The Demon’s Bride

Hallow understood what Vehement had said but and perhaps Siliance's words of him being a coward was true as by disappearing suddenly he had only saved himself from seeing Elise's pained face while knowing how sad the girl would be to know how he had left her side without notice. 

However, Hallow still didn't have what it takes to summon courage for himself. "I… I think it is better if I leave now. In the end, I am similar to those souls who are in due of their departing time." 

Siliance who can see the regret on Hallow's face was about to speak when Vehement had raised his hand to stop the grim reaper. With a gentle smile that could be seen when his hood shifted gently, Vehement said to the small Hallow, "It is alright if that is what you wish, no one shall challenge your idea." 

Siliance didn't like the decision Vehement had made but nonetheless stayed quiet as he knew there was a line for him to cross and to not. 

"Who would be guiding Hallow's soul now? I heard that the three death angels were killed," Siliance changed their discussion topic smoothly. 

"It… would be me," answered the creature who was standing from behind them. The creature was cloaked in all black, his hands that peeked out from underneath the cloak was boney and filled with molds as if it would only take one day before his entire body decompose. "Come… with me little grims. Once you have bid your goodbye to those two."

Hallow nodded his head at the creature immediately, feeling as if he had seen the creature before but forgot where he had seen him before.

Vehement who saw the creature tilted his head and muttered, "Isn't that the rower? The creature who guided mortals to cross the Black Sea."

"Perhaps?" Siliance wasn't sure as he never paid any attention to the rower or creatures from abyss other than the grim reapers.

Hallow looked up at the two grims. One had been the most annoying that he hoped his scythe can reap the live out of the grim while the other had always been supportive to his choices. 

"Thank you, Vehement, Siliance," Hallow said sincerely. Taking one step back, he had put his most genuine bow to the two grims. While Siliance received the gratitude in a blank expression of shocked, Vehement smiled. He stared at Hallow for a long time before rubbing his small yellow head, causing Hallow to close one of his large green eyes.

"Take care, Hallow. I will miss you," uttered the older grim who then let Hallow to move by placing him down to the ground. 

Hallow's brows creased as he felt a pang of pain pricking his heart but he had quickly pulled up his smile again. "Of course! People will miss this almighty Hallow the best grim reapers of all grims' history!"

Siliance didn't speak but looked down at Hallow and finally after a while he said resignedly, "Find a better family in your next life."

"Yep!" Hallow waved his small yellow wings, quickly following the creature who had been waiting for him to follow his steps.

With Hallow leaving the place to climb the stairs alongside the creature, Siliance was the first to turn his face from Hallow to look at Vehement, the grim reaper whose face had always been covered with the black hood. 

"You are still keeping a silent about it to him, don't you?" Siliance asked Vehement who only showed a small smile. "He will know the truth soon and be in sorrow."

"Maybe he is correct," Vehement answered, "Maybe like him, I am too, a coward. But Siliance, every soul has to move forward. I am speaking not only him but you and I. I was forceful this time but I wouldn't do the same to you because we both know the reason you are here is far different from Hallow's."

Siliance stayed quiet, "Even though amongst all the grims you are the lone grim who can remember their past, Hallow surpass you and leave this place. Perhaps the key for us to move on isn't our locked memories but our own will to let go of our pasts."

"Correct," agreed Vehement who then turned his body, letting his hands to show the burn wounds which covered his entire arms. "Grims after all, are nothing but souls who are too stubborn to leave the world and part with our regrets."

Hallow who followed the creatures felt his heartbeats thundering against his chest. He felt the panic on his blood of leaving to a place he never discover before. He wondered if parting the world would be painless as the last thing he wants was to suffer.

"Here… it is," said the creature who oddly delayed every of the first words he uttered.

Hallow was faced with a large circular door which seemed to be made out of gold. As the creature had stopped, his heartbeat spikes even faster, thinking it was finally the time for him.

His wing slowly raised to the door but his fearful self caused him to quickly look behind at the creature again. "What is after this door?" 

"I… never passed that place before, how would I know?" The creature stated the obvious, causing Hallow to roll his eyes. 

His wing slowly reached out again when he stopped again suddenly. "Will it be painful?"

The creature looked at him as if waiting for the grim to walk, showing bluntly his laziness of replying Hallow's question.

"Who… knows I haven't entered this place before," answered the creature who then waved its boney hands to give Hallow a push forward.

Being pushed nearer to the door, Hallow turned panicked and he screamed, "I can walk! I can walk on my own! Don't push me!"

The creature stopped his hands and Hallow could swear he had seen the smirk on the creature's face that annoyed him.

"Geez! People including grim reapers needs their own time, okay?! Don't push people like you did now!" Hallow glared at the creature but the latter didn't respond. Angrily, Hallow turned away and made his way to the door. This time, taking a deep breathe, he had placed his hands on the door for the thick circular door to move on its own, moving to the side and a bright light shine out of the room, causing Hallow to squint his large green eyes.

At the same time, the creature spoke, "It won't be painful grim. But not physically. To move on, you have to face the reason for your death."

"Huh?" Hallow had already entered and it was late for him to retract his body to retrace his steps and move backward by the time the creature had announced the truth about entering the door.

Scared, Hallow slammed his fist to the door, "Open this! Open this! I changed my mind, I need some more time to prepare my fragile heart!"

But no answer came from the other side of the door as if the other people on the opposite side had written him off and didn't want to pay any more attention to him than necessary.

To think he would need to face his forgotten past! Why does he has to? If it caused him to die, it surely won't be a great memories and past to recollect!

But Hallow was quickly pulled by an unknown force that dragged his body. The yellow chick didn't accept himself being dragged away and he yelled, "No! Stop it! I said stop itttt!!!!!!!" 

His wings tried its best to hold on the door, hoping he wouldn't be pulled but alas, he was just a small chick, compared to the force which was akin to a pull of a sea tornado, he was at the mercy of the force, being pulled first by his feet before his entire body was eaten to the middle of the force. 

Hallow close his eyes tightly, preparing for wounds and pain all over his body when he noticed how he felt… nothing…

Hallow slowly opened his eyes to see his surrounding. He noticed the pitch black place before noticing how the view had suddenly changed on its own again.

Hallow wasn't able to made a single step forward as a bright light shone upon him once the force that had pulled him in stopped. 

Hallow fought the light, thinking it was an enemy only for him to hear a person speaking not too far from him. 

"We will need to have more hands of help," said the person who stood near the shore of a sea where his hands were crossed on his back to show his authority. "Everyone can take their rest now." 

Hallow get up to see a boy who wasn't much older than seventeen walked toward the man who had spoken earlier. The boy was hesitant to speak and finally when he had some courage to dare himself, it was the man with his hands crossed behind him glared down at the boy, as if he had been offended. 

"We are not allowing anyone to delay his work today, it's time for your to receive the drawbacks of being late to work!" The man stressed his words before his glare grew glaring to the younger boy. "I think you should have known this first, Ederic."