I strongly believe that I have lived countless lives before, and the same applies to every individual that is now living in this world. We die and reincarnate; we are all old souls. That explains why there are people who seem to be a little too mature for their age, and the "karmic souls". The only setback is that none of us can ever remember what kind of lives we have had before the present life that we are living right now, and I am not an exception. I am one of the few souls that have been chosen to become a Grim Reaper in my next life. They say that you become one when you've committed a great sin that does not deserve forgiveness; you are to give your whole self to Them and repent. The punishment for this is more unbearable than watching mortals face their deaths—you have no memory of the life you lived before you became a Grim Reaper; however, you must feel extreme emotion when you encounter a mortal whose soul was a part of that life you had. I have no name, no memory, and no heartbeat.
I have met and taken the souls of many, but none of them have made me feel such a thing. They must have been lying about crossing paths with a mortal who could make you feel strong emotions. That is, until a particular name has been sent to me: Hope Tazanna Yera. I flip it backwards, and the card says, "Gun shot". There was a heavy feeling in my chest, and I could not put the card into my pocket like I always used to. This is the first time this happened, and I thought that this should be the one they were all talking about. So it is true; I wonder if this has also happened with the other reapers. I read the name over and over. What exactly was my relationship with this woman like for me to feel like this? Who was she to me?
"Your name shall be Vic Franco, a fashion designer. You will be working at Lowen, where this soul is. There is something that she must find, and I forbid you to help her in any kind of way."
"Are you kidding me?" I growl. "This woman has a mission of her own, and I am going to take her soul? Are you joking with the both of us?"
"Somebody else had died in her stead; this person died wrongly. Her fate was to be killed, yet she wanted to go against destiny. January 3rd of the year 2034 is the day that she will die."
I did not understand what that meant, if I were to be freaking honest. Did the gods really give me this very complicated mission? They even ordered that I change my appearance and have a name. I have been a reaper for a long time now, and it feels strange to act like a human after that. Also, why couldn't they just tell me everything directly? They really had to go through Josephine, who had been my buddy since coming here on earth.
It sure did not take me years to find her—Tazanna. She was engaged to Felix, the mortal who had died unfairly and for her sake. The past had changed from what she knew existed, and I am guessing that they really want to make all things right for these two. Tazanna and Felix undoubtedly love each other, although I cannot say that after they got to know the dark truth about her fiancé's trip to France. Also, I find it quite hard to look into Tazanna's eyes, as they make me feel uncomfortable. I cannot find the perfect word for this feeling, but I am sure that she was one of the reasons why I had been chosen to become a reaper in my next life. My only way of getting close with her was through jokes; once I crossed the line, Tazanna kicked me out of her office.
Every week, a new card with her name will arrive. Falling off the building, being stabbed by a knife, a traffic accident, poison—these are only a few of the cards that had her name, but she is still alive and kicking. It was almost as if she had a guardian angel behind her that was protecting her from death. It was frustrating to always get a card with the same human's name over and over again. If they will only permit me to kill her with my own hands, I will.
It was getting late at night when my hands shone out of the blue. Soon as the light faded, there was a red card again in my hands, and as always, it was Tazanna. This time, though, she will get into a car accident. Quickly, I used teleportation to get to the place where she is at the moment—her office building.
"I think I'm going to go to my parents' house for tonight. There's something that I would like to ask them. You wouldn't mind, would you?"
There was a taxi passing by; I stopped it. I want this to be quick and done with. Grabbing the driver by the collar of his shirt, I stare deep into his eyes. "Kill her. Take her to where there is no light, where she cannot ask for anyone's help. The brake is broken; the car must leak gas and explode. You will die with her."
"Stop the car! Didn't you hear me? Stop this car this instant!"
This was the first time that I had manipulated a human's death. I do not usually stick my nose into it, but this case was different. Tazanna should have been dead the first time her name appeared on the card. I could not understand how and why she was not dying. Evading death was not possible, as it had never happened before. What makes her different?
"Sit back and relax, my lady. Watch how this car is going to fly!"
"You're insane! Get me off this car! Please!"
That is right. I should not worry about that right now. My job is to take her soul and bring it up there. I need to focus. The weird case of Tazanna Yera is distracting me.
The driver steps on the gas and increases the speed. The road is wide; there are no cars around or people. There are not any street lights either. This is going as planned; Tazanna's life must come to an end tonight. Tazanna tried taking the wheel but failed as the man pushed her back to her seat. The brake is broken; there is no use taking over. She then reaches out to the door, and with one click, it opens. Tazanna rolls to the ground as the car flies and explodes in the sky. My fingers ran through my hair in disbelief. This cannot be happening...
She is only footsteps away from where I stood. Tazanna is bruised and dirty; I can barely hear her breathing. My feet started to feel heavy, and my heart was beating slower. A memory flashed into my mind: a woman was lying on the ground, bathing in her own blood.
"No! Serafina!"
I groan.
"Serafina, no! Help! Please help!
Is this it? The life I had before becoming a reaper.
"Help! Serafina, stay with me!"
Serafina... Who is she?