I can tell you with the utmost certainty, this is not the afterlife.

[ As former arbiter of death, he’s a pretty good authority on the matter. That, and he did get to spend some small amount of time in the Lifestream. He knows very well that this is not that, nor is it related in any way.

He is sharp enough to follow the implications in her words to hazard a guess that they are indeed in the same boat. He has enough self-awareness to realize that not everyone is ready or happy about shuffling off this mortal coil. ]

Nothing for it but to simply push forward, and see what awaits us at the end of this road.