Page 40 of Haunted Hearts

I’mthe realm? I struggle to wrap my head around this. It does explain why I feel like I’m everywhere at once. Looking down at my hands, I catch sight of the darkness running beneath my skin.

Because the realm is always gaining more power, so are we. Unless you expend some energy, it will consume you. What you’re seeing, Willie, is the realm and a physical manifestation of your power, Dad continues, his eyes dropping to the shadows on my skin.I was born from the realm, but for eons, I was trapped in a semi-conscious state, unable to be someone or something. It took a long… longtime to gain a sense of self and become Death.

Horror wraps itself around my heart and steals my breath. Eons? It is going to takeeonsto control this? The room seems to tilt on its side.

“It won’t take Willow that long to figure this out on her own, because she has you to guide her,” Brock objects, nodding his head towards Death. “And these guys are able to hold her in the here and now. That should be something, right?”

Dad nods.Your experience will be nothing like mine, Willie.It may take you a while to hold yourself to this plane on your own, but these men are learning quickly how to keep you present. Soon, it won’t be a conscious act on their part. It’s something that will naturally occur as they get used to this.

I let out a sigh of relief that’s cut off as I realize Dad hasn’t relaxed. There’s more. Judging by the wince, I’m not going to like it.

“You said,‘as well as your second form’when talking about Willow’s physical state,” Kwil mutters from the door. “Is that the one we saw after she died? With the hood and the—”

“Skeleton hand?” Jonah adds in quickly. “I bet you it is. It was wild, Willow. Cool, but scary.”

Dad gives them a small smile.Yes, that is her second form. That one doesn’t require such concentration to hold.Though, I feel you’ll be more comfortable in this one, Willie.

I stare at Kwil and Jonah before looking back at Dad, not sure what they’re talking about. Those moments after death are too fuzzy to recall. Right now, I’m thankful for that. I don’t know if I want to see myself in that state. That might send me right over the edge into insanity.

“Ok, yeah, I definitely want to keep my skin, so I’ll stick to looking like this for the time being.”

Dad laughs,You won’t be bothered by the change, Willie. But I understand.

“You also had a super cool scythe like Brock’s.” Jonah nudges his head towards my reaper. “That was awesome too.”

Brock shakes his head with a chuckle, “It was much more impressive than mine.”

Dad nods as he walks around his desk to look briefly out of the floor to ceiling windows.

The scythe will help you channel your power. Please be careful when using it. It can cause some serious damage to a spirit if used improperly.

“Why would she need to use it in the first place?” Viktor speaks up sharply. “What does she need to protect herself from if she has power in physical form?”

“I’m assuming that, just like in our realm, there are people always looking to get ahead, searching to be the biggest and strongest.” Theo mutters, looking at Brock before his eyes flicker back to Dad. “It can’t be too much different here, right?”

There will always be those who crave power, Dad confirms with a nod.That doesn’t stop for some after they’ve finished up their first life. There are spirits who will do anything to gain the power they lost, or to steal power they have never had. And when they do something stupid, it throws this realm into chaos, which echoes into the Realm of the Living. Then, there are creatures that lurk in this realm that feed on Death Magic.

Dad leaves the window, casually strolling around the room. Or, at least to the others he may appear casual. But I know Dad’s tells. It’s in the subtle shift in his posture, or the way his expression becomes nearly unreadable. I scowl at him when he comes to a stop right in front of me.

“Look, just rip the Band-Aid off.” I roll my eyes as my hands fall to my hips. “A scythe and a second form aren’t just for looks and protecting myself, are they?”

No, they’re not just for yourself, Willie. Dad tilts his head to one side as he stares down at me.Your role in this realm will be as a protector. Sometimes the realms within the Realm of the Dead can become unbalanced, due to a break in the natural laws of power. Because we are the most powerful individuals on this side of the Veil, it is our duty to protect the spirits here when that happens. The unbalances can come at any time and the consequences are different with each new case.

“Wait, I don’t understand.” I shake my head slowly. “What do you mean a break in the natural law? Are you talking about when I used my powers in the Realm of the Living and how it would affect the magic on that side?”

Dad nods.Exactly, except when you used your powers in a realm that couldn’t process Death Magic in the same way as their natural magic, it affected this realm too. Every time you used your power, it caused an imbalance here. A wildfire here, a tsunami there… It’s why I warned you to be careful.

The color drains from my face.

“You never told methat!” I throw up my hands. “You just said be careful, that it’s not safe for you or others to use your power.Notthat it causes natural disasters!”

I am bound to this realm, as are you, to keep information from the living. But now that you are dead, you’re allowed to know everything.Dad sighs.Trust me, if I could have told you, I would have.

I glare at him. I’m sure there was a work around to let me know the magnitude of the consequences that came when I used my power.

“Ok so, I protect the world from disasters. I can do that.” I don’t know how, but that’s something I can learn. That doesn’t sound too bad.

“It can’t be that easy,” Theo replies grimly.

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