BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
SMASH
"Ugh," groaned Evan Miller, your average depressed college student, as he was jolted awake by his alarm for yet another tedious day of mind-numbingly boring classes. Dragging himself out of bed, he went through his usual routine of showering and brushing his teeth, preparing himself for the day ahead.
Most days, he felt almost useless, as if there was nothing worth living for. His grades were fine, but he always felt as though he could never live up to the expectations that had surrounded him his entire life. Today was one of his worst. With midterms approaching, he dreaded the consequences of not bringing home good grades.
Opening his phone, he quickly read a chapter from his latest fantasy book before rushing off to class. On his way, he grabbed a cup of coffee and started his monotonous journey to his 8:00 AM lecture. He was already on the verge of failing it. As he briskly walked, he absentmindedly scrolled through the news, stepping onto one of the many roads that weaved through campus.
That was the last thing he remembered before opening his eyes again to a dark and eerie place. Countless souls stretched endlessly in a single-file line, spiraling downward into a chasm lit by hellish green flames. The flames were so intense that they hurt to look at.
"Where am I?" Evan thought, his heart pounding. Looking down, he realized his body was as incorporeal as the other souls surrounding him.
Panic set in as he recalled his last moments. A car must have hit him, killing him instantly. He tried to run, to break free from the endless line, but his body, or what he assumed was his body, resisted his mental commands. Instead, it continued forward, matching the pace of the souls ahead of him.
Suddenly, a loud, booming voice echoed from all around him.
"WHAT IS THIS I SEE?"
Evan's breath caught in his throat. "What the hell was that? And why did it feel like it was speaking to me?"
"A MORTAL SOUL THAT IS AWARE OF WHERE HE IS."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Evan had never been deeply religious. He only attended church on holidays like Christmas and Easter, but in that moment, he prayed to any and every god he could think of, desperately pleading for salvation.
"THOSE YOU PRAY TO CANNOT HELP YOU, MORTAL."
He tried to speak, but his lips would not move. Yet somehow, his voice still echoed in the abyss. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, AND WHERE THE HELL AM I?!" he shouted.
"HOW PECULIAR. YOU CAN ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE WITH ME."
From seemingly nowhere, a figure appeared. It was adorned in obsidian armor and wreathed in the same green flames that burned to look at. Evan’s mind shuddered in the being’s presence. When it spoke again, its voice, though quieter, still carried an ancient, grating quality, like millions of nails scraping across metal.
"WHY, HELLO THERE." The ominous figure gazed at Evan as though he were a new toy. "YOU MAY CALL ME XAROS, LORD OF LOST SOULS. AS FOR WHERE YOU ARE, IS IT NOT OBVIOUS? YOU STAND IN MY DOMAIN, OR AS YOU KNOW IT, THE UNDERWORLD."
The words sent a chill through Evan.
"The underworld? So, I really did die. Is this what the afterlife is? Just eternally walking in a line toward nothingness?"
He needed answers. "So, Xaros, is this really what hell looks like? Is there even a way to escape?"
Xaros let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "NOW, NOW, YOUNG MORTAL. THERE IS NO ESCAPE THROUGH YOUR OWN MEANS. HOWEVER, SINCE I AM FEELING GENEROUS, AS IT IS RARE FOR A SOUL TO REMAIN AWARE ONCE THEY CROSS THE GATE INTO MY DOMAIN, I AM CONSIDERING SETTING YOU FREE. WITH A CAVEAT, OF COURSE."
Evan mulled over what he had just heard. "So, this has happened before. And this god is willing to give me another life. But, of course, there is a catch."
"What do I have to do for a second chance at life?" Evan asked warily.
"OH, IT IS SIMPLE," Xaros chuckled. "I JUST REQUIRE YOU TO ACCEPT MY BLESSING."
Evan hesitated. "Why would that be the only condition for another chance at life?"
"And why exactly wouldn’t I jump at this opportunity?" he asked.
"IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU MAKE IT SOUND. RECEIVING A BLESSING FROM A DEITY SUCH AS MYSELF WOULD PAINT A TARGET ON YOUR BACK. THE WORLD YOU WILL BE SENT TO IS FRAUGHT WITH STRIFE."
Even so, Evan’s resolve remained firm. "I will accept your blessing if it means I have a second chance to live." His voice carried a confidence that made Xaros smile.
"WELL THEN, SO BE IT. HERE IS MY BLESSING. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT ENTERTAINMENT YOU BRING ME."
As Xaros spoke in a language Evan could not comprehend, he could feel the power behind each word. The entire underworld trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Then, a burning sensation spread across his body. It was searing and unbearable, as though something was being branded into his very soul. As Xaros’s chant reached its climax, Evan’s vision blurred, the world around him fading into darkness.
The last thing he heard was Xaros’s voice, now lacking its usual booming quality. It sounded almost intrigued.
"Goodbye, foolish mortal. I hope you don’t die immediately."
And then, nothing.
