Like any other day, Leo was walking home from his job interview, which he obviously failed. Was he discouraged about it? Not really. To him, it was a norm now. "It never works out", Leo said as he walked. His resume didn't have much in it, just some janitor jobs and errand boy positions. He would come home every night at 2 AM and think, "no this won't work, Mom and Dad definitely wouldn't want to see me like this" Leo said shaking his head to get rid of the depressing thoughts. " I have to make them proud or else they won't be in peace," Leo said clenching his fist. " but to do that I really need a good night's sleep," Leo said smiling warily, tired after another day of no luck in life.
When he goes home, there is only a tv, a cheap computer set up, and the couch he sleeps on waiting for him. No parents, nor siblings. Leo was always alone when he came home so he would usually do his work, watch tv or just lay down on the couch. Leo truly had no one, he was orphaned a few months after he was born. The orphanage released him after he became 17. At that time, all he had was some money his parents had left in his name.
Now you might be thinking, why might Leo want to make his parents proud even though he doesn't remember them. The answer my friend is simple... doesn't everyone want their parents to be proud of them, dead or alive.
The next day, was like any other day in the sequence his life was following since he was 17. He'd say "I tried" and again "this won't work" and so on, always repeating. Today, his boss called him into her office, which he knew meant he was getting fired. She says something to him but he doesn't hear it. All he can focus on is how she's going to tell him off. Leo walks past her to get to his desk but she follows him.
She opens the door for him, a sad smile on her face. "I'm sorry for firing you, I know what a hard worker you are, but our employee slots are overfilled so I had no choice. I'll make sure the company gives you a substantial severance package so you can manage till you find another job." He just nods before sitting down at his desk.
He looks at the clock, it's 7 pm now, about the time he could be done with his work for today. He laid back on his chair to think about what to do next. As the boss leaves, Leo sat in silence as he tried to come up with ways to save his ass. A moment passes as he was lost in thought before he snaps back into reality. If he saves enough maybe he can buy a new car and become a taxi driver or maybe he could find a job somewhere as it will be less time consuming, then there is also the option of taking an online degree so his resume would look at least a bit pleasing to the eye, Leo thought to himself. "I want to start my life anew", Leo said to himself.
After finding the courage to finally move forward for god knows how long, he picked up his bag and walked out of the building. On his way home, Leo was thinking deeply about what he was going to do first but he got distracted by a loud scream. He looked for the source of the scream and sees a little girl and woman laying on the middle of the road. The woman seemed to be trying to crawl to the little girl. "She might be her mother," Leo said to himself. Not far from was a car that had crashed into a tree on the side of the road. Now trying to asses the scene, he came to the conclusion that the car had hit both of them and crashed(No shit sherlock :-: ). "All right, I'll try to help them, that will be the first step for me to better myself as a person, plus it seems everyone is busy taking pictures and videos instead of helping", Leo thought to himself as he hurried towards them. He quickly helped the little girl to the side of the road. Luckily, she seemed to have only suffered minor injuries. "My mom, please help her mister...", the girl cried to him as she pointed at her. Leo then hurriedly went and picked up the mother, supporting her with his shoulder. She seemed to have broken her leg in the accident. As he was carrying her to safety, a set of headlights caught his peripheral. Another speeding car. He knew he couldn't make it to safety while carrying the woman. "Fuck it", he thought as he pushed the woman to safety.
"Huh.. why is the world upside down?", Leo thought. "Oh.. I was hit by the approaching car. Is this what it means when they say that you experience your whole life before you die?". Everything seemed to have slowed down in Leo's perception as he was hit by the car and thrown across the road. For the bystanders watching, however, everything happened in a blink of an eye. A young man was trying to save a woman and a kid was now lying in the middle of the road with his head cracked open.
.......
In a space, lit by the lights of endless galaxies, there sat a man on a throne at the center. He sat on his throne, eyes closed, and almost seemed as if he were waiting for something to happen. A moment passes and a woman appears in front of the throne and kneels before the man and waits till he acknowledges her presence. "Speak Yamato...", the man says, his voice deep, and echoing into the void. "Yes my Lord, I came to report to you that the human you asked me to observe, Leo Kenway, has passed onto the realm of the dead.. or should I say is in the passage in-between, on his way there," the pink haired woman says, still kneeling. "What is your order, my Lord?". The man slowly opened his eyes, revealing that there was only white in his eyes. "Raise your head Yamato.. and as for the human, send his soul to Amaterasu, I have already given her instructions on what to do," says the man. "Amaterasu!? Why her of all the Gods!? And especially for a lowly human like him?", Yamato says as she stood up. "I have my plans for him.. and I would suggest you not question my decisions in the future", the man says, in a slightly menacing tone. Yamato quickly realizes what she had said and proceeds to kneel back down. "I am ashamed my Lord.. I will do as you have asked". The man nods. "Good.. now stand up and go take him to her, I want to be left alone ", The man says. Yamato obeys and leaves the room. The man closes his eyes once again as if he had just been asleep.
.........
The city of the dead, the place where souls go before meeting their deities, is also known as the realm of the dead. There stands a tall man, whose face and body seemed to be made of stone. However, there wasn't any light, but rather darkness surrounding him, until suddenly there was a light and a beautiful woman appeared in front of the man. she has a petite figure with pale skin and her eyes are purple, while her hair is puffy and colored baby pink, curling inwards. The stone man bowed in respect as she approached him. "Lady Yamato, what brings you down to the realm of the dead", the stone man says nervously.
" No need to be sooooo nervous, I just came here to get someone, his name is Leo Kenway.... ring a bell?" Yamato says as she casually waves her hand. It seemed as though she had no idea why she needed the human in particular. The stone man bows a bit more." Aah yes, you mean the human you told me to observe, he arrived here not too long ago and is currently unconscious near the gate where the dead arrives." the stone man reported." ooh great so he's here then....that makes my job so much easier." Yamato says with a breath of relief. "Alrighty, then you can go back to what you were doing," Yamato says as she turned and started heading towards a huge black gate that is surrounded by two enormous figures of grime reapers with a big scythe standing on either side of it.
"Yes, Lady Yamato!." The stone man turns around and goes back to his position as Yamato walks away to find Leo.
Yamato's pov
"I really don't know what's so interesting about him," Yamato says to herself as she walks toward the gate along the dirt path, all the eyes can see is pitch black dirt and skeletons of who knows what." he lived a 'normal' life like everyone else, did normal things, although watching him since he was a kid did make her have a soft for him. She viewed herself like an older sister of sorts (NO... no incest wincest shit here).
After walking for 20mins straight, she finally reaches the gates and there she finds a young man crawled into a fetal position seemingly unconscious, "there you are" Yamato said to herself. the young man has long black hair that reaches his ears and was wearing a long sleeves shirt that's black and black sweatpants that matches the rest of his clothes( i know, I have a bad fashion sense :( ).
"Alright, now that I have found you, time to get out of this place, just staying here makes me uncomfortable," Yamato says as she levitated Leo and disappears under a bright light.
..........
hey to whoever's reading this. this is my first novel along with the first chapter, I really hope you like it. obviously, there will be mistakes so point them out for me, hope you like the first chapter
peace