october 28, 2019.  

"Hey, Melanie," Nett called out to Melanie as the pair were back in the galaxy-like milky way space.

"Hmm?" Melanie hummed as she was lightning a few candles that Nett had provided a moment ago.

"Do you wanna write down any goals or stuff about your life while burning them with the lit candles?"

"Are you into that?"

"Some times. It helps passed the time when I have nothing else I want to do."

"I see."

"Or we can create an altar with sacred objects. Yeah?"

Nett motioned with her hand and an archaic greek altar appeared before Melanie. Melanie eyed the altar before shifting her gaze towards Nett.

"We're not going to sacrifice a person or animal are we?"

"No. Unless you want to."

Melanie stared at Nett with widened eyes as the latter let out a slow laugh.

"I'm kidding."

"Mmhmm."

Nett's body glided over to hover beside Melanie as they gaze at the blank altar together.

"How would you like to decorate?"

With every snap of her fingers Nett gave visuals to Melanie of how the altar's image could look like as she suggested things.

"Springtime?"

"Oceanic view?"

"Lights of sorts?"

"Animals? Cute or not cute."

"Cars?"

"How about neon colors?"

"Sports, perhaps?"

Melanie shook her head at each suggestions until her gaze lingered on the next suggestion came from Nett's mouth.

"How about you and your closed ones?"

The altar lit up with Melanie's favorite scented candles along with pictures of her, Serena, their aunt Eugenia, friends, and colleagues. Melanie glanced at Nett hopefully.

"Could we make one for Pearl, too?"

"Of course."

Nett motioned with her hand again and another archaic altar appeared besides the other one, but filled with memories of Pearl.

"Was she a good friends of yours?"

Nett glanced over at Melanie curiously.

"Yes even though we've known one another for less than a year, but she and I connected instantly."

"That must've been nice."

"It was. I don't easily make friends as I prefer to build trust, but there was something about Pearl as if we were kindred spirits."

"Kindred spirits, huh? That does sound nice."

"Yeah."

"Hey, do you wanna take a floral sea salt bath?" Nett suddenly suggested while explaing the effects as Melanie cast her a skeptical look.

"What?"

"It's supposed to wash away all negative energies during a new moon so that you can start with new beginnings while reflecting on your past self or something like that."

"Sure. A bath sounds nice."

"Okay, let's do it."

Nett clapped her hands as their surrounding changed to one of a grand bathroom with a clawfoot bath tub in the center.

"Wow, that's pretty fancy."

"I'll leave you alone to enjoy your relaxtion moment. Is there anything else you need?"

"Is there any way you could make the lights dimmed with lit candles around the area? Oh, an a shower spot to rinse myself, too?"

"Very cliche, but yes."

Nett snapped her fingers and gave Melanie the mood she wanted to relax.

"Thanks, Nett."

"You're welcome. Call me if you need me."

"Will do."

Nett shimmered away leaving Melanie alone to bathe. Melanie rinsed herself while letting the tub filled with warm water, a sea salt bath bomb, and a mixture of various flower petals until she was ready. When she soaked her body into the tub and let out a relaxing sigh did she feel like everything was alright with the world and herself. That was until she had a weird feeling and had just called out for Nett when she disappeared. Nett immediately materialized into the bathroom with Melanie no where in sight. She sighed with a frown while running a hand through her hair.

"She's fading even more than before."

Nett sat besides the bath tub and dipped her fingers into the floral mixed sea salt water.

"Nick, we need to hurry before Serena's lifeline won't be able to sustain the both of them and your sacrifie is all for naught."

Nett signed while playing with the bath water.

"Hang in there, Melanie. We'll figure it out."

Nett shimmered away as the room faded into an empty space.

Serena jerked awake as if she's been underwater and finally broke above the surface to in the much needed air. She panted heavily as she looked about her surrounding wondering what had just happened while calming herself at the same time. She was in her room and it was early evening judging based on the faint orangish light coming through her window. She last recalled falling asleep a little after six in the morning due to an early morning photoshoot for a client earlier today.

Yawning, Serena ran a hand over her face before looking at it a second later as she felt a weird substance rubbed against her cheek. They were damped petals of rosemary, orchid, rose, sweet jasmine, and others she couldn't quite remember at the moment. Frowning she looked down at herself and noticed that her clothing and bedsheets looked and felt damped as well. With her free hand she removed the blanket to see that she was basically soaked in the area that she slept on with scattered petals around her.

"What the?"

Serena quickly scanned the room for the mischievous felines to scold them forr this prank, but they weren't around. She wondered if her other life had conjured up this incident while in her sleep. She dismissed the thought with a heavy sigh. Serena got out of bed, removed the covers to toss the wet petals, left the mess on the floor before stripped off her clothing, and heading to her bathroom for a shower. Serena felt fatigued and thought showering would help wake her before something happened.

october 31, 2019. 

"Oh, Reaper V, what can I do for you?"

Grim Reaper Serena was greeted by the Guardian of the Bridge of Hopelessness, Duhe.

"Oh, hi, Duhe. Is Kanshu around?"

"No. She's in a meeting with other death watchers."

"I see."

Duhe went back to filing some paperwork before Grim Reaper Serena called for her attention.

"Hmm?"

"Earlier this evening I felt a shadowy presence watching me, but nothing ominous or the likes. Does that happen often?"

Duhe pondered on the question before answering.

"You've been with the Infernal Realm and the Celestial Realm for four years now, right?"

"Yeah."

"The shadows are aware of your present and are probably messing with you now that you can fully sense them."

"Really? But it was intense as I felt their eyes on me, but couldn't sense where they were coming from."

Duhe looked up with a puzzled look.

"Now that is quite something."

"Do you perhaps know anything about that?"

"Not much, but you can always speak with Erebus or Nyx about it. They might know."

The grim reaper contemplated, but dismissed it.

"It's okay. So far it's nothing too worrying, but I'll come back if it persists."

"Please, do."

Duhe observed Grim Reaper Serena.

"If you can't find your answers here, then you could speak with your love watcher about such things. I'm sure she would know something."

"Yeah, Narak might. Alright. Thanks again, Duhe. Have a good night."

"You, too."

The pair bid goodbye as Grim Reaper Serena left the Grim Reaper Station and returned to her loft apartment. She sighed before her eyes landed on her camera gear and remembered she needed to sift through the images from the party from earlier. Serena shook her head and made her way to the bathroom to turn in for the night.
 

november 2, 2019.  

"I hate you!"

A woman screamed as she pushed another woman in to on-coming traffic.

"Just die already!"

The sound of a car horn went off and everyone's attention focused on the incident before them.

"We need to go now, Arin Min."

Grim Reaper Serena ordered her charge while taking a hold of Arin's upper arm and shimmering away as light rain fell upon their place. The duo appear back in Arin's apartment as Arin paced back and forth with impatience steps.

"She took my life, Reaper V! She betrayed me and took everything from me."

Arin began to frantically list the injustice she felt.

"Shinji Niel stole my boyfriend in high school, took my place in the Alpha Chi sorority, lied about call-outs at work, and bullied me since middle school. What did you expect me to do about all of that, Reaper V?"

Arin glared at the grim reaper as the otherwordly being firmly held her gaze.

"Follow what I told you when you accepted my offer."

"So what? You're gonna torture me now?"

"No. You've been out of my control since the first day we signed our contract. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, but it's now long gone as you succumed to the demons in your head and your heart."

"What about our binding contract?"

Grim Reaper Serena rose higher in the air as she motioned with her hand to bring forth the contract Arin had signed.

"Arin Min, our contract is voided and you've been transferred over to Lytta."

"Who's Lytta?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Well, I think she's been festering around you longer than I have."

Grim Reaper Serena tore the contract and she de-materialized away. Arin awaited for this Lytta person to appear, but with each second ticking on by she grew paranoid. Every sound made her jump as she became jittery.

"Why not join me and the others in a mad frenzy, Arin Min?"

Came a female voice and Arin swirled around to face whoever spoke, but no one was there.

"Seems like you're ready."

"Who are you?" Arin screamed into the air as she swirled around finding nobody.

It was like she was speaking to a ghost or something.

"I'm the one you've been seeking all of this time."

A woman with a godly aura appeared before Arin with a