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
