We never meant to lie to you, or to Adelie. We had no other choice. If others had known about you, they would have killed us all.

Please believe that I’m telling the truth and that I have the best intentions. I would give everything for both of my children. Everything within my power will go toward you and Adelie.”

His eyes filled with tears. It was strange seeing Death himself so vulnerable when he has seen every kind of grief. I always imagined Death as emotionless, but then again, I never imagined Death in human form.

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but one question stood out. “Why did she stop visiting?” I asked.

“She died,” he said, looking for my gaze.

“How?” I asked softly, noticing the sadness in his expression.

“Adelie was meant to be the one with a knife to her heart. But she lived because her mother died in her place. And she would have done the same for you, Danica,” he said, a tear slipping down his cheek.

“In a way, she did die when she gave you up. She became everything she swore she wouldn’t be. She promised her children would be loved and live without lies. But it turned out that was the only way for us all to survive.”

The mother I could have had sounded so wonderful, yet so distant. My heart clenched in pain and grief, like a sudden burst. I was grieving for someone I didn’t even know.

Missing someone I never met. I never thought I could grieve for someone I never had, but this revelation made my heart scream.

I looked at Death, my tears spilling out uncontrollably. I pushed aside all my pride and hugged him. He didn’t flinch or pull away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around me, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“I’m here now, love,” he said, his sweater soaking up my salty tears. I should have hated him for not being there for me, but I couldn’t push him away when I needed him the most.

He held me for what felt like hours, but it wasn’t. This moment was filled with a longing for family. After a while, he pulled away.

“I’ll always be around, Danica. Even when you can’t see me, I’m near, okay?” he said.

I nodded as he kissed my forehead.

“Do you know about the whole celestial ruler thing?” I asked.

“Yes. And I’m proud that it’s you,” he replied.

“You shouldn’t be. I know what happened to all the others,” I began, but he cut me off.

“The rest of them weren’t my children,” he said, looking at me with certainty in his eyes.

He stood up. I followed suit and started to take off his coat.

“You can keep it,” he offered, but I continued to remove it.

“It’s too big. And I have to go to that training thing. It won’t be comfortable,” I explained, handing him back his coat.

He seemed a bit saddened by this, but it was just a coat.

“See you around, love,” he said, disappearing into the darkness of the park.

I walked back slowly, still wet and cold. But my encounter with Death somehow made up for my discomfort. The stars were already out, and as I reached up to touch my forehead and eyes, I could feel the embroidered symbols of the star and moon.

There was no point in going home, and Hugo was nowhere to be found. I changed my course, heading toward the nearest forest. I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk to where Hugo had taken me.

As I crossed the border into the forest, the rain made everything seem dark and gloomy. I walked at a normal pace for a while until I heard the crunching of branches in front of me.

I stopped and saw something glowing. Six little lights. They grew bigger and the sound of crunching leaves got closer. Then I saw that the lights were the eyes of three wolves.

I stumbled back a bit, and they stopped and looked at me. This time, they didn’t seem threatening, just cautious of my movements.