Was this really how he was going to die? From his assistant messing up?
He wouldn't have minded so much if it had been his fault, but he hadn't really planned on dying. He had so much he needed to do, so much he needed to accomplish.
...Was it his fault?
Did he not teach his assistant well enough?
Would his parents be disappointed in him? Did he fail them?
For the first time in his life, the black hole of desperation crept up on him, overwhelming the thoughts inside his once organised mind.
He found that he regretted many things.
He regretted not saying 'thank you' last night when a colleague that called himself a friend shared his dinner and they ate together.
He regretted not calling his parents in the morning. He couldn't even remember the last time he spoke to them.
He regretted not taking a shower because he thought he could take one in a few hours. Now he smelled bad.
But he didn't want his life to end with regrets. Well, he didn't want his life to end, but what could he do?
He was just one man, facing death. And he smelled bad.
Was there some sort of afterlife? Was there heaven, and hell?
...Would he be able to take a shower?
He felt calmer now. He had already accepted his death. It was ok. He would be ok now.
He felt himself being picked up. It was warm.
Did he get a personal escort to wherever he was going next?
Fancy.
If this was how the afterlife worked, he would be completely fine with it. Maybe even happier with it than his life here, on Earth.
--
The God, or whatever it was, looked down at the soul in their hands. Running through the memories of the man, it was clear that he had lived an utterly boring life. Work, work, work...
He didn't take a shower?
"Disgusting." it muttered in distaste. It didn't mean that, of course, not taking a shower is perfectly fine...
...depending on the circumstances.
"...-derstood." it paused, listening. "Yes. You can count on me."
It's stoic face suddenly became overcome with emotion.
"What a sad life." it shed fake tears, "Where should this little one go?" it pondered, placing a finger on it's chin comically, "Ah! Doki! Doki! Stellar fun! has been quite popular lately! There's no doubt he hasn't heard of that! Alright, let's see. He's had a hard life, so let's just go with the Prince. Who wouldn't want to be a Prince?" it hummed a rather jazzy tune, opening a program projected from a bracelet on it's hand.
It's swiped to the 'Prince' option and was about to click it, before accidentally clicking on something else.
"Oh no!" it put both hands to it's cheeks, with it's mouth wide open, "I accidentally clicked 'Villain'!" it gasped and then grimaced. "Well, mistakes happen." it looked down with a small smirk before looking up again with a sad face. "I'm so sorry little one!"
And so the overworked scientist was reincarnated into Doki! Doki! Stellar fun!.