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The shadow obeyed, Reaper sweeping the last of the man’s soul away from his body. The form floated above the bed and slipped a chilling hand in mine. My eyes darted to Reaper who gave me one slow nod.

I reached into myself, harnessing the beatrap, rap, rappingin my chest, letting it fill my body. It warmed, rising up my chest, and throat, until my lips parted and a new song emerged.

It was a melody of sorrow and loss then a ballad of bountiful love. With each chord the man’s body changed, morphing until he looked as I suspected he had in life, not sickly like the form beneath the covers. Reaper sheathed their scythe in the tattoo on their arm and held out a hand to the man. I continued to sing, tears stinging the backs of my eyes. A smile tugged at Sevren's lips, eyes still tinged with sadness, though when he turned back, I could sense the peace wash over him as he took Reaper’s hand.

Sevren’s wife and child embraced each other tightly, finding shelter within their family’s grief. And though I doubted they could hear my song, the echoes of its message were no less felt.

Reaper had been right.

Life was finite, but some things, like love, transcended it all.

nine

. . .

When we returned to Occasus,we landed by the display and I gripped the railing, trying to catch my breath. The other scythes stared at me, their swirling star-lit eyes tracking me as I walked across the bridge, halting at its edge when I realized I had no clue where to go.

Wind kicked up from the crackling below, and I peered over to see only darkness.

“Come with me,” Reaper said, waving me onward. Sevren followed behind them. “We need to get him to in-processing.”

“Why isn’t he a shadow?”

Sevren stayed a few steps back, eyes wide as they took in their new surroundings.

“Only restless souls, ones with unfinished business, remained tethered to their scythe.”

We descended the looping path, moving lower and lower through the tower until we came to another bridge with another display, this one much smaller than the one levels above.

I gestured behind Reaper, to where I knew a sea of shadows hid from view. “So all of those beings attached to you…”

“All can’t go to their final resting place. Not without finding solace beyond their mortality. I am charged with the Emperor’s death so I carry them within me.”

Tiny forms moved like insects around the small buildings. A cluster of towers loomed above them and I quickly recognized the one we stood inside. Lowering myself, I squinted, finding my feathered form within. Scythes and souls moved around us, some descending down low where the table ended, and I bent down, curious if I could see Deorsum and what took place leagues below. I was only met by the bottom of the table, though. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I wanted the answer.

Reaper cleared their throat and I stood back up, then they waved Sevren over, took their hand, and pressed it to a small building at the left corner of the living map. A moment later, he disappeared into it.

“So all of my kin, the other splendors…” Even though I could not see them, I could sense them. Beyond that, therap rap rapof our connected beat pulsed under my flesh. “Now that the Emperor is immortal, they won’t ever find peace?”

The idea filled me with so much sorrow, but more than that, I felt something new to me, something hot and vibrant and consuming.

Rage.

Not only had I spent my life alone, the only one of my kind, but they hadn’t even found peace beyond life, a life I now knew thanks to Reaper had been fraught with pain because of the very Emperor who’d bartered me off to selfishly gain immortality.

Reaper’s voice softened and they reached a hand up toward my cheek, hovering there until I leaned into their palm. “I never said they won’t. Just that they haven’t.” I couldn’t explain why I was drawn to this being, one that I’d been taught to keep at bay with my canthymn, but the cool fingers that delicatelytraced along my jaw soothed the fiery ache within me. “In the meantime, I’ll bear the weight of their distress.”

“For how long?” I rasped, recalling how thick and violent the sea of souls had been when they’d erupted in the Emperor’s chamber.

“For eternity, if I must.” The stars in their black swirling irises flared, then dulled in a blink.

“There must be a way to fix it.” My fingers wrapped around Reaper’s wrist, holding them there. “Something we can do.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried.” They sighed. “Nothing I did ever worked, now I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me.”

Realization slammed into me. “You think I can help them like I helped Sevren?”

“I do.”