Hazel's in the abyss, talking to Grim. Let's see how we can make this chapter more gripping and presentable. Here's an edited version, focusing on stronger imagery, more concise dialogue, and building tension:
"Why," Hazel choked out, the words swallowed by the endless black, "I failed. I failed to protect them. I deserve death, yet... I wish I could have saved them." He drifted in the silent abyss, a profound emptiness mirroring the hollowness in his chest.
Suddenly, a figure materialized before him. "Hazel," Grim's voice echoed in the void.
"Grim? What are you doing here? Am I not dead?" Hazel asked, bewildered.
"You remember what I told you, right?" Grim's gaze was intense.
Hazel frowned. "Wait... you don't mean... before the battle with Doom?"
"Yes. Do you remember?"
"'The only way to kill Doom is to die'," Hazel repeated Grim's words, the irony sharp. "Well, now I'm dead. I don't think he is, though."
"You can't possibly believe that the moment you die, he falls too," Grim stated, his tone matter-of-fact. "It doesn't work that way."
"I guess not," Hazel conceded, the weight of his failure pressing down on him.
Grim leaned in, his presence a stark contrast to the surrounding nothingness. "Always remember this: you are a Reaper, the master of death itself. Death cannot claim its master. For a Reaper, death is merely a step towards greater strength."
"So... you're saying the more I die, the stronger I become?" Hazel asked, a flicker of something akin to hope igniting within him.
Grim scoffed. "Hah! Hell no."
"You can't just die every time you face someone stronger," Grim clarified.
"Then what do you mean?" Hazel pressed.
"It should be clear now that you cannot truly die. But that doesn't automatically translate to gaining strength with each death," Grim explained.
"So... I'm immortal?" Hazel asked, a curious wonder in his voice.
"Kind of," Grim replied cryptically. "So, are you ready to evolve again?"
"Hold up," Hazel interrupted. "I need to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Since in your... dimension, you faced this same apocalypse, I believe you should be able to answer this," Hazel said, his gaze fixed on Grim.
Grim's expression shifted, a shadow crossing his features. "Okay then, go on."
"What's with the forest-like barrier that prevents people from leaving the country?" Hazel asked, the question heavy with unspoken implications.
A noticeable reluctance flickered across Grim's face. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to answer this until the main scenario of the apocalypse unfolded. But I suppose I have no choice now."
"What do you mean?" Hazel asked, a knot of unease tightening in his gut.
"Well, the truth is... I'm not from another dimension. I'm just from another country. But the thing is, we aren't real gods, just like Doom. We simply received a title, which grants us a boost in abilities," Grim revealed, the words hanging in the still air.
"Wait, what? I don't understand. So this 'main scenario'... what is it really?" Hazel's confusion was palpable.
"How can you not know? The forest barrier has been up for more than six years. Three years have passed since the day of the apocalypse. That means the barrier was erected in all countries three years before the apocalypse in this country," Grim stated, the timeline painting a grim picture.
"So you're saying that all countries are in a state of apocalypse right now?" Hazel's voice was laced with dawning horror.
"No," Grim corrected.
"Wait... then why are we the only ones in this state?" Hazel demanded.
"Well, that's because the master of this realm wasn't available to take control of the people here. So, I suppose he thought the best way to help you grow stronger quickly was to grant you a system and trigger an apocalypse," Grim explained.
"Wait... why wasn't he available? And why does he need us to be strong?" Hazel's mind raced, trying to grasp the enormity of the situation.
"Well, that's because all the countries of the world are at war, and this is because of beings we call 'galactic devourers'," Grim revealed, the term carrying a weight of cosmic dread.
"As for why your master was delayed in taking control... that's a mystery to us. But I only came here to kill the Blossom Queen, who you call Ivy. She's also from another country, and our nations were in chaos as our battle took place," Grim continued.
"How was she able to come here?" Hazel asked, the revelation about Ivy hitting him hard.
"Well, she was the last of her country, and her god wanted to save her. So, her god sent her to the safest place they knew, I suppose," Grim offered.
"I was also the last of my country, and I couldn't bring myself to fall. If the battle is won by my country, all the dead will rise again. Although... as for the other countries, they will suffer for eternity," Grim confessed, his words heavy with a terrible burden.
"No... it's not possible. Ivy has been with me my whole life," Hazel protested, disbelief etched on his face.
"Well, yes, but the original Ivy was killed by the Blossom Queen, who then took her place," Grim revealed, the truth a cruel twist of the knife.
"No, it's not possible!" Hazel repeated, his voice cracking.
"That's the truth. Although it seems she grew fond of you, that doesn't change the fact that she isn't the original Ivy," Grim said, his tone firm but not unkind.
"Look, I—" Grim began, but Hazel cut him off, his voice strained. "Enough. Enough."
"Okay then. Just tell the system you want to go back, and you'll awaken with a god title," Grim said, his expression unreadable.
With a deep sadness etched on his face, Hazel whispered into the void, "System, I want to go back."
[Achievement unlocked: One with Death]
[A title has been created]
[Sovereign of Death]
[You have returned to the moment of your death]
~Back to life~
Doom was strolling away in his god form, a bored smirk on his face. "I think I'm already missing Hazel," he mused aloud. "That look of despair was so... delightful. Killing the others will be utterly boring in comparison." Suddenly, a surge of dark energy erupted behind him. He whirled around, his eyes widening as he saw Hazel levitating in the air, a black aura swirling around his body. Hazel's voice, now imbued with a chilling power, cut through the air. "Lay a finger on them, and you will not find peace, even in death."