Have fun, kid.

Another bullet bounced off the reaper, every shot striking the same spot on his forehead.

"I told you, I won't bleed!" The man staggered backwards once more, gripping his forehead.

"I know."

Xelian released another bullet, but this time the man swiped it out of the air with his bare palm. He ceased fire, scratching his head as he turned towards the bed once more.

"Is that — really me?" Again, his pale grey eyes revealed nothing of his current emotion.

"Hmm." The man nodded quite sharply.

Xelian lowered his arm, he walked over to a side stool then sat on it. The young lad's glare was still fixed on his supposed corpse.

"You can call me Lion by the way." The man walked towards the teen's bed.

"So how did I die?" He muttered, looking up at the ceiling, a faint smile crept onto his face.

"You held your own breath in your sleep actually, the first time it's been done." The man tossed the bullet he held.

"Your case grew famous in minutes where I'm from."

Xelian rolled away the silencer, "If you knew me, you wouldn't judge," he smirked.

The proclaimed Grim Reaper stood in silence, frowning like a concerned parent.

"So what now?"

"You come with me," the man raised a thumb at himself, building his smile back up.

"Where would you take me?" Xelian asked.

"To The Office. Whatever happens after isn't in my jurisdiction." Lion kept a straight face, like anything he just said made sense.

Xelian scanned the man from head to toe.

Reapers are more progressive than I thought.

"But — "

Xelian placed his palm on his chest.

"There's nothing here, right?"

"I'm not going to torture myself with explaining anything to you since your time is up." The man folded his arms as he narrowed his eyes.

Xelian didn't budge, making the Grim Reaper roll his bloodshot eyes.

"We're neither dead nor alive. We only stop functioning when our flow of energy is disrupted by any physical barrier—" he bent his arm, pointing at the area in between his chest.

"Right— here."

A golden spear immediately pierced right through the reaper from behind, neatly cutting off a finger as it pierced the exact point the man had highlighted.

Xelian fell off his seat, while the reaper crashed on his knees, mouth wide, gasping for air.

The grim reaper's eyes faded with great speed, shaking abruptly without rhythm or aim. He moved his mouth but no sound came through.

What the hell?! he gripped his pistol.

Xelian watched as the reaper's life faded. Sweat covered his face, his body trembled violently, he couldn't even move.

From the ground, Xelian rolled his eyes through the shattered window to the vague night sky.

He instantly caught sight of an unknown figure suspended mid-air, though the figure was shrouded in the moon's shadow, he could feel the weight of the mystery man's glare, it felt like their eyes met.

A deadly gaze which held great mudder intent, and it was locked on him. Just then another choking aura engulfed him, one as fierce and desperate as a wounded lion.

His stiff eyes quickly shifted towards it, and the kneeling reaper launched himself at him, grabbing his arm.

The teen’s eyes shut themselves from the drama— only to open to a grassy field.

Xelian swerved around, searching the entire field he could see.

"How the hell did we get out here?!" Xelian freaked, breaking free of the dying reaper’s grip.

With both of them weak, they fell down on the short grass.

"Quiet!" the reaper winced, dragging himself to his knees.

Grabbing the spear with both hands, he locked his jaw, steadily drawing out the weapon forced into him.

"Ugh," He tossed the bloodied weapon aside.

His cloak was drenched in blood. With a massive hole tearing through his chest, white vapor oozed out of it.

"My energy. It’s evaporating. There’s been a breach in my system," the reaper fell back on the grass.

"No, no, no! You can’t go now—what happens to me?!" The teen rushed to his side.

"You really are self-centered, Xelian," the man said, a weak grin tugging at his lips.

"I knew they’d come after me if I missed this job, I never imagined they’d gotten this impatient." A fit of violent coughs followed, blood accompanying every single one.

"What are you talking about?" Xelian rushed to his feet, standing as though ready to bolt once the unearthly assassin returned.

"I work for a well-known grim reaper organization. But something happened — and I found out." The reaper started taking deep breaths, his eyes slanted and almost shut.

"I can't let it end like this. What a shame it would be." More blood stopped him from saying anything else.

"Do you think you can still pull off that trick you just did? I need to see someone," Xelian pressed, tapping the dying man.

"Can you hear me?" He squatted.

The reaper’s hand shot out, gripping Xelian’s wrist again.

"This annoying brat, what a hassle." The reaper's breath grew thinner and thinner with every word.

"What are you blabbering about?!" Xelian retorted, struggling to pull free. But the grip was too tight.

"I, Lion, hereby make you, damned spirit, a False Reaper. I give you purpose. A reason to exist. Deviate from it, and fade into nothingness."

Amidst his chants, a great golden light burst from his palm, shining through Xelian’s skin.

It bore divinity and pain, much pain.

"Aahh!" He gnashed his teeth, his pupils shaking viciously.

Black veins spread from the arm the reaper held, it stretched to his other arm and his neck, but it soon faded.

"Asleep is Xelian. Risen to serve, is Dark," the reaper declared with faint breaths. Xelian's pain ceased, but the reaper took over.

The teenager sprang back to life, falling on his butt as he clutched his wrist. A scar in the shape of Lion's palm marked him.

The reaper’s body worsened, scorched black veins spread out from within the reaper's cloak, his breathing slowed down consistently, with his eyes fading to a faint grey.

From the reaper's chest, a white glowing orb of energy emerged. It floated towards Xelian, staring the kid in the face as it cracked. Half the orb's essence turned to dust, wrapping around him despite his frantic efforts to wave it away.

The other half drifted back to the reaper, ready to revert back into him, but he grabbed it, stared at it like a friend before thrusting it straight at the kid's chest.

Still solid, it struck like a hammer, unleashing a massive shockwave that tore across the grassy field.

The force pushed Xelian to a decent distance. He tried getting to his feet, but his legs wouldn't listen.

His eye color shifted; his pale grey eyes sprang to life in a glowing neon green.

His hair straightened, steadily arranging itself in a tousled undercut — bold red spilling over the black till it consumed it.

He dug his hands into the soil, trying to get up, but his body refused him.

"You are now a Leacher." The reaper said as scorched veins spread all over his skin.

Xelian looked up,

"Your purpose — is to reconstruct the pillar," Lion whispered, looking straight into the eyes of Xelian as his skin cracked, crumbling into ash bit by bit.

"Lion? Lion. Wait, I don’t get it, I have so many questions! Wait—" he dragged himself across the grass, crawling to the reaper.

"Have fun, kid. I know I didn’t." The reaper smirked, his eyes turned pure white.

Those were Lion’s final words. His expression was calm, almost relieved, as his whole body fully disintegrated.

Xelian paused, shutting his eyes as he faced the dirt.

Alone.

Suddenly, his shoulders twitched at the sharp sparks of electricity behind him. The growling charges persisted, twisting into a fanatical whirlpool, it swirled like a portal.

It trashed violently, unstable and hostile; Xelian was now an anomaly to be taken care of.

Xelian squeezed the grass with all his lingering strength, nearly uprooting it as he buried his face in the dirt.

He didn't even try to resist as the portal drew him in. He dragged his head up, staring at Lion's ashes with watery eyes.

How can you leave me like this?

What am I to do?

The portal dragged him up, drawing his body into its whirlpool. Still, he didn't struggle, with teary eyes, he looked down at Lion's ashes as the wind scattered them.

The golden spear shifted, once or twice.

Xelian rolled his eyes promptly at it, allowing a thin stream of tears to run down his cheek.

You've got to be kidding me.

The spear released a humming sound, floating above the grass, then it pulled back with intense speed, like it was being called.

The portal made a final pull and swallowed Xelian whole. It quickly shut down, erasing itself spontaneously.

As tiny sparks flickered in the air, an eerie figure loomed over Lion's ashes.

"It's done. But there was a witness — a recent spirit. Should I give chase?" It said in a thick voice as it landed just beside Lion's ashes.

"Alright. He shouldn’t have gotten far," another replied from an unsettled distance.

"What if he turned him?" the figure over Lion's ashes spoke again.

"I doubt he had the chance. But if he did," A lighter voice emerged behind him.

"Then this just got a lot more interesting for me." He chuckled.