SOULS OF NOTHING

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//"I hate narrow souls, without balm and without poison, made with nothing good and nothing evil."// -Friedrich Nietzsche Dying is not easy. It is not so simple to cease to exist. Your body refuses to give up. He fights. He fights for a cause that was already lost before he even started. Because you want to live, regardless of anything. You just want one more day ... Just one more breath. Just another heartbeat. One more moment... But you can not. You don't have any more time. You are dead and this is the end. Your end. Your body is dragged by the current of a river of cold water. You feel yourself being taken away...away from the solidity of everything you know and love. You are left to drift on this icy river. Alone. Dead. Forever. The cold is your only company. You didn't know you could still feel cold. And then, you hear the voices. How long after that you don't know ... it's just the whispers coming to you that take you out of the torpor of the cold. You don't understand what they say but you know they are talking about you. A late help? A hope of leaving that river that freezes your bones is almost capable of making you smile. Eternity could not be just that, after all. But before you give yourself up to hope, you are pulled down hard, your body is enveloped by the freezing arms of the river. Your ears, your nose and your mouth fill with water and you drown. Why are you drowning if you are dead? "No" a powerful voice resonates around you, seeming to wake you up from a deep sleep. You open your eyes that you hadn't even realized were closed. Your body returns to the surface and you choke trying to pull as much air as you can into your lungs. You are lying on a solid surface now. No river. No water. You look around and realize that there is nothing around you. Everything is gray and grainy. As if enveloped in unscented smoke. What's happening with you? Where are you now? "Do not be afraid." the voice returns, now in a less powerful tone than before. "I will help you." //It's too late for that,// you think bitterly, //I'm already dead.// "That's why I'm here. My mission with you starts now." And then, the gray world around you falls [[apart.]]

//They sleep like angels.// you think affectionately.. The residential street is quiet and empty. It is a beautiful spring night, but it is after 2 am and no one with good intentions is on the street at such an hour. Not even you. But you are dead. Your intentions don't matter now. What matters now is to make sure that the people you love are doing well. Your parents are sleeping soundly, you don't know if they already know about you or if they have yet to receive the news. The house is quiet and everything seems in order. You try to record all the details of your old home and your parents before you leave. You don't know when you'll be able to come back to see them. After a few more minutes in the dark silence of the room, you leave the room the same way you entered: Through the closed window. (It is a strange feeling to go through solid things but eventually you will have to get used to the feeling.) You look around when you return to the street. The whole neighborhood is quiet and even the dogs that walk down the street vehemently ignore you. They felt your presence, of course, but you are not such an interesting dead. It is a pity that your advisor is not as disinterested in you as they are. Even more now. You messed up everything and it probably made things more difficult for you. When you couldn't bear to hear that you had died and been rejected. When they told you that your house was no longer close to your family and you ran away. You just started running and thinking about how much you would like to go home with your parents and... Where should you go now? Before facing your new reality? Before you go to see your advisor? The answer comes immediately. You need to go to your best friend's house. You needed to see... ...[[Him|classs][$genders to "Alistair", $ele to "He", $eles to "Him", $deles to "His"]] ...[[Her|classs][$genders to "Alyssa", $ele to "She", $eles to "Her", $deles to "Her"]]

$genders is your best friend for so long that you don't even remember how it all started. You two have been together since kindergarten. Inseparable. Just the two of you. A united front against problems that seemed huge. "Not even death could separate us," $genders confidently declared several times squeezing your hand firmly, and $ele was right. Not only because you were going to $eles now (being dead), but also because your best friend is a medium. Since you were kids $ele told you that $ele could see things, hear things...that no one seemed to notice. This left $eles tired and with horrible headaches as $eles could not prevent a soul from simply approaching $eles. You swore to protect $deles secret as if it were your, especially after the incident... You shake your head as you try to get rid of those memories. There was no time to remember the past. You need to talk to $genders before your advisor showed up. You take a few more steps before you notice a smooth change in the air around you and then someone is walking alongside you casually, as if are always there. You don't even have to look to the side to see that this is your advisor... [[Solomon|class][$gender to "Solomon", $they to "He", $them to "Him", $their to "His"]] [[Soledade|class][$gender to "Soledade", $they to "She", $them to "Her", $their to "Her"]]

You sigh hard. Disappointed with yourself. If only you had been faster.. "I think I gave you enough time." $they comments quietly, as if $they doesn't want to be heard by anyone but you, which is strange considering you are both dead and no one can hear you. "What do you mean 'you gave me time'?" you ask when you finish assimilating $their words. "You are not my first soul, you know?" there is an ironic tone in $their voice. "I know, as much as you think I don't, how difficult all of this is for you and I can almost guess your reactions." You look at $them and $they is already looking at you with soft gray eyes. Like the aura that surrounds $their body. The angular features of $their face were wrinkled with tension and sympathy. "I know I started pouring out a lot of information on you. I should have just talked about Nothing, and left the rejection of heaven and hell for later, but I need you to learn that there are rules even in the afterlife and I don't want you to get hurt." You raise your eyebrows in surprise. "What can hurt me now?" you ask without being able to sounding incredulous. $they presses $their lips together in a thin line and looks away. "Many things can. But this is not the right place to talk about it." the icy breeze gains strength and you get goosebumps without really feeling the touch of the wind on you. "Please, let's go home." "Home." you repeat feeling your chest tighten. "Yes." $they says softly and the two of you stop walking, facing each other. "Nothing is your home now." Nothing. The home of souls that nobody wants. Souls who also encounter problems with the circumstances in which they died. Well, you don't remember how you died so your situation is even worse. There is no way to fix a problem that you don't even know how you got it. All you know is that something went wrong and now you are dead and $gender is the only thing between you and the chaos that your life, or rather death, has become. At least that's what it looks like. "I ..." you try to say something but the words get tangled up. //You are not ready. You can not. You do not want.// "How are you feeling with all of this?" $they asks taking a step towards you and reaching for your shoulder. $their grip is firm and reassuring. "You can always tell me the truth." Shit. You will end up crying anytime if $they continues to be that cool. But it would probably be better if you answered $their question first. You think of your first hours as dead. The fear, the cold...the uncertainty...then the arrival of $gender saying that $their would guide you about your new non-life condition and that you should go to Nothing to learn things you never thought existed afterwards dead. It was too much. It still looks very... That's why you ran away. The fear of facing the unknown, the need to curl up in what is familiar and safe. Your family. Your best friend. Even this street where you walked so many times. You felt so alone...but now, maybe, $gender can help you get through it. $gender who is still looking at you patiently. Waiting for your response, ready to offer support. You take a deep breath and give $them your answer. [[I think I'm fine.]] [[I'm not well.]] [[I still do not know.]]

You struggle for a moment to stabilize the words until you are finally able to put them into a sentence. "I'm fine." you say trying to put as much confidence in your voice. "And...I'll be better" $gender smiles at you. "Yes, you will." $they says shaking your shoulder slightly. "You have me to help with this. And to protect you" You allow yourself a little smile. Everything will be fine. You'll be fine. "Thanks." your whisper is full of sincerity as you looks at your advisor. $their white hair seems to capture the glow of the night while the storm-colored eyes followed you. You see comfort in $their eyes. Kindness, and even an emotion that you cannot identify but that is certainly present there. The air between you two seems to fill with anticipation... [[Without thinking, you lean close.]] [[You take a step back.]]

It looks like you're trying to pronounce a tongue twister while trying to tell $them how you feel. Finally, the words come out. "I...I'm not well and I don't know..." you look at the floor. The $gender hand on your shoulder becomes more firm. "Hey, it's okay, you'll be fine." $they says with a confidence that makes you meet $their gaze. "You have me to help you and to protect you too." You nod, wanting to show how much you appreciate the gesture as you looks at your advisor. $their white hair seems to capture the glow of the night while the storm-colored eyes followed you. You see comfort in $their eyes. Kindness, and even an emotion that you cannot identify, but that is certainly present there. The air between you two seems to fill with acceptance and understanding. [[You could have a hug now..]] [[You step back.]]

You shake your head and bite your lip as you try to drown out some of the confusion that bubbles up inside you. "I don't know how I feel. I don't know how I should..." you look at $gender with a plea for help in your eyes. "It's okay. It's normal to feel like this." $gender squeezes your shoulder in an encouraging way. "Don't worry, you have me to help you with this and to protect you." You manage to force a quick smile at $them to show how grateful you are for the support. "Thanks." you whisper as you looks at your advisor. $their white hair seems to capture the glow of the night while the storm-colored eyes followed you. You see comfort in $their eyes. Kindness, and even an emotion that you cannot identify, but that is certainly present there. The air between you two seems to fill with anticipation ... [[You don't know why but you suddenly feel blushing.]] [[You make a face and take a step back.]]

Your body seems to act on its own when you start to lean towards $gender. To your surprise, $they takes a step towards you too. $their clothes almost touching each other. $their eyes are even more intense than before. The hand on your shoulder recedes and rests lightly on your cheek. Your body doesn't even have time to react before $they suddenly pulls away. Turning $their head to the side. You follow $their gaze, confused. "How cute." a charged voice comes to you two. "Am I interrupting anything?" Your eyes widen when you see an unknown figure walking towards [[you.]]

For a moment, you seem unsure of what to do, so you just take a step back while $gender does the same. "Let's go.." $gender starts to speak but stops. The head quickly turning to the side. You follow $their gaze, confused. Your eyes widen when you see an unknown figure walking towards [[you.]]

Before you can stop yourself, you take a step towards $them and, as if $they were guessing your thoughts, $they also takes a step towards you and pulls you into a hug. You can't contain a sigh when $their arms are around you. The feeling of security baffles you. Even without feeling $their breath or the sound of $their pounding heart, you feel at peace. You have only known $them for a few hours but you already feel so comfortable in $their arms.... But then, suddenly, $they pulls you away and before you can react, you see $them turn $their head to the side. You follow $their gaze, confused. "How cute." a charged voice comes to you two. "Am I interrupting anything?" Your eyes widen when you see an unknown figure walking towards [[you.]]

You don't know exactly why, but suddenly your cheeks are burning. Can you still blush?! And why are your hands shaking? If your heart was still beating, you are sure it would be racing. All because $gender was looking at you? "Are you okay?" $they asks with concern and $their eyes examine you even more intensely. Oh, God. But before you can answer, $they suddenly turns $their head to the side. You follow $their gaze, confused. "How cute." a charged voice comes to you two. "Am I interrupting anything?" Your eyes widen when you see an unknown figure walking towards [[you.]]

For a moment, you seem unsure of what to do, so you just take a step back while $gender does the same. You can't help but make a face at the strange moment. "Let's go.." $gender starts to speak but stops. The head quickly turning to the side. You follow $their gaze, confused. Your eyes widen when you see an unknown figure walking towards [[you.]]

"Kyle" $gender says in a harsh tone that takes you by surprise. "What you want?" The figure called "Kyle" takes a few more steps before answering. You can see him better now. And it makes you feel exposed like a piece of meat in front of a shark. All your dead instincts begged you to run His face looked angelic; full lips, high cheekbones and dark eyes so penetrating that they look like two black holes absolving everything without returning anything. The expression impenetrable. "I think my presence here is quite obvious." he responds by fixing his dark eyes on you. His gaze is cold and speculative. "Perhaps, not so obvious to the soul." "You are wasting your time Kyle, that soul is under my protection and will go with me to Nothing." $gender takes it a step further, a movement calculated to stand between you and Kyle. "This is not going to happen." Kyle responds without being disturbed by the words of $gender. "You are going to leave and I am going to destroy this soul. I hope it was clear to both of you." You feel your mouth open with dread and surprise. //Destroy that soul?// That means you, but why? "What?" you hear yourself talking without being able to contain yourself. "What is happening? I'm already dead!" "Don't you know what I am? Your advisor.." Kyle points to $gender in a gesture that made his contempt clear. "Didn't $they tell you what happens to souls like you? Who are //rejected?//" You try to remember everything that $gender told you but the only thing that overcomes the fog that has been in your mind since you died, was that all rejected souls went to Nothing. Just that...And there were rules. Rules to follow. "Your silence is a testament to your advisor's incompetence." Kyle interrupts your thoughts with a tone of scorn in his voice. "I will be brief in explaining: I am a hunter of rejected souls. My job is to destroy you before you become a problem for the living and for the dead. And in your case, you created problems earlier than that I expected." $gender goes one step further towards Kyle who ignores $them while still keeping his eyes fixed on you. "Stop the false accusations, Kyle." $they points towards you. Which pronoun $gender should use to refer to you? [[He|classss][$gendere to "Man", $xe to "He", $xes to "Him", $xees to "His"]] [[She|classss][$gendere to "Woman", $xe to "She", $xes to "Her", $xees to "Her"]] [[They|classss][$gendere to "Person", $xe to "They", $xes to "Them", $xees to "Their"]]

"$xe did nothing wrong." the tone of $gender is fraught with frustration. "$xe is here with me and it's not like I'm going to let $xes do something wrong!" "I don't care. $xe was here." The hunter now seems less willing to listen, the tone in his voice becoming listless and distant. "The presence of this soul in the world of the living is a crime, a crime that is fought with destruction, and you know it." He moves his eyes to $gender for an instant. "If you wanted to avoid this situation, you should have taught $xes some lessons." //This can't be happening// you think with the strange sensation of feeling your body melt in a puddle of dread. You don't want to be destroyed. You don't want to die again. Kyle looks at you as if you had called him. There is curiosity on his face and his lips form a smile that does not reach his eyes. "This is not personal." he explains "It's just my job...The fun I feel doing it is just a bonus." "Kyle is just a bloodthirsty intolerant who is unable to differentiate one soul from the other and takes a case as a general example." $gender suddenly interrupts, $they gestures for you to step back. The hunter just looks at $them as if watching a child's tantrum. "I will not let you hurt that soul." "Well, then it looks like I'm going to have to destroy you first." Kyle comments in a casual tone that makes you shiver. "And then it will be just the two of us, dear." he grins at you, making dimples appear on his face. "I'm warning you." your advisor began to glow with $their gray aura becoming more intense around $them. "Stay away from $xes or the only one to be destroyed will be you." There was an absolute promise in that tone. $gender was serious and just to make sure you were safe. $they were someone who took $their duty as an advisor seriously. "Well, we'll see you try." Kyle responds by showing little concern for the threat while an aura similar to that of $gender surrounds him with a terrifying red glow. "You should have already gotten used to losing that soul." He comments so softly that you're not even sure you heard the right words ... And it doesn't really matter now, does it? You need to do something. You can't let this come to a real fight. You can't let $gender get hurt because of you, but what can you do? [[I need to at least try to talk to Kyle, maybe he will listen to me.]] [[Self-preservation. I need to get out of here before things get worse.]] [[Nothing. There is nothing I can do.]]

You feel the bile rise in your throat as you watch your advisor and the hunter. You can't do anything to stop the fight between them. The fight for you. Because you didn't stay with $gender while $they was trying to help you, because you came after your parents and $genders. Even in death you are a problem for others. You look away at the starry sky. You would like to ask the heavens for help...but even they rejected you. You just close your eyes for a moment, wanting to get away from it. You wanted to be able to do something ... anything. But you were not even able to stay alive, how could you help someone? You hear Kyle's laughter and $gender sighs heavily. Against your will, you open your eyes and look at them both. You are shocked to realize that they are not fighting with each other but that the situation has gotten more worse than before. Kyle has a long sword illuminated by a red energy aimed straight at you while $gender is surrounded by dark shadows that fall upon $them mercilessly. The more $they tries to dodge the shadows that try to grab $them, the more the shadows seem determined to trap $them. At one point, one of the shadows falls against $them, and you hear the sickening sound of something wet being torn and a cry of agony. You gasp trying not to throw up while Kyle smiles at you. "I never said it would be a fair fight." he says seeing the confusion in your eyes. "Now it's just the two of us, dear." "Okay, but leave $gender alone." your voice comes out in an almost inaudible whisper. Kyle just half-closed his eyes looking confused. You freeze, already unable to make your body work. Kyle continues to advance towards you until suddenly he stops and lowers his sword. There is an expression of understatement in his eyes now as he looks at you. You can almost see the pieces of a puzzle coming together in his mind. "You know what? This can be interesting ...Your advisor seems so attached to you...and you seem so concerned about $their condition. That could be my biggest advantage in all of this." it scrapes the tip of the sword against the asphalt, creating a sinister sound. "You will be free...for now." Relief surrounds you in such a way that you have to fight the urge to collapse on the floor. You are not stupid to think that there is something behind this sudden decision, but you still cannot ignore the relief that is "But don't celebrate too much, soul, I will make you regret my //mercy.// You can bet on that." and without another word the hunter disappears in front of your eyes. And you believe in him. You know you made an enemy. An enemy bold enough to let you go...and confident enough to know that he can corner you again. When he wants. "Hey, are you okay!?" you hear $gender scream as $they run towards you. There are no more shadows around $them. "Did he hurt [[you?]]

This is not a decision to be proud of. But you are afraid and you don't want to die. Not again and not by the hands of a psychopath. You know the situation is your fault. Because you ran away from $gender and came to the world of the living without knowing the important rules, but, damn it, that doesn't mean you should be hunted down and destroyed. You will run away. You need do this. You close your eyes just for an instant, wanting to distance yourself from that. Wanting to run away again...because that's what you do. You run away when things get tough, when the situation gets complicated. But when you're starting to feel your soul move to another place...You hear Kyle's laughter and $gender sighs heavily. Against your will, you open your eyes and look at them both. You are shocked to realize that they are not fighting each other, but that the situation is worse than before. Kyle has a long sword illuminated by red energy aimed directly at you, while $gender is surrounded by dark shadows that fall upon them mercilessly. The more $they tries to dodge the shadows that try to grab $them, the more the shadows seem determined to trap $them. At one point, one of the shadows falls against $them, and you hear the sickening sound of something wet being torn and a cry of agony. You gasp trying not to throw up while Kyle smiles at you. "I never said it would be a fair fight." he says seeing the confusion in your eyes. "Now it's just the two of us, dear." "Okay, but leave $gender alone." your voice comes out in an almost inaudible whisper. Kyle just half-closed his eyes looking confused. You freeze, already unable to make your body work. Kyle continues to advance towards you until suddenly he stops and lowers his sword. There is an expression of understatement in his eyes now as he looks at you. You can almost see the pieces of a puzzle coming together in his mind. "You know what? This can be interesting ...Your advisor seems so attached to you...and you seem so concerned about $their condition. That could be my biggest advantage in all of this." it scrapes the tip of the sword against the asphalt, creating a sinister sound. "You will be free...for now." Relief surrounds you in such a way that you have to fight the urge to collapse on the floor. You are not stupid to think that there is something behind this sudden decision, but you still cannot ignore the relief that is. "But don't celebrate too much, soul, I will make you regret my //mercy.// You can bet on that." and without another word the hunter disappears in front of your eyes. And you believe in him. You know you made an enemy. An enemy bold enough to let you go...and confident enough to know that he can corner you again. When he wants. "Hey, are you okay!?" you hear $gender scream as $they run towards you. There are no more shadows around $them. "Did he hurt [[you?]]

Dialogue is, almost, always the answer. You just have to make Kyle listen to you, so that he understands why you're there. That you do not intend to cause problems. But before you can begin to work out an approach, Kyle pulls out a long sword and is surrounded by red energy. He points to $gender which is simultaneously surrounded by shadows that begin to attack $them ruthlessly. The more $they tries to dodge the shadows that try to grab $them, the more the shadows seem determined to trap $them. At one point, one of the shadows falls against $them, and you hear the sickening sound of something wet being torn and a cry of agony. You choke trying to stop yourself from vomiting while kyle smiles at you. "I never said it would be a fair fight." he says seeing the confusion in your eyes. "Now it's just the two of us, dear." [[This guy must have a heart...time to appeal to that.]] [[I'm screwed ... but I have to try to show him the truth]]

"Please, Kyle, I...I didn't come here to hurt anybody alive or break rules. I just wanted to see my family and my best friend before going to Nothing with $gender." you start talking expecting the hunter to believe you because if he doesn't, you will be in trouble. He allows you to say everything you has to say. His face examined you without missing a word that comes out of your mouth. When you finish your story, Kyle shows no reaction at first, his face remains emotion free. Then, slowly, he lowers the sword which makes a strange noise when the tip scrapes on the ground. You freeze when he gets a little closer until he is standing an inch away from you. "I liked your story. Very convincing." he finally says and you see that there is something slightly different in his eyes. Even his voice is different now. "It is the truth." you whisper without being able to look away from him. You feel almost mesmerized by his eyes. Was this a trick to keep you from running away? "Maybe ..." he says, pulling you out of your thoughts. You feel that you are being analyzed in detail. "Yes, you must be telling the truth, right?" he raises a hand that is covered with a black leather glove. You freeze, unsure of what to do now. There's nothing more to say, is there? Then, to your surprise, he puts his hand against your cheek. Even through the glove you feel the heat spread through your skin. What's this... It is almost instinctive. You raise one of your hand slowly and place on top of his hand too. The fabric of the glove he wears tingles in your skin. "What are you..." he looks at you with confusion and suspicion, his eyes shining dangerously. You open your mouth to say something but you don't even know why you did it. All you know is that you are holding the hand of someone who wants to destroy you...someone with eyes as deep as two black holes. Kyle takes his hand off your face, still staring at you with a mixture of suspicion and confusion. "Don't try to do that again." he warns you as if he wants to intimidate you, but you notice, for the first time, a hint of emotion in his voice. You blink completely confused. What happened to this guy? What's his problem? You are the one who should be acting that way and not him.. "I just..." you start trying to come up with a logical explanation but he interrupts you looking disturbed. "Don't even bother explaining, I don't care" He cuts your words quickly in a sharp tone, and then gives you a calculating look as he announces by taking a step back. "You will not be destroyed today." "What?" "Don't think it means anything, soul." He looks at you as if you've done him a serious offense. "You will regret it...I will make sure you do it, and then, you will beg me to put an end to you." and without another word the hunter disappears in front of your eyes. And you believe in him. You know you made an enemy. An enemy bold enough to let you go...and confident enough to know that he can corner you again. When he wants. "Hey, are you okay!?" you hear $gender scream as $they run towards you. There are no more shadows around $them. "Did he hurt [[you?]]

"Listen" you start talking by raising your hands in front of your body to show him that you are not a risk. "I didn't come here to hurt anyone, I...I just wanted to see my family and my best friend. After that, I was going to go to Nothing with $gender." your voice trembles a little because of the nervousness but there is sincerity in you and even Kyle can see that. "Please don't destroy me yet, give me a chance and stop hurting $gender this is not $their fault." "Oh, I don't know about that last part...your advisor seems to be having so much fun." Kyle responds by looking briefly over his shoulder before focusing on you again. The sword still aimed at your heart. "There is something about you, soul, I still don't know what it is..." he takes another step towards you and lowers the sword, making the point scrape against the asphalt. "...but it looks like you're going to cause me a lot of problems and I like to nip the bad in the bud." You cannot contain a cry of surprise when he reaches out with his hand covered in a black leather glove and touches your neck with his fingertips. "Maybe..." he pauses and his eyes seem to be searching for something in you. "It might not be so bad to wait a little longer to see what you are going to do." You feel a wave of relief flood you. That's meant that you would have another chance ... "Than-.." he interrupts you and his fingers on the skin of your neck move away leaving a terrible sting in place. "Don't thank me, soul, I will make you regret not being destroyed. Until one day you will beg me to put an end to you." and without another word the hunter disappears in front of your eyes. And you believe in him. You know you made an enemy. An enemy bold enough to let you go...and confident enough to know that he can corner you again. When he wants. "Hey, are you okay!?" you hear $gender scream as $they run towards you. There are no more shadows around $them. "Did he hurt [[you?]]

You shake your head, unable to add anything more about it. You feel strangely tired. "Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" $gender insists, $they hovers near you with $their hands outstretched as if ready to support you. "I'm the one who should be asking this." you tell $them and you starts to examine $them carefully with your eyes. $they looks fine although $their gray aura still trembles a little bit. $gender is a soul like you, and if souls could be destroyed, it meant they could also be hurt. "How are you?" $they snorts. "Don't be impressed by Kyle's tricks. I'm not that easy to destroy, although those shadows were really annoying." $they looks at you with an expression of someone about to start a speech. "Now you understand one of the dangers of your new reality, I didn't want you to have to go through this, but at least it left a clear impression of the consequences." $their look is suggestive. "Now let's go to Nothing you still have to meet your housemate." Oh, so this absurdly long night is not over yet...And you didn’t even fulfill your goal of seeing $genders, but now it’s probably not a good idea to talk about it with $gender. "Is it possible that, even though I am dead, I feel tired and even wanting to sleep?" you ask while $gender extends $their hand to you in an invitation. $they nodded quickly "Yes, it is. Your body and mind still have all the physiological needs you had when you were alive, it will be a while before you understand that you no longer need to eat, go to the bathroom or sleep. Until then, don't fight it. " You nod and take $their hand. At the same moment, the world becomes a blur around you [[two.]]

When the space around you begins to come into focus, you can see that you are standing in the middle of a cobbled street that tilts in a zigzag as far as your eyes can see. There are houses flanking the street. Houses in different shapes, sizes and colors. Streetlights illuminate the space with a flickering bluish glow. There is no sound. No movement at all. "Uh...cool architecture." you mumble to $gender. $they laughs. "Well, welcome to Nothing, here you can create your own home as you see fit. No restrictions or judgments." $they paused. "At least not much judgment." "And how is it done?" you ask looking around. The houses are certainly very peculiar, most of them at least, you even see a boat moored in the street. "Your mind has the power to do anything here. But there are rules ..." "There are always rules," you mumble. "Of course, this is the main component for the smooth running of everything. That's why Nothing has been around for thousands of years." $gender says with a hint of pride in $their voice. "And have you been here all this time too?" you ask with curiosity. The only thing you knew about your advisor is $their name. It would be nice to have some more information about $them. "Something like that." $they replies evasively. "Come on, your housemate is waiting for us and she is not very patient." You continue to walk in silence, the sky looks darker and has no stars, just colored patches swirling from side to side like clouds. The air smells like lavender and has a kind of relaxing atmosphere in the place that relaxes your shoulders. $gender looks at you with a hint of a smile. "There's not much to see right now, but tomorrow you can find out more about Nothing, it's a big and interesting place." "Yes, I think it is." you can't stop looking around. It is an apparently normal location, despite the residential options. There is a street, a sky ... you do not know very well what you expected but it was certainly not that. The two of you keep going up the street until suddenly a female voice resonates somewhere around you. You stumble when you suddenly stop walking. "You're late, I've been waiting for hours." the voice complains and then a soul materializes just a few steps away from you. "We had some problems, Bo. But now it's all taken care of." $gender responds in an apologetic tone and you notice a significant look between the two before the soul turns to you. "Good for you, isn't it?" she says moving her eyes towards you, looking you up and down with vibrant green eyes. "So, what's your name?" You have to think about it a little bit. You know your name, of course, you haven't forgotten that. But no one has asked that yet. Not even $gender. You kind of got used to $them calling you 'soul'. You clear your throat before answering: <<textbox "$name" ""put your name here" autofocus>> [[Confirm]]

"$name? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Bo." "Hi." you say, watching as she still scans you with her eyes full of mischievous glare. "Maybe it won't be that bad..Maybe you can be useful." she says with a smile and, without looking at $gender, adds: "You can leave it to me now, I'll take good care of my housemate." You feel that there is a slight hint in her tone, but if $gender noticed $they didn't show it, just gave a quick nod. "Very well then, if you need anything, I will be available." As soon as $they disappears, Bo pulls you by the hand. Her fingers are small and soft around yours. "Come on, you look tired." she says when you don't move right away. "So, what was the problem that you guys had?" She asks while practically towing you towards there is a slightly crooked looking house. You tell her about how you ran away from $gender and almost ended up destroyed by Kyle. "We need to do something about this guy." she says darkly when you're done talking. "He has already destroyed several of us. For no reason." "He said something about us being a potential problem." Bo suddenly stops walking and her fingers become firmer around yours. "He's the only problem around here. One day...he'll get what he deserves." You just shake your head in silence as you walk through a yard full of strange gnomes, plaster statues depicting Greek figures and flashing lights wrapped around every surface there. Confused and extravagant, you think. "Yes, I know, we need more space." Bo sighs and you see her bite her bottom lip as she looks around for something. She lets go of your hand and her auburn curls sway from side to side when she turns around looking, and then looking at the ground, among the gnomes. She then bends down and picks up something in the middle of the grass. "But look at this." she says getting up and turning back to you with a small mirror whose frame has golden and delicate details in wavy lines that look like small waves. "It's beautiful, is not it? It's not easy to get one of these, I had a lot of work with this." she says, raising the mirror in front of your face. "How can I just get rid of it all?" You open your mouth to answer, but then, you shut up when you notice your reflection in the mirror. You still look like you. You are not transparent or you look as sick as you thought you would because you were dead. Your eyes still have the same shade of <<cycle "$eyescolor" autoselect>> <<option "Blue">> <<option "Light Blue">> <<option "Green">> <<option "Light Green">> <<option "Light Brown">> <<option "Brown" >> <<option "Black">> <<option "Gray">> <<option "Hazel" >> <<option "Violet">> <</cycle>> Your <<cycle "$haircolor" autoselect>> <<option "Blonde">> <<option "Light Blonde">> <<option "Black">> <<option "White">> <<option "Light Brown">> <<option "Brown" >> <<option "Ginger">> <<option "Multicolored">> <<option "Purple" >> <<option "Pink">> <</cycle>> hair hasn’t changed the style that you’ve always kept <<cycle "$stylehair" autoselect>> <<option "Long and straight">> <<option "Long and wavy">> <<option "Long and curly">> <<option "Short and straight">> <<option "Short and wavy">> <<option "Short and curly" >> <<option "shoulders-length and straight">> <<option "shoulders-length and wavy">> <<option "shoulders-length and curly" >> <<option "Dreadlock ">> <</cycle>> even your skin seems to have the same tone <<cycle "$skincolor" autoselect>> <<option "Pale">> <<option "Tan">> <<option "Dark">> <<option "Brown">> <<option "Olive">> <<option "Ivory" >> <</cycle>> that you exhibited when were alive. "Some problem?" Bo asks when you keep looking at your reflection in silence. "I just ... I didn't expect to be able to see myself. How...well, ghosts don't have a reflection, right?" Bo laughs loudly. And pat you on the shoulder. "We are dead but we are not vampires." she responds and then shakes her head. "I will explain a few things to you, $name." It would be great. You need to have some explanations, even if the information delay is the result of your own behavior. You try to overcome tiredness while preparing to hear what she has to say when, suddenly, you feel your body collapse on the lawn crushing some [[gnomes.]]

Your eyes are fixed on the sky above you as you hear Bo shout something. Soon, your vision disappears. There is only darkness now. You no longer smell the lavender or the comfort of Nothing. You can't move a millimeter either, it's like you're tied by strong ropes and when you open your mouth to ask for help - No sound comes out of your lips and you are dragged to the river of icy waters again. Drowning. The icy current drags you without any difficulty. It pulls you further and further down ... whispering promises that you don't understand. Not yet. How...? Oh. Understanding hits you with a twinge of pain that you shouldn't be feeling anymore. //You never left the river. Nobody can leave the river. You are from the river. As the others will soon be...all rejected. Everyone will sink with Nothing. Because of you. Bring them to the river. Be an obedient soul and bring them all. Sink them.// The waters get more violent and colder around you. The river expects something from you. Loyalty. Help. Souls. //More souls. Bring the souls.// Will you do this? [[I will bring them to the river.]] [[I will not do it.]]

You will help. You will do anything. Just stop... //Very well...Your reward will be given generously.// The water stops moving around you. It leaves your body and you are relieved to be released from the pressure that overwhelmed your chest. You could even be grateful if you were not immediately bombarded by images, several images, apparently disconnected and meaningless ... //Remember// //Remember now// And you remember. Do you remember your death...the images coming together to create a painting where you can see yourself being dead. The river moves away from you. Giving you space to absorb the memories as you return to Nothing, being carried like a light sheet that slides over the surface of the water. The promises are still being whispered to you. And the reminder: //You belong to the river. Forever.// And when you open your eyes again, the scream that got stuck in your throat finally escapes from your lips. An echo of agony that makes Nothing tremble. [[End of demo]]

No. You are not going to do that. //Then you will pay the price...soon...but before...// The water stops moving around you. It leaves your body and you are relieved to be released from the pressure that overwhelmed your chest. You could even be grateful if you were not immediately bombarded by images, several images, apparently disconnected and meaningless ... //Remember// //Remember now// And you remember. Do you remember your death...the images coming together to create a painting where you can see yourself being dead. The river moves away from you. Giving you space to absorb the memories as you return to Nothing, being carried like a light sheet that slides over the surface of the water. The promises are still being whispered to you. And the reminder: //You belong to the river. Forever.// And when you open your eyes again, the scream that got stuck in your throat finally escapes from your lips. An echo of agony that makes Nothing tremble. [[End of demo]]

That's it for now :) Thanks to whoever has read it. I accept criticisms and suggestions. And if you have any doubts about the stories and the characters can contact me through my tumblr. @ souls-of-nothing-wip (English is not my first language so tips are also welcome.)

Content warning -Violence; Blood, Suicide; Mourning and Death. If these are topics that bother you, please feel free to stop here right now and preserve yourself from this type of content. [[Go to the prologue.]]