Afterlife Department

"What is it that you want to confess?" Gu Xingfeng asked as he brightly smiled.

Xu Ke and the others are still young, after all. They haven't seen much of the world and their world only revolve on themselves. There's no way they'll survive the life in prison, especially Xu Ke who has no one to ask for comfort since he has no family. He wouldn't last long in prison and he'd definitely go insane.

Xu Ke felt ticked off and his brows twitched. He felt irritated by Gu Xingfeng's smile that looked as if he had won. "When I woke up, I saw Huo Ling still sleeping. Even when I finished my bath and breakfast, he's still sleeping. I thought he'd skip class, so I left." He answered. "However, he suddenly fell from his bed and was asphyxiating." He said.. "I tried to call for an ambulance, but it was too late. In a panic, I called the police." He explained.

What a liar. Yi Bing thought. It was him who called the police. "Eh…? Really…?" Gu Xingfeng lazily said. "Then, why are you in the canteen?" he asked.

"I… I went to inform them about Huo Ling's death." Xu Ke answered and lowered his gaze.

"Oh…? And you still have time to eat and drink?" Gu Xingfeng said. "Nobody was at the canteen that time, and there're only the vending machines, thus no one can testify how long was your group staying there. For me, it looks like you're celebrating instead." He said gave him a smile that's actually not a smile. "I already know you hate Huo Ling. No need to find some alibi." He told him.

Xu Ke was coldly sweating but still acted tough. "So what? As long as there's no evidence I'm the one who killed Huo Ling, I'll remain a suspect." He said, his expression smug.

"You're really not afraid of anything, huh?" Gu Xingfeng sighed. "One moment you're dying to be arrested, then the next moment you're defending yourself. What a confusing guy." He shook his head. "I can't tell what you're trying to pull here." He said and frowned as he leaned his back on his chair and stared at Xu Ke's pale face. "You hate Huo Ling so much you're overjoyed, but you also felt guilty thus you wanted to be imprisoned. Am I right?" he asked and looked at Xu Ke in this eyes.

Xu Ke's eyes widened and he tried to evade Gu Xingfeng's penetrating gaze. However, the police officer on his side held his head and forced him to face Gu Xingfeng. "Y-yes…" he answered as his tears fell from his eyes. He can't stand the guilt he is feeling, but he's honestly also afraid to be imprisoned. "When I first met him, I already knew he's a nice guy." He said. "That's why I befriended him. He's very kind and friendly. He's also sympathetic to others. He even helps a stranger that's in need. He's also very smart." He explained. "He's just… too perfect." He sobbed. "Whereas I am just this ordinary. No matter how I struggle in my studies to be the best but Huo Ling's there to outshine me. He always overshadows me. No matter how I try to be kind, but I was always seen as a hypocrite." He bitterly laughed. "He is just too perfect. I always feel ashamed just standing beside him as his friend." He said and cynically smiled.

"You've always been envious of him, that's why you killed him?" Gu Xingfeng asked.

"Do you know how long have I wanted him to be gone?" Xu Ke asked back as his eyes became round and he stared at Gu Xingfeng. "I'm always second in our studies while he's always the first. The teachers I wanted to praise me he always easily gets them to like him. The girl I had a crush on confessed to him. The friends I wanted to have he always attracts them." he said. "He's my nemesis! Do you get it?" he asked. "He was born just to oppose me. His existence is my bane!" he gnashed his teeth in anger and he pounded the table as if to express his anger. His eyes are also bloodshot and had a crazed look in them. "No matter if I'll kill him or not, he'll still be killed later, anyway." He said and grinned as he looked at Gu Xingfeng with ridicule in his eyes. "Huo Ling's existence is everyone's bane. He will be killed. He will be…" he said and laughed as if he has gone mad.

Gu Xingfeng's eyes narrowed as he looked at Xu Ke with disgust. He had his subordinates take him away. Humans are vain creatures, but also envious of the others. Once they find something beautiful they will get attracted to it. However, because of their vanity, they'll begin to dislike it since they can't be as beautiful, or wanted to be more beautiful, than the beautiful thing they found.

He sighed and took out a cigarette then lit it. On the side, Yi Bing saw Huo Ling's stunned expression. It's inappropriate to say he had lost his soul. However, looking at Huo Ling right now, those are the right words to say.

Huo Ling's eyes are round in shock and he had a betrayed expression on his face. His tears are silently streaming down his cheeks while his lips are trembling because of the pain he is feeling.

Yi Bing immediately teleported them out of the interrogation room and brought Huo Ling back to the river bank to make himself calm. Whenever a depressed person sees a body of water, they would want to drown their self. It is because the water has a calming effect. Its stability and the mystery it1 hides makes one want to know more of it, but thus makes one also calm.

Yi Bing doesn't need to worry would drown if he'll plunged into the water. Huo Ling is a soul, and the nature is a soul's bane. Thus, the souls can touch the grasses and the water, and they can drift in the air as long as they will it. A soul is a spirit, and a spirit is a part of the nature. The difference of the soul and the spirit is that a spirit is empty aside from its consciousness, while the soul is full because of the memories and emotions it carries.

Huo Ling touched the water and stared at it. Yi Bing could guess Huo Ling wanted to drown himself because of the depression he felt. He was lied to by his so-called friends. He was deceived by them. Most especially by Xu Ke whom he had been with for a long time. "Huo Ling." He called.

"I'm alright." Huo Ling said. "I already died, so I'm afraid to die again after you executed me because I had a Mania." He told him. "I'm actually more afraid of the pain that death." he said. "One dies only because they couldn't tolerate the pain anymore. However, what if they wouldn't die? They will continue to feel the pain. And that's the scariest part, where one would want to die to end the pain they feel." he explained. 

Yi Bing didn't speak. He was just threatening him before. He doesn't want for Huo Ling to lose himself again.

"Is being too kind to everyone a crime?" Huo Ling asked. "Is being smart a sin?" he asked before he sadly smiled. "I had always lived to please others and forget myself. I didn't know it's what that will kill me in the end. I really think…" he said and sighed. "… I should've been a selfish person, too. That way, maybe I still am alive right now." he bitterly laughed.

"Huo Ling…" Yi Bing called. "Wasn't it because you need them to need you so that you could develop a sense of existence for yourself thus you please them?" he asked.

An image of a youth flashed in his mind smiling brightly to a man. Who is he? He thought as he lowered his head. That man has been on his mind for a long time. And that youth… he knows he is him1.

Huo Ling was taken aback by Yi Bing's words before he sadly smiled. He lowered his head. "You are right." He said.

Yi Bing was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Huo Ling's voice. He turned and saw Huo Ling hummed softly as he played by the water. He had never been this glad they are currently in a Normal World and Huo Ling's soul attribute was suppressed by the laws of this world. Or else, Huo Ling might've gone to avenge himself and kill his friends using his fire.

A gentle wind blew and enveloped them in silence. Suddenly, his communicator beeped.

4626: senior, I apologize I'm unable to inform you I left. Senior 5555 kidnapped me! >.<!!!

He also received a message from Jin Wu.

5555: 0001, I just took back what's mine! Don't you dare lay your hands on him again!

Yi Bing rolled his eyes and replied to Jin Wu.

0001: don't lump me in with a pervert like you.

Then, he sent Mo Shi a replied.

0001: don't lower your guard, be it to a Soul Eater or to Jin Wu. Jin Wu is more dangerous than a Soul Eater.

4626: senior!!! You're too kind! QAQ Thank you for your advice. I'll definitely keep that in my mind!