Black Market

Name: Chris Hammsworf
Reborn: Scholar
Tier: Rebirth 2 — Scribe
Reason of Death: Perished due to corruption and subsequent monsterification upon a failed Rebirth attempt. Failure was a result of a highly risky attempt which included:
(1) Immediate attempt after a successful Rebirth the day before,
(2) Consumption of a Tier 2 Scholar Rebirth stone (lightning) that was highly incompatible with his main element of practice (ice).
Monsterified form (if applicable): Sentient Living Grimoire-Type, harnessing the power of both ice and lightning.
Judgement: Excecuted upon confirmation of Rebirth attempt failure and hostility of monsterified form.

Jimin looked at the death report that had fallen off the young woman’s hands. The young woman named Celes was now crumpled onto the floor of Spellbound’s Ledger of the Fallen, the quiet hall where the guild received and recorded the remains and final fates of its members.

“He’s gone,” her companion said as he knelt beside her. “Let’s go.”

“I-I… what am I supposed to do now, Marx?” She looked at him and sobbed endlessly. “What am I supposed to tell his parents?”

Marx placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a solemn nod.

“We tell them the truth. We tell them how their son was agitated and rash, and how stupid he was to try and rush everything. They deserve to know everything.”

“It’s all my fault…” Celes cried, her two hands covering her face. “If… if I hadn’t argued with that stupid person at the bar, none of this would have happened…”

“Yeah, you were stupid too,” Marx scolded. “What’d gotten into you? Arguing with a gang leader just because he wanted to sit at the place you sat? Why didn’t you just let him have it?”

“I—He was staring at me lecherously!” Celes bawled, her emotions erupting outwards for all to see. “He even tried to touch my—”

Celes covered her chest insecurely.

“After that, Chris just wouldn't stop talking about getting stronger.”

“Even so, it's not like you to lash out,” Marx raised his voice, his face red from frustration. “You've been through so many of such situations before and you know better than to fight—”

“Hey,” Jimin interrupted. “Marx, was it? I think you need to calm down.”

The urn containing Chris’s remains stared down at his two companions there were arguing as the container sat in the small squarish spot five rows from the bottom, amongst the countless other urns that lined the columbarium.

“I…” Marx said, his voice fading off into a soft whisper. “I’m sorry. I’ll wait outside.”

He walked off and exited the hall, leaving Celes alone with Voidborn and Jimin.

Voidborn looked at Jimin who crouched and sat beside Celes. She grabbed on to Celes’s hand and rubbed her thumb tenderly on the back of the griefing woman’s palm, spreading the tears across as they started to dry.

“Hey,” Jimin muttered. “I know I’m just someone that don’t know you, Chris, or Marx. But I hope you listen what I have to say.”

Celes looked at Jimin with her swollen eyes.

“Regardless of whether he was rash or not, I believe that he did what he did because he loved you. The choice was reckless, but the reason behind it wasn't, so please do not blame yourself for what had happened.”

Voidborn focused his sight and looked at the two.

As Jimin tried to console her, she was subtly using her power, slowly drawing out the black grief that was flooding Celes’s entire body. The sadness was pulled out in thin wisps, which travelled through Jimin’s hand that was in contact with hers. The wisps floated towards Jimin’s chest, twirling around the prismatic gem hanging around her neck before disappearing into it.

“So please hold on to the precious moments you had with him and use that to carry on his will.”

Jimin spoke her final sentence and stood up.

By then, Celes was no longer sobbing, and she no longer looked as self-resenting as before. Jimin grabbed Elian’s hand and smiled at him.

“Let’s go.”

Elian nodded and followed her lead, both of them leaving the columbarium.

Right outside, another argument was taking place.

“Why did you back out?” Chaewon frowned and questioned Robert.

“I didn’t want to take the risk…” he stammered. “Didn’t you see what happened to that guy?”

“I did. So?”

“I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

“Yeah, but that was him being rash,” Dylan said. “Your situation is entirely different from his?”

“I don’t know. Maybe yesterday I would have taken it.”

He looked at the rest and bit his lower lips.

“Today? No. I just feel like I will fail after seeing that. Call me a coward if you want, but I don’t want to become a pile of ashes and live in an urn when I’m still so young.”

He sighed and fiddled with the stone in his hand, staring at the swirling green inside that was tempting him to consume it.

“Plus… this isn’t even light,” Robert muttered. “It's wind. Even if I wanted to advance, I’d rather find a stone of my main element.”

The group fell silent.

“It's his decision, so let's respect it,” Voidborn said. “There is nothing wrong in protecting oneself.”

Robert looked at Voidborn and gave him a small smile of gratitude.

“So what are you going to do with that stone?” Joy asked.

“Black market. I’ll probably visit the market to see if I can do a trade.”

“That works,” Joy said. “Alright, I’ll need to leave for a meeting with the higher ups regarding our patrol missions over the next few days. I’ll see you guys back in the Abyss cube.”

Joy waved and left, walking back to the lobby.

“So… anyone wants to join me?” Robert asked.

“Not me,” Dylan said. “I wanna head back and use the training room to test some of my new stuff.”

Robert looked at Senia.

“I'm with him. Do you even have to ask, single man?”

“Wow,” Robert said. “Rude.”