Death's Embrace

It was cold, dark and wet. That's all I felt after being stabbed all over my body. My bones were broken from repeatedly getting kicked while I was curled up. My blood mixed with the rain causing beautiful swirls of red in the puddles on the ground around me. As if my body was blooming like a rose.

'This world is rotten... This world is cruel... Why is it the people with power are so cruel...'

I have so many complaints but the one that hits closest to my heart...

'Why am I so powerless...?'

That's right 'Why?'. But all my thoughts began to slow down. I no longer felt cold or wet, but darkness... I can see darkness in its purest form.

It took the form of a gorgeous women. She wore a black robe that hugged her perfect form. Slits all over the robe left little to the imagination of just how attractive she truly was. Her long black raven hair, and her pitch black eyes and fair and flawless skin were enough to drive any man wild.

But... She is like a beautiful nightmare as she sat on a throne of bones with a long jet black katana resting against the throne's armrest. It gave of an eerie dark glow and made you feel suffocated in its presence.

I gulped at the sight of her and instinctively fell to my knees and prostrated before her. It was like an unspoken command my body couldn't help but follow.

"Child, you have led a difficult life. I pity you, and I can sympathize with your wish."

Her voice was melodious and had a strange allure and seductiveness to it. He felt like it was a beautiful siren song that could lure him in and drown him and he would happily accept it.

"Do you want to live a better life? Are you willing to grasp this opportunity with both hands?"

I looked up at her and was about to accept without questioning anything but quickly caught myself and shook my head to clear my mind.

"Um... What exactly is this opportunity?" I asked meekly. I absolutely did not want to offend this being. I felt in the core, any offence and I would be erased.

"Become a Punisher in my name, and send the wicked to my embrace... In return you will be granted the powers of your position and can use them however you see fit."

Many questions popped into my head immediately, but my first question was, "Punisher...? Um, who exactly are you...?" I started with asking who she was and hoped she wouldn't be angry, but thankfully she was not and began telling me.

"I am a current Monarch of Death. The souls of the dead pass through me and are then judged and sentenced. You, Jesse, have been selected as a candidate to become my champion. There are others who have been tested and have been found lacking. Therefore you shall be tested. Should you accept, you will given a year to show me you are worthy of this position. I believe the people of your world call this a "Trial Phase". Any other questions?"

I thought about everything she just told me, and then asked further questions about the position. What exactly are the powers I would receive and how I would be tested.

"There are a great many sinners in this world. It is the same in every world. It has always been so and will continue to be so as long as free will exists. You will seek them out and punish them, by doing so you will gain more power. Normally I do not interfere in the affairs of mortals and only interact with them at the moment of their death. Even now while speaking to you, millions of souls have passed through me and have been judged. However... there is something interfering with the flow of souls coming to me. It's a problem I can not ignore but I can not abandon my post. Therefore, you must act as my proxy, but you are too weak currently to perform this job. By collecting souls, your own soul will strengthen and once it's become strong enough, then you can harness more of my power. At present, you can handle about .0001% of it."

'Only one ten-thousanth of a percent? I knew I was weak but that also speaks to just how strong she is really.'

I still wasnt sure about the whole thing but after everything I just went through and have been through since birth, I have grown a desire to change my fate and I dont really have any other option. I died and won't return unless...

"I... Accept. I will accept the offer and do my best to show you I am worthy of it." I solemnly swore while kneeling before her. She just nodded and then stood up from her throne and walked gracefully to me, her movements were as fluid as water. She lifted my chin and our eyes met. She leaned down and pressed her lips to mine. I was stunned but couldn't find it in me to stop her. I wanted it to last forever. But suddenly I felt something viscous slide down my throat.

My insides felt like they were burning. Every orifice was bleeding shadows but after a few moments all of the pain stopped and the shadows receded back into my body.

"Wha-what was that?!" I was a little worried about what just happened to me. I felt.. different.

"Child, you've asked enough questions, I can no longer keep you here. It's only been a fleeting moment in your world but your soul will be stuck here if it stays any longer. All of your unanswered questions will have be answered later. I'll send you a guide shortly to help you. So long... I hope you dont disappoint me. We will meet again in a year." She said as she sat back on her throne and snapped her fingers.

Before I could say anything else shadows creeped up my body and pulled me down. It felt like being flushed down through a toilet but instead of water I was submerged in milky darkness.

When I could finally see light, I was in a familiar place. The place I was killed...