Eira was surrounded by warmth. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself laying down on an upholstered sofa. Her hand rubbed against the plush material. She enjoyed the feeling for a few more seconds before she pulled herself up into a sitting position. Her eyes began wandering aimlessly, taking in her surroundings. The dimly-lit room was glowing with warm colours, and in it, directly across from her, stood a crackling fireplace, roaring with life. She basked in the blissful comfort of what appeared to be a lodge. But the serenity only lasted so long. 

Rationality shortly intervened, demanding to know how she'd gotten to the lodge in the first place. When she couldn't form an adequate response, panic stepped in. Before long, the peace she'd felt upon her arrival was overthrown by vast confusion, and growing terror. But she tried to hang onto sanity. She wrecked her brain, trying to remember how she'd gotten to the lodge. But it was no use.

She couldn't remember, no matter how hard she tried. She couldn't make sense of everything she was seeing. Just as she was about to get up, she heard footsteps. Heels clacking on wood.

"I apologize for Kai's behaviour."

As the woman behind the voice stepped out of the shadows, Eira was mesmerized. The first thing she noticed were the woman's eyes. Rested above neatly arched brows, her big lids were thickly lined with kohl, her lashes perfectly curled. Painted in wispy stokes of gray, amber and violet, the colours intertwined with each other, creating a beautiful mesh, emulating a serene galaxy. It was the most fascinating thing Eira had ever seen. 

"If you want to rank up, Kai," she said, whilst keeping a steady gaze on Eira, "you know never to make it personal." Eira shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable underneath her gaze. But she was also unable to look away from her. Partly because she felt inferior, and partly because the woman exuded a type of power that Eira couldn't understand. So she stared right back at the woman, examining her, trying to understand why she felt the way she was feeling in her presence.

The woman took two steps in her direction, her hips and hair swaying in unison. The full-length dress she wore was tightly draped around her body, accentuating her hourglass figure. Against its shimmering gold colour, her black hair stood out, falling straight down past her small waist. It was parted in the center, making her small face appear longer than it was. She looked strong, with broad shoulders and a tall stature, yet her aura radiated femininity. Her wide, thin, lips were coated with clear gloss. Her jawline both sharp and soft. Her nose, straight and narrow, perfectly complimenting a wide forehead.

"It's not personal, it's appropriate." A man she did not recognize emerged from behind the woman. His steel gray eyes bore into hers. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing the front half of his sandy hair to the side, exposing his swooping haircut. "I told you, her self-esteem needs work. A lot of work."

His voice was deep and snarky. But he was just as stunning as the woman. Dressed in a dark gray suit, he looked effortlessly tailored. The stubble around chiseled jaw, paired with his gruff voice, made him appear masculine, attractive. Though his strong, modelesque features didn't hurt his physical appeal either. He looked younger than the woman, yet seemingly not much older than herself. But she wasn't sure whether it was because of how he arrogantly he carried himself or because of how powerful the woman seemed in comparison to him.

"My name is Opal," she said as she sat down beside Eira. Opal smiled at her, sympathetically. In an instant, Eira relaxed. "And you've already met Kai."

Eira looked back at Kai, and caught him staring back at her in utter disgust. For some reason, it stung. As he noticed her staring at him, he snapped out of it and cracked a smile. But she didn't feel the same comfort in his smile as she did with Opal. His smile was masked with something darker, almost sarcastic.

"What do I look like, Eira?" Opal asked.

"An Egyptian Goddess," Eira blurted without a second thought. Her voice came out soft, meek.

Opal's lips curved into a reluctant smile. But Kai snorted, a prominent look of distaste covering his face.

"I suppose Kai may be right," Opal said.

"This is ridiculous," Kai pitched in. "Do you remember me, Eira?" he continued, only using the tone Al had spoke in earlier. Eira's breath hitched and she felt sick. Blurred memories flashed across her mind. She couldn't make sense of anything she saw, but she remembered all of the feelings clearly. The paranoia, the suffering, the terror.

Kai had impersonated Al. He had impersonated a monster, her most terrifying nightmare. She couldn't understand what she could have possibly done to the man to receive such merciless treatment. She couldn't have deserved that. But it was in that moment, she understood why she felt uneasy in his presence.

Immediately Opal's hand was on her shoulder. The feeling of security wrapped around her, caccooning her, shielding her from Kai.

"Kaimbe!" Opal all but screamed. Her soft voice had become deeper, much harsher. It oozed with more authority, unfathomable power.

Kai rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Opal said. Eira stared into her eyes and saw genuinity. "You'll have to excuse his behavior. Patience," she almost hissed at him, " is not his strong suit."

"How much longer must we be patient for?" Kai shot back. "Don't give me the seventh time's the charm bullshit!"

Opal shifted her gaze, glaring at Kai.

"Leave," she demanded. Kai wavered, returning her glare. "Now!"

And he was gone.

"How?" Eira stammered. He had vanished into thin air. How was that even possible? "I don't understand," she continued. Her head felt erratic, spinning with questionable theories, stuck in a web of confusion. "What's going on?"

Maybe she was dreaming. It was the most logical explanation.

Eira took a deep breath and pinched herself as hard as she could. She had thin skin. Immediately she felt a bruise forming. But it didn't work, she was still in the lodging, sitting beside Opal. So, she tried again. Biting her cheeks, she took her fingers to the same place, grabbed the skin around the bruise and twisted it with every bit of her strength.

She suppressed a cry, shaking her arm in frustration. It hurt like a bitch.

"What are you doing?" Opal asked, diverting Eira's attention.

Eira frowned. Why hadn't she woken up yet? Normally, every time she became aware of her dreams, she was able to wake up on command. What was she doing wrong?

"I'm trying to wake up," she answered, standing up. Normally, she'd have kept such a ludicrous statement to herself. But if this was a dream, what did it matter how Opal saw her? She was nothing more than a figment of her wild imagination. "But it isn't working...."

"This is... different." Opal stood up, her brows furrowed. "It shouldn't take this long for you to remember," she stared at Eira with puzzled eyes, "What are you trying to block out?"

Eira stared at the beautiful woman, dumbfounded. "What are you talking about?"

"You are not dreaming, Eira," Opal slowly answered. "Everything you see and feel here is very real."

Eira rolled her eyes. Great. A figment of her imagination was hell bent on driving her crazy.

Opal sighed. "I know what you must think. I assure you, this is not insanity. I am speaking the truth."

"How can you know what I'm thinking?" Eira asked, her voice rising. "How can any of this be real?" She tried to take a breath, attempting to regain composure, but the words kept spewing out. " I was just hit by a freaking tidal wave and now we're in a lodge, by a fireplace, and, I'm completely fine! Oh! On top of that, you look... too perfect to be real and you can hear my thoughts," her voice rose higher, "how am I not crazy?!"

Opal stared at her, studying her as one would study an organism under a microscope.

"Normally," Opal said, "it does not take a new soul this long to remember."

"Remember what?"

"Your mortal life," Opal answered, matter-of-factly, "or your death."

Eira looked at Opal, unable to form a response. She was dead? This was the afterlife? Where was judgement? Where was the personal heaven, or hell? This seemed too normal.

Opal laughed. "This is the in-between, the middle. It is designed to be normal, or at least as similar as possible to the mortal world. This is where you will remain until your final judgment."

"In this room?" Eira asked. It wasn't such a bad deal. It was warm, cozy.

"No," Opal said, a smile dancing at the corner of her lips. "In this realm. But I really am getting ahead of myself. Your guide will explain further."

"My guide?" Eira asked.

"Your guide will help you through this," Opal explained. "Guides are chosen by the council to be your companion, your confidant. They ensure your well-being, making sure to put your needs above themselves. They are specifically tasked to help you through this journey."

"Like a guardian angel," Eira said, drawing a parallel.

"Like a guardian angel," Opal affirmed.

Eira pursed her lips, swallowing the information. "And you said journey? And a council?" she asked. It seemed like the more Opal explained, the more questions she had. "I wish you would just tell me what's going on. No riddles, no ambiguity. Because all I have, right now, are more questions."

Opal hesitated. "Fair enough," she finally said, "I suppose I could help you understand while we wait."

"Okay then, where are we exactly?" Eira asked. "And what is this council?"

Opal shook her head. "Not like that."

Without a moment's notice, Opal strode forward, her hand reaching for Eira's forehead. She positioned her thumb in between Eira's brows, and pressed down while muttering something Eira could not make out.

Instantly, a gust of wind slapped her face. Before she could process the pain, her mind began filling up with stacks of memories. From her earliest one to the one she lived right before her death. She watched it play out like a movie. Only, it was nothing like a movie. All the memories flashed before her eyes, but somehow she could make out every single detail in each memory.

Every experience she remembered, she could feel both emotionally and physically as it played out. She watched her younger self being sexually abused. The moment she felt the monster put his finger inside her, the fear she'd felt as a child consumed her, dragging her into a pit of despair. And when she watched her parents fight, with vile words and razor-sharp claws, she found herself drowning in white noise. It overwhelmed her senses as she tried to block out the ruckus. She watched herself being bullied by former friends. It hurt worse than being stabbed a hundred times over. She felt the butterflies in her stomach, fluttering below her thumping heart, as she watched her younger self fawning over a boy in middle school. She watched herself mourn the loss of her mother. And then her father. That pain was indescribable. That memory was probably the worst. Eira felt herself crying out, beyond the comatose state, screaming in despair.

Even though she was watching it unfold from a distance, she felt it all as if she were going through it for the first time.

And then she saw herself standing on the bridge at night, blankly staring at the raging waters. She saw tears rolling down her eyes, felt the gruesome pain stacking upon her shoulders, and remembered how despite searching earnestly, she could not find a single reason reason to go on. And then she watched herself give up the fight.

As the flashback ended, Eira found herself gasping for air.

Immediately, she fell to the ground, involuntarily curling up into a fetal position. Her face stung and her body quivered from the paralyzing cold, painfully crystallizing into a frozen state. She only realized she was having a panic attack when she could not will herself to get up, or move. 

"You will be okay," Opal soothed. Her voice was close to her ear, her hand stroking her hair. Surprisingly, it helped to calm her nerves. It made her feel safe from the chaos brewing within her mind. "It takes a few moments for your mind to realize that you are in no danger. Just try to breathe."

Within seconds, the anxiety subsided. Eira began to feel better, and her power of mobility had swiftly returned. Eira pushed her body upward, and found Opal gently pulling onto her arms, assisting her. Once Eira sat up, her eyes met Opal's face. She saw a look of concern plastered over her features.

"I'm okay," Eira assured, wearing a shy smile.

"Of course you are," Kai's snide tone filled the room. He reappeared in a flash, and calmly walked over to Opal's side. His eyes, however, remained glued to hers. "Seems like I missed all the fun," his eyes briefly darted towards Opal. "Wasn't jogging her memory my job?"

"Yes," Opal answered, nonchalantly. She nimbly rose to her feet and offered Eira a helping hand, which Eira accepted gratefully. "It is your job. Had you done your job, I would not have been summoned to intervene, Kaimbe."

Kai's gaze didn't waver. If anything, she saw more hatred towards her as he continued glaring her down.

"What's your problem?" Eira found herself asking.

Kai looked taken aback. She noticed his eyes widen before turning into narrow slits. "My problem?"

"Yeah, your problem!" Eira retorted. Her tone took her by surprise as well. She never had the courage to confront someone when she was alive, no matter how big of an asshole they were. She almost always ran away, most of the time in endless tears.

Kai took a step towards her, and Eira instinctively took one back. That amused him. He gave her a smug look and then shook his head. "You're not worth the effort."

This time, she did not feel like crying. No. This time, Eira felt anger. Unfiltered, and completely warranted, fury. She clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than to punch the smugness off his stupid face.

"That's enough," Opal commanded, before turning to face Kai. She sighed. "Must I report you to the council?"

"No!" Kai's response was immediate. Begrudgingly, he turned to face her with remorseless eyes. "I apologize for that," he said through gritted teeth. He then turned to Opal. "It will not happen again, you have my word."

Opal nodded. "Last chance, Kai," she warned. "Make it count."

"I know," he answered, solemnly.

Opal turned to Eira. "Again, I apologize. This is not how we were meant to meet," she shot Kai a look of disapproval, "nor is this how a typical orientation begins."

"Orientation?" Eira questioned.

"I can take over now, if you'd like," Kai said, staring at Opal. He didn't wait for Opal to respond. Instead, he stepped forward and began talking. "You are in Ethereal, a realm designed for deceased mortal. Welcome."

"Ethereal...," she repeated, mindlessly.

Kai ignored her interruption. "It was created for damned souls." Eira wanted to ask him what he meant by damned but she decided against interrupting him twice. "By damned," he looked at her, "I mean, souls who were unable to reach their full potential in the mortal world. Those with, simply put," he continued, subtly mocking her ability to grasp information, "unfinished business. As you are now aware, you are dead. Your death was by suicide," there was a peculiar edge to his voice when he referred to how she died, "making you damned." Eira wondered if Opal was picking up on his silent innuendos. "Damned souls come here to find redemption. Here, you will be tested to assess the potency of your soul. These tests come in the form of trials, all designed around the encounters you have faced during your lifetimes."

"Lifetimes?" Eira quickly picked up on that. Did that mean reincarnation was real?

"If," Kai's tone hardened, ignoring her once again, "you pass these tests, your death will not have been vain, and you will be granted a fulfilling afterlife, the eternal peace you so desperately seek. However," Kai paused, "if you fail, you will go before the Council of Souls and they will determine whether you have earned another chance at life, a do-over if you will, or whether eternal damnation awaits you."

Eira blinked, trying to wrap her head around Kai's words. Eternal damnation? She was waiting for someone to jump out of nowhere and scream, "Haha, you should've seen your face!"

Every inch of her wanted this to be a joke. Not because she found any of it to be funny, but because she had killed herself to find peace. And after everything Kai revealed, it looked as though she had died in vain.

"There is no peace after death," Eira breathed.

"Quite the contrary," Kai said. "There is peace in the afterlife. You just happened to choose the easy way out, Eira. That cannot go unpunished. Life is not meant to be easy. It is supposed to be a challenge. It is supposed to tear your down and break you into a million pieces. The test is to put yourself back together, and keep going. Had you let it play out, you would not be here right now."

"But it is not too late," Opal added. "This is your chance to fix it. This is your chance at redemption."

"Yes," Kai agreed. "Of course."

"How?" Eira felt herself panicking. This was just too much to process. The thought of eternal damnation turned her pale. Her mind scrambled, searching for help, for guidance. And then it clicked. "Opal," she started, "you mentioned a guide. Someone who's can, uh, who's supposed to help me through this journey. Where is my guide?"

Opal had said her guide would be her confidant. Eira prayed her guide would help her out of this mess. Or at the very least, share information that actually made a lick of sense.

Kai cleared his throat and extended his hand to her. An unsettling feeling fell over her, and suddenly, she knew exactly why. Her hope for redemption quickly began to fade.

"I suppose I did not formally introduce myself earlier," Kai announced. "My name is Kaimbe. I, however, prefer you call me Kai," he took a shallow breath, "and I am privileged to be your guide. I vow to help you through this journey towards your redemption." His hand remained extended.

Eira stared at Opal who was staring back at her expectantly. Eira briefly hesitated before giving in. She reached forward and met his hand. As his fingers tightened around her hand, she stole a quick glance at Opal. The woman smiled at her before vanishing into thin air.

Eira turned back to Kai, who still held her hand. "Thanks," she said, feeling uncomfortable. She waited for him to let go, but he didn't. Instead he continued staring at her, a phony smile covering his face.

She attempted to pull her hand away, but Kai didn't release his hold. Instead, his grin transformed into a sadistic smirk.

In one quick motion, he pulled her in and whispered into her ear. "Between us, I see no redemption."
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Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! If you did please don't forget to Vote! Also leave a comment, I love reading those! Let's get a conversation going :) 

Who's likes Kai? Who hates him? Why does he hate Eira? o.O

The third chapter is already in the works, stay tuned xx