In a filthy shack, five people were gathered and scurrying around. The shack was rusty, old and made of cheap scavenged materials. The floor was dirty, with littered waste and trash. The air was rank, stinking like sweat, human waste, blood and filth. The people were no better, wearing rags and old clothing, their bodies were bony thin with yellow and brown teeth. They walked around the shack in a rush, their grimy dirty hands bloodstained like butchers.
In the middle of the room was an old rusty metal table, it's one leg close to snapping off but still holding on. On the table was a mutilated young man, his stomach and chest were cut open, his chest cavity was empty as were his bowels. Blood trickled from his cut flesh, dripping like crimson tears to the dirty floor. The people ignored him, having finished what they wanted from the dead body. The organs they harvested were put in plastic bags, bags that had been washed with spit and urine.
"Hurry up Glen, We gotta hurry before the sentries get here." A young woman with brown hair said, she was stuffing the lungs into her bag.
"I kno, I kno," Glen, a black haired middle-aged man muttered as he shut the bag with the stomach and liver," Is Miss V still asleep?"
"Yeah, still out cold." Another middle-aged man with pale green eyes was in the corner, where a little girl with brown hair lay unconscious," You sure we shouldn't cut him up? We could get some good stuff for his meat. He'd taste mighty fine too."
"Shut up Matt. We got a plan, let's stick to it." The woman holding the lungs wore a scowl," Now, we leave the place, and meet up two days later. Remember?"
They all nodded their heads, having done this many times before, they knew what to do.
But little did they know, they were not alone. From the shadows, two glowing red eyes gazed at them with cold, apathetic curiosity. These eyes gazed at the body on the table and the five people, their depths like a pool of bloody rubies.
Then, like a dying sun, they shut and vanished from sight.
...
Lesley fell to the black soil, the mist wafting over his quivering body. Tears streamed down his eyes, the agony he'd gone through beyond words. He'd felt every mutilation, every sensation and violent assault on his organs and flesh. What made it worse was that he couldn't see, his body had been bound, his head bashed in till he was close to being in a coma, and the only thing he did was feel. Feel himself being cut, being used and bruised and massacred from the inside out.
"You are still somewhat sane, well done Les," Liv's soft voice spoke from above him, he'd appeared out of nowhere earlier," I had misgivings about Lych doing this but...you are resilient."
"F...fuck you." Lesley cursed him, he hated them both.
Liv gave an amused smile as he turned to his brother. Lych was still cross-legged, floating in the air, gazing at the floating green sphere, his back to them. Green flames, floated from his cloak and hands, into the misty ground and swirling in an intricate pattern.
"I'm...dead." Lesley said as he tried to get up," People...they took out my...I really am dead."
"Your belief in the facts is irrelevant. I am preserving your body, my brother your soul and you keep yourself intact." Lych turned his head, and Lesley gasped seeing black blood dripping from Lych's mouth, eyes and nose," But, I tax myself above you all. This ritual is not working, not well enough."
"I could take us away." Liv's eyes glowed as the mist at his feet swirled gently but with a flaming wave from Lych's hand the mist stopped and Liv covered his head with his hands protectively. Liv chuckled as he put his hands to his side," You can't blame me for trying."
"If you leave, Lesley will die." Lych said with a frown," And what will become of this world? The Laws-"
"What are you guys talking about?" Lesley asked breathlessly, and they both looked at him as if remembering he was still there.
"I can't maintain this state forever, The Chains of Creation hinder me and siphon most of my will." Lych turned away, getting back to his task," Mother will have him at this rate."
"Hey! Don't fuckin ignore me!" Lesley shouted," Tell me what is is going to happen. You're keeping me alive, but you can't do it for much longer, so what's your next move?"
"Simple, I watch, I wait and let you die." Liv said with a carefree smile," I do value Mother's realm but I am not willing to stay in this state, neither are you Brother. We don't have the capability to keep Lesley alive, at present he lies in a limbo. It's over. I'll make the best of it."
"What the fuck does that mean!?" Lesley desperately reached out to grab Liv's collar but his hands fazed through him, like trying to touch mist.
"You were amusing. I wish I could have put you in my Cycle." Liv sighed as he turned around and came face to face with his Mother, Death.
"Mother?" Liv and Lych asked in confusion whilst Lesley gasped in surprise.
Death had appeared from the shadows and darkness like a literal shadow. She appeared as a beautiful, pale woman with pitch black hair that reached the ground and wore a pitch black veil and dress with intricate golden highlights across it. Her cold pale blue eyes were unreadable and mysterious. The mist on the ground did not touch her, it drifted away from her as if afraid to be near her.
"Lesley Woodsman, you are dead and I am here by right to collect your soul." Death took slow steps, walking past Liv without a glance.
"Death, his life force is still flowing, I preserve his body. He is not yet yours to take." Lych finally uncrossed his legs, and stepped onto the ground. The mist billowed from under his feet, like it was facing a great pressure.
"His death is near, your hold over him is waning and his soul detached and held by your power is not a part of the living realm." Death did not even turn her head but walked towards Lesley. The redhaired teenager was backing away from her, his eyes hard, scared and resistant.
"Stay away from me. You did this to me, you and them. I don't want you near me." Lesley backed away more, but Death did not increase or decrease her slow steps.
" Mother, you are here and ignore me." Liv tried to touch her but stopped himself," I am sorry, I let my blight infect so many. Brother tried to stop me."
"I laughed, despite the turmoil. We were tainted, as has happened twice." Lych said with narrowed eyes," What 'he' did with our wills must have shaken you and all others. Is that the reason you are now here? This golden opportunity suits you, Death."
"This has nothing to do with you, neither of you." Death's voice was calm, and quiet as she glanced at them but carried on walking.
Lych waved his hand and green flames and grey mist on the ground created phantom skeletal limbs that grabbed Lesley and pulled him to Lych's side in an instant," This mortal concerns us. His fate concerns us. Taking him away, concerns us."
"Is that right?" Death stopped and looked at Liv," Do you agree with him?"
"I...do. I may leave after he dies but I do not wish to start again in a foiled realm. This is not how my Cycle works." Liv appeared infront of Lesley, his hands filled with green swirling energy that hissed like rushing wind and water," Never have me and Brother agreed on things, but...we will not let you take the boy. At least, we will try by all means to stop you and fix our situation."
Death was silent, her eyes gazed at each of them slowly, from the solemn Liv to the stoic Lych and the apprehensive Lesley. Death looked up to the dark sky, it's eternal blackness frightening and eerie, but to her it was soothing. When she looked at them again, her eyes were redder than blood.
"Have you forgotten about who you speak to? Have you forgotten who I am? You are barely above the Mortal coil in your present state, and you challenge me?" Death's aura blasted across the space, the mist froze and screeched as it quivered around them all the way to the distant horizon. " You forget yourselves and who I am. Let me remind you."
Ghastly hands of darkness appeared from the darkness grabbed all three men, plunging them into the void above. Screeching cries, howling souls, whirling memories and turmoiling feelings filled their beings as they spiralled in an unending mass of Finality.
"I am The Inevitable and The widow of Man." Her voice echoed in their minds as they fell down to the ground again, appearing from thin air," And I am your mother, and most importantly the Midwife of departed souls. You all, are mine. Lesley is mine. You can not stop this. Do not think I wish this my sons. If I could I would...but, twice have I interfered with The order and a third will not happen. Lesley Woodsman has been murdered, his body is bare and his soul hangs by a thread."
Death appeared infront of the rising Lesley," I am here to snap it and take him."
"What of Mother? She would not agree with this." Lych said softly," My being...you know I can't let him die."
"I wish to save her too, but I must still maintain Order. I can delay it but this...it is the Order of things." Death said as she cupped Lesley's cheeks and the boy tried resisting but her touch just made his body give up. His body seemed to just know there was nothing it could do.
"Please...I don't...I don't want to die." Lesley whispered with an angry frown, tears fell from his eyes but he was equally enraged and scared," I have things to do. I...have people that I have to see. Why are you all always hurting me?"
"You are afraid, but you need not be." Death whispered and Lesley grew limp as his eyes shut closed," There are many things to fear for the living, but the dead...you have nothing to fear ever again. Let us-"
"Wait! Mother." Liv grabbed his Mother's hand," We can save him. Make him alive again."
"His body rests in limbo, that is all you can do. Even if his organs are returned, I must take his soul now. Lest it plummet into the abyss." Death said softly.
" We can...use brother's will if we set brother's path...only his path." Liv said and Lych grew still.
"This...you understand what you propose?" Death asked him and Liv nodded his head with a sigh.
"If I do what you propose, you can not leave Brother. Even if it fails." Lych said slowly," You would accept this arrangement? After how much we sought for him to follow our individual paths?"
"I hate it, and refuse to say I truly want it...but it is the only choice to preserve Mother's realm from the others. Our division is too dangerous, so I...let my path fall." As soon as Liv said those words, the green sphere far away, cracked again.
Lych gave a small smirk, his eyes growing brighter in their dark depths," The agreement has been made, my path is his only choice. The next step is to but let him save himself."
"Hmmm...his body wanes, his soul tips slightly at the edge of the void. I can hold him for a moment, and Lych you must restore what you can. Liv...you must try to keep him in the middle way." Death said as Lesley started to float before them.
"What? That is not the Order of things. He agreed my path will be followed." Lych scowled and Death gave a small smile.
"But you would be not without your brother. You were birthed at the same Mystic Era and coexist till Order decrees otherwise. Begin now." Death vanished in the mist below her.
"I remain with you still, Brother." Liv said with a smile, as his eyes glowed and green mist swirled gently at his feet, swirling like beautiful vapor , it floated to Lesley's body.
"Remember who won, Brother." Lych replied coldly as his green flames rose up and swirled around Lesley too.
"Do you believe he will listen to us?" Liv asked as his mist entered Lesley's body.
"He will. Despite his madness and pain, he strives to live. Such mortals have wills to live without anything able to stop them." Lych replied as his green flames entered Lesley's body as well.
Far away, the green sphere floating in the air cracked even more, like glass it seemed to be breaking. A pale woman's hand appeared next to it and touched it.
"Biry, it's time." A voice whispered and the arm stroked the sphere gently before vanishing.