A lone rugged man can be seen walking down the turn of a long hallway lit up by bright white orbs within sockets in the ceiling. It looked a lot like the interior of a hospital, but it lacked one crucial thing. The presence of people. One would expect patients or staff pacing around, but from front to end, he was alone.

In one hand, he was carrying a small metal container with a small insignia on the side. Passing by metal door after door, he actually looked a little lost. Secretly, he was kind of unsure he was going to go about this whole incident, but as a senior it was his job. He casually scratching his chin, until he realized there was no beard there, stopping with a slight frown.

What's a man without facial hair?!

He thought pitifully while a depressed heave flowed from his chest. It's one of the physical shames that he can't seem to cover or hide from. "Poor genes" was his excuse despite the fact that such things had no meaning to the new bodies of agents.

Corwin found himself unconsciously glancing down at the metal box in his hands. The feeling coming from it was warm, almost humid. Cursed artifacts were something he's had poor experiences with, glad that he only has to be with it a while longer. It was a little strange how this particular individual made it so long without being detected by one of the agents or sensors. Maybe it was a new kind of cloaking magic? He wouldn't know, nor did he care, the whole magical technicalities stuff just wasn't his sort of deal.

His eyes caught the number "413" on the door, pausing his footsteps.

Raising his hand, he was about to knock before realizing that it was pretty unnecessary.

"I'm coming in." He said before turning the knob and pushing the door in slightly.

Jessie stared off into bright stars far off into the night sky. Jessie would always feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness on these types of nights. Jessie sat on his bed, his chin rested upon his hand. The light from the moon illuminated the empty room Jessie was in. Only the color of green showed on the I.V. monitor that clashed with the whiteness of the walls,door, and tiled floor. Jessie's hair, unkempt as usual when he'd wake up from his slumber, partly blocked his sight. He hated when it was too messy though. His fingers rushed through his hair in a vain attempt to comb it to a more suitable style that didn't bother him. Thought flooded the poor man. Thoughts that would come back and then disappear again from his conscious. His face tensed with stress and his fist clenched. The restraints upon his arms tugged and a clanking noise of the metal links hitting the post of the bed rang throughout the room. Silence soon overtook the room once again, but was soon broken as a voice rang out from behind the door.

"I'm coming in." the unknown voice said.

Jessie turned away from the the moon and the stars toward the direction of the noise. The door swung open. Jessie's body tensed.

Corwin walked into the room, looking back and forth, quickly closing the door before presenting a casual grin to the young man, "So... ah, how are you feeling? We found you pretty shaken back in downtown...looks like you took a lot of straining back there." he muttered, placing the metal box onto the table beside Jessie.

It should feel familiar since it was confiscated, but he didn't even know if he could sense corrupted essence yet.

"... Do you remember much, you know, before you blacked out?" Corwin added, sliding a chair from the corner of the room. He was about to sit down when he saw the restraints at his hands, stopping half-motion, glancing quickly at Jessie. They were magic enforced, and while he himself didn't order them, his partner was much more cautious. And by cautious, of course he meant downright cynical.

He suddenly reaches out to Jessie with a hand, "I'm not supposed to do this... but..."

Upon realizing that the person who broke his solitude seemed passive, Jessie's body relaxed a little, but still tense, readied for the unknown. He looked at the tall man who towered above Jessie. Jessie's gaze went from his red gloves to his red shoes. The sudden clash of red against the paleness of the room would catch Jessie's eyes. "Hi.." Jessie replied looking up to the man's face his chin smooth as a baby's bottom Jessie thought. He lowered his head to look at his shoes again, "I'm fine." Jessie glanced over at the box that the man put down. He thought nothing of it and saw that the man put forth his hand toward Jessie. Confused, Jessie thought that maybe he wanted to shake his hand?

"Uhh.." Jessie muttered slowly reaching out his hand to meet the other's.

Corwin noticed the man looking at him, and when his eyes landed his chin, his cheeks turned slightly red from shame. The blue eyes saw that this person had some hair on his chin, and deep inside, it made his gut twist with envy. Even if looking at it made him feel like crap, he couldn't deny that this man's facial hair looked in his opinion, truly magnificent.

He just made a forced grin while shedding a figurative man tear.

If only some of us are that lucky...

Being too distracted in his own self-pity, Corwin's hand had unknowingly zoomed right past Jessie's onto the shackles that bound his wrist. Honestly, it was just him being troubled by small things, yet again. The stiffness in his grin waned upon remembering his duty and "image" he was to uphold as example to the lower ranking agents.
"Forgive and forget those who don't mean harm" has always been one of his personal mottos.

Gripping the shackle, a small string of symbols flowed Corwin's mind as he said one word, "Unlock."

Slight pressure can be felt in the air as the metal beneath the red gloves glimmered with a faint yellow light. A metallic clinking can be heard as it unhinged beneath the magic influence. After letting go, the chains immediately fell off, dropping off the sides of the bed with a clunk.

"I thought you'd be uncomfortable in those." he reasoned quietly, quickly pulling back while shifting his eyes onto the metal box atop the table, "I know I'm being pushy in asking right after you woke up, but back to my previous statement; do you remember anything before you blacked out? You're not so much in trouble as we are trying to investigate something that's been made more urgent than needed. Let's just say, my partner just has a few... issues."

Corwin said the last words in a fearful hush, leaning in as to make sure only he could hear.

Jessie massages his wrists as soon as the shackles fall unto the floor. His wrists were slightly red, irritated from the sudden release of the grasp. He contemplated whether he should yield the information to this unknown man. The chill of the night air brushed enveloped his wrists.

I don't even know his name. He thought to himself.
Cautious, Jessie replies to the man's inquires reluctantly.

"I was in a fight with a monster. I killed her, then I passed out." A moment of silence passes. "What do you want with me? Where am I?"

Corwin took the man's short reply, tossing it around in his mind, assessing the words with what he knew. He wasn't used to biting his tongue and holding information, but this wasn't exactly his call. For some It felt like they were out here much longer than intended.Looking around the room, he scowled, digging into his coat pocket and producing a small ornate pocket watch. It was an expensive, old-fashioned, and made of brass. He held it tightly, flicking it open and taking tab of the time.

Something changed about his grin, quickly putting the round object back.

"You've heard of the afterlife, right?" he asked, raising his brow, "I'm sure you know how to get here... so I won't go into that."

"And it's not what I want, we just need a reason why..." cutting his sentence, Corwin turned over and picked up the metal box.

A similar glowing transpired when he did the same unlocking procedure, but this time, to complete it, he pulled off his gloves, revealing a long history of scars. Adding another, Corwin bit his finger and dropped a tear of blood onto the symbol inscribed on the box. Nothing seemed to happened, but in a flash the box gleamed furiously, filling the room in a red light.

When the glare died off, the box was already opened. Inside was a modified black Colt M1900 with an extended barrel. The metal was sleek, but had a Victorian style embedded across the barrel and handle. Corwin slightly winced, feeling the energy coming from of it. It filled the room, mostly oblivious to the man on the bed, but Corwin made sure to keep a calm face as to not alarm him.

"We found this weapon on your body... how did you get it?"

Jessie looked at the man quizzically. He didn't reorganize the gun, but then it hit him. It was the gun that the woman tossed him. He vanquished her with that very gun! Jessie was surprised. He decided to tell the man what happened, but the emotion of worry showed on Jessie's face.

"That was the gun I used to kill the monster. She tossed it on the floor in front of me."

Jessie hesitated a for a moment before uttering the words, "I..I used the gun to kill her."
The memories of betrayal and sadness overcame Jessie. His eyes darkened in sorrow. The sudden thought of the painful memory of ...... and how the people he trusted were never meant to be trusted, shook and pricked the daggers already left within his heart. He felt the bitter sting of failure encase him in his prison. His own soul.

"You asked me about the afterlife, what of it? There is no heaven, just purgatory and hell. We never were meant to life happily, happy endings never existed.."

Jessie's head hang low. Indicators of sadness shown on his whole face. His frown deepened in disappointment, his eyes dark and somber, his forehead wrinkled with pain.
The pain was too much for Jessie to bear, but naught a single tear would unravel down his cheeks for he had to hide the pain.

Corwin saw Jessie's slanted deposition, turning away while returning the glove back over his other hand. He couldn't even remember the first time he killed someone, let alone the amount of times he spilled blood. But the feeling still remained, the hallowed burning that still lay in his chest till this day. He's seen sadness many times, pain, and suffering, but it will never ceased bringing him down as well.

Raising his hand, Corwin swept it across the room dramatically to lighten the mood, "This is the Afterlife, welcome! It's nothing special right now, but once you step outside, you'll begin to understand what actually happens when we die."

His airy tone carried over the room, "It's a little different than what the church claims happens..." but he stopped the joke with a conflicted look, "Well, there isn't much time before we need to move. I'll explain it all later..."

He thought for a moment with his head on a hand, trying to figure a way to ask the next question without unsettling the man any further.

"This woman you said... was she different...?" Corwin muttered, making motions over his head, "Like horns and such?"

"Oh that makes sense with all the demons and monsters I've met."

Jessie's face suddenly went from stressed to concerned.

"If this is the afterlife, then all the religions we're wrong huh."

Jessie thought about how the woman that helped him all this time, until her eventual betrayal.

"She was a demon. She told me. She looked like a normal businesswoman when I first met her, but when I fought her..She was something of myth and legend. When she revealed her true form, scales and cracks of what seemed like lava rippled throughout her body."

Jessie remembers how dumbstruck he was when he first saw that his mentor really was.

Corwin nodded at the man's response, coming to the conclusion that wasn't too far off a poor soul dragged into a Demon's twisted plan. Things like this were common in this world, though these things would always change from person to person.

He shook his head sorrowfully, "Damn, I can just imagine the pain when the world was just flipped upside down for you."

He wished there was something he could say to make things better, but it wasn't that easy. There was only one thing left for Jessie, he already knows too much to turn back now. But seeing the pain that the Demons have reaped across the world, Corwin couldn't simply turn his back on the task they must choose to accept. His fists clenched the more he thought about the pain that the damned monsters have brought, how life is just like a blind ride. Some people have it easy, while others must take the burden that no one else wants.

Corwin cleared his throat, looking at Jessie dead on. He choose his words carefully before speaking out in a serious tone, "Do you want revenge for what's happened to you?"

Jessie's head snapped to the man in response to his question. His stare was intense and full of anger at the thought of revenge. He quickly looked down his face full of disappointment and stress once again. Thoughts rushed his mind once again. Happiness, sadness, pain, suffering, anger, and hate passed through his psyche over and over. He couldn't catch up to his thoughts and his emotions. Without thinking he replied,
"I've already had my revenge."
Silence befell the two.
"I..I just want to be with...."
His sentence stopped abruptly. Jessie stopped talking completely lost within his own thoughts once more. Jessie felt dizzy, dazed from the sudden influx of information rushing through is brain. Processing and re-processing memories, thought, and emotions. His vision blurred, weakness overcame his body.
"I..I should rest."
Jessie muttered as he settled himself in his bed.

Corwin saw the man slowly falter into his mind, the silence that followed after bringing their conversation to a sure end. Jessie was obviously having trouble straightening out recent events and was still recovering from the Soul Straining. Besides, Corwin wasn't the type to prod into people's business willingly, returning the small container to the table. The gun lay within the open case, the blonde man making no action to reseal the box.

"Even though this gun has demonic influence, it belongs to you. Do whatever you want with it, though if you still want revenge... I can offer you a chance."

It was unspoken as to what Corwin had to do if this person were to choose to embrace the gun's nature, but he was hopeful that such things wouldn't cross over. For both of their sakes. Standing up and angling himself to the door, Corwin took a small step before tilting his head over slightly,

"I'll wake you up soon." he warned in a low tone, "We can't stay in one place for too long... ironic, even in death we're rarely able to rest."

Twisting the knob he paused once again, "Oh, and my name is Corwin." muttering the name as he left the room, closing the door behind him softly.

Once outside, Corwin sighed, checking his pocket watch one more time before setting down the hallway. If he was going to be late, at least he had an excuse, not that it mattered to his strict squad leader anyways. Half way down the hall, Corwin was again unconsciously scratching his chin.

Really though... if only I had facial hair that cool.

...

A figure stood beside the skinny girl that lay upon the ground, the flaring bright streams of light surrounding them, floating aimlessly before rising high into the sky. To an untrained eye, this school would simply appear empty and void, and even to the lucky few that are blessed with such sense of magic, would see a scene similar to the Northern Lights of the North Pole high above. But to the stranger and the few that know the truth, these currents of energy were Souls released from the dead, awaiting their turn in the cycle.
Another death like always, but this one, instead of flowing off into the cycle like the souls around, was planned to remain. The hooded figure, whose features were obscured by the shadows, watched the girl motionlessly, suddenly raising a hand over the body. The being muttered something in an strange, distorted tongue as it knelt down, pressing two fingers on the girl's forehead.

A moment passed, and when nothing seemed to happen, a surge of bright vermillion colored energy flowed like wild smoke from the body. The stream of energy burst upwards but shot back down as though brought back by a powerful gust, returning to engulf the body it had come from. It was like a radiant fire, but it shortly vanished, leaving the two alone once again. The girl was strangely unscarred by the flames, the figure remaining unmoving.

She would soon awaken.

Melissa’s eyes blinked as she awoke to a strange new sky, she looked around to notice it was her school. Where had everyone gone? It was completely empty. Memories flash quickly in her mind; the competition? What happened? She began to panic and restlessly started looking around until her eyes met the lower half of her body. Her eyes widened in terror, what had happened to her new body? It was back to its previous state. It was as if her hours of hard work hadn’t happened yet. Was this some horrible dream? She wondered as she brought her hands to her face. She was in utter shock and didn’t know how to react; her hands fell from her face and back to her side as she looked up into the sky. Her eyes began to feel heavy, a single tear making its way down her face. After a moment of just sitting there, she felt a strange presence she didn’t notice before, she began to fully process her surroundings until she noticed a figure off in the shadows, she was slightly frightened but she knew they had to have the answer. “What happened..?” she asked quietly to the figure, it was a simple question, but it was the only answer she was looking for right now.

The figure was still, not reacting in the slightest to the girl's bewilderment, "You are dead... this is the afterlife." the tone was solemn, though it left a heavy note within the cold yet sunny air. A fleeting time of pause was left, purposely for the girl to take in the truth. It was only proper, for even death was taken as seriously in the afterlife. It can also be seen as a short time for her to mourn her past life, but only that. There was much to explain, but there is little time and even less incentive. Overloading a person wasn't always the smartest, and the simple act of telling them that they are dead can cause a welling of stress.

The individual then shifted slightly, knowing that It was nearing time, and they needed to move before the spirits were to become more prevalent. Certain ones can be easily angered, and simply being around can cause more trouble than it is worth. And not to mention the spirits that are even less than welcoming to Souls. If there wasn't a Harvester around to guide them into the cycle, they would prey upon hapless, confused people.

"Follow me." the hooded being ordered, turning and taking a step down the large cement field.

His words shook her, frozen in her place she whispers to herself
"I'm.... dead..?".

Her gaze moves to the ground, How did this happen? There was a long silence between the two, it felt like she had been sitting there for days. She couldn't have been dead, there was so much left to do. Her mind was running back and forth trying to grasp it all, but it wasn't enough time. The figure spoke again and startled her out of her state and her eyes snapped back up to them.

"Where are you taking me?!" She shouted and began to get up, staring at the back of this figure, her hands now in fists beside her.

She wasn't sure if she could trust someone who told her she was dead so easily and then suddenly asks her to follow them. This was the afterlife, how much more can there be than just this? Why was she even put in this situation? Her anger quickly started turning into frustration, and her throat felt as if it was being squeezed as she tried to hold back tears. She looked around once again, realizing just how empty this place feels, where else could she go?

Her hands start to relax again, looking at the back of that figure and asks again in a somber tone, "Where are you taking me..?" Her voice cracking a little as she held in any tears from falling.

"We are all dead here..." the being remarks, keeping the same quick pace while making out of the exit.

Once the girl had caught up, the long black robe the figure can be seen clearly. It was aged, but also very finely weaved with parts matched with leather and thick cloth. Small silver ornaments were attached around the ends of the shoulders and shawl. The fabric wavered down to the ground but never dragged, swaying calmly with each stride.

There was no conversation between the two until the girl spoke up again, or rather yelled. While the figure didn't turn to visually examine her, the girl's voice was lined with anger. But strangely enough, after a brief delay, she spoke up again, this time sounding much more brittle.

"We are meeting the others, it is not safe out here in the Divide when it reaches a certain time..." The figure was about to end matters there when it suddenly decided to continue, "We've been watching you for awhile now, Melissa. You've a strange Soul."

...

In a dark alleyway, the sound of air bursting brought forth a bright light and a body was thrust into existence. A man, whose wounds seemed to give off a wave of sky blue energy instead of blood, fell unto the ground. The 5 thugs and the woman that were with him all but vanished as his Soul was released into the Divide. They still existed, but in a separate place, as was he to them. However, to those able to see essences of Souls, it would look like they were all together in the alleyway, except the people surrounding him would appear nothing more than faded outlines. In fact, the man was laying right beside his old body.

Then it began.

His body was slowly dusting as the Soul began to release fully, the tiny specks of energy gradually floating up into the air above. If left unhindered, the return of the Soul to the Cycle would commence. But as they rose, they began to be pulled backwards as though with strings.

A snickering was heard, and from the shadows a voice whispered, "Ah, there is the first... I was hoping that my first meal of the day would be that female... but this would do."

A twisted black claw extended out of the darkness, clutching onto the man's leg.

Gradually, it pulled him closer and closer into the shadows as the laughter intensified, "Don't worry about missing a thing! You'll awaken right before I start feeding.
Oh, it will be painful. I'll make sure of it!"

This figured being continues to astonish her, leaving her speechless again. Her face contorts, Watching me?... My soul?, she couldn't fully understand everything this figure was telling her; at this point she decides to just forget asking questions because they just made her feel more uncomfortable and confused with the current situation.

The being continued to talk after a short pause, its last statement surprising her a little, There are other people? she thinks, wondering if they were the same as herself; brought back to the afterlife. ---How much worse can things get if I follow? she shrugs and begins to gradually pace herself behind the being.

She gets one last look around, taking in the last she thinks she will see of her school. This place felt foreign to her now, it wasn't at all the school she went to. She took a deep breath and followed the being before her.

Reynar awoke with a pain filled gasp, and the feeling of the scraping gravel beneath him. Something was dragging him, and panic set in. How he got there escaped him, but now in that twisted place, he fought be released by whatever the warped claw belonged to. A ghastly snickering filled his ears, resounding from something that could not have been human. As he slowly started to disappear beneath the shadow, the creature stopped. "What have we here," the throaty reverberating voice hummed. Reynar pitched his head back to see the woman he'd tried to save leaned against the brick wall.

Then he remembered, "I'm dead?" and so was she. The chuckle grew louder as the claw retracted, then in a flurry of movement the ghastly form bounded toward the woman, who when finally waken, wailed in terror. He struggled to his feet. His body felt weak, unresponsive, but the still unbelieving Reynar, couldn't let his supposed death be in vain; at least, not entirely. He wavered toward the creature, "Hey." He chuckled slightly at the thought, well this seems familiar.

They walked for a long while, the wordless interaction leaving no room for enjoyment in the pair's company. It seemed random, leading the girl down one street to another, but soon enough they ended up at a large apartment building. It was old-fashioned and terribly rundown; there were walls missing, with a creaky sign hanging above the arches that gave the whole place a creepy air beneath the darkening sky.

The figure suddenly came up and pointed a finger to a brick wall.

"Knock... and it will be opened to you." said the being, the voice still low, leaving their gender still incomprehensible. Though spoken quietly, the words seemed to weigh down the air around the two.

Pressing down lightly, the being dragged the finger in bizarre ups and downs across the wall. For a brief moment, nothing was happening until an image began to form. A faint purple symbol was being drawn upon the wall, the circular shape beginning flow off the surface. Peculiar letters and shapes lined the entire diagram, most of which just looked like gibberish to others. Stepping back, the robed being placed both hands flat at the center, both touching at the palms. Slowly rotating them, the magic symbol turned in response.

All at once, the letterings vanished, and the symbol immediately tore into the wall, creating an opening into a pale white hallway. From this side, all they could see was a row of doors with markings too small to read.

The figure then turned, making a ushering gesture with a swing of an arm, "You first."

For the first time, under illumination of the purple symbol behind, the mysterious being's face was shown; however, just barely. A single purple eye watch Melissa, or rather, an eye and a strange metal covering in place of the other.

...

The creature licked the woman's face, ignoring her helpless cries. When it heard the man speak once more it turned from the shadows to expose it's face, if there was one. A mangled, rotten jaw with long forked tongue hung below the flat featureless upper skull. The dimming sunlight showed a long and skinny body that had small patches of gray hair lining it's black shriveled torso. Five moldy arms dragged from it's side, two at the left and 3 on the right. The twisted claw was coming from it's chest, large and disproportional to the remaining mass. The rest was still hidden by the darkness, though there is much doubt whether anyone would want to know what else this thing has for show.

It hissed despite making no motion with it's mouth, breaking into another fit of snickering, "Haha! Playing the hero are we?! Look where that brought you!"

Leaving the woman, it lunged forward with a slam of it's arms, it's long tongue lashing out for the man.