Somewhere within the confines of a dark expanse of a city, a young man woke from his slumber. Wiping his eyes, he yawned and stretched his arms. The absence of light in the apartment didn't seem to bother him. Using his leg to sweep away some of the trash, he slowly walked towards the bathroom.
"Dzzt." A light flickered as he flicked the switch. A dim lamp lit up a four-square-meter bathroom, with a little of its glow spilling out into the dark corridor. He turned the tap, and murky water poured into the sink before running a bit clearer after a second.
After brushing his teeth, he made his way through the house. Crumpled trash and empty bottles of alcohol were visible in the darkness. He stepped carefully, his feet slowly sweeping away debris as he headed to the kitchen counter.
In the dark, he flicked the gas stove on and boiled some water. While it heated, the young man ripped open a plastic sachet and poured the contents into a cup. "Ting!" The kettle whistled. Turning off the stove, he poured the water in, and a steaming cup of coffee was ready.
"Ugh... I'm still hungover," he complained, clutching his head as he continued walking, his hand steadily holding the hot drink. Reaching a door, he twisted the handle and opened it in a single swing. The door closed behind him, leaving the dark living room once again in shadow.
The room inside was nothing like the one outside. For the first time, you could actually see. A dim orange light brightened the room with a faint flicker too subtle to notice unless one focused on it. A dark wooden table sat fancily, dust-free. Papers were cluttered across it, but nothing the young man needed to worry about. A single laptop rested neatly among the documents, turned off. Away from the table, a nice office chair stood. Behind it, a clear sliding door led out to the apartment's sole balcony.
Ting! A screen appeared beside him. Yawning, he wiped his eyes again, trying to see if a message had come through.
"Oi! You slacker! Where are you? Didn't I tell you to pick up the new recruits!" the message read. He took a glance at the sender while sipping his drink. "Annoying Boss," it read. Suddenly, the screen vibrated, and a ringing sound emitted from it. The same sender had begun calling him. Groggily, he picked up. The system buffered for a moment before displaying the call screen.
"Where are you?! Have you picked up the new recruits yet?" the voice screamed through the system. As if the screen itself was talking, it shook with the same frequency as the sound.
Softening his throat, he wiped his face and forced a smile. "Ah, boss, I was just about to get to it! You know how these paperwork things are—I can't really focus on two tasks at once, you know." Even he cringed at his own words. If I ever do this shit again, just kill me. The funniest joke here is that I'm already dead.
His boss, however, didn't answer for a while. On the other end of the line, distant clashes and explosions could be heard. Darn, must be chaotic there. He felt somewhat relieved that he was the one who'd gotten the babysitting task instead. Suddenly, the line picked back up, and his boss's screaming returned.
"I don't care about the paperwork. Just go and fetch those two now!" And just like that, the line cut off. It seemed the situation was truly dire wherever his boss was.
"Not my problem, though." Yawning, he switched off the system. Staring outside, his eyes rested on the sight of the dark, lively city.
Neon blue light covered the streets, illuminating advertisements and store signs. Other Soul Reapers walked to and from their work. A few vehicles sped along the road. Skyscrapers made of pure black concrete pierced the sky. Looking upward, a strange, faint blue glow hung in the air.
"Let's go fetch those two, then." Gulping down the last of his coffee, he dismissed the cup, and it dissolved into black smoke. Then, with a flick of his finger, dark mist enveloped his body. The cold vapor swirled, and he disappeared into thin air, leaving the room empty.
A black mist swirled at the side of the road, and the man reappeared out of thin air. Finally outside, he took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. A sudden tap interrupted him, however. Turning, he saw the figure of a girl floating nearby. Her blonde hair fluttered in the wind. Well, not really a girl—this woman here is—
"Oi, what are you thinking about?" the woman said, pouting.
"Sometimes I feel like your Recollection also lets you read minds, Juliette," the man joked. Juliette just slapped his shoulder, and a pang of pain stung him. "Ow!"
"That's what you get. You're going to fetch the new recruits, right, Vivian?" Vivian, still rubbing his shoulder, just nodded. "Great, I also want to go see those kids. You know, just to reminisce about the past."
"Now that you say that, it really sounds like you're an old—"
He dodged another slap flying toward him. Sighing in relief as it whistled past, he failed to notice the next one that already connected with his backside.
"Okay—okay, I get it," Vivian hissed, rubbing his rear. "Let's just go."
Yawning, he chanted, "Highway 99," and as if something had responded, the atmosphere seemed to slow. Dark swirling mist formed on the road. A roar echoed from within it. Suddenly, beams of light protruded out, piercing the black mist. As the haze cleared, it revealed a black motorbike, as if a curtain had fallen. Around Vivian, dark mist enveloped him before clearing in a burst of fog, leaving him clad in a biker suit and helmet.
"Get on," Vivian said, his voice muffled by the helmet but still clear to Juliette. But Juliette didn't respond. Turning, he saw her making a face at him.
"Eugh, why would I go on a ride with you?" She whispered a word, and her body exuded a dark aura. Her golden hair fluttered as she lifted effortlessly into the air. Lazily, she lay back on nothingness, hovering at the same height as Vivian's head. Without another word, she sped off, leaving him behind.
"Gah, this old wench. So dramatic. Can't I just be courteous for a bit?" he whined before twisting the handle. The engine roared, and the bike sped off into the night. Within moments, both figures had vanished into black smoke.