No matter what you believe, you’ve probably heard the stories of heaven and hell. None of them are right.
The truth is that a recently deceased soul enters a battle dome of sorts. They are unaware the entire time. If they were good, angels come and fight for them. If they were bad, demons will come to claim them. In both instances (usually), both demons and angels will come for the soul.
There are exceptions. The Ted Bundy’s, and the child rapists. No angels will come for them. But most souls aren’t all the way good or bad. It can lean a certain way, is all.
There is such a thing as a soul with divinity. It’s incredibly rare. These are the most sought-after of souls. They contain such raw power. Demons want to use that power. Angels want to protect it. Angels will send down entire armies for a divine soul. Most demons know to stay away, but there are plenty greedy enough to try anyway.
It’s very complex. There can be a person who’s mostly bad, but certain angels see the good in them. There can be a person who is mostly good, but there’s demons who see the bad. A mostly bad soul can end up in Heaven this way. Just like a mostly good one can end up in Hell. It all depends on who wins. Who lays claim to the soul during the fight.
Most suicidal dead end up in Hell. But probably not for the reasons you think. The biggest of demons will always come for them. The scent of a suicidal dead is all that will bring them to battle. There will most likely be angels wanting to save said soul. But even angels fear the monstrosities that rise for a suicidal dead. They’re giants. Known as Despair, Agony, Guilt, and Shame. These demons are larger than any of their kind. Their strength is unmatched.
While angels and demons will always try to lay claim to the deceased; a mortal can as well. It’s almost unheard of, but it’s happened. It’s mostly witches who are capable of entering the dome. But in some rare instances, a regular mortal manages to get in.
A mortal in the dome has a few choices. Fight against the demons to help the soul end up in Heaven. Fight against the angels to assure the soul goes to Hell. Or fight for the soul themselves in order to bring it back to the land of the living.
There are many consequences for a mortal soul who enters the dome. First and foremost, neither the angels nor demons will like your interference. You don’t belong there. They don’t want you there. If you fight against the angels to try and assure a soul goes to hell; the angels will hold a grudge forever. If you fight against the demons, the results are the same. If you fight against both to try and claim the soul for yourself, a grudge will be held against you by all. If you hurt or kill an angel or a demon, you’re screwed. These actions can either land you an immediate spot in Hell or Purgatory. Purgatory for a soul happens when neither angels nor demons (or a mortal) come to claim it. You can die in the Dome. It is more than likely you will.
If a mortal succeeds in claiming a soul, there are certain things to be aware of. If the soul was that of an elderly person who expired due to old age, then you’ve only brought them back for a month at the longest. If you claim a soul with an injury impossible to heal, then it will wander the Earth as a ghost. Beheading is a good example of such an injury. If the soul died from a car accident, then whatever injuries they sustained will heal, but any unforeseeable medical complications down the road could prove fatal, sending the soul back to the Dome. It’s important that whichever soul is brought back, didn’t die of old age, and has a body to return to. It’s best if they’re young with injuries that won’t kill them all over again or leave them as a ghost. Like a teenager who died of alcohol poisoning. Or a baby who didn’t survive delivery.
You’re probably wondering how I know this. I come from a long line of Scottish witches. Back in the 1800s, an ancestor of mine helped send mortals to the Dome. She was an accomplished witch. Blaire Minto. Her grimoire details many spells, including the one used to send a mortal to the Dome. It’s a complicated and difficult spell. It would require a witch of immense power to pull off.
According to her journals, Blaire got wind of the Dome through demons. She often contacted the dead and turned to dark magic for most of her work. She once summoned a demon for its blood. Demon blood makes for a powerful tool in witchcraft. What she was doing was incredibly reckless. When the demon appeared, it became bound to Blaire through spells and sigils. During the bleeding of the summoned demon, it promised to win her soul in battle. After that little comment, Blaire refused to let the Demon go until it clarified what it had meant.
The summoned demon only knew so much. Blaire became obsessed with finding a way into the Dome. She summoned more demons, dead witches, and other ghosts. Through her quest for knowledge, Blaire re-created an ancient spell that transports witches and mortals into the Dome.
Her journals detail each of her attempts. Her first time using the spell was on herself. She wanted to see the Dome with her own eyes. She described it in great detail. The soul in the Dome was that of a man. She didn’t know who he was or how he’d died. She observed many demons and few angels racing and fighting their way to his soul. She watched as a demon grabbed his soul and vanished with it down to Hell. Part of Blaire’s spell included a lifeline back to the living for personal extraction. So she left.
Blaire had spent her entire life in a cabin hidden away in the forest. But after her time in the Dome, she moved to the closest city. She kept her ear out for families with a loved one on deaths door. She stalked doctors. When someone did pass, Blaire would appear and tell their family they could fight to bring them back. Many refused. Her first participant was Jane; a mother who had lost her child to yellow fever. Jane herself was stricken with the illness, but wanted more than anything for her child to live.
There is not a single Dome. There are many. If you’re going after a particular soul, you must have a piece of them. Hair, teeth, blood. Any kind of DNA. And they must have died very recently. Blaire used a lock of hair to send the mother in after her child. Because the mother was not a witch, she wouldn’t be able to extract herself if she was unable to claim her child’s soul. Blaire acted as her lifeline. She agreed to give the mother 5 minutes in the Dome before pulling her out. When the 5 minutes were up, Blaire brought her back. She had not succeeded in claiming the soul of her child. She’d also returned mortally wounded. She died in Blaire’s arms.
According to Blaire, Jane (the mother) wasn’t unhappy when she died. She was smiling. She told Blaire that she saw an angel reach her little girl. Even though she hadn’t managed to save her child, she was at peace knowing the child went to Heaven. She thanked Blaire. Blaire buried her somewhere in the hills of Scotland.
The grimoire and journals of Blaire Minto are the most treasured of our family heirlooms. Blaire knew their value and took great care to keep them safe. She gave them to her niece before her death. They’ve been passed down for years, with each new owner taking great care not to ruin them. They are currently owned by my grandmother. She’s 96 and has been getting her affairs in order for when she dies. That’s how I came to read the grimoire and journals. Grandma decided that I would be their next caretaker. She gave them to me recently so that no one else could stumble upon them when she passes.
I’m thinking of posting Blaire’s journal entries here. The details are incredible.