"My sisters and brothers are hungry. Come to the den,

" invited the creature and Belle took a step back. More than the coins, she was worried about the creature who was going to suck her soul dry and it would only lead to her body to reside in this river forever. Maybe that is why there were skeletons. Because they were being pulled from the shore of the lake of bones to be brought here as food.

Belle was already running out of time and she didn't intend to stay here. She wondered if she would end up with the same fate. She wondered if she spent more time in here, it would result in something similar to how Lucas and Barron were getting accustomed and changed in the land of the living.

"Come take me,

" replied Belle and the creature smiled in glee. Jagged teeth came out and eyes that looked like a witch's eyes.

The creature moved towards her and when it placed its hand on her, it started to scream. It's body shedding skin rapidly for the lower half to have nothing but skeleton like a fish and the top, the woman's face started to wither, bringing out bones.

"What is happening!

" cried the creature.

Belle took the pouch from the creature, stepping away. When Belle had told the creature to come to get her, she was ready to scrape the flesh off the creature's face. Ready to put up a fight but something happened. Before any other creature would come at her, Belle swam up and climbed back into the boat.

Water dripped down from the top of her face and she threw a coin at Rower who caught it in time to not lose it,

"You did well, Miss Belle. Fast too. The last time I asked someone to do it, they never came up,

" chuckled the Grim reaper and Belle pushed her hair behind her face,

"The last time it was a person similar to you.

"

"What do you mean?

" asked Belle. She didn't know if the Grim reaper was only leading her on or if he actually knew things which he was not willing to speak about.

Now that she had handed the reaper a coin of the dead, she waited for him to speak, seeing how he played with the coin by passing it one after another on the back of his boney fingers.

"I know who you are, Miss Belle. I know that you died,

" Rower said and Belle didn't look surprised. After all, he did mention to her earlier that he knew things but didn't speak about it.

"Why did you ask me for the story if you already knew?

" she asked him. Rower did not bother to stand up and they continued to sit facing each other. Under normal condition, with a normal boat, clean river and Lucas sitting opposite to her would have been a wonderfully romantic day to spend time but here she was, spending her time with a reaper who had thrown her into the river of the dead.

Rower didn't stand up to start rowing the boat but when he waved his hand, the boat started to move by itself. Belle wondered why she was not wary about this reaper. Was it because she had already met some of the Grims before coming here?

"I wanted to test and make sure that you were telling the truth. You see, Miss Belle, the land of the dead isn't pretty and people will lie and make up things. Because their mind is distorted and unable to grasp the death that took place. Like I said you did good, as expected from the woman who the thirteenth has chosen as his woman,

" the reaper said, raising his head up to look at Belle and he took the coin he was playing with to put in one of his pockets,

"I can smell him on you. Like your souls have intermingled together and it might be because of the irreversible bond that you share.

"

"You seem to know a lot of things. Do you possess the same abilities as Edith?

" questioned Belle.

Rower shook his head,

"I don't have the ability like hers. The luck to walk on the living grounds. How is she? Haven't seen her in years now.

"

"She's doing okay,

" replied Belle, a shiver running down her body because of her wet clothes,

"Why can't you enter the land of the living?

"

"I was not created and added to the Grim of cards with the thought that I would step into the land. I am the guard of the river here,

" answered Rower,

"I know because I can smell death. I have lived down here for such a long time that I can tell the difference between each and every soul that I meet.

"

She wondered what would happen if the Hawverts found out that Lucas shared an irreversible bond with a mortal. When Belle didn't respond on what he revealed, he said,

"I am a Grim who doesn't speak much.

"

Belle gave him a nod. The reaper spoke only when he was paid with coins.

"You said you threw someone in the river before too. Who were you speaking about?

" asked Belle, her voice laced with curiosity in it.

"He had a similar soul like you. A boy who wielded the power of magic. I didn't get to talk to him because he never came up again. It is a test he failed.

"

"And what about Ophelia?

" Belle had clearly heard the girl speak about stars. She threw another coin towards Rower who smiled in his skeleton form.

Putting the coin safely in his pocket, he said,

"You aren't the first stars. There was another batch before you. The three stars who were supposed to complete the task failed by passing away. Ophelia was one of them.

"

Hearing this Belle was slightly taken aback by it,

"Sadly, they had no guidance. Before any of them even knew, they were killed and sent here.

"

.

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