You die. Game over? Not quite. Welcome to the Afterlife Crucible. Every millennium, lost souls battle for a second shot at life.
Forget everything you thought you knew about the afterlife. It's not pearly gates and harps - it's a ruthless gauntlet...
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Seething, I excused myself from Jane and Lily with a curt nod, indicating for Orpheus to follow me to the bar. As we stepped away, I stole a glance back over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing as I watched Jane lean in close to the girl.
Orpheus matched my stride, his movements oozing a feline grace that grated on my nerves. I despised having to play nice with that smug bastard, but he was one of the more influential gatekeepers in Purgatory. Crossing him could have proven...unwise.
"So, the infamous Jane Doe," Orpheus purred as we reached the bar. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting her to be quite so..." He trailed off, his lips curving into an insolent smirk.
I fixed him with an icy glare as I signalled for two drinks. "Difficult? Obstinate? Completely clueless about the game she's playing?" I supplied flatly.
Orpheus chuckled, that low, mocking sound that never failed to make my skin crawl. "I was going to say 'intriguing'. But those descriptions work just as well."
I accepted the two crystal tumblers from the silent bartender, eyeing the ruby liquid within with distaste. Leave it to the demonic court to favour beverages that looked like they were filled with blood and liquid sin.
"Don't play coy with me, Orpheus," I said, fixing him with a hard stare. "We both know you have an...appetite for the difficult cases. The more broken and defiant the soul, the better, isn't that right?"
Orpheus merely smiled, that insufferable, secretive grin of his. "You wound me, Raphael. Here I thought we were colleagues, perhaps even friends." His eyes glittered with dark amusement behind his mask. "But I suppose old habits die hard when it comes to you heavenly types. Always so quick to judge, to condemn."
I felt my temper flare, the glass in my hand protesting with an ominous creak. "Don't try to turn this around on me," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "We both know the kind of games you like to play with your...charges. And if you think for one second that I'll let you sink your claws into Jane--"
"Into Jane?" Orpheus cut me off with a bark of laughter. "My dear Raphael, you give me far too much credit. I have no interest in your little project beyond simple curiosity." He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Although, if the rumours about her final hours are true...well, let's just say she may prove too tantalising a morsel even for you to resist."
