Tragedy ✔️

Chapter 2

"Today we start training!" says the man standing in front of me.

He is red skinned, like everyone here, short and fat. Short black hair and brown eyes with a hint of pain that reflects out of them when he looks at you. His name is Mr. Stone.

He must've died before turning eighteen and was appointed to serve the King, like me. I guess he hasn't gotten over his death and misses what he left behind. Or who he left behind. He has the same look that almost everyone here has. Pain and loneliness as if everyone is lost. But we have to follow orders whether we like it or not.

I turn my attention back to Mr. Stone. One thing I learned down here was to pay attention or you'll probably end up destroyed. We don't use the word "dead" here either because we already are so we just say destroyed. I listen carefully to Mr. Stone as he explains our job. I listen much better than when I was in school...alive.

"Three rules for serving the king," he says. "Number one. Only do what you are assigned."

He watches us with his painful stare as he paces around the low lit room we are in. There are about forty more recruits that are in this room with me. After Mr. Stone finishes, he will assign us our jobs.

"Number two. Don't hesitate to do your assignment or punishment will be inflicted."

He abruptly stops pacing and his dreadful gaze falls on me. I can't help but look to the other side of the room. It's as if his pain is sinking into me, reminding me of my own. Finally, he starts moving again and tells us the last rule.

"Number three. For no reason should you ever make contact with a living soul, tell them where you come from and what you are. You can't talk to them or engage with them. Your job is to bring them here, not to take a vacation in the overworld. Understand?" he raises a single eyebrow.

"Yes Mr. Stone!" We all shout.

Mr. Stone nods and then he flattens out his hand. There is a flash of light in his hand and a clip board with a piece of paper materializes in his hand.

My eyes are glued onto his hand and the clip board. How on ear... I mean... How in the Underworld did he do that! By the way we aren't allowed to say Earth.

I've only been here for a week and when I first arrived here, I was in the arrival office. The place where they first play you're death in front of you, see if you have any relatives here, and if you do, you go live with them. That is one reward they give you. If you don't have family, you get assigned a house to live depressed and alone. After that, they explain to you all the rules and laws and how things work here. They tell you about money and how to get it. Work if you are under eighteen. But as much as I payed attention during my arrival, I never heard a single word about...magic.

The whole room is silent. Everyone is as stunned as me. This...power is never seen outside. I bet no one knows about this.

Mr. Stone looks up from the clip board to us and smiles. Certainly amused by how clueless we are.

"I know what you're thinking," he says. "There are specific people in the dead world that possess...magic. Not ordinary people. People who serve the king, like me. Like you."

The room stays silent, but everyone is thinking the same unspoken question.

Will we get magic?

"You will get magic," says Mr. Stone. "You will be trained to use it for your job, but don't get too excited. There is a great sacrifice."

Chills run through my body as my ears digest Mr. Stone's words.

There is a great sacrifice.

I let the thought flush out of my brain for now and return my attention as Mr. Stone resumes speaking.

"As I call your name and your job position, please go to the room I also call out for you. You will get your Duty Certificate that states you are an official King servant and you will have your first instruction."

Servant?

Mr. Stone starts calling out the names.

"Alex Fallow, Silent Going, Room 402. Crystal Gose, Self Going, Room 412."

I wait patiently as names are called and less people are in the room.

"Cindy Kulling, Unjust Going, Room 402."

Every job position doesn't explain itself. I guess  going means death. And the word before it mean how they die. I knew from the beginning that our jobs would be about death but now it's starting to sink in.

I'm going to have to kill people. Live with the burden of all of those who will no longer live because of me. Many who are innocent and don't deserve this.

"Cooper Hills, Attack Going, Room 407."

More and more people are called and leave. Their faces just as nervous as mine.

Magic. I will have magic. I've dreamed of what magic was like when I was alive. I never thought it would be used for wrong.

The last person walks out of the room, leaving me and Mr. Stone alone. He steps closer to me and looks down at his clip board, then looks back up to me.

I'm starting to hate his eyes. Too painful.

"You must be Colin West," he says, burning me alive with his stare. Well, burning me dead, actually.

"Yes sir," I reply shaking.

He nods his head and gives a long sigh. What could my job be that deserves a sigh? He finally opens his mouth.

"Colin West, Automobile Accidents Going, Room 404."