Su Ming had no intention of lining up with these undead beings. While they bore no hostility, the rotting stench emanating from their bodies made it clear they were no longer among the living.
Any living person, surrounded by so many of the dead, would feel uneasy, especially since they walked silently without any expressions—a truly eerie sight.
Their line extended far into the horizon, like long snakes gathering from all directions, seemingly endless and without a destination.
"Stranglehold, take to that passage."
The Magic Cloak obediently lifted him into the air, although it moved a bit slower than usual. Perhaps it was due to so special restrictions here, or perhaps because it too had sustained injuries earlier.
As they flew, everything below them was black ground with scattered bones and tombstones, giving an indescribable feeling.
The closer he got to the black and white passage, the more it seed to be reaching into the sky. It looked just like one of those playground tunnels for kids to crawl through, but none of the people entering it ever ca out from the other side.
He landed at the entrance of the passage, which seed quite unremarkable. Apart from the flattened ground from the undead treading over it, it was no different from any other part of this world.
Su Ming cut in line, and the undead didn't protest. He strode into the black and white passage, and imdiately, his surroundings transford.
The walls were still black and white, but it no longer seed like a passage—it felt like he was inside a villa.
There were black sofas, various household appliances, and even things that girls might like, such as stuffed toys and romance novels.
Su Ming had pretty much figured out where he was. Though he wasn't initially certain, it seed that after the Black Lantern exploded Umbrax, he was directly sent to et Death itself.
This was part of the outer dinsions of the DC universe, sowhere within the "Realm of the Endless." Nobody really knew where it was, but every soul would eventually pass through here upon death. It was a point of transition between life and death.
This place had no real na—so called it the "Land of the Dying," while others simply referred to it as "Death," much like how Daniel's Dreaming had no na other than "Dream."
The master of this place was Death. Unlike the death god from the neighboring universe, she was neither human nor deity. She was an embodint of the cosmic principle of the "Cycle of Life and Death" itself.
But she had her own thoughts, her own emotions, and looked entirely human.
Su Ming pondered why he had appeared in this place. Whether it was the Underworld, the Realm of the Dead, or here, they all had one thing in common—they were places where the living shouldn't be.
He could not see any obvious exits from the room; it seed as if he was trapped within the palace.
He removed his helt, felt his shriveled face healing slowly, and then sat on the sofa to wait.
He waited for Death to co to him.
There was no odor of corpses here, even though skulls decorated the walls and rooms. The atmosphere was strangely serene, with a faint fragrance lingering in the air.
Maybe it was coming from the black, wilting flowers on the coffee table.
The wall suddenly shifted, and a small figure erged from it. She was dressed entirely in black, like an ordinary goth girl.
She wore a black spaghetti strap top, black leather pants, and held a small black parasol.
All this made her pale skin stand out.
Unlike most goth girls, her face wore a warm, constant smile. Around her right eye was a marking resembling the Eye of Horus, and she had a small silver pendant—a cross with a loop on top, an Ankh—around her neck.
"Welco, it's been thousands of years since a living being last walked into my realm."
She seed genuinely pleased as she handed her parasol to a skeletal hand extending from the wall and walked briskly over to the sofa. However, this was the realm of the dead, and it was evident there wasn't much here to entertain the living.
"Death, though coming here was an accident, I'm pleased as well," Su Ming replied politely. Although he did not fear death, this was certainly not the ti to die.
Death picked up a teddy bear from the sofa and gently petted its head with her pale hand.
"This is no accident; it is fate that brought us together."
It sounded nice—the encounter of a cute girl and a young man. But in reality, Death did not an that.
In the DC universe, there were seven cosmic forces personified, organized by their appearance in chronological order. Although they were not technically relatives, they were as close as family, and they called themselves the Endless.
They were Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium.
During the last major tal event, Su Ming had already t the current Dream, Daniel, who constantly muttered cryptically to Batman, making everything unnecessarily complicated.
Now it was Su Ming's turn to directly face Death. And from what she said, it was the eldest of the Endless, Destiny, who arranged this eting.
Since they had a reason to et, Su Ming would have to listen if he wanted to return to Earth.
"Go ahead; there are still people waiting for on Pri Earth."
"I am Death. It seems you already know that. Therefore, you should also understand my mission—to bring all things from life and return them back to the universe."
She smiled and playfully stuck out her tongue. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders like black satin on snowy ground.
"Yes, I understand," Su Ming nodded in acknowledgnt. As a higher entity beyond even gods, the Endless could easily see most events taking place across the universe.
"Death takes life, leaving nothing behind except mories. Like , there is also Dream." Death stroked the fur of the teddy bear and pressed her finger to its nose.
Su Ming frowned. He had no great affection for Daniel. Perhaps it was because Daniel had inherited the mories of the previous Dream, or maybe it was due to his own growth.
Daniel seed constantly introverted and mysterious. His words were like fragnted dreams, difficult to interpret.
If Death ntioned him now, it must not be without reason.
"What happened to him?"
Death smiled, shaking her head, and held the teddy bear tighter. Like a little girl, she scrunched up her nose playfully.
"Just as dreams eventually fade away, he has disappeared."
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