A pillar of light shone up to the infinite sky. A world surrounded by darkness, the light was akin to a place of salvation.

And it was.

Len stood before the pillar of light that beamed to the sky. He gazed above and saw the dark sky, devoid of stars and life. Then lowered his gaze and found orbs of light the size of his palm wandered around the pillar of light.

The orbs were connected with each other. They moved together in rhyme as if they were dancing. Each orbs differed in size, some were small and some were bigger. They formed a spiral and entered the pillar of light one by one.

‘What are they…? Where am I?’

He couldn’t move.

He can’t move.

There was no floor.

As his gaze lowered even further, he saw that there was no floor beneath him. Only the abyss.

An orb went by him. It hovered around and followed the spiral of orbs. A shiny thread appeared and connected it with the rest.

Len turned around and saw other countless of orbs floating towards the spiral of light.

‘What in the world…’

He tried hard to remember what happened.

‘This isn’t the Tower of Memorial… where the hell did I ended up!?’

In his confusion, Len saw a figure coming to him. It was not an orb. It resembled a cloak or a piece of cloth that blown by the wind. It flew around, getting closer to him, bit by bit and Len saw a glance beneath the cloak.

A face that is not a face. With and without facial expressions. A human, yet not a human. A creature that is not alive and without heart but possess a consciousness.

In that split second, Len’s gaze locked with the being.

“Curious.”

It said.

“Very curious.”

There was no air. Len didn’t breathe, yet he was fine. Without air, soundwave cannot travels, so how come he could hear it speaking?

“An incomplete soul that met another incomplete soul.”

The being came closer to Len and circled him.

“Pieces of broken souls that coalesced together, forming a whole new anomaly.”

It stopped before him. Through the gap of its cloak, Len saw what was supposed not to be seen.

A being that is not alive, yet move with conscience. A personification of an emotion. It does not breathe nor has blood in it. It cannot die, but at the same time can ‘die’.

“A mutation beyond the control of fate. Death holds no meaning to you.”

For the first of time of its existence, it chuckled.

“A soul that is free from the wheel of fate, unrestrained and is very… ambitious.”

Len didn’t understand what the being in front of him trying to say. He tried to move his mouth but unable to do so.

“You who succeed in fleeing death’s grasp shall rejoice. A freedom that every soul seek, the first time ever since the past, present and future. Once broken, cannot be mended ever again.”

And at that moment, Len realized.

His live is outside Fate’s territory.

Fate can no longer bound him to ‘death’ or ‘life’.

“This world is the bridge between realms. Lost soul seeks a place where they can belong. Without a body, a soul is simply forever trapped in an ethereal body, wandering in the land of nowhere. Without a choice, the only thing a soul can do is to cross over.”

With his black hair slightly covering his eyes, Len extended his hand.

The realization that struck upon him.

The limit is imagination itself.

“Sea of souls. A place where the wheel of fate brought them. All souls, no matter the place, race, beliefs, origins, ‘evil’ or ‘good’, human or not… what is born of ether shall return to ether.”

With an open arm, it said.

“But you, the sea of souls is not a place belong to those who are fateless. You are of separate entity from ether and you will not return to ether. You belong in nowhere.”

Still with his palm facing it, Len spoke softly.

“But there is a place where I belong.”

With a snap, the world that once covered in darkness faded with light. The familiar orange-ish sky together with the evening sun appeared. A pillar towered below him from the abyss and stopped on his feet.

Len took a deep breath and yelled as loud as he can.

“Come out!! You with the blue hair!!”

“There is no need to yell.”

Len turned around and saw a blue-haired girl sitting on a chair with her legs crossed. The pair of wings behind her flapped gently as it glowed with brilliant light.

“You… who are you? What happened to Elaine?”

“No need to rush boy. You don’t even know where you are. I doubt you even know what you are doing either.”

Len shook his head.

“There is no need for riddles. Prolonging the solution to these mysteries will do no good to anyone. Everything will end here.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I don’t know.”

“As expected of you. You act before you think. Hotheaded, but I guess it is charming in a way.”

With her chin slightly lifted up and squinted eyes, the blue-haired girl scoffed. Contrary to her arrogant attitude, Len felt an odd sense of familiarity instead of hostility.

“What is your name?”

“Who knows? Maybe asking that thing behind you will help?”

Len turned around and asked it.

“You know her?”

“I do not know what I do not know.”

“He said he doesn’t know you.”

“Are you trying to make a gag here? Anyway, do you even know the situation you are in?”

“I’m… the fateless one.”

“Life, death, time, age, chances of meeting, do you think these are decided by fate?”

“I’m not answering that.”

She sighed.

“The debt has been paid off. I owe you nothing. Not a single tear or sweat, much less information. Even meeting you like this is already something you should be grateful of.”

“Wow, I’m so grateful I could die...not. Who are you?”

“It seems you’ve become more cheeky since we last met.”

She said with a sharp tone.

“Don’t be arrogant just because you can’t die. You are still weak than an average teenager in that world.”

“...”

Len felt that last remark was peculiar.

“In that world?”

“Heh.”

Len held his chin as if in deep thoughts.

‘Remember the pattern. The answer I gave her. She owed me a debt from the past me. What does that mean?’

‘We’ve met before? Or was it… my past life? No, reincarnation does not exist, according to her anyway.’

“Death.”

Len pointed his finger to the its face.

“...?”

“You are… death.”

“Names are meaningless to me.”

“I understand now. The collective consciousness, that was how you were born. Race, gender, and religions or belief means nothing. People believe in death and life. You are…”

It chuckled. A slightly different voice.

“I am the personification of death itself. Through time and age, people’s belief of death and yearn for them. Others yearn for the counterpart. I am death, but at the same time, I am not. Faith and belief of the ever endless souls gave me form and consciousness. How I behave, how I act, how I present myself, my form and my attire. I am me, but I do not belong to myself.”

“Then…”

“I am ‘Death’ to you but not to others.”

The cloak it wore moved, wrapping itself and was blown away. It revealed a figure of a person. A long silver hair with golden eyes, with him was an air of warmth and innocence.

“This is ‘Death’ of another.”

The long silver hair grew even longer and wrapped itself again, revealing a figure of a woman with black, short hair and 6 pairs of dark wings. Her mouth was thin and extremely wide with canines protruding from the gaps of her lips.

“And this also of another.”

Len closed his eyes and faced the blue-haired girl.

“And you too…”

“What?”

“If he… she or whatever it is a personification of the collective consciousness of ‘Death’... then what are you?”

“I don’t know? Take a guess, it’s what you are good at right? What was it called again? Deus Ex Machina?”

‘It was just a spur of the moment, honestly…’

Falling into a deep thought once again, Len pondered.

‘A collective consciousness of people, personification of death, souls and fate. There’s a lot to take in. What about the pattern? Is there something that I can use to see the bigger picture? What is she trying to accomplish… also…’

Len reminded of a scene just before he stranded on that world. The blue-haired girl was crying over him, saying that’s not what supposed to happen.

‘What was supposed to happen? The gem of life, I wonder what happened to it.’

There was so many questions he wanted to ask, but Len doubted that she will tell him anything remotely helpful.

“You are a messenger.”

She yawned.

“A messenger for who and from who? It was for me and also from me, that much is certain.”

Observing the her reaction, Len could tell she was not impressed.

‘Why won’t she tell me anything? It doesn’t make any sense… unless she can’t do so? Why?’

“It seems we are just wasting our time. So, I’m just going to make it clear.”

The blue-haired girl cutted off Len’s train of thought.

“You are thinking about it too hard. There are no mysteries. There are no hidden truths. There are no schemes at play. Everything is just what it is. Plain and simple.”

“Then tell me. What happened to the gem? What about Elaine?”

“The gem was used. Elaine is alive.”

“...!”

Len lost his balance for a second and took a step back.

The way she told him, it was almost an insignificant thing. Like switching off a tv with a remote, something so negligible that it doesn’t even worth saying.

“She’s alive…?”

“I’m not repeating it twice.”

“Where?”

“In your little old world, alive and breathing.”

“Tell me how I can go back.”

“You think I know?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t know.”

“Think for a second before replying.”

“This is not the first time someone ever asked me that.”

Something oddly peculiar with that last statement to Len.

“This question… I asked you once before, did I?”

“...Not just once.”

“And did I do it? My past self?”

“He did. You did.”

“H-how!?”

“He can do it. But not you.”

Len got more and more irritated with the conversation. The way she answered his questions were half-hearted, like he was being a bother. Perhaps he were a bother to her.

“Can you just get to the point?”

She snickered.

“You are the fateless one. Bound by no one, die by no one, Fate cannot get ahold of you. Your soul is free, no celestial beings or god almighty can tell you what to do. You are on your own. Those who are trying to hurt you, cannot hurt you and vice versa.”

Clenching his fists, Len asked once more.

“But... at least you can tell me how.”

“It is useless. Everything is connected but you. There’s a thread that’s connected with each other. It is expanding endlessly, and very much approachable. However, you are of different entity. You cannot touch them. Cannot see them. Cannot use them.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Words can only get you so far. The knowledge I’m about to tell you transcends language, I can tell you a million paraphrased sentences and you still wouldn’t understand. Human’s potential is high, but in the end it is limited. Such is fate of humankind.”

“...”

Even after she explained so, Len couldn’t still comprehend completely.

‘What is trying to say? That the knowledge of worlds is beyond me? That no matter how hard I try it is useless because humankind is fated to be so?’

Still trying to keep it together within him, Len continued the conversation.

“I’m not bounded by fate. I can transcends the limit.”

“Yes you can. But you are a separate entity altogether, therefore you are on your own. You want to get to another world for your most dearest? Find it out on your own. No man or god can do anything.”

It was then it clicked. What was she trying to say the whole time, Len finally understood. This blue-haired girl was never his opponent or even someone remotely close to it. All this time she was trying to guide him.

All this ordeal he experienced, stranded in another world was to help him realize that world travels is very much possible.

But there are several things that didn’t make sense to him.

“As Death told me, I’m a cluster of souls that coalesced together. What does that mean?”

“It means what it means. Souls that coalesced together, you are you but not really.”

“...”

“It’s what I had to do. You left me no choice.”

“Why did you saved me? And why did you threw me to a different world?”

“...Heh.”

Len gulped. What does that mean?

The blue-haired girl answered with a grin.

“There’s so much to learn, yet so little time.”

“I have all the time in the world.”

“No. No you don’t. Not even Death has all the time in the world.”

Death, still in a form of the woman chipped in.

“That is so. I’m death itself, so I cannot die. But, there will be a time where the concept of life and death disappeared into the abyss whence I came from. It may or may not be forever, but even Death will have its own time to ‘rest’.”

Len shook his head.

“Enough sophistry. Why can’t you tell me?”

“So impatient. What an adult you are, using ‘big words’ all the time. No matter, everything will come into place in the end.”

“...”

“This will be it. Anymore time spent will be quite difficult. Whatever questions you have in your mind is useless. ‘Why did she help me?’, ‘Who is the past me?’, ‘Why this and that?’, it’s all useless. Completely useless. It aids you nothing.”

“I beg to differ. I want to know.”

“Didn’t you listen boy? It’s useless. You are overthinking it. What truly matter is what you will do next. Are you more interested in me than your dear Elaine?”

“Don’t get too full of yourself. You might be pretty, but I haven’t forgotten.”

“P-pretty, you say. Aha. Ahahaha! Look at you, flirting around. Are you sure you haven’t forgotten?”

Len frowned.

‘She’s surprisingly easy to flatter…’

“What can I say, your majestic aura is overflowing that I can’t help but to praise once or twice.”

Suddenly, her face scrunched up with sharp eyes.

“Oh please, who are you trying to flatter? You think I’m that cheap?”

‘Honestly, that was pretty bad.’

“But, I guess I can tell one or two things. First, because of you are fateless, your potential cannot be measured. Anything is possible metaphorically and literally sense. Whether you can achieve it depends solely on you. And finally…”

Somewhat hesitant, she twirled her blue hair.

“What is it?”

“Telessia.”

“Huh?”

“Remember it well!”

She stood up and blinked in front of Len. She flicked her finger on his temple as Len felt a shock and a sharp pain on his chest.

“Now wake up!”

…

‘Was it truly useless? Was all my questions that I thought hard about everyday useless? Was it just a waste of time? I don’t know. But I can’t help but agree with her on one thing…’

Len opened his eyes.

“Elaine.”

‘She’s alive and breathing. I have to trust her words on it. I will find a way to go back. With or without her help.’