"When Death rejects you, remember you have some unfulfilled commitment you have given to Life. Sort that out first."

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"No," he mumbled into my mouth, breaking the kiss within a few seconds as he staggered back.

I was shocked. The taste of his lips still hung on mine. The rejection hit me like a train, smothering me with emotions as the tears came unbidden and started rolling down my cheeks. I was even holding that stupid dagger in my hand and for a brief second, I contemplated running it through my heart, ending it once and for all. But the desire vanished as soon as it had come. My thoughts rearranged themselves into a focused determination.

He blinked in confusion and looked around the tunnel we were in. I took advantage of the momentary distraction and slipped the ornate dagger into the pocket of my dress.

"I'm sorry," he breathed to Lachesis, his eyes scanning gradually from me to her. "I lost connection with her and I thought you had..."

"Killed her," Lachesis gave a dry smile. "This one fell in love with Death. What good would killing this wretched soul do to me?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Lachesis glared at me. There was only one meaning for that look. I had to keep my lips shut about our plan. At that point, I didn't even care. Death had rejected me, and it was all that mattered. I guess I should've got used to rejections by then, but it doesn't get any easier.

"Tora," he whispered, trying to come closer. His outstretched palm rested on the side of my cheek, just like old times. I stayed still. I would not let my body respond to his advances anymore. Enough is enough. His hand fell. I whipped around abruptly, fighting back the stinging in my eyes.

"Please show me how to resurrect Nikhit," I mumbled to Lachesis.

She didn't comment as she gestured for me to follow. A suffocating silence hung between the three of us as I and Mrithun followed Lachesis. He seemed to be lost in his own mind, docile and homely again. I so longed to know what he was thinking, but I didn't open my lips.

The passages were lines by the same glass wall and the souls whispered and swirled on the other side. The depressing tunnel opened into a brightly lit space. Lining the chamber on all sides were tall glass columns, and it looked weirdly like a laboratory.

"This is our system," Lachesis announced, pointing to a giant screen at the centre of the room. A tangle of cables and devices were connected to it, and those wires travelled all the way to the columns, forming a network.

"As much as I don't appreciate it, it makes our work easier." Lachesis's voice breezed past me. I almost smiled, knowing that I knew certain things that even the mighty Death had no clue about.

"Now this is tricky." she turned towards me. "Generally we bring souls here and export them into the set locations. But for you, we need to import the body in here, right?"

"I guess so," I mumbled, cautiously creeping up to the spotless white machinery. The screen lit up in vivid green, demanding a password straight away. My fingers trembled as I typed in MORTE666. Taking a deep breath in, I closed my eyes and pressed the enter button. The system emanated a gentle ping as the files started pouring in on the screen.

"I did it." My voice was hoarse with tears.

"Good job," Lachesis encouraged, nuzzling me aside, as she tapped buttons rapidly. Her fingers moved awfully fast for me to grasp anything.

"Enter the location here please." She tapped at a blank square with her fingernails. I deftly typed the address as the radar launched its search. My heart was jumping at my throat in excitement. I hoped his body was still available, or did I? Did I genuinely want to bring him back? My hands went numb as I staggered backward a few steps. I felt a strong hand on my back. It wasn't an endearing gesture, rather it seemed to channel strength into me.

I cast a grateful look at Mrithun. Despite how complicated the relationship was between us, Mrithun never made me notice the absence of a friend in that foreign realm. I steadied my breath as a pearly light filled the column in front of us. Fragments of scintillations started aggregating at the core of the milky glow until bits of brown and black appeared to be churning like mud in water. It gradually gained the fuzzy outline of a human.

"What did you pawn for her to be helping you?" Mrithun whispered into my ear.

"Nothing," I mumbled, keeping my gaze ahead.

"I don't believe you." He shook his head.

"That's not my problem," I said deadpan. Mrithun stayed silent as we stared at a concrete body forming inside the column.

"Nikhit..."

The name escaped my lips like a whisper as I took a step forward. For a brief second, I couldn't move. A subtle burning sensation seemed to sizzle on the insides of my dress. I didn't know if it was real or a figment of a bad memory resurfacing. Someone was squeezing my throat. My lungs were collapsing. I couldn't breathe. I closed my eyes as a thousand different memories flooded through me - strong arms, a belt, cigarettes, ropes chaffing my sensitive skin and the pain - the blinding pain.

I looked at Mrithun. His face was contorted into an expression I couldn't fathom. His eyes were endless pools of sorrow. There was a certain longing in his gaze.

"Stand back. This is something that has been done very rarely."

Lachesis' voice broke the reverie of the moment. A garish light was filling the entire space. I closed my eyes in fright not wanting to witness the moment of resurrection. A sharp note like a whistle rang in my ears. The sound dissipated slowly. I forced my eyes open, almost unwillingly.

Nikhit blinked as he opened his mouth, taking in a deep drag of air. Finally, his eyes flew open and the expression in them was panic. I could feel a smile creeping up on my face. He was naked like a newborn. The gorgeous muscles on his toned body were rippling with energy as he stepped out of the glass case. Not a single hair out of place. He looked dashing as ever. My fingers travelled into my pocket unmindfully. The icy hilt of the blade jolted me back to the reality of the scene. I took two long strides as Nikhit continued to stare at me in confusion.

"Tora." His voice was raspy. "What did you...?"

"I loved you," I said, taking another step closer.

"I...But..."

I threw my arms around him, squeezing him hard.

"I still love you," I whispered more to myself than to him.

Slowly, I peeled his still dazed body away from me.

"I will love you forever," I let my hands fall to my sides, "But..."

"The drink..." he gasped.

My fingers reached into my pocket and curled painfully around the handle of the knife.

"But you were toxic for me," I hissed.

In one swift motion, I slashed the blade across his chest. A thin streak of blood marred that perfect bronze skin. He staggered in shock, his eyes growing wide. And in the blink of an eye, the blade passed neatly through his heart. Blood splattered onto me- the blood of my lover. I drew it out in a single smooth swipe as he clutched his wound.

"Poison was a pretty painless death compared to what you had done," I hissed, stabbing him again. His knees buckled as his mouth still tried to form those unspoken words.

"You deserved a more horrible death for all those years of pain you inflicted on me. So I brought you back."

I tore free a button on the top of my dress, letting the front hang open slightly. I grabbed his chin between my fingers and turned his head upwards.

"Recognise those scars, you monster?" I pointed to the burn marks dotting my most private skin.

"Tora," Mrithun gasped from somewhere. My eyes travelled deliberately to meet his. I had lowered the boundaries of my mind, ensuring he got a good look into everything about me that had been puzzling him for long.

Nikhit made a weak gurgling sound across his larynx. One swipe with the obsidian blade and blood spurted from his throat, soaking my spotless dress with crimson.

"You didn't deserve to be loved," I spoke to Nikhit's body still writhing in his death throes at my feet. Then I spun back and met Lachesis' stare. She was looking at me with the same unfazed expression, as if she had seen it coming all along. Her mouth turned up at the corners.

"I'm ready to face the consequences for this," I announced.

Author's Note : 20K words completed

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