Chapter 5

As Julia tried to absorb the situation she is in, Shin starts to tell her his objectives on why he has been keeping her in the loop with all of the supernatural happenings within school.

Shin: "So, Julia. As we have established last night, you're really good at uncovering things. That's why I wanted to tail you, ever since our little chat after history class. There was something in your eyes that let me knew, you would do anything to get to the bottom of a mystery. So, I'm going to give you the opportunity of a lifetime. I'm going to let you interview me and Puck over here. You'll never get a chance like this ever again."

Shin said, tempting Julia with the one thing he knew she could never turn her back on, the truth.

Julia: "Alright, I'll bite. Say I do this interview, what's your take away on this? What do you want from me?"

Julia asked, curious as to why Shin is so fixated on her.

Shi: "Well, you see, Reapers like me are very powerful being that gather up the souls of the people within the territory we occupy. However, as the human population grows, and the number of reapers remain quite low due to the strict recruitment qualifications, all Reapers are made to headhunt people that fit our qualifications to boost our numbers. People like you."

Julia: "So... You're saying you want to turn me into a Reaper?"

Julia questioned the boy before her.

Shin: "Yep. So, here's how this is going to go. You interview us, I give you your camcorder back, and you can publish everything you have in any media you want to. And in exchange you'll become a reaper once you die. Or, if you don't want to take this offer, then I destroy your camcorder and I'll have Puck here alter your memories. Still got some fairy tears with you, Puck?"

Puck: "Sure do, boss. Fastest way to alter a human's mind. I always make sure to bring extra."

Shin: "I knew I can always count on you, buddy. Here, a bonus."

Shin said and he hands puck three ancient gold coins as payment for his services.

As the two mythical beings have their transactional conversation, Julia chimed in with her objections.

Julia: "How am I supposed to trust a deal that you're proposing? You've been lying to me from day one. You really think I'll believe a word you're saying?"

Julia said, berating Shin for all his lies.

Puck: "She's got ya there, boss. Ya have probably been lying to her just a wee bit much."

Puck said, siding with Julia.

Shin: "Hey, You're on the clock, Puck. You should be taking my side. But, I guess she have a point. Don't worry, Julia, once you make the deal with me, I'll never lie to you again."

Shin addresses both Julia and Puck.

Julia: " And how can I even be sure of that?"

Shin: "Because, a reaper can't lie to another reaper. That's one of the ten unbending rules us reapers are forced to follow. Once you're in a contract with us, You'll be a reaper in training, and I wouldn't be able to lie to you because of that."

Puck: "Ah, yeah. Fifth rule if I recall. A reaper's rule is set in stone. Ya have nothing to fret over, lass."

Puck tells Julia.

Julia: "And, how can I be sure you two aren't lying now?"

Julia continues to question?

Shin: "Right now, you can't be sure. All you have are two choices, my deal, or the fairy tears."

Shin said. his reply sounding like an ultimatum as he extend his right hand for a hand shake to seal the deal.

Julia contemplated on the implications of the choices given to her by Shin.

Julia: "If I take this deal, will you kill me and turn me into a reaper?"

Shin: "No. First rule of the reapers, we can't cause the death of anyone. We take souls only from those who die of natural causes. You'll live the rest of your natural life, and once you die, then you'll become a reaper."

Julia: "Then how are you able to hurt and kill that monster? I know you killed that thing, so what's stopping you from doing the same thing to me?"

Julia continues to question Shin.

Shin: "That Fienderlush was a hellbound creature that killed humans and took their souls away from me. Rule number three dictates that a Reaper can kill any hellbound creatures that have taken a human soul. Last I checked, you're not a hellbound creature, are you?"

Julia stays silent, as she gauges the sincerity of Shin's words.

Julia: "... Alright, Deal."

Julia said with a heavy heart as she shook hands with Shin, finalizing their supernatural deal.

Julia felt a chill from her hand spreading all throughout her body after their hand shake. As though there was ice in her veins.

Julia: "Oh my God, what was that?"

Julia said after she pulled her hand away from Shin's.

Shin: "That's what we call a reaper's bond. Within you now is a tiny piece of the Infinity Stream. The Universal stream where all human souls go to power all six universes."

Shin said, explaining something very complex to a visibly confused Julia.

Julia: "Okay, what you just said sounds super important, but I don't want to get off track with my questions so I'm gonna ignore that for now. Alright, I'm interviewing you first, Shin. Now, give me my camcorder."

As Julia requested, Shin pull her camera out of a spacial tear he made and gave the device back to her.

Shin: " Here you go. But, the battery's really low. If you want to record this, you'll have to use your phone."

Shin advised Julia. Julia then put her camcorder in her bag, and used her phone to record the interview.

Julia: "My name is Julia Blake. I'm a fourteen year old high school student of Armitage Memorial School, located in Wolf's Rock, California. I'm here with my classmate Shin Yagami, who has revealed to me that he is a Reaper, a mythical entity that guides the souls of the dead to the afterlife. To his right is Puck, his Leprechaun assistant. Now, Puck, I would like to first ask, what is your relations with a Reaper like Shin?"

Julia said, first questioning Puck.

Puck: "Well, lass. Me and the boss here meet around the first few years oh him becoming a reaper. Reapers turn to fae folks like us when ever they have things they want to have covered up, like dead bodies eaten by Hellbound creatures, cleaning up damages of a surrounding area that they wrecked during a fight. And as I'm sure you're already familiar with, manipulating human memories."

Puck answered.

Julia: "I see. And how are you able to do these cleanups of yours?"

Puck: "Well. You see, we Leprechaun can restore damaged inanimate things back to there original state. If a wall was torn down, we can put it back up with our powers. We also have teleportation powers, and telekinesis, so cleaning up bodies is of no concern to us. With mind alteration though, we use fairy tears. One drop in a humans' eye, and we can tell them what they should remember."

Julia: "And what do you get in return for this partnership?"

Puck: "The boss here pays me in gold. Gold is the source of a Leprechaun's powers, ya see."

Julia: "So. What did you do to the dead bodies in the killing room?"

Julia asked. A question she was dreading the answer to.

Puck: "I buried them in the woods where no one will find them. Can't have them popping up now, that's what boss Shin said."

Julia: "Of course he did. Thanks puck. That's all the questions I have for you. Next, Shin. First question for you is, how did you became a Reaper?"

Julia said, asking the origins of how Shin came to be the soul eating being that he now is

Shin: "It was over seven hundred years ago. I lived in Tsushima Island with my family, but we died when the Yuan navy attacked. I died last, after killing a few of the attackers, I couldn't even count how many I killed. I was only seeing red, right before I saw nothing but black. I don't know why it happened, but when I woke up, I was in a dark void beside a very beautiful woman. She said her name was Calista. She gave me a choice, go towards the light that will lead me to rejoin my family in the Infinity Stream, or become a Reaper like her and guide souls towards the light. I think it's pretty obvious which choice I made."

Julia: "So, over seven hundred years ago you were killed by the Yuan navy in Tsushima Island... Are you saying you were in the battle of Kōan?"

Julia asked in a surprised tone.

Shin: "Oh. You really are smart. So you've heard about it. Yeah, I was killed in the battle of Kōan."

Shin confirmed Julia's guess.

Julia: "Wow... This is... (Julia makes deep breathing sounds) Okay, so next question. You've been mentioning this Infinity Stream for a while now. What is it?"

Shin: "Ahh, you're going for a really complicated question. I'm going to give you a chance to ask something else. I don't think you're ready for this one yet."

Shin said, urging Julia to ask a different question.

Julia: "I've handle the existence of Hell monsters, Reapers, and a freaking Leprechaun. So, stop treating me like a child and answer my question."

Julia demanded as she pointed her phone to both Shin and his flying Leprechaun friend.

Shin: "Alright, calm down. I'll tell you. So, to put it simple, the Infinity Stream is a power source made by the Ten Gods of light. They made it to keep chosen planets within all six dimensions capable of sustaining life, by powering the planes' core remotely. I don't really know how it works. All I know is, if we don't collect souls, the infinity stream will eventually stop, and all known life in the six universes will die."

Shin explained in the simplest way he could.

By this point, Julia is finding it difficult to keep her sanity in check. Alternate dimensions, Ten Gods of Light, Infinity Stream powering the world. Julia is starting to regret not having her mind altered when she had the chance.

Puck: "Are ya alright, lass? Ya seem paler than a banshee."

Puck asked when he noticed the color from Julia's face dropping.

Julia: "Y-yeah. I'm fine. S-so, Shin, next question. What was that monster that you killed last night, and Why are you hunting them down?"

Julia asked. Powering through her uneasiness.

Shin: "Well, that thing was a Fienderlush, a breed of lesser Hellbound creatures that feeds on the heart and the souls of its victims. I killed it because every soul it consumes means less souls to fuel the Infinity Stream. I had to kill it and eat it's soul so that the souls it consumed can be transferred back to the Stream."

Julia: "And when you say eat the soul to transfer it to this Infinity Stream, what do you mean? How will eating a soul transfer it to this Stream?"

Shin: "You see, inside the stomachs of all reapers is a portal that connects to the Infinity Stream. When we consume a soul, our stomach purifies it, and then it gets teleported to the Infinity Stream where it will continue to flow for eternity."

Julia: "That's fascinating. So, when I was talking to that Fienderlush named Ygesh, he was about to tell me why he came here, but you stopped him. Now it's your turn to tell me why he came here."

Julia probed.

Shin: "Heh. You remember that, huh? Oh well, I guess the cat's out of the bag. He came here cause he was summoned by someone in this town. I don't know why, really. This town's going to be destroyed in two months. Why bother summoning a lesser demon like that?"

Julia: "W-wait, I'm sorry, what? The entire town is going to be destroyed?"

Julia exclaimed after hearing Shin's words.

Shin: "Yeah. in two months time, everyone in this town, minus you, will die."

Shin said in a nonchalant manner.

Julia: "How will it get destroyed? How does that many people just die? Is it a bomb? A virus? A meteorite?"

Julia started asking in a panicked voice.

Shin: "Reapers don't know the cause of death of people who are about to die. We can only see the day they will die. And, once a person dies, as long as there's a reaper in a thousand mile radius of that person, the soul will be drawn to that reaper."

Shin explained.

Julia: "Well, we have to warn the entire town and have them evacuate. we have to save everyone here."

Julia stated.

Shin: "Rule number two, reapers can never interfere with a natural death. as long a the human soul goes to where it's supposed to go, no reaper or reaper in training can stop it."

Shin told Julia. Emphasizing that he will not help in saving people from their natural death.

Julia: "How are thousands of people dying overnight natural to you?"

Julia said insistently.

Shin: "Almost everyone in my village died when the invaders attacked. The Roanoke colony massacre. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Jonestown mass murder. Many people die a sudden death because of the follies of man every day. Who are we to govern their lives or their deaths."

Shin replied coldly, as though he has been so far removed from the deeds

of mortals.

Julia: "No. I refuse to believe this mass death you're talking about can happen naturally in this day and age. This has to be something else."

Julia continues to protest.

Shin: "Fine. Let he show you then."

Shin said as he led Julia to look at the people below them.

Shi: "Now, concentrate on the top of their heads. you will see the death clock on top of them. Tell me what it says"

Shin instructed Julia to use her new power as a reaper in training.

At first, Julia couldn't see anything, but as she kept at it, she is able to make out the timer that is on top of each person's heads. And her heart sank when she saw that all of them are counting down on the same date.

Julia: "All of them... All the clocks on top of their heads says their timers will end approximately in fifty six days."

Julia said, in disbelief of her own words.

Shin: "See? The death clock is a magical timer within all human souls. It accurately predicts the time of death. The only ones that doesn't have death clocks are Hellbound creatures, their victims, and Naturebound spirit creatures like Puck."

Julia: "Wait... Didn't you say that Ygesh had a death clock?"

Julia asked Shin.

Shin: "Yeah, but it was a fake one. It was made by the person that summoned him so he can blend along with his victims."

Julia: "Didn't you mention that it's weird to summon a Hellbound creature when the town is about to be destroyed anyway? Why would someone summon a Hellbound creature anyway?"

Shin: "Well, lesser tier Hellbound creatures like the Fienderlush are usually summoned to either be foot soldiers, assassins, or even as sex slaves. But, the Fienderlush last night said he was only left with a note that instructed it to go to the school and use the fake death clock crystal. No one was giving him direct orders."

Julia: "See. Who ever summoned Ygesh most have something to do with the town's future destruction."

Julia said as she tries to insert logic into this illogical situation.

Shin: "That wouldn't explain the death clock of everyone here being the

same. There's no such spell or talisman that can cause this."

Shin rebuked Julia's idea.

Julia: "But, what if the summoner found a way, or invented a new way

to do that. Science and technology evolves every time. Whos to say

magic can't evolve too. Either that, or the summoner is planning to

kill everyone here without you guys noticing it's not of natural cause."

Julia Continues to reason.

Shin: "... You make a solid point. I knew I was right in picking you for this."

Shin said, being proud of Julia for her deductive reasoning.

Julia: "So, what will you do now?"

Julia asked.

Shin: "We'll have to reschedule this interview. Puck, ask the fae folk

if they know of any magic that can manipulate the death clocks. I'll

contact the reaper council and try to get info from them too."

Julia: "S-so, you'll try and save everyone in this town?

Julia asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

Shin: "If the threat is supernatural in nature, yes. But if it's still found

as of natural causes, no. Let's just hope you're right."

was Shin's answer.

Puck: "Good job, lass. I wish you both the best of luck."

Puck cheered on.

After leaving the hospital's rooftop, Shin opened a tear in space that led

to Julia's home.

Julia: "Here's your stop. I hope your trip wasn't too bumpy."

Shin joked as he helped Julia step through the portal he opened in her room.

Julia: "I don't think I'll ever get used to this travelling via spacial portal

thing."

Julia said as she traversed the black portal Shin made.

Shin: "You'll have to get used to it sooner or later. You are gonna

become one of us one day, after all.

Shin replied.

A somber feeling quickly took over Julia from hearing Shin's words. Her

remembering that when she dies, she will become at entity beyond

the human understanding gave her an uneasy feeling.

Julia: "Shin, when you died... What did it feel like?"

Julia questioned Shin, the fear of death ever present in her eyes.

Shin: "I felt a lot of things while I was dying. The pain of having my body

stabbed and cut is just etched in me forever. But, the worst feeling was

seeing everyone I love get cut down like pigs being gutted. I'd give up

immortality just to finally get rid of this pain."

Julia: "I'm sorry that happened to you."

Julia said as she gave Shin a hug, while she got misty eyed.

Shin: "You're afraid, aren't you?"

Julia: "Yeah. I've never been this scared in my life. But it's not just the fear of

death. It's also the fear of losing my dad."

Julia replied, admitting her fears to Shin.

As their hug ended, Shin brushed away the hair on Julia's face, and the

tears from her cheeks. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a

few moments, as if they were examining one another's souls. Before

anything else could happen though, Julia and Shin heard the sound of

Sheriff Blake's car pulling in their driveway.

Julia: "O-oh... looks like dad's home early. Y-you better go."

Julia said with her cheeks flushed.

Shin: "Y-yeah. I'll see you later for the rest of the interview."

Shin replied, with an awkward smile.

After Shin stepped in the portal, it disappeared, leaving Julia alone in her

room. She then rushed down the stairs to meet her dad.

Sheriff Blake: "Apple Crumbs, I'm home. Are you still not feeling well?"

The sheriff called for Julia. Sheriff Blake then saw Julia in the living room,

staring at the top of his head. before he could say anything else, Julia

rushed over to him and gave him the biggest hug he ever got from her.

Sheriff Blake: "Wooh there, Apple Crumbs. What's gotten into you, all of a sudden?"

The perplexed sheriff asked.

Julia: "I love you dad. I'm really sorry for what I said. I love you." Julia said over and over as she holds back her tears after seeing her father's death clock, counting down to fifty six days from now.