Music Recommendation: Novo Amour- Carry You

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Belle knew this was not just about the mortals not knowing about the truth and existence of the land of the dead, but it was something more than that. When the death reaper next time raised its scythe, almost ready to kill her, Belle placed both her hands on the ground, whispering spells and the mark was created around the death reaper.

He tried to move his scythe but he couldn't. Seeing this, Belle leaned her back against the tree and released a breath.

"How do you like being stuck in a mortals magic?" asked Belle to the death reaper. The circle markings were similar to the one she had used on Greed, and it would contain the death reaper there until she decided to let it go.

"What did you do?!" asked the reaper, trying to get itself free but no matter what it tried, moving up or down or the sides, it was as if an invisible wall was placed around it.

"Belle's special container box for reapers," answered Belle and she spewed blood out of her mouth, coughing with worry that she had been hit too hard.

"You little bitch," threatened the death reaper, "Once I am out of this place, I will make it possible that you suffer and scream in pain. I will tear and rip your flesh-"

"Save it," Belle interrupted the death reaper, "I am not scared of you, but you should be for what I am about to do." The creature looked at her when its scythe disappearing from its hands and it looked at her with its boney face.

Belle at first had not realized why her spells didn't work on George, but Greed had killed him in a blink of an eye. It wasn't because Greed was a Grim reaper and that she still belonged to the land of the living, but it was because the forbidden magic worked on the dead- not white or black magic. The markings used to contain the reapers was made out of forbidden magic which was why it was effective.

The death reaper continued to look at her and Belle then said, "I don't know if I will see you again, but bye bye," came the innocent words from her mouth before the circle closed itself with the death reaper turning to sprinkles of dust in the air.

By the time Lucas had arrived by her side after sending the death reapers with whom he was fighting back to the land of the dead or oblivion, Belle had closed her eyes. Hearing the footsteps near her, she opened her eyes to look at Lucas, who had a look of worry on him.

"You said you could handle it," said Lucas and Belle smiled.

"I am still alive," but Lucas didn't look happy the way she looked right now.

"Handle it means to kill the people right away without any scratch," Lucas bent down to Belle, taking the handkerchief from his pocket, he wiped the sides of her lips and her mouth, "You did good," came the praise finally and Belle smiled out of happiness.

"Did I make you proud?" she asked him.

"More than proud. Let's get you back up on your feet," he said before helping her stand.

Belle could feel the pain in her chest and stomach, and she came to believe it was because the reaper had repeatedly attacked her with the back of its scythe. They came to stand near where Vivian was. The ghoul who had been guarding her while both Belle and Lucas were fighting with the death reapers. The sky had turned dark while they had been duelling with the creatures of the dead.

She then frowned, "We didn't leave any death reapers alive...does it mean we changed the course of time?" she turned her eyes to look at Lucas who had a grim expression on his face.

"Call the ghoul," said Lucas and Belle wondered what effect they would cause, but the rippling result had gone too far already. After Everest was called to their side, Lucas said, "You need to kill her yourself. If any of us kill her and try to take her soul, it would be a red flag for the Hawverts and other reapers. Kill her now."

Belle held her breath when she heard the words that came out of Lucas's mouth. The idea that was in the head was finally going to take place in reality.

The ghoul stood there quiet without making a sound. Lucas didn't stop there though, "She needs to ask you for it. Don't do it unless she doesn't ask you."

"You think she will ask the ghoul?" Belle asked with a frown.

"If my guess is right, she will ask him to do it. Her corruption is close, and she knows it. A few more moments before she loses her sanity and gives in to the darkness," replied Lucas to Belle's question.

Belle wished she could stop the corruption, but Vivian was far gone even before she had known of her existence. The ghoul looked at Belle as if for confirmation and she gave it a nod. Her hands were clutching to the sides of her dress when she saw the ghoul leave their side to go back to Vivian's side. Somewhere, the ghoul reminded her of a pet who was worried for its master when in truth it's master was someone else.

Her heart felt heavy. She wasn't sure how much longer it would be before others death would normalize itself in her mind. She thought she would not be hurt and couldn't feel anything, but she was wrong. Though she didn't know the girl closely, she felt terrible for the way things were going to end. Or maybe it was just the beginning, thought Belle to herself.

She knew looking away would be the most reasonable thing to do, but Belle had grown, and she had to grow with the pain that surrounded her heart that was being protected with thorns. Vivian continued to be in pain, coughing more blood than before and even far away from here, she could see the corruption inching closer to completion and then it happened.

"I need you to do me a favour, Everest. I need you to kill me," said the girl who was sitting on the snow-covered ground with spots of red around her.

Belle could say how conflicted the ghoul was that at the end of the day, it was the one who had to take away her life with its own hands. But it seemed like Vivian and the ghoul shared a deeper connection.

"Please," she pleaded in a whisper, "You are the only one who can do it," she looked up at the ghoul before standing up on her feet. Vivian continued to look at the ghoul who garbled something incoherent, but Belle understood what it said. The forest was eerily quiet with not even a sound of the cricket or an owl to hoot in the distance.

The ghoul had said, "Do it for you. Keep you safe," and the words warmed Belle's heart, at the same, it hurt her.

Belle took a deep breath which was when she felt Lucas' hand place on both of her arms who was standing behind her, watching the scene along with her. The ghoul had agreed, and it stood in front of the Vivian, raising its hand before pushing its boney skeleton fingers into her chest and in less than a second, Vivian's body fell slack against its arm. The ghoul had killed her as fast as it could without elongating her pain further.

It seemed like even Vivian understood that she wouldn't be able to meet the man who she held dear to her heart which was why she decided to die before there was no returning back to sanity. The snow that was falling from the sky continued, the snowflakes falling softly like a whisper on the ground. And even though Vivian had died here, her soul came to appear next to the ghoul, watching her body that was held in the arm of the ghoul.

Belle moved forward with heavy footsteps towards them and the closer she got, the sadder she felt, but this was not the time to be sad. Before the next reaper would arrive at the spot, she had to save the girl's soul, and with that in mind, she walked towards Vivian.

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