Chapter 2: The Death Game

Zane, alongside the almost 9000 other souls who had been waiting, were transported into the inner world of the Reaper's Tower as soon as they approached the portal. Each was surprised to find themselves in a brightly, well-lit spacious area. The area was many times larger than the average football field.  The room was deathly quiet, except for the sound of shifting bodies, as none of the souls gathered within the arena had spoken words out loud that could be heard since before dying.  

The first thing Zane noticed was that the air smelled of fresh ozone, followed by the sensation of weight shifting the dirt and grass beneath his feet. To him, it felt soft as the dirt absorbed and disbursed his weight evenly. It was the first time he could remember the sensation of standing.

Zane smiled at the reminder of what it felt like to touch something. The sensation stirring a faint recollection of another life triggered by it, a memory of his hand against silk, but just as soon as he felt it, the memory was gone.

Distracted, Zane didn't notice other changes for a moment until he started bumping into other people. The collisions causing him to realize he once again had a physical body. It seemed odd to him, not once had he realized he lacked a physical body until he had one again. Even though Zane had known he was no longer among the living.

In the very middle of the arena was a platform made of stone, a platform that extended only a few feet above the ground and very easy to see. Uncomfortable sounds gradual built-up with noise,  filling the whole space as the newly corporal souls each began to discover they had physical bodies once again, physical bodies that made noise.

Above all of their heads, a light appeared as a Reaper descended to the platform. Its grey robe fluttering in the wind it created as it dropped onto the platform. The cloth pressing against its skeletal body, illuminated  under the glare of an orange flaming sphere that produced the light for the arena was a that wasn't a sun.  

Within seconds of the Reaper landing, Zane felt a compulsion overtake his body, losing all control of himself. The compulsion forcing him to look in the direction of the stage directly at Reaper. Though Zane tried, he was unable to look away and unable to avert his eyes.

Long forgotten words of confusion sat on his lips as he struggled to remember how to speak them. Thought it was the first time he had tried to speak for ages, he found that once the first word rolled off the tongue, the rest followed easily enough.  As he turned to ask the others around him what was going on, he found his ability to move his mouth had been sealed. Newly rediscovered, the ability to talk had already been taken from him, sealed. Zane knew he had no choice but to watch and listen for as long as his body refused his commands.

The Reaper turned its covered head towards Zane curiously before flying around, hovering on the stage as it flew in a full circle. It's skeletal hands upraised, slowly acknowledging everyone who was there, until finally it landed again and dipped into a ironic curtsy.

As it spoke, Zane cringed at the sound of its voice, low, raspy, and at times shrill. The Reaper's words could be heard coming from deep within its throat, through threw the cloth covering it kept on its head. Whether it was male or female, Zane could only guess. Though in death, it hardly mattered.

"Greetings, honored souls." The Reaper said as its voice boomed projecting directly into each of their minds, even as the sounds it made echoed across the arena. ensuring that everyone assembled could hear it.

 "You have done well in making the selection to participate in this grand event. Not all have the courage to try to ascend the heights of the our tower, and  judging by the numbers I see before me. It would seem a few hundred have already opted for release and have been allowed to go on towards their rest rather than cling on and fight for life. It is ok; I have no judgments of this. For ascendance is not a path for all, but rather the few. It is dangerous beyond measure, and few survive."

The Reaper stopped talking for a moment, as if building up dramatic effect, desiring the full and honest attention of those forcibly enthralled to listen. "Dangerous though it may be, it is something we offer to all of the honored dead. A second chance at life."

"To begin, I will start with the rules. On this, the first-floor things are relatively simple, consider as an introduction to ourgame if you will. There are currently 8,123 of you. When I am done speaking, three gates will spawn on the outskirts of the arena. These gates will form a triangle between them of equal distance. The northern gate will be represented by the swords on its archway, the symbol of the warrior. The eastern gate will be represented by the shield, the symbol of the knight, and the western gate will be represented by the staff for the arcane. But be warned. For each gate has a limit for how many souls may pass through it."

"Each gate will only allow 2400 souls to pass through to the next floor. Each gate will allow you to ascend to a class floor, which will provide you new abilities and basic equipment to use on the following floors. Those who do not make it through the gates before each gate is exhausted will find themselves shut off from ascension. However, they will be allowed but one final chance to continue on this journey."

"Those of you who remain will be allowed to fight to the death for the right of survival. Thus the surviving 100 will be allowed ascension to the next floor. However, these hundred will be bereft of both class and equipment and must wait for another opportunity to acquire these essentials. I want you to understand that your survival is heavily dependent on being the first 2,400 through any one of these gates."

"Furthermore, I want you to understand that for those of you who fall or fail here, there is no rebirth. There is to be no reincarnation. You will not be able to move on to whatever heaven or hell awaits you. The only thing you will find is the nothingness of oblivion and who you are and who you have been will be gone."

 "Good luck you honored souls"