The Four Zones of Life

Report Tape 7: Anonymous

Reporter: "So, is magic real in Serenity?"
Anonymous: "It is, but it's uncommon."
Reporter: "How does someone obtain magic?"
Anonymous: "It is unclear, but most likely through recognition from the gods."
Reporter: "Sounds like the plot to a TV show."

The reporter chuckled to himself a bit.

Anonymous: "If you aren't going to take this seriously, we're done here."

"Anonymous" stood up and headed to the door.

Reporter: "Wait, hold on a moment."

"Anonymous" froze with their hand touching the door.

Reporter: "Did the gods gift you magic?"

"Anonymous" opened the door and left.

Report Tape 7: End

************************************************************************

The city of Serenity is split into four zones. The first zone you enter is called "The Fountain of Youth." This represents some of the best years of people's lives. At any time, at any place, Ghosts alike can go and party, like they were still kicking in their 20s! Look to your left, there's a nightclub! Since it's always night, it's always open! Look to your right, there are many bars to choose from. Wish you could go back to your golden years and bar hop all night? Well, guess what, pal, I've got some good news for you!  You're also dead, so you never have to think about hangovers ever again!

Everything in this zone is whimsical, fun, and thrilling. That's why there are so many people there; they never want to leave. When someone who has been wishing for their youth back finally experiences it, they never want to go back. 

Thus, these ghosts never enter zone two.

Zone two is called "The Cold Night." The second zone is the complete opposite of its predecessor; it is a solo road filled with back alleys. The area is filled with almost complete darkness, where the only lights are the ones that the street lamps provide alongside the road. In this place, there's a consistent rainfall that never stops, but due to the in-depth sewer system below, it never floods. Ghosts hide in the shadows, watching whoever enters the road. Criminals love this place; the police force doesn't take action here, and the Reaper doesn't keep watch. 

The Cold Night is dark and terrifying; some ghosts go in and never come back out. Only those with a determined spirit are said to make it through, but most are too cowardly to even attempt it. 

Thus, only some ghosts will ever make it to zone three.

Zone three is named "The Festival of Love." In this zone, all undead alike are urged to finally find their soulmates. This place is full of exciting date spots and areas for all people alike. Is mini golf exciting? I sure hope it is, because there are four spots where you can play mini golf, so you never get bored with one course! Do you need a professional matchmaker? If so, they exist! If you go on a few dates with someone, you can meet the matchmaker to check your compatibility level. 

The Festival of Love is designed so people can get the love experience they never had. Most of the remaining ghosts at this point get dragged into the endless ropes of love, hoping that one day, they'll receive the 100% match from the matchmaker.

Thus, only a few ghosts make it to the fourth zone.

The fourth and final zone, "The Everlasting Garden." The road up this zone is at a slope due to the final point in Serenity being at the top of a hill. The road is covered with gravestones resembling the dead that weren't given the chance to go to Serenity. In front of each gravestone, there is an array of flowers. Each flower resembles the good deeds that a person did in their lifetime. At the bottom, there are no flowers, resembling the people who never used their lives for good. At the top, there are graves with hundreds of flowers in front of them.

At the top of the hill, that is where your journey ends, and the next one begins.

Only then, the dead may be allowed to reincarnate.

************************************************************************

"I have a few questions," Mark begins.
"How do the other undead reach the zones if only ghosts can pass through?"
"The rest of the undead can go wherever they please because they don't get the gift of reincarnation. There is no trial for them."
"So only former humans can reincarnate?"
"That's exactly right."

Mark nods his head in understanding. There was still something itching at his brain.

"How do ghosts even get to Serenity anyway?"
"The tower that separates the zones collects the souls of the dead along with their former DNA. They are then transferred to a machine at the top of the tower. Then, the tower will beam down a light and rebuild the ghost's body."
"Those are some sentences I'd never thought I'd hear."
"It truly is mysterious how this came to be."
"I thought you had all of the answers?"
"Not the ones they don't tell me."

Mark was only teasing Cheryl, but her answers were at least helpful.

"One last question for today, teacher!"
"When did I tell you to call me teacher?"
"How do you decide who to bring to Serenity?"

Cheryl paused for a moment, seemingly conflicted as to whether she should answer or not. Mark noticed and tried to get ahead of it.

"Whatever you tell me, I won't share with anyone, not even Lea."
"..."
"Pinky promise."

Mark held out his pinky, but Cheryl just stared at him. He looked at his pinky, then back at Cheryl. He repeated this process three more times before Cheryl spoke.

"We watch people from Earth. If they die too young, and the Reaper is undetermined as to whether they should go to heaven or hell, they come here. That is all I will tell you."

Mark leaned back in his chair to process the information. He feels like it will help him down the road, but its use right now is rather unclear.

"So the biggest takeaway is that my daughter is one of the few to make it to the Everlasting Garden, so she might reincarnate before I make it there," Mark thought to himself.

"Alright," Cheryl clasped her hands while springing to her feet, "now it's time to release your gift!"
"..."

Mark stared at her in confusion. Apparently, his gift can be released? Why had no one told him this? Wait, he didn't tell anyone he had a gift, so why would anyone tell him he can actually use it? His mind came full circle, and he was ready to explore what Goddess Diana gave him.

"So how do we release this gift?"
"Well, first, let's try summoning it from within. My gift can be called upon by me wishing for it; let's see if yours can, too."

Mark closed his eyes and tried to picture the blue flame deep within his chest. He called for it with his mind-- but nothing responded. Mark looked back up at Cheryl and shrugged.

"Hmm, most ghosts that received gifts are usually able to see their existence somewhere in their body; you must be an exception."

Cheryl paused and thought for a moment. Someone who claimed to know all the answers, stumped on the first obstacle.

"Do you know what it looked like? Any evidence that you've used it before?"
"Well, it first appeared when I stumbled into the Guardian Beasts' mirror world in the forest. It was a blue flame at the bottom of my foot that seemingly connected me to its lair."
"Did the Guardian Beast invite you into its lair?"
"No, it was asleep. Only when I moved did it wake up and notice my presence."

Cheryl nodded her head. Mark tried one more time to picture the flame inside his body, but that wasn't going to change the fact that it wasn't there. 

"Anything else happen with this blue flame?"
"Yeah, actually, it gave me warning messages that ultimately helped me escape the Guardian Beast."

Cheryl paused for about a minute, trying to summarize everything she just heard. She was probably making a mental profile of him to exist somewhere in this knowledge library of hers, but he would never know.

"I think I understand somewhat of how your ability works."
"Let's hear it!"
"Your gift is definitely that blue flame that appears. So far, you've noted two abilities that even I don't have. The first is the ability to enter mirror worlds you aren't invited to. Mirror worlds are said to be impenetrable, so the fact that you entered one unnoticed is honestly frightening! The second ability is the warning messages. I honestly have no clue how to categorize this, but it gives me an idea of how we could summon it."

Mark tilted his head in confusion, but Cheryl smirked. A book fell from the sky and landed on the table in front of Cheryl. She picked it up and read through it.

"A total of three gifts have ever been noted to have a consciousness. Somehow, I think you might have just landed yourself the fourth, but let's try it! Speak to it, try to draw it out here."
"Speak to it-- as in out loud?"
Cheryl clicked her tongue, "Exactly!"

Cheryl lay back in her chair and crossed her arms, as if she had just solved the mystery without even testing the evidence first. Mark, on the other hand, has no idea how to have a common interaction with a spirit inside his body, which is understandable, so he asks the most common question he could have.

"Hello flame or whatever you are, can you hear me?"

Cheryl giggled at his question, and Mark gave her a dead look. But then, he felt a light burn somewhere deep in his chest, so he gave Cheryl a thumbs-up. His face didn't look convincing to her, but she urged him to continue. 

"That seemed like a message, but can you write it with the blue flame instead? I want physical proof."

A moment later, Mark felt a flame ignite within his body, and a message crawled out from under his shirt. The message appeared approximately the same way it did in the forest, through a blue flame in front of his face.

"?"

Mark looked back at Cheryl, excited that he finally got his answer. On the other hand, Cheryl looked confused, as if he saw something she didn't.

"Didn't you see the message?"
"What message?"

As fate may have it, there is just one recipient of those messages.