Rain was falling from the inky black sky. A few people milled about with umbrellas, trying to get indoors before the downpour worsened. A young man looking to be in his early twenties was stepping out of his office building, just clocking out from another long day of work. He had short black hair and olive skin. He was tall and lean, but one could see the strength hidden away behind his collared shirt. A nametag reading ‘Leo’ on his shirt could be seen in big blocky letters.

  ‘Another day, another dollar.’

  Pulling his umbrella out, he began walking home. The street was soaked, making it hard to keep a steady footing and becoming slippery. Leo grimaced but kept trekking to the hole he had called his home—the streetlamps filled with mana, casting a soft glow over the sidewalk.

  The light hit the sides of buildings, making the alleyways seem darker. Not many people were outside, and those who were seemed to have been caught off guard by the sudden downpour. All sorts of people were quickly walking about, from young to old, but Leo was lost in thought while approaching the end of the street.

  The rain began falling harder, making it annoying to trek through. Water began to soak his shoes and sink into his socks, chilling his feet to the bone. Just as Leo turned a corner, he was knocked to the ground, his umbrella flying out of his hand.

  A man with pale skin and long brown hair pasted all over his face stood before him. His eyes were dark brown, and his face looked gaunt and hollow, but they were filled with fear. Leo looked at the man's torso, and his eyes widened as he saw a gash running along the man's ribcage. Leo tried standing up, but the man stumbled past him, frantically running down the street in a hurry to get away. Leo shook his head, wondering what that could have been about. Looking around, he found his umbrella sitting on the side of the road.

  ‘That bastard runs into me and doesn’t even have the decency to help me.’

  Leo began getting up once more, when suddenly he felt like he was flying high into the air. His eyes started darting around to figure out what was wrong when he saw a headless corpse lying on the ground. The nametag ‘Leo’ was in big blocky letters on the corpse's shirt.

  …

  Alex had messed up big time. Taking money from mobsters was never a good idea, and his friends told him so. But he really, really needed the money; his friends didn’t understand. He could've made the money back if he had… had a little more time.

  This crossed Alex’s mind as he ran down the street in the pouring rain. The wound on his side resulted from one of the hitmen’s swords. He barely escaped by running onto a crowded building and slipping past the crowd. Being thin made it easy to weave through the crowd and slip away.

  However, no matter how far Alex ran, it felt like the thugs were hot on his tail. Turning a corner, he saw the sidewalk come to an end, leading to heavy traffic. MagLev cars were coasting down the street, moving fast enough to turn Alex into a smear on the pavement. Turning around, he shuddered and prepared himself to take one last stand.

  ‘I’m gonna die on my terms, dammit!’

  The thugs were quick to catch up to Alex, with anger smoldering on their faces. Five men were dressed in classy black suits. However, they were drenched by the rain. Alex noticed one of the men had blood dripping on the tip of his sword and grimaced.

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  “I-I just need a little more time. Please, I’m begging you.”

  One of the men smirked and shook his head, and his voice rumbled like thunder, “You read the agreement, Alex. You had three months to pay the money back, and your time is up. Rent is due, and we’ve come to collect.” Alex had never seen the person who spoke before, but they were built like a bear. He stood well, much higher than the other men, and had a presence about him that demanded attention. His head was shaved entirely, and he had hazel eyes. His skin was deep like mahogany, and the muscles under his suit looked like steel cables.

  He walked calmly towards Alex as if he had all the time in the world. Alex tried throwing a punch, but in the next moment, he felt pain blossom where his hand used to be. His hand dropped, making a soft thud as it hit the ground. In the next moment, the man's knee collided with Alex’s ribs, sending him flying into a wall. Alex felt something break under the force of that blow.

  Coughing up blood, Alex looked up, and he no longer saw a man but an executioner bringing his blade down. In his final moments, Alex thought, ‘Please, if any god can hear my prayer, help me, and I’ll do anything you ask of me.’

  The blade was nearing his head with speed Alex wouldn’t have been able to process. However, moments before the blade made contact, Alex felt a cold chill spread through the world. The blade never arrived, and the pain in Alex’s body subsided.

  Looking up, everything was frozen. The hitmen stood still, not even a facial muscle twitch. The MagLev cars were frozen even though they should have been moving faster than the wind. Even the rain was frozen, hanging like crystals in the sky, shining light on the world. However, there was one thing that did move in the world of frozen time.

  In the middle of the street sat a man? A woman? Alex wasn’t sure due to the long cloak they wore. A mask on their face reminded Alex of a time before technology. It was a simple wooden half mask with grooves cut out to represent eyes, but only darkness sat where the eyes should have been. They had an eerie smile that didn’t quite reach their eyes. Meanwhile, they sat in a chair that seemed to be carved from marble, which contrasted heavily with their dark figure.

  ‘Well, I guess there will be two things if I can move.’

  The dark figure gestured for Alex to stand, so Alex maneuvered himself away from the mobster's blade and walked towards the stranger.

  “What are you?” Alex asked, with trepidation seeping into his voice.

  “Shouldn’t it be obvious?” The stranger's voice came to him like a whisper, yet seemed to come from everywhere. “You asked for help, and who am I to deny?” A chill ran down Alex’s back, hearing the stranger's words. “However, there is a price for my service. I need you to do a simple task.”

  ‘I know I asked for help from a god, but why does it feel like I’m making a deal with a devil.’

  “W-what do you want then?” Alex stammered, trying not to run away in fear.

  “I desire a soul I lost many years ago. All you must do is travel to the underworld, avoid the gods and entities, and retrieve it.”

  Alex stood dumbfounded at the words the god said. In ancient myths, the underworld was believed to be the final resting place for humans, but few people truly believed in it, except for religious zealots and conspiracy theorists.

  ‘Well, apparently, gods also believe in it.’

  Alex thought for a moment and looked back at the mobsters. To refuse meant death. To accept meant a chance at survival. Looking forward, Alex gave a half-hearted smile.

  “We have a deal.”

  The god's smile grew wider, and they stood up from the seat. In it, they seemed to be of ordinary stature, but as they rose, it was as if the world was bending under the strain of allowing the god to exist there. The god stood well over 3 meters tall, towering over Alex like an ant facing a human. The god reached and tapped Alex on the forehead.

  Suddenly, a flash of pain bloomed in Alex’s mind. Something was happening to him. It felt like a brand was being printed on his soul. He tried screaming, but no sound came out. He stood there motionless for a few moments before collapsing in a heap on the floor.

  Alex’s breathing was ragged, and he felt sick to the stomach. Had he been imparted with knowledge along with a blessing? Yes, he was sure of it. A blessing had been placed on his soul, filling his body with energy that he didn’t know he could feel.

  “Go forth, my soldier; not even death can stop you.”

  With that, the god vanished along with the marble chair. The rain hit Alex like a waterfall, resuming as if nothing had happened. The pain that had also been subdued made itself known, reminding Alex that his hand was still missing. Behind him, he heard a loud crash and turned to see the mobsters standing there, first shocked and then confused. Alex’s eyes widened in shock.

  ‘That no good god didn’t even take care of the problem. I’m still in danger!’

  Running, Alex didn’t realize where he had run towards. It was already too late once he did. The MagLev car crashed into Alex’s body, making him explode like a human pi?ata. That was the first time Alex died.