Prologue

Immersed in a sense of awe and wonder, desire and curiosity danced within him as he observed the world before him. The personification of Death itself was always fascinated by life. He has been ever since the universe was born. He wanted to experience it. What's it like? To be mortal, to touch, to feel. It's alluring. They beckoned him like a siren's call.

But he cannot. His duties won't allow him. Always occupied with his forever somber tasks, tending to the departed and shepherding their souls toward their final destinations, be it heaven or hell. However, it's been a vast ocean of time. It had stretched across the vast expanse of eternity. The weight of his responsibilities had become an unyielding burden, leaving no room for respite. It had gone on for far too long, a ceaseless cycle he could no longer endure.

This can't go on anymore. Enough was enough. He's doing it. He had finally made up his mind. Casting aside his duties and responsibilities, he resolved to venture into the realm of mortals. Consequences be damned.

~

For Daniel, his life had become an unbearable torment. The relentless suffering had worn him down to the very core of his being. His whole existence, as he knew it, was always an unhappy one. Despair had took hold of him, gripped him fully, pushing him to the edge. He couldn't take this anymore. He's been suffering for so long. He just can't accept this anymore. Life itself isn't supposed to be like this.

"Goodbye, everyone," Daniel whispered, his voice carried away by the wind as he finally leaped off the bridge, surrendering himself completely.

In a dizzying descent, he fell and fell, plummeting towards the shallow riverbed and expecting the sweet release of death itself.

To his shock and astonishment, he did not die as he splattered across the shallow river. He remained intact, devoid of any such injuries to mark his impact. He couldn't even feel pain at all. He was completely unscathed and had just defied the laws of mortality, untouched by death.

"What? What is happening?" Daniel murmured, his voice tremulous with confusion, as he gingerly rose from the shallow river's unforgiving stones and sinewy moss.

"Ah finally! I did it!" A jubilant cry suddenly pierced the air, seizing Daniel's attention. His gaze fell upon a tall, gaunt figure cloaked in darkness, exuding an otherworldly aura.

Daniel blinked in surprise, unsure of what he just witnessed, he looked closer to get a clear view and there he saw a pale man, tall and lanky, draped in a tattered, dark hooded cloak. Long and dark tresses framed his rather youthful face.

Then the man's cold blue eyes suddenly alighted upon Daniel, a wide grin stretching across his face, his exuberance almost akin to that of a child.

"Greetings, young one. Pray tell, what name do you bear?" The man asked, his voice laced with giddy enthusiasm and energy. Despite that, Daniel noticed his voice was rich, deep, and resonant. It carried a commanding presence with an almost ethereal quality.

"Um, I'm Daniel. Daniel Blake." Daniel stammered awkwardly, still reeling from his inexplicable brush with death.

"Delighted to meet you, Daniel Blake. I am Death," The man stated matter-of-factly, his casual demeanor belying the weight of his proclamation.

"Death? You mean the Grim Reaper?" Daniel uttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Death nodded, a wry smile gracing his lips. "Indeed, that is one of the titles you humans have given upon me, correct? Though I must confess, the grandeur and intimidation associated with such a title far surpass my humble nature. I would much prefer it that you do not call me that."

"So, you're saying you're truly Death? The harbinger of the end of life? The one who's in charge of, you know, the whole deal with dying and what comes after that? That kind of thing?" Daniel's voice wavered, a mixture of shock and awe washing over him, as he slowly moved closer to the enigmatic man before him.

Dispelling any lingering doubts within Daniel's mind, the enigmatic man defied the boundaries of reality, suddenly conjuring forth a scythe as if plucking it from the ethereal fabric of existence itself. With a mere flick of his hand, the gleaming blade materialized in a puff of dark ashy smoke, gleaming with an otherworldly aura that danced and shimmered in the air. And suddenly as if nature itself acknowledged his power, a black crow descended from the skies, its wings slicing through the atmosphere with graceful precision, before alighting upon the man's shoulder with a regal poise.

The display of supernatural phenomena unfurling before Daniel's eyes sent tremors through his being. This proves it. It was an undeniable affirmation that Death is real and he's standing right in front of him.

"Yes, I am truly Death itself," The man proclaimed, his voice resonating with a haunting echo. "Your desperate attempt to end your own life, has drawn me here, at this very moment when I sought to manifest within the mortal realm. Alas, I also bring forth an extraordinary revelation. From this moment onwards, from this very instant, mortals need no longer cower in fear of my presence, for I have forsaken my timeless duty that had robbed me of my desires and wishes. As a consequence, the cycle of life and death will be disrupted, the inexorable march halted. No more shall the embrace of death befall the living. No more. And no longer shall mortals tremble in the shadow of my presence."

Daniel was quickly overwhelmed by the gravity and sheer seriousness of this revelation. The weight of it all pressed upon him, sinking into the depths of his consciousness. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place, connecting with an eerie clarity. It suddenly made sense why he still drew breath, why he hadn't succumbed to the cold embrace of death. It was because Death himself had forsaken his sacred duty, leaving behind a void in the cycle of life and death. A shiver crawled down Daniel's spine as he contemplated the vast implications and far-reaching ramifications of this unprecedented turn of events. The world as he knew it teetered on the precipice of uncertainty, and he couldn't help but wonder what other perilous consequences awaited them all.