Chương 1: New beginnings

Eric refreshed his email again. His eyes were struggling to stay open, but a notification made his heart pound. He skimmed the message, let out a heavy sigh, and tossed his phone onto the floor. His father peeked from the half-closed door.

"Number?"

"I don't even count them anymore…" Graduating college with full honors only to run headfirst into a brutal job market hadn't been part of the plan. Franklin walked over to the desk and gave his son a pat on the back.

"Look, I understand. It's hard, but you need to take a break. Time is a limited resource."

"That's exactly why I won't stop. Mom's time is running out, and you know it. The sooner I find a job, the better." Eric looked at his father with bloodshot eyes. Franklin opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue, but only a sigh came out. He gave his son one last look before limping out of the room. I can't give up now. One more search might be everything I need… What the? The monitor on his desk blacked out and turned green. A logo appeared on it for a split second.

Everything returned to normal after a moment, but an exclamation mark blinked in the upper right corner. What's going on? These new features are getting out of hand, I swear. Clicking on the exclamation mark revealed a rather long message. It expanded and took up the whole screen. Not long after, it materialized in the air between Eric and his monitor. /—————————————\ Congratulations, Mr. Graham! You've been selected for a special interview at the world's most renowned trading firm, Renaissance Capital.

We'll cover all expenses related to the interview process. Our only requirement of you is to bring the best version of yourself! Check your email for more information. \—————————————/ I don't remember applying. Eric leaned closer to the monitor and scanned the message again. Renaissance Capital wasn't exactly the kind of company that picked random graduates off the internet, and he would've remembered sending them an application. Before he could check his browser history, his phone vibrated on the floor.

Skimming through it, he saw the date of his interview. He even had a taxi driver assigned to him that would take him to the office.

"It's today? The taxi's coming in fifteen minutes?" Eric burst out of his room and ran across the apartment. He yanked open every drawer in the apartment and looked for something worthy of an interview. His heart was beating like a sledgehammer while his mind raced through everything that could change if he actually got the job. I'll be able to help Mom, clear debt, and even buy Dad a car that is not a total rust bucket. I can… A feeble voice came from one of the closed rooms.

"Eric? What's going on?" He slowly opened the door and moved closer to the bed. The bedside drawer was covered with medication, with pill containers arranged for every day of the week and several bottles crammed around them.

"My child, are you alright?" Martha lifted her trembling hand and brushed Eric's hair away from his forehead.

"I'm fine. I didn't mean to wake you up, but I'm in a hurry for a job interview."

"How wonderful! I'm so proud of you…" A small tear rolled down her cheek. Her words were slurred again, worse than they had been a few days ago, and Eric hated how much effort even that short sentence seemed to cost her. Her mind was still sharp, but lately her body had stopped cooperating with it. Eric hugged his mother and looked out the window. His taxi was already waiting.

"I'll make everything better. You'll see." He gave her one last squeeze before rushing out of the room. On his way out of the house, he almost forgot his bag with everything he had managed to pack in such a short time. The taxi door opened by itself when he approached the vehicle. It looks brand new. Such a vibrant yellow color! Complimentary gift? Count me in! Eric jumped in without looking back. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

From the front porch, Franklin stared at what his son apparently considered a taxi. The dark green vehicle was covered in skulls and horns. A second later, it shot into the sky, leaving trails of flame and burning rubber. For the first few minutes, Eric tried to convince himself that everything was normal. Then he realized he couldn't see anything through the windows, and the steering wheel hadn't moved once.

"Excuse me, we're going to Renaissance Capital's office, right?"

"Of course, Mr. Graham. We do everything for our passengers," the driver said. Right… At that moment, the driver turned around, and Eric saw his badge.

"My name is Mr. Grim. Now tell me, Mr. Graham, what led you to apply for this position?" Eric tried to answer, but he couldn't. He moved closer to the door and leaned on it. His hands grabbed the handle and were ready to escape if things went south.

"Um… shouldn't you be watching the road?" The taxi driver never took his eyes off his passenger. A faint smile spread across his face. His eyes lit up with an emerald glow.

"Don't you dare disrespect me!" he snapped.

"You puny mortals! I'm keeping everything in check so your insignificant world doesn't collapse into flame and…" The taxi door swung open beneath him, and Eric tumbled onto the pavement. A woman with glasses stepped back in surprise.

"Mr. Graham? Are you alright?" A giant office tower encased in glass reflected the sunlight. Rubbing his eyes, Eric got up and tried to recover.

"Of course." He dusted his clothes.

"I'm here for the interview."

"Right on time! I'm Jodie, and I'll be your guide here. Follow me!" The woman wore a long gray skirt and a tailored blazer over a white blouse. Her blond hair stood out against the dull office environment surrounding them. She entered the building, and both of them went inside a spacious elevator.

"Your interview will be on the top floor. I'm on this one, but don't worry. You'll know where to go! Good luck!" The elevator stopped, and Jodie went out. Fantastic. Alone in a massive building after a psycho screamed at me in the taxi. Talk about a good start... After around a minute of enduring elevator music, Eric arrived at his destination. Before him was a corridor illuminated by green fluorescent light. At its end was a pitch-black door. Tendrils of black energy curled around the frame.

No other doors or windows were visible. He stepped out as the elevator doors clanged shut behind him. Everything about this is telling me to leave… but I didn't come this far just to turn around. Eric forced himself forward, his legs trembling. He was alert, and the sound of his steps echoed in the corridor. Entering the black door revealed a modern office. Two chairs faced each other across a large desk. The one near him looked ordinary, but the other one was closer to a giant throne than anything else.

It faced away from Eric.

"Come on in. You've made it." A familiar voice reached his ears. No way… He lowered himself into the chair. Across the desk, the throne slowly turned to face him.

"You?! How is this possible?" The same faint smile and emerald eyes appeared on the man's face.

"Let's get to the point. I don't want to waste time." Grim leaned forward on his throne. He wore a black suit with a white tie decorated with golden symbols. A knife rested on the desk in a sheath engraved with golden runes. The pommel held a green gemstone, which extended into the white, marble-like handle.

"Are you willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals?" Eric's stomach tightened as Grim took out the knife. Processing the question for a moment and gathering his composure, Eric took a deep breath.

"Yes, I am. I'm here for something bigger than myself."

"Are you sure about that?" the businessman asked, and the dagger flashed with blue and green energy. Slowly, it floated over the desk, positioning itself right in front of Eric's head, as he froze in his chair.

"I know about your situation. I've been lingering around your family for quite some time now, waiting for someone else, and you caught my attention. No matter how bad things became, you refused to stop trying." The man on the other side of the desk had a bright green glow. All the gold carvings on the floating blade were pulsating, along with the matching symbols on his tie. One blink later and Eric found himself in a rotting imitation of the same room.

A hooded skeleton with green glowing eyes and a huge scythe sat comfortably on the other side of the desk. The weapon carried the same engravings and jewels as the knife pointed at Eric's head. Golden symbols sewn into the fabric lined the edges of the black robe. So that's what he meant. He'd been waiting for Mom.

"Do I have a choice?" Eric asked. He stared at the blade inches away from his face.

"Well, it depends. I'll offer you the job you've been looking for. Accept, and I'll take you instead of her. Your mother will live. When our business is finished, you can return home. If you decline…" Grim leaned back.

"I suppose you know what happens." Everything in Eric's head was moving too fast, and he was struggling to keep up. Fear and anger battled in his chest with a spark of hope that Grim dangled before him. What if I'm able to save her? Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door, and the decaying office vanished around him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Grim, but your next meeting starts soon." Jodie peeked through the doorway.

"Of course it does." Grim sighed. Jodie stepped inside and handed Eric a stack of documents.

"Your paperwork, Mr. Graham."

"Well? Do we have a deal?" Grim extended his arm with a friendly smile. Eric stared at the documents. Fifteen minutes ago, he'd promised his mother that he would make everything better. He hadn't imagined keeping that promise would cost him his life. Reading through the document, he glanced back at Grim.

"If I accept, you will save my mother?" An audible laugh came from the other side of the desk.

"That's the agreement." Eric looked at the offered hand.

"I'll sign everything, but only if you also sign it. I want your signature on these documents. That's how business goes, right?" Jodie chuckled and readjusted her glasses. For the first time since the interview began, Grim looked genuinely surprised. He summoned a giant feather into his hand and an inkwell filled with blood.

"I like your determination. You'll be a wonderful addition." A blood-red signature spread across the page. I actually made a deal with Death.

"We finished the boring parts. Time for some fun," Grim said as he slid the papers across the desk. He summoned a pair of car keys into his hand and fiddled with them.

"When do I start?" Eric adjusted his collar.

"Employment starts now." The Grim Reaper pressed a button on the keys. A deafening car horn answered from somewhere outside, followed by music that sounded as if it belonged to a demented clown car. That's the taxi. Pulsing green flames erupted from the speeding car, and it flashed its lights, blinding Eric. The last sounds he heard were screeching tires and the violent crash of the taxi smashing into the office. The vehicle slammed into him before he had time to react, sending him crashing through the window.

"Wake up, kid. Welcome to Purgatory!" Lying in the backseat, Eric saw the same hooded figure opening the taxi door.