In Heaven and Hell: Book 1

By Killjoy Johnson and AI Art Generator - AI Yearbook

In a realm of fantasy and wonder, Maki is a teenager whose life is turned upside down after one fateful night. In the aftermath, he must navigate the mystical and magical world of the gods where his adventures awaited him. How would he fare in this new reality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Publishdrive
• Release date: Mar 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798320397726

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

DEATH 💀

Life is short and fleeting for most... just as we realize how fragile it is, we get it taken away from us. Death is inevitable, and though you can fight it, death will ultimately win. Family, Friends, wife, husband, even the children… none are spared from the grim reaper’s wrath. All we are is dust in the wind.

The Grim Reaper looms menacingly, its black robes billowing in an eerie wind. Its scythe sparkles in the twilight as it reaps with merciless finality, cutting down kings, queens, and paupers alike. The air of inevitability hangs heavy in the stillness, and you realize that no matter how powerful you are, no one can escape death’s icy embrace.

Maki was an unusual child with a unique background. His mother, Towa, was Japanese, and his father, Matthew, was of African American descent. He had been born in the U.S. while she was visiting colleges and decided to stay there. His features approached Japanese standards of beauty but not quite.

Maki’s skin was the color of milk chocolate, and his eyes were as black as onyx. His mother embraced his African American heritage with pride; however, she could not fully reconcile herself to raising a child without her family’s involvement. But then things took a turn for the worse when Maki was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Towa frantically scrambled to find a way to save her son. With desperation driving her every move, the scientist worked long and hard into the night, searching for a cure that would rid her child of his deadly brain cancer, even taking her brother Kenshin’s assistance in hopes of gaining a breakthrough discovery. But no matter how many experiments she conducted or theories she tested, nothing worked, and each failure was another reminder of how powerless she was. Until one night, she got an anonymous email.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she opened the anonymous email. The contents contained a map with mysterious, winding lines and three words that sent shivers down her spine: ‘The river Styx.’ A cold chill ran through her body as she realized what awaited her when she followed the directions. It led her to the Greek island of Crete, a small cave with green glowing algae on the walls.

She followed the sound of running waters deeper and deeper in until she found it. The Waters of the River Styx. She got her samples of the River and headed back, praying that this canister holds the key to healing her baby boy. She gets back to the lab, and her brother Kenshin is furious she would just leave in such a manner, but she explains to him it was indeed an emergency and shows him the liquid.

He’s taken back at first because, to him, it looks like ordinary water, but once they throw it under a microscope, the enzymes and microbes in the water tell a different story. Kenshin needed some time to study the water, but Towa didn’t have time for clinical trials as her son was dying. As they spoke, every moment counted as she took the liquid to the hospital to cure Maki. She ran upstairs to his room and wasted no time pulling out a syringe and the river waters and injecting it into her son. And as if he was waking from a dream, he opened his eyes. He said, Hi, Mommy, as the cancer had been completely destroyed. he was safe, but little did Towa know the path she’d put forth in front of her son, a path of pain, suffering, and battle in which no mere mortal could possibly withstand.

And so, Maki went to school like any other kid and tried to make friends, but he felt lonely and isolated once he started middle school. Like many biracial children, he looked different than either race and was bullied for it. But his father, Matthew, had a plan to help his son Maki. He enrolled him in peewee football, so he played for years under the loving guidance of his father, the team coach. Maki was strong, fast, and durable, perfect for football.

Maki had just scored the winning goal for his middle school football team. He was ecstatic as he ran towards his parents and little sister, who were cheering for him from the stands. He hugged them and thanked them for their support. They were so proud of him and his talent.

They decided to celebrate by going to his favorite pizza place. They got into their car and drove away, chatting happily about the game and Maki's future plans. Maki was thinking about how lucky he was to have such a loving family and a bright future ahead of him.

Suddenly, a loud screech pierced the air. A drunk driver had run a red light and crashed into their car at full speed. The impact was devastating. Maki felt a sharp pain in his chest, and then everything went black. He awoke with the car upside down and trapped inside with gasoline leaking in. He called for his father but got no response. He was afraid and didn't know what to do. He started to pray, but no one answered his prayers as the gasoline covered his body. Just then, he heard footsteps. Who's there? He yelled, but to no response; then he heard a lighter flicking. Oh my God, he thought to himself as the lighter hit the ground and sparked the gasoline. There he sat for hours, burning but not dying, breathing in flames into his lungs and screaming in pain hour after hour until the car was finally burnt to a melted heap of metal.

He woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and tubes. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He felt numb and weak. He looked around and saw a nurse standing next to him. She smiled sadly and said, "You're awake. You've been in a coma for two weeks. You had a severe head injury and a broken spine. You're