Belladonna wasn’t certain of what crimes Ximora had committed, but she had a great feeling it had something to do with her. It must be because she had lived instead of dying and had merged into her body. There must be one more person that had helped them to achieve that then. A High Being perhaps. Maybe it was this “Kore”.
Well, that was none of her business. It felt oddly peaceful to know that Xinora would be punished even though she knew that the White Kong had greatly manipulated her. It was human for her to feel this way. If Xinora had not been in her in the first place, maybe she wouldn’t have died. Maybe things would have turned out differently.
Well, things had turned out the way they were now and she had to take care of the present.
The one who was paddling the boat slammed his staff on the boat floor and Belladonna felt something yank her away swiftly. The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of a bridge with a woman standing in front of her with a smile.
“Welcome, you have gone through so many troubles to get here.”
Belladonna frowned and looked around. It was bright here, like they were surrounded by nothing but clouds, even where she was standing upon, it felt like a hard floor but she couldn’t see what was holding her up; it was all clouds, the bridge that was cut off with so much clouds she couldn’t see what was on the other side, and the woman that was welcoming her with a smile.
The woman stepped aside and gestured for her to come onto the bridge. “Go into peace. Go into eternal rest. You deserve it.”
Belladonna’s frown deepened.
Eternal rest?
“I’m looking for someone.” They were the first words she said ever since she died. Her voice sounded strange to her, echoing slightly around her. “Eli. I am looking for him. Is he on the other side of the bridge?”
The woman held her hand, turned to the other side of the bridge, then turned back to her and let her hand go. “He is somewhere else but your place is here.”
“Where is he?”
The woman did not answer but Belladonna heard it soon enough. The screams of agony from below, different voices melted together with anguish. Belladonna followed the voices, her heart aching, it was almost as if she could hear Eli’s voice among them.
Shortly the clouds stopped and she could see what was below, not exactly see it. Everything was dark but she could hear the voices now.
It was too much, she staggered back.
“Those who use dubious means to go against their fate must be punished. He stole the scythe, everyone knows. How can you steal the scythe of the Lord of the Underrealm? His punishment will be more than the prisoners combined.”
“He came to see me,” Belladonna spoke without thinking and the woman stopped to look at her.
“He shouldn’t have. There are consequences for every action. Come, you are holding the line.”
“No.”
“No?”
“If I go, I will never see him again.”
“As it should be. There will be others.”
“I do not want any others.”
“You will not know that. With time, you will forget him.”
“Forget him?” She said with shock.
“Peace entails many things. That is one of the many.”
“And he will forget me?”
“No, never. That is one of his punishments.”
Belladonna fell into silence. This was too much. She looked down again and the woman grabbed her hand to catch her attention.
“I have to go and help him.”
“There is no helping him. No helping any one of them. Their torture never stops, they will suffer and scream in agony till the end of time. You must walk into peace, into the light that awaits you. One you deserve.” When she spoke again, her voice was hard like she was tired of speaking to a stubborn child. “There is nothing down there but misery. Those down there cheated fate with dubious means. They went against the order of things, they defied the balance greatly. Do not go there to suffer for crimes you did not commit. Do not become a prisoner like them. Only a fool would make such a sacrifice. The light awaits you. Go into the Upperrealm. If you are worried that his cries will bother you, then worry not. Once you cross the bridge, you will hear him no more, to you he shall be forever forgotten. You will have the peace you deserve. You will have everything. You have suffered enough.” Then she let her hand go and cupped her face gently. “You will have another, I assure you. Someone else, someone like you. It will be everything.”
Everything? But that wouldn’t be everything.
She took a determined step back and as expected, slipped out of the outstretched hand of the woman who tried to grab her as soon as possible.
“Fool!” The woman’s voice echoed around her and in the next moment it was gone.
The drop to the floor below wasn’t as long as she had expected, but it seemed that the moment she hit the ground, something invisible had sealed the space above her.
Belladonna rushed up to her feet, trying to find Eli’s voice among the thousands of wailings and cries of agony around her. She could barely see anything in this darkness but it was certain she was far away from where she had intended to go.
It was just a vast space here with nowhere to hide, no light, and a destination so far away she didn’t even know how to get there.
This was foolish, she knew but there was no other way.
It felt like something was watching her from the darkness but that was expected, she was glowing slightly and it would be easy to tell that…
“You do not belong here.” A couple of menacing voices said from the dark.
The instinct to run rushed through her but then she stopped.
Why run? There was nowhere to run to in this vast dark space. They would catch her anyway. Also, the worst had already been done to her, what else was there?
“You must take me to your Lord at once. I am a messenger with a message from Thanatou’s mother. It is urgent.”
Belladonna couldn’t see their faces to know if they believed her lie but everything happened
so swiftly. In a flash chains bound her wrists and a blindfold stole away her sight.