Book Four: Chapter 195

The bones of Death’s hand started to smoke, faint wisps curling upward like ghostly incense, but the reaper didn’t flinch. His hollow sockets glimmered faintly in the lightning-lit yard, a calm and calculating presence amid the chaos. He turned slowly to Beth, tilting his head in a way that suggested curiosity and mild exasperation. “Did you happen to see what happened to all my maps?” His voice was dry, tinged with mock distress, yet carried the weight of someone who truly valued the knowledge contained within them. “My home is in a state of disrepair, and I am now worried that harm may have befallen them.”

Beth felt a rush of panic mixed with awe. “He destroyed all your maps!” she yelled, her voice cracking with urgency. She wasn’t entirely certain if this was true, but it felt that way in the chaos of the moment. “He came here to hurt Mike, and destroyed all of the maps in your office! Every last one!” She gestured wildl