My chest slowly tightened as my breathing became weaker. My heart raced like a horse in a race. My eyesight slowly became blurred as I saw the light cascading from the waters like some washed layer of a painting. My body surrendered, no longer floundering for strength. My body became motionless as I breathe the last air I have. Bubbles quickly escaped from my mouth. My consciousness failed me. My eyes closed losing hope.

Then unexpectedly, a splash from afar brought me back to my apprehension. As my body slowly sunk, there seemed to be a figure swimming towards me. My senses were half awake, so I can't fully see who was it, or what it was. From what I could tell, it seemed to be a human. He's moving in closer and closer until his hand tugged my wrist.

I felt his other arm cradle my body, while the other arm paddled. My eyes completely closed as I'm assured that this person is no foe of mine.

I felt my body being carefully laid down unto the cold soil of earth. I felt the cold breeze tingling throughout my skin. I could hear someone panting. I slowly opened my eyes, and just that recklessly, I am amidst fantasia. "Where am I?" my brain questioned. My eyes, blurry as its vision, settled unto the hunched figure in front of me. Clarity came upon, and here I am, before my savior.

"Finally, you're awake," he exclaimed, noticing that I've been examining him for some quite time. "I have news for you Mr. Stein."

What news would that be? I ploddingly sat up and faced him. From that moment, I noticed how ethereal his presence was, unearthly and peculiar I might say. His eyes were striking and blue as the wavy pacific. His black hair gleamed as the sun showered light, and his skin was surprisingly fair like a maiden's. White as snow his skin was, and fragile like porcelain.

"Where am I?" I bluntly asked him. I looked around, but all I could see was the fog clearing out. And the fact that it seemed we are sitting right in a lone islet in the middle of the lake, it caught me fascinated. I assumed that we were somewhere near the Blue Bridge. But this man, smiled as if he could read my thoughts.

"Mr. Stein," the unknown man pondered, seemingly replying to my thoughts. "You're dead. I am Lucius, the grim reaper they sent for you."

And as by cue, black feathered wings stretched out from his back, as seem as clarifying what he claimed from earlier.

I was stunned and frozen on my foot. Is this a dream? Maybe. But it seemed real, too convincing to defy that everything is just purely my imagination's creation.

"What are you?!" I howled, as I stepped back.

"Mr. Stein, please, I know everything happening right now is a bit confusing for you, but please calm down, I have something important to tell you." Lucius, the grimreaper as he claims, tried to sooth me down. He looked a bit worried so I tried to pull myself and ride with this whatever fantasy my hallucinating brain is fabricating.

"You're not supposed to die right now Mr. Stein," Lucius calmly said. "So I made a deal with the Death Lord earlier that if I could save you, you could live but..." he suddenly paused.

"But what?" I asked, realizing that I'm on the verge of Death's hand and was saved by one of his grim reapers.

"But you were to lend our skills to us." Lucius mustered. "You have to kill people for you to keep your life. And in exchange for that, I were to guard you from any harm."

"Okay that's it!" I snapped. "Where are the cameras" The police did such a great job hiring actors for my arrest, I was almost convinced by you. Seriously, come out and arrest me now!" I flailed my arms in the air and steadily straightened them upfront, waiting for handcuffs to appear.

"I knew it would be a lot harder to convince you Mr. Stein," Lucius smiled sadly. "I hope you'll believe me when you wake up. There's another surprise waiting for you."

My head started to ache and my vision started to blur again. Slowly my eyes closed, while my heart raced. I was scared that Death would be knocking the door and bringing me to my own grave. But it's not. I felt scared but assured, what is this feeling? I suddenly felt my whole body jolt, hurriedly bringing me back to reality.

I opened my eyes, and the sun greeted me with his radiance. I am in an unfamiliar room. There was a man who sat up the moment he saw me flinch to life.

"Master Damian," the familiar voice greeted me with excitement. I saw the man facing my direction. He then bowed in front of me. "Welcome home Master Damian Stein Von Heilzen."