Everyone knows how death is portrayed. A grim tall skeletal figure in black clothes, sometimes it is an angel, other times it has demonic natural, but the idea is clear. However, this image is but a common misconception. To begin with, Death, the actual entity, by the lack of better word, is a hivemind - dozens of souls are to be taken at any given moment, a singular embodiment would not be able to collect them all, and having different minds on the tasks would ensure disarray. And because the function defines the form, hivemind is truly the only possibility.
That being said, one may picture a whole legion of those cloak bearers, silent and grand, marching in unison to the site of catastrophe.
Which is, again, would be a grotesque sight if one knew the truth. Death would probably condescend to a few hoarse laughs to mock that assumption.
Our meeting wasn't dramatic, it rarely is. Just a regular day, regular city. Regular walk. Clouds started to form, grey and heavy, obscuring the sun and the sky, making an ordinary cityscape to seem ominous. Sirens stared to ring - another air raid alert, only adding to unease and sudden pressure. Impending doom was too strong of a phrase to characterise the feeling, but it was certainly the next step.
Something enormous entered perceivable space. Something old, vast and grand, at a scale beyond anything any mortal or even immortal beings themselves can comprehend. Vultures started to descend and land, slowly, one by one, until every observable place was occupied.
Everything else lost meaning – characters that were still going forward, just as they should have, surroundings and decorations, even the main character. Their consciousness just stopped existing, leaving Nella… No, even worse, me alone to confront that massive presence. To meet the only thing that was, is and will be forever, standing grand at the end of everything, unmoved and unchanged.
A choir of voices spoke, raspy, abrupt, a little like cawing.
“Ho, would you look at that.”
“This one seems to understand what we are.”
“Why aren’t you screaming kid?”
“Too scared to talk, hmm?”
For such unimaginable power, the embodiment was almost comically weird. Vultures spoke like a single being, yet they all had different voices, different movements. Different appearance, my mind clearing from reverential fear, when I noticed that. One that was the closest had medallions and honours on its chest, pinned on to the feathers. Other one, the biggest of the flock, wore a monocle and a vest. One that sounded the most mockingly wore a top hat and had a pocket watch.
“…who should I even talk to if they (it?) don’t have a hierarchy?”
“That one is entertaining.”
“We have seen someone like that before”
“Still, we are taking that one.”
“Taking me? Where? Why? Wait, this is not exactly the main reality, so it shouldn’t matter. Or do you have control there too? That seems possible. Please don’t.”
“And pray tell me why we should ignore you?”
“We can give you some more time to live.”
“Prove to us that you deserve to escape our gaze”
That was when I realised who was this overwhelming presence. Death itself came. It was not frightening, nor threatening. I could have just left with it, there and then, in possibly the best way possible. Probably should have done so, too. A bunch of things were obscuring my mind from clarity, so I did not make a right choice.
For Death nothing personal has a meaning, nothing beneficial for others has a meaning, as this all shall end in meagre blink of its existence. Nothing of what came to mind. I had seemingly nothing to appeal to there. So why even play this game? Entertainment? With no stakes, with the guaranteed victory, what fun is left in this? There had to be something that I forgot. That I deemed unsuitable to be a reason. I just had to focus my mind on it.
Stone eyes looking from the mirror, sickly yellow light seeping from cracks.
Bitter laugh of the reflection, unable to trade places with me.
Yellow glow of two large eyes of someone massive deep, deep down at the bottom of the ocean. Entrancing moments of connection and mutual recognition.
There it was. The only way to win.
“I had already been claimed by a concept. So it is not up to you to decide when I have to go, and you have no right to take me.”
“We saw the mark. Yes, we did.”
“Still, beware. For if you had admitted defeat, we would have gained the right to take you.”
“Live another day for now.”
I'm alive! Lot's of things happened, I am thinking of actually writing down everything that happened during the last 4 years. For now here is another concept meeting. And the lore is starting to appear
Masterpost of the series here
