Chapter Text
Today marked my fifteenth year of living. I was on the self-proclaimed unsinkable ship, talking with a stunning woman on the ship. Her name was Margaret, or atleast something similar. I wasn't really interested in her that much, she looked around 19 years old. It was a shock to me that she was 16 years old, but it's not like it really mattered. Perhaps it's because I wasn't interested in her, she was quite a bore after all. (A/N, yes he did say she looked old)
I only came here to visit New York, since mother and father wanted me to explore the world. It was a common concept to "go out into the open."
I didn't understand it at all. Why explore when you could just stay at a place? Could it be that people feel trapped inside their own abodes? I took a second to think. Yes, that must be it. I affirmed to myself, staring blankly at the ocean as I heard my name being called out.
"Sephtis?" Said Margaret. I avert my eyes to the ocean on to her. "What was your question? I apologise. I didn't quite hear it." I muttered quietly, still looking at Margaret. Margaret seemed as if she was interested in me. What a bother she was.
"I asked if you if you were interested in playing musical instruments?" She repeated her earlier question with a soft hue of red on her pale skin. I thought about it. My mother allowed me to play classical instruments such as the piano and the violin. I also enjoyed playing other instruments such as the oboe, cello, and viola. Musical instruments have always been in my favour, since my mother was a famous music composer. She was my idol. I love her.
"Of course. Have I told you that I was going to play on stage in two hours or so?" I secretly flexed, I took pride in knowing that I could play such instruments. People don't appreciate classical and romantic music. Mother will be proud of me, won't she?
Margaret's face twisted into an impressed stare, her eyebrows raising in slight shock. "Is that so? How impressive, sephtis." She praised me, her hand subtly on top of mine. I stared at her for a few seconds, slightly disgusted by the touch.
"You're spacing out again, silly!" Margaret chuckled, a pleasant smile on her lips. "Do you perhaps want to walk somewhere? It's getting quite boring." I asked her. She seems so similar to mother.
"Seph, do you wanna be acquaintances?" Margaret asked me, her smile being one full of hope. I looked at her, Will this give me any benefits? I thought. It probably wouldn't, but she seems enough. I need acquaintances from time to time, don't I? (A/N: Seph you are SO fucking edgy get a life DIE DIE DIE)
"Yes." I replied to her, a small smile forming as we continued to chatter away, unsure of what would happen.
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Soon, midnight fell. The titanic clashed with the iceberg.
Me and the other musicians all agreed to play one final song.
Nearer my God to thee. It was an ethereal song, yet it sounds so melancholic at the same time.
I could feel the temperature dropping as I fingered the violin whilst bowing. What beautiful music, anyone would say. Except I don't think anyone should think that. All women and children are being evacuated from the ship as me and a few more musicians continue to play our instruments.
Mother abandoned me. She didn't even think twice about leaving me. How cruel she was.
I was a 15 year old, going on a trip to New york. I wanted to leave father and mother so I could live on my own to become a famous musician and be inspiring. An acquaintance of mine once told me that I inspired him. That I was his inspiration. The joy I've felt from those words have never left me. One would say, "But how are you not in a life boat?" I wasn't considered a child. Being apart of the entertainment team was decent, atleast. I had fun playing for an audience. (in this world btw uhhhhh they have an orchestra built in the titanic, and I do NOT romanticise it please dont say that!1!1!1!)
Men ran around us. There were panicking. All the women and children evacuating into life boats. My mother lied, telling them I was a 20 year old male. How can I even think to forgive her when she left me here to die? I asked myself as I continued to play, the ship was starting to sink even deeper now. It was pitch black, only a few lights were on by now. Some of my fellow members already drowned. With me being at the top, I looked at the members who was playing with me. It was an exchanging look. One of pity and sorrow.
I could hear the screams, the pleas, and the sobs. All this was so devastating to even experienced. I
A minute or so passed now, with half of my body in cold water. I stopped playing violin, and threw it away.
I'm scared.
I don't want to die. (imahine dying heh can't relate)
Tears threatened to come out my eyes as I let out a wail in the process, fully sinking under the water. I tried to swim up, to get to the surface. But everything was too inky. I can't breathe.. I choked on the water, trying to find a way to atleast get oxygen. But I couldn't. Everything was light starved. It was terrifying. I was sure that the ship was now under the water. I tried to swim up, but there weren't even any signs of splashing.
My body goes numb as I sank deeper into the ocean. My chest. It burns. I flailed one last time, trying to escape my faith. Everything within my vision was light starved.
This is so exhausting. I'm so tired. Do I even try anymore? I thought to no one but myself, a tingling sensation engulfs me. It's so cold. I thought to myself, my eyes shutting. The only thing I could hear were distorted sounds of yells.
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Seph awoke to an empty lake, or at the very least what looks like one. He thought whilst observing, he was on a boat. More specifically, an ebony colored wooden boat. The young males head was dizzy, the aftereffects of drowning still lingering.
He couldn't think clearly, but his gray eyes could resemble the scenery. It seemed to have a pitch black sky with hues of green and teal, while there were more creepy shaped ttees surrounding the lake. The boat he was on was small, yet he felt another presence. At a slow pace, he cocked his head, looking around. He couldn't see anything else, it was dark after all.
"Sephtis Chernoff." A low, flat voice calls out the young males name. Seph could feel shivers run down his spine, as he tries to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. He looks Infront of him, to see a mirror Infront of him.
"You understand you have died, yes?" The voice questions. The ravennette nodded, a drop of sweat falls from his face. Was Seph scared? He was. He definitely was.
"I.. do." The boy mutters in a weak tone, in which the voice hums.
"Do you recall how you died?"
That was a question Seph couldn't answer. He was puzzled, not remembering anything. He can only remember his name, and being on the ship talking with.. a strange woman. He forgot her name. All he could recall was that she was a bother. (lets forget about his family)
The voice seems to take note of this, and the mirror shapes into a humanoid figure. It was pure black, but Seph could see it. There wasn't a face, only a body and hair. (No, he is NOT getting flashed.)
"You are dead. You are a lost soul; you are aware of that now that I have informed you." The voice asserted in a monotonous tone. "What?"Seph thought. How come he died? He realised, suddenly. Seph could feel a cold wind rush through the air as everything became clear. He could see clearly.
He looked down, and in the water he was on, were dead bodies. Frozen, and obviously dead. They were slowly sinking down but there were still many floating. He let out a agonizing scream, realising there were dead people around him.
He couldn't recognise any of them but alas, seeing a dead body is traumatizing for children. The humanoid got annoyed.
The figure grits it's mouth in annoyance. Seph glanced at the shadow figure, yet he was unable to do anything but oblige. His body was trembling, everything around him felt cold. It was like he was freezing to death.
The young male trembles at the dead glare given to him by the humanoid figure. "Keep your mouth shut. You're a spirit. A wandering soul. It is forbidden to ascend to the afterlife without finding your purpose as a soul. You understand, don't you?" The figure sighs out. Seph was puzzled. He didn't know how to feel about this. A wandering soul? The afterlife exists? He was never one to be religious. Although, his parents were Christians. Their devotion to god was incomparable to any other.
But, alas, this story is about sephtis. Not his parents. Moving on to another topic,
"..How do I find my purpose?" Seph inquired, his eyes looking at everything but the humanoid figure in front of him.
"You find whatever you desire most. Love, friends, whatever. Maybe even new interests. You have a second chance to live. But only as a soul. Makes sense?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
The silence continued for a short amount of time, and the humanoid figure left.
Seph sat in that boat, perplexed. Is he in hell or something? Hopefully not.
The boat began moving by itself. "What the fuck???" He thought to himself, before feeling another wave of dizziness mixed with a wave of sleepiness wash over him. He needs a fucking break after this, man.
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CW: detailed text about throwing up u can skip
Seph opened his eyes, he was lying in some kind of dirt. He perked up, breathing heavily. He could feel an intense pain over his body, his heart aching as he felt opened his mouth moved to the side, feeling an acidic liquid come out of his throat. His esophagus felt heavy, and seph could taste blood.
He looked at the liquid flowing out, as he choked and spat. He could feel the end of the strange vomit, and he looked down on it. He threw up maggots. There were maggots in his vomit.
Drops of sweat falls down his forehead.
"What's.. happening to me?" He uttered with a shaky tone. This was traumatizing. His head pounded, he could feel an agonizing pain in his upper part of the stomach. (Are you on your period)
Vomit continued to come out of his mouth.
A few minutes went by, and he spat out saliva. The poor boy was sweating bullets. He felt parched and grimy. Seph weakly stood up, his knees trembling as he does so.
Gray eyes peeked around the graveyard, trying to find the exit to the graveyard. His feet move forwards, he tried to use his hearing to help him move. His vision was faint, he was in a daze for sure.
He tried his best not to step on way other graveyards as to not disrespect the deceased. (That was NOT how you were when you were alive)
For a few more minutes, he wandered around, trying to find an exit of some sort. He walked for yet another minute, and he could feel a fence.
His vision slowly returned, turning more clearer. His hands gripped the fence, and he looked to see what was outside the fence. He obviously knew he was in a graveyard, due to the amount of graves. Turning his head around and observing the location once more, he was surprised to see a bunch of doors with labels on top of them somewhere near the graveyard.
1913.. 1914.. 1915.. There were even numbers like 500 if he walked backwards. For some reason, he felt as if time was running faster or that he was usually faster than he would be while walking down the doors. He also noticed that the numbers changed whenever he finally reached the last door.
He walked over to the doors, looking at the numbers. He wondered what they meant. He was still behind the fence, so he didn't know where those doors lead to.
He noticed a small detail during walking. There were tiny clocks everywhere. Each stating a different time. He didn't know what this meant. His mind felt as if he was trapped in a labyrinth with no escape.
It was as if he was trapped. There was another thing he became aware of, the graveyard somewhat expanded.
Seph let out a sigh. What is happening? I don't understand. I can't understand. The fence moves away from me everytime I see the doors changing. Not only that, It feels suffocating in here.
Should I..? He looked at a door, then checked it's number. 2023. He strutted towards it, and jumped over the fence. Ah.. what if something bad happens to me? He anxiously pondered.
His mind came to endless possibilities, but alas, he opened the door.
he saw a beam of light.
Suddenly, he felt as if his body was warping. It was slowly changing, but he didn't know what exactly was happening. He felt his body merged with something, but he didn't know what he was merging with.
Words can't describe how confused I am. He thought to himself, not feeling any pain but he knew that there was a tingling sensation moving through his entire body.
Soon, he closed his eyes and let drifted off to slumber.