The pressure was building. All senses were gone now. There was no darkness, no light, no pain, no comfort; Only an ever-growing pressure. All it could feel was the pressure building, and It could do nothing as this endless pressure swallowed their soul. It had no body to move. It had no mind to think. It had no will to resist. It had no way to fight. It had no ego. All it had was the pressure, and the sense that something was about to be lost forever. This pressure? It was death. It was nothing.
But…
In an instant its' eyes flashed open. His body, his mind, his will; They all came back. He began to tremble.
“Hello, Hero, and welcome! I hope your reincarnation went smoothly?”
Billy found himself in front of an elderly man dressed in a clearly expensive robe. 'He seems important...'
Billy quickly regained control of his body, and a massive grin was plastered upon his face. “It was rather pleasant. I thank you for your hospitality.” Billy then took a look at his surroundings.
It was a room that could comfortably accommodate a dragon, and still have room for a few aircraft carriers. The massive chamber was filled by a small army of dirty peasants, who each seemed busy filling an important duty. The room contained chefs, janitors, and even an orchestra off in the corner. In the middle of this chaotic little world a platform was erected, and upon it stood one elderly little man. He was draped in the finest of robes, carried a crystal staff, and had a strange looking scroll strapped to his side.
The man smiled and clapped his hands together. “Oh I am positively delighted that the reincarnation went so smoothly! We really had not a single clue on how it was going to function… Oh! I must sincerely apologize! I seem to have forgotten my manners. Let us proceed with introductions!” His back straightened, the air grew tense, and his eyes were filled with a strange, golden, energy. “I am the Great Wizard Pope King, ” he giggled, “the name’s Jerry!”
Billy kneeled, bowing his head before the Great Wizard Pope King Jerry. His face grew stern, and his posture was immaculate. “I offer my humble greetings, Great Wizard Pope King Jerry. My name is Billy, and I would really like to know why I am here.”
Jerry smiled and answered, “Yes, of course! I will explain all you need to know personally, and we shall commence our enlightening journey throughout the castle immedi-” Jerry quickly turned around, towards the orchestra in the corner, and frowned. “Oh, this is quite troublesome! Which one of you was the one playing notes from the key of A minor? The piece was clearly in C major, and your mistake resulted in a disturbing dissonance that creates the possibility of putting our esteemed guest in a state of mild discomfort!”
After a brief pause, one of the musicians sighed and raised their arm.
Jerry shook his head and whistled; pointing towards the fool responsible for this absolute atrocity.
Out from a dark shadow, a large, imposing man emerged; his figure more beast than human. He promptly skipped with glee toward his good friend, George the Flutist. “Hello, George. How are you today?”
George fumbled with his hands. “Fine, I suppose. How are you Tom?”
Tom grinned. “Good! I am happy!”
After hearing this, George slumped down in his seat. “Tom... I have something to tell you...” Tom began to shake; his eyes tearing up, “I… I will not be able to go drinking with you tomorrow. I am truly sorry.”
Tom cocked his head and frowned. “Why? Somethin' come up?”
George nodded solemnly. “Yes, my immediate execution. ”
Tom began rubbing his chin; pondering this for a moment. “Oh yeah… I guess being dead would take up a lot of your time!”
George eyes began to tear up. “Tom, I am really sorry! I know how much drinking bears with friends means to you! I will understand if you cannot forgive me.”
Tom shrugged. “It’s fine. Stuff happens sometimes, so don’t worry about it. Besides, we always have next week!” Tom cocked his head and frowned. “Actually, I guess we don’t.”
George smiled, wiping the tears from his eyes. “I am so glad you can forgive me! You are truly a great friend Tom...” George stood up, stretching out his back. “Now, I suppose we should get this over with. I don’t want to take up any more of your time.”
“That’s fine by me,” Tom grabbed George by the waist, “See ya later!”
Billy stood frozen, staring at the beastly figure as it skipped towards Jerry. “... Did that man just suplex a guy out the goddamn window? What the hell? So they don’t need to file any paperwork before throwing people out of windows here?”
Once Tom arrived at the steps, Jerry smiled and beckoned him over. “That was another positively wonderful job, Tom! Keep it up, and I may even feed you! Now… I suppose I shall give you another reward for your hard work.”
Jerry’s demeanor changed. The Great Wizard Pope King delicately reached for the mysterious scroll at his side. Slowly, and with great care, he unrolled the scroll. Then, he plucked an adorable smiley face sticker from inside, and handed it to Tom.
Tom smiled with joy. “Thanks, Great Wizard Pope King Jerry!” He then opened up a pouch on his shirt, and placed the sticker alongside a huge collection of identical stickers. It was a collection that easily numbered in the hundreds. Afterwards, he skipped away whilst whistling a jolly little tune.
Jerry turned towards Billy. “I sincerely apologize for the impromptu interruption. Now, let us begin our tour!” With a wave of his hand, Billy and Jerry began to float up. After another wave, Billy and Jerry were teleported into a strange realm. It was a dark void, and the only light came from the staff carried by Jerry. The staff released a flash of blue, and soon the void changed.
Everywhere Billy looked, he saw unimaginable horror. He was immersed in an endless collage of terrifying beasts, burning villages, and the slaughter of innocents.
Billy began to shake, and his eyes teared up. ‘I just wanted a promotion...’
Jerry stared deep into the endless abyss of death and destruction. “Billy, our land is in great turmoil. Monsters, Demons, and chaos roam the land. Our world is falling apart, and everyday more territory is lost to the Demon Lord's armies. That is not all, however. Currently, humanity is also facing an extinction level crisis... ” Jerry’s face grew cold, “Degenerates”
With another flash of light the images of destruction were gone. In their place was an endless display of handsome men holding hands, kissing, and staring into each other's eyes.
Billy fell down onto his knees. 'I am screwed.'
