A girl with secrets. Secrets on which the very fabric of space and time are threatened of their existence. "What she did was a crime"- is what they'd all say. But was what she did, really what she is being accused of? Is she really a criminal; a Mul...
Sharlotte knew that gaining their trust would be but a folly as they were adamantly affixed to their denial at cooperation. Quite natural actually. She did foresee this happening. I will let time turn the dial, she thought.
Time. It was linear in their universe, but here it was just an illusion. Well, for them alone. Beings coming from other 'verses experienced their accustomed ways of time and space. Afterlife was really just a large space where illusions controlled the sheltered souls.
She put her thoughts aside and attended her food. Peeking at the others, she could see mixed emotions: happiness coming from luxurious delicacies and sadness coming from the question of mortality.
After a while, Saaret came to the table and spoke with condolence, "I know it's hard for everybody to accept this change. All that you knew, loved and 'lived' for, is gone now. But ostensibly, if you can observe, it isn't so. Afterlife is the grandeur treatment that you are recieving for everything you ever did! It is the fruit that you have reaped for each action committed in your mortality! And as you can see it is nowhere near hell! All of you will experience everything here according to what you had ever done. The judgement has ended! This is the prize and this is the punishment. There's no turning back. I will inform you of your expiry times once I receive them. I will meanwhile kindly request you to follow me to the library. It has tons of information about Afterlife written by some of the resided souls. Over time, if you feel like, you can write your experiences too. It serves as a great form of entertainment for the newly come, like you."
His words really left an impact on each of them. Though the devilish smile was still there, the eulogy did provide some sort of revelation. The inconsistency of life itself. The existence of a life beyond their birthplace.
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As they walked down the stairs, Saaret continued to be the main speaker, "I'm glad that none of you have resolved to catharsis. It's really tedious to control souls in that condition. In the countless iterations of myself, I have had enough of that."
"Saaret, the Gods. Do they ever come here?" Lily questioned, somewhat depressed by all that had befallen.
"Oh! It would have been great indeed if I could witness their presence from time to time, but sadly I get that pleasure only once in a while."
"That's how often?" Markus tweaked.
Saaret stopped and slowly turned to him, replying rather coldly, "More than you can ever witness in a thousand life cycles."
__________
The library, encased by white branches, seemed to be like a physical recreation of something out of a fantasy tale to the IMG. Sierra brushed her hands past the branches as she gazed at the books galore, feeling every indentation of the seemingly 'living' wood. Afterlife really seemed to be the best deceiver. Yet one could only admire it's naturalness.
