An Excuse To Die

Death's figure wavered, the white haze around him thickening and swirling. Sultan’s heart pounded as he awaited Death's reaction, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on him.

Death’s grip on the scissors loosened slightly. "Grand Uncle?" Death's voice echoed with a mix of curiosity and recognition.

Sultan, grasping at the faintest glimmer of hope, continued, "Yes, Grand Uncle. You are mourning your kin, someone you lost… long ago?"

The white haze around Death intensified, swirling in intricate patterns. There was a long, tense silence.

Then, slowly, Death lowered the scissors and the thread. The smoky air shifted from a sorrowful white to a calm baby blue, indicating a sense of calm.

The chains that had held Sultan began to dissolve, the light around him growing brighter. The once suffocating darkness was now a comforting shadow, a reminder of where he had been and how far he had come.

Sultan felt a surge of energy, a new sense of purpose filling him.

The fear