Kana was still falling.
The deep blue sea around her shimmered like glass, and for a moment, she didn't feel fear, just a loudquiet. Time had no meaning here. Eventually, her body reached the seabed softly, like a feather. She landed on her back, eyes open, staring up at the faint light that struggled to reach the depths.
Kana raised her left arm upwards like she was trying to reach the faint life above her but it was too far to reach.
Kana: I must be dead by now…
Her voice echoed softly through the water. She touched her chest and it was steady. No heartbeat, no pain. Just a strange calmness.
Kana: Is this what being a ghost feels like?
Then, a voice gently broke the silence.
"It's not the afterlife yet."
Kana sat up slowly and looked around and saw figure stood behind her. A woman cloaked in deep navy blue, her skin pale like moonlight, her presence both eerie and calm.
"I am the one meant to lead you there.... The gatekeeper. The Grim Reaper."
Kana blinked at her.
Kana: Wait, you're the Grim Reaper?
The woman nodded and Kana crossed her arms in surprise.
Kana: Huh… I thought you'd have a skull face or something. You know, like the way the internet describes you.
The reaper raised a brow, clearly offended.
The Reaper: I get that a lot.
Kana chuckled lightly.
But then her smile faded. Her gaze fell to the seafloor again.
Kana: So... this is really it huh? I'm really dead...
The Reaper: Does that surprise you?
Kana: Kind of... Deep down I've always known that everyone is gonna die someday and I knew because of my sickness, I was gonna experience it sooner than most but it's still surprising regardless.
Kana's mind immediately flashed to her friends she had left behind.
Kana: I wonder how everyone's doing… after I died. Did they forget about me?
The Reaper tilted her head.
The Reaper: Would you like to see them? The people you left behind?
Kana looked up, unsure.
Kana: You can do that?
The Reaper: I'm bound to grant one final request before I lead a soul onward....That is my duty.
Kana nodded, her lips trembling slightly.
Kana: Then… please show me.
*****
The sea faded away, and Kana found herself in a warm, well-furnished living room. The lighting was soft. There were toys scattered on the floor and children's drawings on the wall.
Kana: Whose house is this?
Before the Reaper could answer, the front door opened.
In walked Jane, her eyes glowing with maternal warmth and by her side, a small girl, barely a toddler. She had Jane's bright smile and Dr. Kennedy's intense eyes. Seeing this Kana was able to two and two together and she smiled in surprise as well.
The Reaper smiled beside Kana.
The Reaper: Jane and Dr. Kennedy got married at the end of the year you died and nine months later, their daughter was born. They named her Kana, after you. To remember the girl who brought them together in the first place.
Kana's breath caught in her throat.
She watched as Jane knelt beside the little girl, patting her head as they celebrated finding the last puzzle piece. Kana tried to speak… but her voice wouldn't reach them.
Kana: Hey big sister... I'm right here.... I'm right here…
But sadly, Jane couldn't hear her.
*****
The scene shifted again and Kana now stood at the front porch of a different home, unfamiliar and bright. Before she could ask where they were, the door opened.
Liam stepped out, his arm gently around a blonde girl who looked shy but kind. Kana's eyes widened.
The Reaper: I assume he told about her but that's Emma. The girl Liam blamed himself for after the accident that left her in a coma. She woke up two months after you passed and as expected, Liam was there for her throughout her entire recovery process and helped her recover her memory from before the accident. They're together now.
Kana watched them walk down the street hand-in-hand.
The Reaper: He always credits you and John, you know. He says… if he hadn't stayed alive, he would've hurt Emma more than anyone else ever could.
Kana smiled softly as she watched Liam and Emma walk down the street and disappeared around the corner.
Kana: I'm glad he waited.
******
Another shift occured and this time, Kana was in a small, cluttered bedroom. Papers were stacked in every corner. On the bed, Rose sat cross-legged, glasses perched on her nose, writing furiously.
The Reaper: She got a scholarship with the help of John but since she was still had one year left in highschool she had to work and prove that she was deserving of it and one year after your death, Rose was able to grow and become a better writer. She won the scholarship eventually and she's now studying a writing course in university, chasing her dream of becoming an author.
Kana smiled proudly, remembering how timid Rose was when they first met how she begged Kana to read her stories.
Kana: It feels like yesterday when she messaged me, telling me that she needed my help. Keeping soaring higher Rose.
Unfortunately, Rose couldn't hear her.
*****
A coffee shop appeared next and Kana stood near the cashier as Misa handed a customer their drink with a warm smile. She looked stronger now, older but somehow lighter.
The Reaper: Misa struggled for a long time. But she eventually found peace. She stopped crying after realizing you wouldn't want that and then she decided to be the emotionally strong person she had always wanted to be.
Kana raised a brow as she noticed a young man with short hair and an ear piercing on his left ear waving at Misa as he entered the coffee shop.
Kana: Who is that?
The Reaper smirked before she spoke.
The Reaper: Mmhmm.... that's John's best friend, Ivan. John had promised to introduce him to you but he never got the chance you passed. But he showed up at your funeral and fell for Misa at first sight when he met her there. He's been trying to woo her but she's making it difficult on purpose.
Kana laughed as she watched Ivan tried to engage in a conversation with Misa but she pretended like she wasn't seeing him.
Kana: That is so her.
****
Then the grim reaper tells Kana that she would show her the person behind her online bullying, and the space around them changed again.
Kana now found herself in a quiet room with soft lighting. A young girl sat across from a professional therapist, her face older, more tired, yet calmer. Kana blinked, immediately recognizing her.
The grim reaper, still standing beside her, spoke gently.
The Reaper: This is Rachel, the girl behind your online bullying. The bullying she caused… it ended up breaking her from the inside. It took a toll on her mind and she entered therapy months after your funeral. She's been working hard to change and grow and she wants to earn John's forgiveness… though he hasn't spoken to her since that day.
Kana stared silently at the older Rachel, who wiped her eyes mid-conversation with the therapist.
The grim reaper turned.
The Reaper: Do you hold a grudge against her?
Kana shook her head softly.
Kana: No... I've never been the kind of person to hold on to things like that. Besides… it wouldn't mean anything now that I'm already dead.
Then the grim reaper asked another question.
The Reaper: Do you want to know how your mother took the news of your death?
Kana paused and the she lowered her gaze.
Kana: No... I don't want to know...
The Reaper: Are you sure?
Kana looked up at the reaper with her eyes clear.
Kana: I don't want to remember the people who left me behind. She and the rest of my family made their choice. I don't need to know anything more.
The grim reaper nodded slowly.
The Reaper: Very well.
Then everything shifted again.
Kana now stood in a massive university lecture hall, rows and rows of students seated attentively as a professor at the front explained something on the board.
Kana looked around, confused.
Kana: Why are we here?
And then, she saw him.
John.
He sat near the middle of the class, a bit older now and more focused and mature.
Kana's breath hitched as her hand reached out instinctively, but of course… she couldn't touch him.
The grim reaper spoke again.
The Reaper: He found the video you recorded… before your death and he showed it to everyone and It changed everything. That moment brought healing.
Kana's eyes welled.
The Reaper: You also won the writing competition, Kana. The one you submitted your poem for. You won the $10,000 prize and a full scholarship. But since you had already passed, John made the decision to use that money to turn your journal into something greater.
Kana blinked.
Kana: My journal?!
The scene faded and reshaped into a bookstore.
There it sat on the front shelf. A book with a soft pink cover, clean white lettering.
"Everyone's Online Buddy" by Kana Young.
Kana's mouth fell slightly open in shock and surprise.
The grim reaper smiled faintly.
The Reaper: John took your poems and entries, and with help from everyone and the support of your followers on Twibbler, they made it happen. Everyone poured their hearts into making sure your story was heard.
Kana stepped closer to the book.
The Reaper: It reached millions, Kana.... People in hospitals, in orphanages, in dark places… they found hope in your words. One year after your death, it became a bestseller. And the profits? All of it was donated to orphanages who needed them. Your voice, your light, never stopped shining.
Kana's eyes brimmed with tears.
She started to remember everything.
How broken she'd felt after her family left her… how she wrote in her journal just to pass time… how Jane encouraged her to share her words online… how she cried the first time a stranger told her they felt understood because of her poems…
She remembered John and Rose urging her to submit her work for the competition. She remembered the laughter. The bond.
Then she remembered the fear, the belief that no one would remember her after she died and the ache in her chest when she accepted her fate.
And suddenly, Dr. Kennedy's words echoed in her head.
"Give them a reason to never forget you."
Kana broke down, tears falling freely.
Kana: I did it… didn't I?
The Grim Reaper smiled at her and responded.
The Reaper: You did.
Kana nodded, overwhelmed with gratitude and grief all at once and she burst into tears.
Kana: I miss them… I want to be with them… I want to be with all of them again… (grabs the reaper's hand) Please… PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN… I'M NOT READY TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND… PLEASE!!!!!
Unfortunately, the reaper shook her head as she couldn't grant the request Kana was asking for and Kana's tears fell harder as the moments passed and then after a while, she turned to the grim reaper and asked
Kana: Then… Can I make one more wish?
*****
The lecture ended after a few hours and John packed his books and laptop, his movements slow and thoughtful. As he walked out of the lecture hall, his phone buzzed.
It was Ivan. He answered with a sigh already aware of what Ivan was about to say.
John: I'm literally just stepping out, don't start.
Ivan: Bro, hurry up! Misa and I are waiting on you! Don't take forever!
John chuckled.
John: Don't rush me, man. I'm on my way.
Ivan lowered his voice as he continued.
Ivan: Hey, be honest… you think Misa's falling for me?
John: Huh?
Ivan: Come on man! I know you heard me the first time!
John smirked.
John: Is she falling for you? Hmmm... she's probably playing hard to get or she's probably just playing with your feelings.
Ivan: Come onnnn, help me out! You're supposed to be my love guide and not let any of that happen.
John laughed, shaking his head.
John: Alright. Alright. No promises, but I'll try my best.
He ended the call, slipping the phone into his pocket.
As he made his way out of the university building, the wind brushed gently against his face. He was about to descend the front steps when suddenly… A soft touch brushed against his arm.
He turned, eyes scanning the path behind him.
But he didn't see anyone but unknown to him, standing right there, unseen, was Kana.
Her hand still hovered near where it had touched him, her eyes wide with emotion as she looked up at him. John didn't see her, but he paused. His eyes settled in her direction as if… he knew she was there. Then his hand tingled and he glanced down at it and Kana did too and the bracelet which Kana had given him, was still there on his wrist, all these years later.
Kana gasped quietly and John smiled softly, almost as if… he knew.
He turned around slowly and continued walking down the steps, blending into the sea of students heading out for the evening. Kana watched him until he vanished into the crowd and she did, she knew that this was going to be the last time she would ever see him.
Tears spilled from her eyes, quiet and steady as the realization came to her mind and afterwards the grim reaper stepped beside her, gently wrapping an arm around her.
The Reaper: It's time
The world around them faded into blue light once more, and Kana found herself standing above the same endless sea she first saw when she died.
The grim reaper extended her hand.
Kana looked at it, then turned her gaze back, letting her memories rush over her one final time.
John.
Jane.
Rose.
Misa.
Dr. Kennedy.
Liam.
Her journal.
Her poems.
Her Twibbler page.
Her last video.
Her dreams.
All of it.
All of them.
Despite everything… She smiled and whispered to the atmosphere around her as if those she left behind would hear her words.
Kana: Thank you.... For everything.
She took the grim reaper's hand, and together they began walking forward into the afterlife.
******
Elsewhere…
Time moved forward, as it always does.
Those who had known Kana, whether in person or online continued with their lives, slowly but surely learning how to live with the void her absence left behind. But they didn't forget. They carried a part of her in the things they did, in the way they treated others, and in the words they whispered to themselves on the hard days.
They all moved forward, not by leaving Kana behind, but by walking with the version of her they each carried in their hearts.
And somewhere in Yukimura… on an ordinary afternoon with a sky of soft gray, a teenager stepped out of a local bookstore holding a small stack of newly purchased books. The city hummed quietly around them.
As they glanced down at the titles in their hands, one book in particular stood out, a soft pink cover, worn gently at the edges.
The title read:
"Everyone's Online Buddy" by Kana Young.
The reader paused, intrigued. They turned the book over, read the blurb, and then a smile appeared on their face. Maybe they didn't know who Kana Young was. Maybe they had never seen her Twibbler page or read her posts.
But they would now.
Because her words had traveled beyond her, beyond the hospital walls, beyond the group chats and the tears.
They had reached the world.
******
The End.