"You're finally awake."
A sudden voice intruded Cal's groggy mind as he struggled to look at the source of the voice.
A man was in front of him. But not just an ordinary man. This person has black horns potruding from his temples, the right horn having no tip, as if it was cut. The man wore a regal but demonic robe filled with mysterious gemstones that enhanced this person's mysterious aura. He has a black hair that was extremely long it extends to the ground, and even then they were swirled around him.
After a few moments, Cal's mind was finally clear.
"Who are you?" Cal said, his voice full of caution and malice. Whoever this person might be, he looked extremely dangerous. Where am I, anyway?
"It looks like you still do not remember what happened," the man calmly said, adjusting his seat on a huge rock.
"What do you mean?" Cal asked, his face full of confusion. But it didn't take long for him to figure out what happened, as the memories of the truth came back to him, gushing like a raging tsunami as his eyes widened in disbelief.
Am I…dead?
Caladros Fenwynn Daelithor Amaranth, the second prince of Amaranthine Kingdom. That was him, and other people, especially who were close to him, just call him Cal for short.
Being the prince of Amaranthine Kingdom, he naturally has to participate in grand banquets and meetings to strengthen the relationships between the royal family of Amaranth and the other nobilities. That was naturally why he meets with noblemen and have a brief meeting with them, even if it's just a formality. However, his last meeting with Duchess Marianna Sabezza, was a total disaster.
An assassin actually bypassed the security of the Duchess' villa and managed to intrude the meeting room by force, killing the Duchess in front of him. It was the first time he had seen a corpse, much less a person doing such a murderous act. It was, in fact, a truly terrifying scene.
Cal tried to escape from the room, but he felt a sudden pain and realized that the assassin caught up to him. And that's all he remember. After that very pain, darkness swiftly claimed him and now he found himself in front of this weird but mysterious man.
"Ah, I'm dead."
Cal sighed upon realizing it, before turning back his gaze at the man. It seemed that the guy was about to sentence him, whether he go to Thal'Luma, a place where good souls were sent to finally rest for eternity, or the Underworld, or hell, or whatever it was, where evil souls were punished.
The man chuckled when he heard what Cal said. "And why do you assume that you are dead?"
"Well," Cal paused briefly, not knowing what to answer. "I obviously got killed by the assassin."
"Hahahaha!"
The man suddenly laughed, as though he heard the most ridiculous and laughable joke of the century. Cal looked at him, his face flushed with embarassment, even though he didn't really know why he's embarassed like that.
"What? Am I wrong?" Cal interrupted.
"I mean, if you want to die, sure," the man shrugged, his laugh fading away. Then, his face became serious.
"However, you are really tough, Prince Caladros Fenwynn Daelithor Amaranth. You are, in fact, still alive!" The man clapped after saying this.
I'm still alive? Cal's face froze when he heard this. "Then why am I here?"
"Because I will give you a choice," the man replied, visibly munching on some round fruit Cal didn't how he suddenly got that.
"A choice?"
"That's right," the man swallowed the whole thing as he nodded. "A choice. Well, your choice will be simple."
"And what is that choice?"
Cal's face became serious. He had lived as the prince of Amaranthine for two decades already, and he participated in various diplomatic and political meetings. Most of them, he never really gave his opinion or speak at all, but he knw how important decisions are. So when he got to decide something, no matter how small, he made sure to always think not just twice, but more.
"Simple," the man balled his hands into a fist before raising one finger. "Either I shall send your soul to Thal'Luma—" he then raised to second one. "—or I will grant you another to chance to come back to life."
A second chance!
Cal's eyes brightened, this was actually a good deal. Either of the options could benefit him in some way. If he chose Thal'Luma, he will naturally rest in peace and happiness forver. As for the second one, a new chance in life, that would be good as well.
However, his face became serious again. He did not know this guy, and he was not even sure if he could trust him to begin with.
"Do you really think Thal'Luma is a place of rest?" The man sneered, his voie full of mockery. "Thal'Luma is merely nothingness, as all souls go when death. There's no difference whether you did good or bad in your life, because after life, there will be nothing at all."
What? Cal was visibly shocked and upset when he heard this. How was that even possible? For his entire life, his peers, family and mentors taught him that Thal'Luma was a heavenly realm, a place where souls experience paradise. That was why despite being a prince, distant from the common people, he always tried to do good, because good souls were merited after death! Was that all a lie? Or a false hope that humans clung into since the beginning?
After thinking, Cal finally decided. He will take the second option, a chance for a new life. If nothing will happen after death, then he should take the opportunity to enjoy the world of living.
"Looks like you've decided to choose the second option," the man calmly said as though he could hear his thoughts. "But I am not going to give you second chance for free. You must work hard for it!"
As expected, Cal thought bitterly. Of course there was no such thing as free in the world, and even in other dimensions. All things that were labeled as free were, in fact, has an invisible cost that no human can possibly avoid.
"Fine," Cal agreed, but still cautious. "However, I wanted to know first what was your condition in exchange for my second chance in life."
After that question, the man suddenly smiled widely. That grin, it was filled with immense evil that struck fear to Cal's heart. He felt something bad was gonna happen if he agreed, but he did not have a choice.
"My conditions are simple."
"And what is that?" Cal replied, preparing himself what was about to come.
"Survive."