Afterlife Department

Chapter 3 - Yi Bing

Chapter 3 - Yi Bing

They heard something beeped and the man raised his left hand. From his expensive-looking black wristwatch, a holographic screen popped out.

3257: Agent 0001, Yi Bing. Please give me the update of the Abnormal Soul on your side.

0001: San Di. Do you have to speak formally?

A male voice suddenly laughed. It was coming from the black expensive-looking wristwatch. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You're too serious." San Di, code 3257, said. He is the assistant director of the Afterlife Department.. "I'm using a private line. I was playing a game when Gu Shi caught me. He dragged me out of my desk and asked me of your update with that Abnormal Soul." He explained.

Yi Bing sighed. "Tell him I already found the Abnormal Soul. I'm still looking for clues of his early death. I'll send my report after I finish this matter." He said and tapped his wristwatch. The holographic screen disappeared. Then, he turned to Huo Ling to find the guy's face is as dark as the bottom of the pot. "What?" he asked.

"'What?'" Huo Ling said. "Is the Abnormal Soul you're referring to is me?" he asked. "What do you mean an 'early death'? I shouldn't have died?!" he stared at Yi Bing. His eyes are wide in shock. "Then, why did I die?" he asked. "You caused it, right? Because you loitered in front of me even though you're a grim reaper!" he pointed at Yi Bing. "And what's with that mysterious look you had earlier? 'We don't have a name, but a code.'?" He added.

Yi Bing forced himself not to roll his eyes. "You know too much." He told him.

"That's because you didn't even hide it." Huo Ling said.

"Ah. Right. You'll forget about these anyway when you reincarnate – " Yi Bing said and ignored him. He took out a notebook and a quill and ink.

"… that isn't the Death Note1, right?" Huo Ling asked.

Yi Bing shot him a look of 'wow, you're so smart'. "It is." He answered.

Huo Ling stepped closer to Yi Bing to take a look of the Death Note. "If I touch it, will I see a grim reaper?" he asked, referring to Ryuk1. He raised his hand.

"Try touching the authentic grim reaper in front of you and you'll disappear, right here right now." Yi Bing told him.

Huo Ling immediately retracted his paw. He frowned at Yi Bing. "What do you mean earlier of an 'Abnormal Soul'?" he asked. "They died while being an abnormal?" he guessed.

"You are an Abnormal Soul." Yi Bing told him as he flipped the pages of the Death Note even though the pages are blank.

A vein popped in Huo Ling's forehead. "You're the abnormal. Your whole family is abnormal!" he muttered. "Then, are the Abnormal Souls those who had an untimely death – " he said. " – like me?" he added.

"That's one of the reasons why there's an Abnormal Soul." Yi Bing answered as he stopped on a page. He showed the Death Note to Huo Ling.

"It's blank." Huo Ling said and looked at the yellow pages of the Death Note.

"Touch it." Yi Bing told him.

Huo Ling balled his fists and moved away from the Death Note. "You said earlier that if I touched a grim reaper, my soul will disappear. Then, what will happen if I'd touch the Death Note?" he asked.

Yi Bing just stared at him. "Fine. I was joking earlier." He said.

Huo Ling grinned. "Your face says otherwise." He said, yet he still reached a finger to touch the Death Note. Then, his eyes and soul flashed and he saw rows of words with numbers appeared on the blank pages of the Death Note. "Wow…" he muttered under his breath. "Are these…?" he looked at Yi Bing.

Yi Bing nodded. "These are the lists of the people who died." He answered.

"There are billions of people. This book is too thin. How can they fit?" Huo Ling asked.

"We scroll them." Yi Bing simply answered and touched the page of the death Note. Then, his slender and jade-like finger smoothly slid down the page and stopped, pointing to the chest of Huo Ling.

Huo Ling felt something thumped inside his chest, but his soul is transparent so how can he have a heart? He ignored the thought and watched as the names on the Death Note moved. Black lines covered his face as he looked at Yi Bing, His eyes are full of accusation. He looked like he's been scammed.

"… is this a tablet disguised as a notebook?" he asked and immediately checked the Death Note.

Yi Bing didn't answer. "Your name isn't there." He told Huo Ling, turning back to the matter at hand.

Huo Ling immediately checked his name on the Death Note. The names were arranged in alphabetical order. "Wow… you're right. I'm not here!" he said and flashed a smile, before it disappeared and changed into a frown. "Hey. I really shouldn't have died! Then why did I die?" he asked.

Yi Bing turned to Huo Ling's corpse lying on the floor. His blood turned into a puddle underneath his body. "You've heard what I said earlier. I am looking into this matter." He said and pointed the knife. "Right now, all we know is that the woman's neighbor stabbed you and you died." He told him.

Huo Ling's eyes were filled with worry. He bit his thumb as his soul floated above his corpse. He's itching to jump inside his body and see if he can live again.

Yi Bing seems like he had guessed his thoughts. "Your body already died. If you'll force your soul back to your body…" he said and deliberately left the rest of the words hanging.

"Fine! Fine! I won't go back!" Huo Ling said and moved away from his corpse. "But, can you tell me what will happen?" he asked and peeked at Yi Bing's cold face.

Yi Bing slowly turned to him, as if really hanging his appetite1. Then, he smiled. However, it isn't the usual 'a cold person smiled and his smile looked like sunshine'. Instead, it's the opposite.

Huo Ling's soul shivered as he looked at Yi Bing's insidious smile. "Y-you don't have to scare me…" he said, his voice as quiet as a mosquito.

"Oh. You were scared." Yi Bing said indifferently as he took back his smile. "There's nothing wrong if you'll go back to your body. Just that you'll feel cold." He told him.

"Yes, yes. You're really scary… hey?!" Huo Ling said as he turned to Yi Bing. "How dare you lie to me again!" he yelled.