A mysterious place. A border between life and death, where one must face the judgment of the Gods after passing on.But despite its ominous purpose, it is strangely calm—tranquil, even. A vast green landscape stretches endlessly in all directions, blanketing the fields in lush serenity. Above it, colossal clouds hang like ancient guardians. These are no ordinary clouds—not gray or white like those on Earth—but instead tinted with a luminous gold, casting a majestic glow across the land. It feels like the kind of beauty one might witness only after death.
On that vast green landscape stood a young man. His jet-black hair fluttered against the slight breeze. His gray eyes were calm, his face betraying no emotion. After walking with no urgency and glancing around, he stopped and looked up at the sky.
The sky, barely visible through the golden mist, shimmered with a soft pink hue.
After staring for a moment, he sighed and closed his eyes."I really hate this place."
Just then, a calm and melodic voice—carried on the breeze—whispered in his ear."Oh my... that's not very nice, is it? How can such a pretty boy like yourself not enjoy the beautiful sight created by the Gods themselves?"
A woman? he thought, surprised—but it didn't show on his pale face. Slowly, he turned toward the direction of the voice.
There, in front of a giant tree, stood a tall woman with a beautiful figure. Her long, straight, sandy blonde hair fell past her shoulders. Her eyes were as green as the fields beneath his feet. Her flawless skin bore no blemishes, except for the soft pink hue coloring her cheeks. She looked, in every sense, like an angel. Still, the young man's attention was elsewhere.
As she approached, he stared at her for a moment, thinking:Wings?His thoughts lingered, followed by a flat conclusion:Just my luck.
Noticing his eyes fixed not on her face but on her wings, she tilted her head, confused. Stopping just a few steps away, she asked,"You know, people usually don't notice them right away. It takes them a while." There was clear confusion in her voice.
The young man didn't respond. Still caught in thought, he hadn't heard her. After a moment of silence, he realized she was watching him expectantly—clearly waiting for an answer.
Meeting her eyes with calm detachment, he scrambled mentally:Damn it, I was too focused on her wings—I missed whatever that pigeon just asked. It's probably something basic… like my name.
After a few more seconds, he finally replied in a measured tone:"Ah, I'm sorry, but I don't have a name."
"What?" she asked, more confused than before.
The boy sighed and shook his head as if this were a routine conversation he was already tired of."Well, you see… hmm, how do I explain this in a way someone like you can understand?"
As he paused, searching for words, her expression shifted to one of offense.Someone like me? Maybe I should just strangle this boy. He'll be fine. He already died once—ending his life again won't hurt.
Just as he was about to speak, the woman raised her hand to cut him off."It's fine. Your name isn't important anyway."Better shut him up before I lose brain cells.
The boy looked at her, then a faint grin formed on his face."Well then, why'd you ask me? If it wasn't necessary, I just wasted time trying to think of an explanation. That wasn't very nice of you, now was it?"He shook his head slowly.
She didn't say anything. After a moment of silence, she turned around and made a gesture with her hand, as if to tell him to follow. With a slight nod, he obliged and walked slowly, only a few steps behind her.
Throwing a glance back at the pale boy, she said,"You are one weird human, I'll give you that."Hearing that, he maintained his neutral expression and simply shrugged."Is that so..."Hearing his disinterested voice, she sighed and kept walking.
A few minutes later, she could no longer stand the silence. Her calm facade began slipping, prompting her to spark a conversation again.
"You know, people are usually in awe of the scenery—so much so that they can't keep their eyes still. But you..."She paused, glanced at him again, and once facing forward, continued."You seem awfully disinterested. Almost as if you've seen this before?"
There were no bad intentions in her question. In fact, to any outside observer, it might have seemed absurd—because normal humans would never arrive here more than once. After being judged by the Gods, what follows is a mystery.
Why did I get stuck with the most talkative pigeon? Just lead the way and shut your mouth, dammit.Hiding his displeasure with skill, he smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Of course not. It's just that..."His smile turned somber, as if recalling something painful. After a pause, he continued,"Although the scenery is nice, I'm also kinda dead, so I'm a bit more worried about what's going to happen to me now."
She gave him a look that said she didn't buy his explanation, but replied anyway:"My apologies. I should have explained what's going on."He waved it off."It's alright, although..."He hesitated, prompting her to ask:"Is there a problem?"
Shyly glancing down at himself, he said,"Well, you see... You've got that pretty white dress, but me? I'm kinda butt-naked here. So..."
She looked down, then chuckled."Oh my, I'm sorry. I'm quite forgetful today. Don't worry, I'll fix that."
She snapped her fingers, and in that instant, the boy was dressed in a plain synthetic shirt and pants.
Pretty similar to my hospital pajamas... although—
Not finishing the thought, he asked,"Thank you, but... why is my outfit black, while yours is white?"
Her lips curled slightly. After a pause, she answered,"I don't know. I just think it suits you."
Looking down at himself, he agreed,"Well, I guess you're right. But since I'm this beautiful, naturally everything suits me."
She burst into laughter. He stared at her, confused.
"Did I say something wrong, miss?"
Still catching her breath, she said,"No, no, you're right. It's just the first time I've heard someone brag so shamelessly in front of me—an angel."
He blinked."An angel? Miss, are you an angel?"
She tilted her head in disbelief."Why yes, of course!"Her expression turned serious."Why, what did you think I was?"
He smiled warmly and answered:"Well of course, I thought you were just a deformed pigeon."
Speechless, she turned and walked ahead, not saying another word.
Finally, she stopped talking. Of course I know what you are, dumb bird.
His expression darkened. Just for a second. Something cold flickered in his eyes. His jaw clenched, but only briefly—too quickly for her to see.
An angel, huh... You'd better not die too easily then.