[No matter how much you try to run from your troubles, they always seem to catch up with you.]
In an unknown place, a man was lying on an altar.His limbs splayed out as if he were a sacrificial lamb waiting for the slaughter.However, before anything would happen, he opened his eyes.As he opened his eyes, he felt warmth on his face.There was a confused look on his face, but with his hands still supporting him, he raised his torso and sat up.He looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing a strange white robe."Wait!" he said out loud, surprised. "I am alive?" He remembered throwing himself off a building, so there was no way he could survive.He wondered, tilting his head to look at the sun-like light above his head. "Is this heaven?"But as he scanned the room, a sense of foreboding crept over him.The walls were covered in strange symbols that glowed with an eerie light, casting shadows that seemed to dance on their own accord.The air was thick with a heady scent that reminded him of incense and sulfur.The symbols on the walls seemed to writhe and twist, like serpents slithering across the stone.The air grew colder, and he shivered as he realized that he was not alone.Something was watching him lurking in the shadows.There was no way something like this would be heaven.He gasped and wondered, "Then... am I in hell?" His voice trembled at the thought of being in hell.As Zen stood up, a voice behind him broke the silence. "Welcome to your new world, Zen."Turning around, Zen saw a figure dressed in black.His piercing red eyes and horns protruding from his forehead marked him as something otherworldly.The horns were twisted and gnarled, with sharp points that glinted in the dim light.The large wings on his back were black as coal, with feathers that seemed to absorb all light.They were massive, spanning at least ten feet from tip to tip, and they twitched slightly as the figure approached.There was something strange and mysterious about the figure that made Zen's skin crawl.He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he sensed that this was not something to be trifled with.The figure moved with an otherworldly grace, and Zen could see that every muscle in his body was taut with power.As the figure approached him, Zen was filled with a sense of dread. He wondered what he was getting himself into, and if he had made a terrible mistake.Zen' eyes widened as he recognized the figure before him as the devil.The devil's skin was pale, and his eyes glowed like hot coals.He was taller than Zen had imagined, standing at least 2 feet tall."Hello, I am Morgath." The devil before Zen greeted himself briefly.'Is this the devil who will take me to hell?' He wondered inwardly, his heart pounding in his chest."Let's begin your journey!" Morgath said, sending a chill down Zen' spine.Zen focused on Morgath's words and narrowed his eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening."Wait! What journey? I am not dead?" Zen asked, bewildered.Morgath chuckled, a sound that echoed through the chamber. "Not quite. You're a long way from home, my friend. You've been given a second chance."Zen's mind raced as he tried to process what was happening.The room shimmered and twisted around him, and he realized that he had been thrust into a world that was far beyond his comprehension.Now he was standing in a white room. It was neat and clean.Lucifer approached Zen. His movements were smooth and graceful."You have been reincarnated into this world, Zen," Lucifer said, with a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "You have been given a chance to start anew. You can create your own destiny here."Zen was skeptical. "Why me? Why did you choose me?"Lucifer grinned. "I didn't choose you, Zen. Fate did."He pointed his index finger at Zen, the tip of his sharp nail touching Zen's chest. "You have the potential to be something remarkable, something powerful. But it's up to you to make that happen."Zen was still skeptical, but he couldn't deny the excitement building inside him.He had always felt powerless in his previous life, but now, with Lucifer's words ringing in his ears, he felt a newfound sense of purpose.However, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that came with dealing with the devil. "What do I need to do?" he asked warily.Lucifer's smile remained enigmatic as he spoke. "First, you need to learn this world's ways. You need to learn its secrets and mysteries." His words were vague and left Zen with more questions than answers."But don't worry," Lucifer continued, his tone reassuring. "I know just the person to help you with that."Zen furrowed his brow in confusion. "Who? Who can help me?"However, before he could ask further questions, Lucifer did something.With a resounding snap of his fingers, Lucifer conjured a swirling portal out of thin air.The portal's violet hue cast a ghastly glow around the room, and a chill ran down Zen's spine.His eyes were drawn to the otherworldly energies working in front of him.Then, as if on cue, a figure stepped out of the portal.She was a woman of striking beauty, with long, flowing hair and a mischievous glint in her emerald green eyes."This is Ariel," Lucifer's voice echoed in the chamber as he introduced the woman.Ariel's eyes seemed to twinkle mischievously as she stepped out of the portal. Her beauty was striking.Zen was transfixed by her beauty and aura of power. He could feel a sense of admiration and awe washing over him as he took in the sight of Ariel.Lucifer continued, "Ariel is one of the most knowledgeable beings in this world. She knows its secrets and ways. With her help, you will know what you need to understand."Zen felt his heart race as he looked at Ariel. He couldn't believe he was standing in front ofsuch a stunning creature.Ariel's beauty was captivating. Her emerald green eyes sparkled like jewels, and her long, darkred hair was tied in two ponytails that cascaded down her back.She had a petite yet curvaceous figure that was accentuated by her vibrant green blouse andblack pants.Her skin was flawless and had a radiant glow to it.Zen couldn't help but notice the intricate tattoos that snaked up her arms, which seemed to bepulsating with an otherworldly energy.As she smiled at him, Zen felt like he was in a dream.Ariel's warm and inviting welcome made him feel special, and his heart raced.In his previous life, no one was willing to come near him, let alone talk to him in such a politeway. And here he was given a goddess to work with."Shall we get started?" She took a few steps towards him, and Zen felt his knees go weak."Y-yes," he stammered, trying his best not to blush as
They got into the building. Zen looked around the abandoned mess, realizing for the first time the true inspect the intrusion of the experiment had caused. There were black holes in the wall, some debris and blackened stones. It was almost as though he could imagine clearly what had happened here. As he looked at fallen walls and melted stones, flashbacks of memories that weren’t his flitted through his brain. He paused briefly at an upturned dirt in the air. A female worker had died at this spot. She was helping others to out and somehow the impact of the portal had reached her when it blew over the top. He ran forward and caught up with Ariel. She was surprisingly fast paced. He suppose he should not be surprised, seeing as she was a demon and had a magical trait. She suddenly stopped and he saw that they were in a shattered sort of room. “Here was your office,” Ariel said. “Here, you made important decisions that affected or impacted the lives of others.”“I can see that the las
On the ride to his supposed home, Zen glanced severally at Ariel. He expected that she cracked a joke to ease the tension, but the little demon was as stiff as possible. It was almost as though she was with his boss. He supposed that in many ways he was her boss; since he had the face of her former boss and he was to act as one, she’d have to accord him with the same respect she accorded the former one; which means the end of his youthful lusting towards her.Zen shook his head and thoughts away. It wasn’t like he was particularly lusting after her—okay, maybe he was, but who wouldn’t? She was the epitome of everything sinful. The car suddenly stopped and Ariel turned to him.“We are here.”Zen looked out the window at the house she had stopped at. It was a decent house in a decent neighborhood, with a tiny flower bed in front of it that was beginning to weed into the main entrance. It looked as though it had been unattended for years, but the footprint on the flowerbed signified th
Zen woke up to breakfast in bed. He stretched, yawning and then immediately closing his mouth when he realized that it reeked of bad breath. He sighed and massaged the middle of his head.“I suppose the perks of an old man includes bad breath.” He muttered to himself.A raucous laughter filled the room. He turned and saw that Emma was standing at the door, watching him. He relaxed back into the bed, watching her. His resurrection made him see life a different way. Sure, an old man point of view, but different nevertheless. Emma smiled at him and closed the door after she left. She was dressed in a black dress and a stunning red lipstick. Sighing, he looked to the food beside him.He never imagined that she would go through any length to serve him food, but she did. It was toast bread and milk, a very simple breakfast. Then he glanced to his right and saw that he’d overslept.Shit.Zen bounced of bed, and he nearly toppled on his face in the process. He steadied his foot and stood upri
Zen came down from the car and stood before his workers, who all turned to look at him the minute he stepped down. Ariel started the car and drove off; he held himself from looking back because he knew that it would betray his stance as the leader. He soon realized that he didn’t need to do much.Like the people he was so accustomed to seeing, these people knew how to recognize power. The body he was in exuded the most power he could ever dream of, a strong powerful man who secretly had arthritis. The workers gathered around and he looked at their faces, one after the other. As someone who had been in their midst before, Zen knew the right words to use do they won’t be discouraged and spoil the work he wanted to put in this.“Thank you for coming, guys,” he started.The men edged forward, surprised that he was thanking them. Very few employers thanked their workers for coming, and the ones who did usually had a behind motive of overworking and underpaying them.“I know you took your
In six months, Zen had successfully built the company back from scratch. This was not an easy feat, as Ariel continually tormented him for as long as she could, trying to rile him up into finishing earlier than usual. Six months was a good time and good deal. He was impressed, excited even. It meant he had achieved something that even the workers thought was impossible.It wasn’t.Zen had dedicated all his time and energy in trying to accomplish this feat. He saw Emma less and less everyday and even ate her food less because he was running out of time and working to get to the site. One morning, she was so upset that she blocked his way.“You’re sleeping with your assistant!” she screamed.Zen was dumfounded. He stared at her for long moments and did not even know what to do. It was 6am that day, and he had specifically asked Ariel to pick him up that day since she was so slow in getting him a driver. Ariel had happily obliged, saying that she had to watch him anyways.“I’m not sleepi
Zen followed her about as she toured the new company, examining each place critically.“When are we going to meet this friend of mine?” Zen asked.“Oh be patient,” she replied. “I’m sure he’s eager to meet you as well. For the main time, I’m impressed with what you’ve done here.”“You’ve said that a hundred times already. Are you stalling for time?”“Absolutely not! I just get impressed at every turn that I take.” Zen rolled his eyes and followed her as she checked the rooms and the offices. He really didn’t know what she was on about, but people who saw them would think they were just the boss and the assistant. Zen craved for a new assistant; Ariel was torturing him, whether she realized it or not. He wasn’t sure he could keep up with the mystery around her.They started to walk back out of the company, Ariel having done with the examination. Zen looked towards the entrance and stopped short, transfixed on the person standing there. It was Stella.Stella!At first he wanted to run
"So where are we going to now?" Zan asked Ariel rubbing his aching head."I see you are having headache?" Ariel noticed him rubbing his head."That is one of the problem of being in a body like this." Zen opened the door of the car, and sat at the back seat."We have to go see someone now!" Ariel informed him, igniting the car engine."Where exactly? Do you want to take me to go see someone who wants to serve another punishment? Perhaps, someone who also made me suffer in my past life?" Zen question her, almost pointing his head to the driver's side."Act like an old man, you fool!" Ariel warned him."You should answer my questions first, stop leaving me in this kind of suspense. Before meeting anyone, you should know that I hungry, and I need to eat now." Zen complained to her."Okay then. We will get what you want to eat on our way." She assured him.It was a long journey to the place where Zen was to meet up with someone. Zen's mind went to Stella."So she will have to go through t