Judgment Day

A private elevator led the three of them up the towering skyscraper. But before that, even the two agents' U.B.I. badges couldn't spare them from the security check and what seemed painfully close to customs declarations. Especially, even the employee's dull, dragged out voice reminded Dabria of the long lines at the airport and the countless hours wasted.

Sure, she only went through the situation once, but it was definitely enough to teach her to avoid traveling through planes for the rest of her life. Little did she know, she would be forced to relive this nightmare even after she died.

"Do you have anything live on you?" Did they not seem like they were two hundred percent dead?

"Foreign seeds? The Underworld is strictly against invasive species." She was scared that the next line would be an exterminator advertisement.

"If you have any weapons, unless you were granted a special permit already, please do not bring them beyond this point." Good thoughts were sent for the man carrying the sword.

Slowly, oh moving ever so slowly, the employee scrolled on his computer, using a single finger to tap out the letters of Dabria's name.

D-

Dabri-

Dabria H-

Geez, she wanted to recommend typeracer.com to him. Especially, since there weren't many Dabria's in the world, her name had already popped up as a suggestion. But no, of course, he had to type out every last character.

Dabria Helbroo-

Dabria Helbrook.

With a flash, her face appeared on the monitor, a forlorn expression dragged across her lips.

"The Book of Life and Death says you died at age 23. Is that correct?"

Dabria nodded, and the clerk painstakingly typed something else into the system. The two agents standing next to her also looked like they were on the verge of dying from boredom, and the one in black kept glancing at his watch.

Finally, much to their collective relief, a green light flashed.

"Now calling the next in the queue." The employee's flat voice declared, and Dabria breathed out a sigh of relief.

Luckily, there wasn't a line for the employee's elevator. It was entirely glass-based, akin to one you would find over the Strip of Las Vegas. But it was much more beautiful. More chaotic perhaps, but much more memorable.

With her palms pressed into the glass, Dabria peered outside, not at all minding the stains she left on the panes. The night scene was breathtaking, no pun intended. The dark sky seamlessly blended into the swirling fog, and you couldn't tell where the land ended and the sky began. The fields of Bi An Hua were spots of ravishing red in an endless expanse of midnight, weaving into the tapestry in a way that droplets of fresh blood would seep into a black piece of fabric.

The transparent ghouls added to the serenity, and as the elevator rose higher and higher, like ants, they too disappeared into the fog.

This was more familiar than home, and never before in her life, Dabria had felt so at peace.

"Are you not curious about what's going to happen?" The agent in black finally couldn't keep his mouth latched anymore. "I mean, how are you so calm?" A look of utter confusion dominated his face. "Man, the first time I was up here, my legs were like jello.

Even now, huddled in the corner, he didn't look too well. It was as if his strict composure that came with his role melted, and he once more returned to a normal being.

What's there to worry about, Dabria thought to herself. What could the "Boss" possibly do? Kill her again? Stop her from reincarnating? If she had to admit it, the last thought actually made her quite excited.

She didn't want to leave.

The elevator finally stopped at what appeared to be the top floor. Now, looking into the distance, it was as if she was embraced by a welcoming feeling of nothingness.

"We're going to leave you here," the two near-pushed Dabria out of the elevator and pressed the "close-door" button in a lightning-fast manner. "We're way behind our quota and are quite on a time crunch." Before the door had fully closed, they were already mumbling about their next target.

But gosh, the top floor was extravagant, reminding Dabria instantly of the cringe CEO dramas she once liked to watch in her youth. Golden nameplates and inscriptions were all around, and a few marble statues were tossed into the mix. But yet still, there were the traditional wooden furniture and hanging pieces of jade. If there was an ultimate crossover between cliche oriental system novels and the technological-based world, this was surely it.

"So you made a virtual reality system." An echoing voice sounded from seemingly nowhere. It was all around yet nowhere at the same time.