The Real Reason

He only smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth. "Well, it is not that simple."

Thana let out a frustrated sigh, crossing her arms.

He tilted his head, and his silver hair caught the faint glow from the walls of the palace hall. "You have a different perspective to life, a strange ability that allows you to move from one realm to the other effortlessly.'"

She furrowed her brow. "You keep saying that about me being different, and being able to see things others cannot. But what does that mean? I told you I guide souls; it is the only thing I have ever done. What more could I possibly offer?"

The Supreme Heavenly Lord approached Thana. "You fill the gap between life and death. You understand both sides better than most, and that makes you valuable."

Thana's frustration simmered just beneath the surface. "Valuable? Is that why you keep calling on me for these strange tasks? Because I'm convenient?"

For the first time, the Supreme Heavenly Lord's demeanor became a little tense. In his eyes, there was a brief glimpse of worry, or fear, maybe remorse. "It's not about convenience, Thana. It's about trust."

Thana blinked, taken aback by the sudden sincerity in his tone. "Trust?"

He nodded. "I know that you will act properly in the best interest of everyone, no matter how ambiguous the situation may be to you. You have always been honest in your decision, even during the most challenging times."

She did not know what to say in response to that. It was a strange feeling to hear such words from the Supreme Heavenly Lord, who doesn't give praise to someone that easily.' But she could not dismiss a feeling of unease that there was still something more that he was hiding from her.

Thana lowered her arms and took a step forward. 'So, what are you hiding from me?'

The Supreme Heavenly Lord did not respond, and his eyes looked like he was thinking of how much he would want to say. He spoke in a softer tone than before. "The shadows are moving, seeking powers to cause troubles between the realms, or at least that is how I understand it. They are invisible and stealthy, and they do not strike openly. But they are growing stronger."

Thana's frown deepened. "What kind of forces?"

He hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, but Thana caught it. "Not all who reside in the heavenly realm are content with the way things are. Some seek more—more power, more control."

She stared into his eyes as she tried to make some kind of sense of everything that was happening. "A rebellion?"

"In a sense," he admitted. "But it's not as overt as that. It's quieter, more insidious. And it's spreading."

Thana's heart sank. This was far worse than she had anticipated. "And you think someone in this palace is involved?"

He nodded. "I do."

Thana nodded, sensing the extent of the danger in the situation that now seemed to rest on her shoulders. "So you want me to find out who it is?"

"I want you to observe," he corrected gently. "You look at the world in a different perspective that other people do not seem to notice, you will discover the truth in time."

Thana exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself. This was not what she had agreed to do, but she could not afford to turn it down. Not when the Supreme Heavenly Lord was involved.

"And what happens when I find them?" she asked, her voice low.

The Supreme Heavenly Lord's gaze hardened slightly. "Then we deal with it."

Thana sighed, frowning at the ground, finally realizing the severity of what the Supreme Heavenly Lord had just said. She had been pulled into what was much bigger than she could have signed up for. But there was no turning back now.

After a few moments of no response, she looked at him again, this time accepting defeat. "Fine. I'll do it. But if it goes wrong, I am not bearing the blame for this. "

He gave her a small smile. "I would never let that happen."

Thana shook her head, still not sure what her destiny was, but at least she was aware of it. The sooner she started working, the better.

When the Supreme Heavenly Lord started walking, she called him, her tone considerably gentler this time. "Why me?"

He paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Because I believe in you, Thana."

With that, he disappeared into the shadows and Thana was left alone in the grand hall with her thoughts in confusion and determination.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of activity and movement for Thana as she found herself walking the palace in a daze. She also remained alert and made sure to look around in the hope of identifying any strange movement, but there wasn't anything. Some celestials were carrying out their activities; the servants were attending to the palace as if nothing was wrong.

However, Thana always remembered to look beyond the surface and was not easily caught up in the situation. The Supreme Heavenly Lord had warned her that the forces at play were subtle, hidden. Thus, it would not be a simple task to find the truth.

As evening approached, Thana was left alone in one of the luxurious courtyards of the palace, and the rays of the setting sun illuminated the palace walls with gold. She settled beside the waters of a fountain, leaning her scythe against her leg as she stared absently at the water's surface.

"Is everything alright, Lady Thana?"

The voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see one of the celestial servants standing nearby, a concerned expression on her face.

Thana forced a small smile. "Just… thinking."

The servant bowed. 

Thana simply thanked her with a nod and quickly observed as the servant walked away, something about the way she moved caught Thana's attention. It was rather slight, almost unobvious, but there was anxiety in her shoulders, and stiffness in her walk.

"Wait," Thana called out, standing up.

The servant froze, her back still turned to Thana.

"Is there something bothering you?" Thana asked, taking a step closer.

The servant slowly turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. "N-no, Lady Thana. I… I'm just tired, that's all."

She felt there was something rather wrong with her, but she could not seem to put her finger on it.

But she could not continue with the questions when a soft bell rang through the courtyard, indicating the workers were through for the day. The servant gave a quick bow and hurried off before Thana could stop her.

Thana stood there, watching her go, a knot of unease forming in her chest. 

The Supreme Heavenly Lord had said that the forces were subtle, hidden in plain sight. Could the servant be involved? Or was Thana just being paranoid?

In any case, she was in a rather delicate position. If there was a threat within the palace, it would not be an easy incidence to detect.

Taking a deep breath, Thana picked up the scythe and headed back to her room with an annoyed attitude. She needs to be more vigilant because it could go wrong anytime. And hopefully, she would get some answers in time before it was too late.