Chapter 379: Tempting Offer-I

The man who Hallow called as Willow to his time to turn his face and show his new look toward Hallow. In the world of the mortals, dead, and throughout the road to the purgatory, most reapers are not aware of other reaper's appearance. But once in the past, Hallow had quite a history with the reaper in front of him which why with only a single glance, he immediately knows who it was.

"Don't call me Willow. That name sounds so lame," Willow said with a look of disappointment.

Hallow stared back at Willow with a crease on his black forehead. His tail represented the emotions in him as it turns tense regardless of his willingness, "How could you call your own name as lame? You know how names are very important to reapers-- they help the mindless reapers to have their own control and awareness as an animated being! Instead of being grateful, you mock your own name. What an excellent example of good for nothing," hissed Hallow now that they were alone in the forest, he finally could speak.

Hearing Hallow's words only cause the man to laugh, "It's just like you Hallow, to always be so responsible and strict as a reaper. You know what causes others to frown upon you?" Willow taunted, his green eyes growing brighter with a dab of yellow color with the raise of intensity. "It is your useless loyalty as a grim reaper. Look around you Hallow. What you see there?" 

Creases form on Hallow's forehead. He was apprehensive to turn back his face to follow Willow's finger and where he was pointing at as it was often said that in war, no one could ever trust their enemy and face their vulnerable back on others. Until one minute passed, Hallow stared at Willow before slowly turning to look at the humans on the open ground; sitting, playing, and happily immersed in their individual activities. 

"What is there to see?" Hallow didn't understand, he said what he saw aloud, "There are only humans there." 

"Yes, that was our past. Our past before we took our lives and condemn to this endless hell of punishment where we have to watch humans pass away. We were forced to see the deaths of others, their sorrow, the unwillingness to depart from the world. More than angels or demons, we have seen everything, Hallow. We have seen how painful it is for humans when they die."  Precisely because Willow spoke in a way as if he understood the pain Hallow has gone through, cause his words to sound tempting.

"So what?" Hallow demanded as if he didn't get where Willow was trying to bring this conversation to. In the past, Hallow had once worked alongsideWillow and he knew how the grim reaper often traps others by his words. There was once where Willow tried to coax a human into departing from the world, his acting was superb that the human fell for his gentle and sympathetic persuasion, but Hallow doubted that human passed the purgatory feeling completely relieved by the burden that hampers them from leaving the mortal's world. Hence was the reason why Hallow dislikes Willow. Howbeit, Hallow wasn't going to fall for the play.

"I can offer you to become a human once again. It's possible," Willow persuaded and he pressed his index finger to his lips. "Under one condition, I don't want you to blabber to others that I am here."

Hallow appeared to be thrown off balance with the offer Willow tendered. His eyes first held a glint of sparkles that Willow could tell to be a good sign for his side, but the glitter was quick to turn to one filled with suspicions, "You don't know because you have been playing a part of a human for too long, but I am chased by death angels. You won't get anything out of this offer."

"That's fine, I only want an ally. I have seen other grim reapers and I believe you hold a better judgment than them," offered Willow and he showed Hallow a very sincere smile, "I think it is much better to become a human than a dumb-looking dog?"

"Who are you calling dumb-looking and a dog?!" Hallow snaped; growling, his sharp teeth bared the reaper, "I am a chic-reaper!" yelled Hallow with a look of affronted. "Fine. But I want to hear more about this plan of yours." 

"We can speak it somewhere else," offered Willow. "Somewhere that is not here. The participants have entered the forest, it will be taxing for us if any human were to see me speaking with a dog," and saying that only cause another low and threatening scowl from Hallow. "Come with me," Willow offered.

Hallow followed after calming himself, his lips continue to move in many movements where he wrinkles his lower lips then his upper lips to vent his anger. Walking before Willow, he then heard the grim reaper speak, "Think of it, do you remember what our senior Vanesh, say to us about our names?"

"I do," Hallow answered and if one truly paid attention to his tone, they would be able to find the hint of morose from his brief words, "He told us that our name is the homophone to the cause of the decision we took before we take our life."

Willow nodded, his hand that he held on his back then loosened, "His name was  Vanesh, similar to vanish, meaning he had taken his own life because someone had vanished from his life. My name sounds very close to the word 'wallow', and the closest possibility is that I took my life after wallowing in sadness or depression. You, Hallow is hollow. Because you are hollow that you took your own life."

"What's the point then?" Hallow questioned with a scoff, "I have forgotten what happened when I was alive, and it's better to do so-- to let the dead go and what had become past to pass."

"I agree with you," Willow said. Unaware of the shadow cast over Hallow increase as the green-eyed man took closer steps to the dog, Hallow, nodded in agreement, feeling a little wise today; not knowing when Willow had raised his hand that was holding an ax, and with a facile move, he then plunged his ax downward as he says, "If there was one thing I find similar in our thinking, Hallow is how I took it very easy when it comes to forgot the dead."

BOOM!

Elise's eyes widened with what she saw. Her clear blue eyes glistened as if waterdrop had glide on her blue pupils smoothly as she stared at the scene in front of her, causing her pink lips to cleft a small gap in the startle of the loud sound.

*****

A/N: I'm sorry for the very late update. I am in very aching pain right now. I am not sure if I can write well, so you might see the drop in quality in my writings...Don't forget to show support by voting~