The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 9

9

The sobs of the humans cut through the deafening silence in the infirmary. Their sorrow coated the world like a grey stain on their happiness.

A ball of light emerged from the grandfather’s body and hovered above the bed, capturing an image of him in it. His soul.

It shone bright, just like they always did. The cold light danced and flickered, but nobody else besides me could see it. Even if they could, the humans were sunk too deep in their grief to notice.

With caged breath, I waited next to his soul. He died believing in Valhalla, died fighting an illness. He died a warrior. Where was the Valkyrie that would bring him to the Gates?

What was taking so long?

“You.” Zen’s mother turned to me, her eyes blazing with fire.

A shiver ran down my spine. I’d never encountered this kind of venom, this kind of anger.

She stomped towards me, the floor shrieking under her assault. “This is your fault! You and your Valhalla nonsense!”

“W-What?” I stammered, backing away. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You filled his weak head with lies and deceit!” she shouted. “You made him give up.”

“I just told him what I know.”

My protest fell on deaf ears.

“Let me tell you something.” She poked my shoulder with every word. “There. Is. No. Valhalla.”

“Yes, there is,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I hadn’t seen it myself, but I heard the stories, I knew what was waiting behind the Gates. “It’s real, I know it is.”

“Liar! It’s your fault he’s dead. You killed my father.”

“Mother!” Zen tried, but it was too late.

A palm collided with my cheek, a humiliating blow. I could’ve dodged it, but I didn’t. I deserved it.

I hadn’t done it on purpose, but maybe she was right. Maybe my presence had been enough to kill Zen’s grandfather. After all, that was what they said about my kind, right? Harbingers of death and doom. Wherever I went, I brought death with me.

My face stung, but that wasn’t what hurt. Tears prickled in my eyes, but I swallowed them away. I couldn’t cry, not now, not here.

I shuffled back. “I’m sorry… I’ll go.”

“No!” Zen protested, but I didn’t listen.

“It’s for the best.” I shot a last look at the scene, my heart swelling from all the grief. The mother’s anger had shifted to a haunting cry as she held the body of someone who no longer was. His soul was dancing above their heads, but she couldn’t see it. None of them could.

I could hear her distress in every sob, feel it in every heavy second that passed. Who knew humans were capable of such pain?

I certainly didn’t…

“Please don’t go.” A hand caught my wrist and Zen’s tear-stained eyes looked at me. “Please?”

For a moment, I just stared back at her, unsure what to say. Lost for words, unable to explain, I decided it was better I said nothing at all.

I pulled my arm out of her grip and pretended I didn’t see the disappointment on her face. I couldn’t stay here and I never should have. It’d been a mistake to find shelter with the humans, one that cost them dearly.

Maybe this was why we only dealt with dead humans.

As I turned, I heard the clap of leather and with one glance back, I saw my truth. A tall, dark figure with wings stood next to the bed. A golden key dangled on her belt and glinted in the single ray of sun as she reached out to the flickering light. She took the soul of the old man in her arms, releasing him from his earthly pains.

Before she left, she exchanged a single look with me, acknowledging my presence. Then she unfolded her wings and with a gust of dark smoke, they both vanished, to do what I knew to be true. To bring him to Valhalla, his final resting place.

Even if the humans didn’t believe in the Gods and Valkyries, it was there, waiting for their arrival. An eternal truth and solace, a sliver of peace in a world of war. Blessed by Odin, guided by Valkyries, there was a place for humanity in our midst. And that would never change.

As long as there were humans in the world, elementals would guide them to the afterlife. That was our duty.