Suddenly the world came to an end
The words dropped like a guillotine, which sliced the entire world into two perfect halves—what a coincidence that the apocalyptic guillotine seemed to strike perfectly in the center of his skull—and what a coincidence that only Hester seemed to see or feel it happen.

Hester scowls at the beautiful woman he saw before him, time leaving no physical mark on her immortal face. She seemed just the way Hester remembers—save for a hard glint in her eyes an edge like a spike in her charcoal gaze, it was nauseating and Hester had to look away after a moment.

Death was standing inside the remains of the pagoda; the roof miraculously stayed intact however every slight breeze made the whole structure shake and creak—it most likely wouldn't stay standing for long. The dark wood was burned into a brooding black—one that seemed far more intimidating than Hester would like to admit.

The veil was left open behind her, it continuously danced like it was submerged into water it occasionally fluttered open revealing the gate between this world and the void. Death gently glided away from it, allowing Hester to go first. He didn't move, instead narrowing his eyes at the Goddess daring her to break the question to him—stubbornly she did not.

After the silence stretched on far too long she hesitated for a moment then the veil opened fully she stepped through then waited on the other side. Hester walked up the stairs of the wooden pagoda and paused as he made his way to the end—the blinding abyss seemed more threatening than before, perhaps it always looked this way, and perhaps Hester was just now realizing it.

It seemed foolish to be following a Goddess—even more foolish to follow her into her own domain, still he closed his eyes trying—and failing to stop his wings from twitching. He knew once he stepped through—there was a chance, he wasn't coming back.

He stepped through still, his feet immediately hitting the floor leaving ripples on the void like water, Hester let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Then slowly began walking to Death.

He didn't quicken his pace after it became a questionably long time that he had started walking, the dry air becoming an unforgiving and very familiar chill with it.

Hester stopped walking once he lost the feelings in his wings. "Stop it," Hester said, trying to sound threatening—he sounded more like a bothered child. Death was too far away to see her expression but Hester didn't care to know it and said. "If you're going to waste my time, go ahead the door is—" Hester turned his head just to realize the door had vanished, crossing his arms over his chest and mumbled too low for anyone to hear. "I hate this part."

After a moment of more walking he quickened his pace to a sprint, he lost the feeling in his hands and feet next, his eyes began to sting and Hester swears he hears the rattling of Alexander's house when the wind blows the shingles off the roof. His lungs burned with his eyes and Hester scowled as he felt his teeth chatter as he moved.

He still ran, he had done it once he could do it again—except he must be getting closer, why did she have to keep moving away? Hester stopped to catch breath—just for it to turn into dry coughing, the invisible wind blowing back his hair as he put his numb hands to his ears trying to block out the piercing silence, his ears began to ring and Hester wishes his feet made a noise every time they hit the floor—instead, all he could hear was his pounding heartbeat and shallow breathing.

He continued running not long after tripping and after a long torturous moment realized he couldn't get up, he pathetically clawed at the reflective ground like a helpless bird stuck in a cage because—he was, he was trapped and alone in this huge empty cage. He laid there for a moment glassy eyes down looking to the floor, his golden hair falling like curtains over his face, his wings ached and felt like they were being burned from the tips his ears and nose started to sting from the warmth of his breath as it fought with the biting chill.

"You are so close, Angel." The Goddess seemingly teased, Hester couldn't help but feel the slight tremble in her voice as she encouraged him onwards. With all the strength and energy he didn't have left he dragged himself slipping his hands in his pockets to try and concerns heat, he tried moving his wings to heat them up as well, but the feathers made a cracking sound everytime he moved them—he decided against it.

He kept fighting to stay conscience and not slip into the far more comfortable darkness as time seemed to ebb away—he wasn't getting closer, he was never going to get closer. This is going to be the rest of my life. Hester thought hopelessly Close enough to see greatness but never be a part of it.

He began the repetitive gripping to the non-existent indents on the floor then pulling himself over the gap of space his arm created.

He thought he had felt so much pain, that he had be close to Death time and time again—but this was not pain, this was agony—he was just about to close his eyes until he grabbed something in front of him it wasn't an indent but was also not solid smooth ground he looked up and saw, her.

Exactly like someone flipped a switch warmth erupted into his chest and lungs from all sides—like being hug all around he gasped and wheezed as he tries to smooth out his hitched breathing, he greedily gulped down air into his lungs, he smiled to himself that it was done, the worst part was over and was almost free.

He continued to pant and cough his senses slowly returning as the spots in his vision clear up and he looks exhausted up at the Goddess....