Aarav stood in an abandoned building, the broken window rattling in the wind. In front of him lay scattered bundles of cash. Aarav let out a heavy sigh.
"Let's move quickly."
Behind him, a gunshot rang out. Aarav's back was covered in blood. An excruciating pain ran through his back.
'What? What happened?'
While struggling, he turned back and glared at the man who called himself his friend.
'He shot me? But why?'
He tried to speak, but the pain made him unable to do so. He leaned on the edge of the table to keep from falling and mustered the strength to speak.
"Why… Why did you do this?"
With a complex expression, the man looked at the bundles of cash, then at Aarav. The man sighed and pointed the gun at Aarav's head. His finger trembled a little as he tried to pull the trigger.
"You shouldn't believe anyone."
Aarav sank to his knees, his vision blurring. 'What's happening?' The gunshot rang again. Blood spattered across the floor. Aarav collapsed on the cold floor. His vision blurred, and everything plunged into darkness.
Then a calm voice echoed in his mind, "You died." Not human, not a living being, nor any entity.
Aarav's eyes closed. His surroundings felt burning hot.
'What's this feeling? Didn't I already die?'
He opened his eyes. His body was intact, not even a single scratch on it. He looked at his surroundings–flames devouring everything, huge mountains burning in flames and many fog-like birds flying in the red bloody sky. Then many piercing screams echoed. He covered his ears in agony and blood flowed from them. His whole body burst with pain and his whole life flashed before him—living as an orphan, killing innocent people for money, dying by betrayal.
Then the screams stopped, the surroundings grew quiet. A man wearing ancient clothes and luxurious jewellery appeared out of nowhere. His presence was both majestic and deadly. The air became heavy. Aarav felt as if his soul was being torn apart by the pressure. Aarav's body was covered in sweat and was trembling in pain.
'What? What is this? Who is this man?'
"Is this hell?..."
When King Yama spoke, "So, you came in the end."
Aarav's eyes darted between the flaming mountains and Yama. "Am I not supposed to be here? His voice trembled slightly.
King Yama stared at him, "What do you think? What does your action represent?"
Aarav's throat tightened. His gaze flicked. Images of every crime pressed down on his mind. His lips shook, but the urge to hide vanished from his mind under Yama's pressure.
"So what's my punishment? being boiled in oil or being eaten by shadows, or something else."
The air grew heavy. King Yama spoke in a thunderous voice. "Do you think punishment is enough?..."
Aarav spat out blood. He felt as if thousands of ants were eating his flesh. While screaming, he scratched all over himself. The blood flowing from the scratches, nails torn apart, his flesh sticking to them. He gasped for air, body trembled.
"Please stop this…" his screams echoing in the quiet place.
King Yama's eyes swept over him. "What, broke down already." His tone was cold.
Blood soaked Aarav's arm and legs. His screams echoed. Stopping only to rise again with pain. Hours? Days? Years? Time no longer existed there. Aarav's screams grew quieter. Every bone was broken.
King Yama's eyes narrowed, scanning everything and an unspoken question lingered.
'Why him?'
Aarav struggled for every breath of air, his state was unrecognisable.
King Yama swept his hand. The hellish place disappeared. Aarav's body returned to normal as if nothing ever happened here. Shiver ran down Aarav's spine as screams of hellish torture echoed in his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was dry. His hand trembled uncontrollably.
Then King Yama's majestic voice echoed in his ears. "Listen human..."
Aarav froze, chest tightening. Sweat covered his trembling body. He dared not look away.
Then King Yama said, "Your existence is… irregular."
"You can't go inside hell. Enter, and you will be trapped for eternity. You need to serve me to pay your karma debt."
Aarav's eyes darted around, pupils widened.
"What… What do I need to do?"
King Yama responded. "You need to capture irregular souls."
Aarav's voice faltered. 'Irregular souls… what are these?'
But before he could ask anything, King Yama's finger touched his forehead and a bright light covered his vision.
After some time passed, the light disappeared. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself in the abandoned building, where he was killed. The table was empty now, and the ground was covered in blood. He quickly looked at his old watch 5:15 PM. same as around the time he died.
"Was it a dream or…"
"No it can't be a dream."
He closed his eyes. The tears slowly flowed from them as he started laughing.
Huh. huhh… haaahaaaa…
"I am alive…" "I am alive…"
The laughter cracked and broke in his throat, leaving him gasping for air. Tears streaked down his cheeks. He wiped them with trembling hands. "I am alive…" His voice quivered.
The building was silent. Cash had vanished. Aarav crouched, fingertips brushing the dried blood. A chill ran through him. The memories of his death passed his mind.
"It… wasn't a dream."
He wiped the blood from his face with a trembling hand. A sharp pain ran through his head as if something was imprinted in his soul. His knees buckled as he clenched his head.
"What's this pain?" he hissed.
A familiar and faint voice echoed in his head.
Every thirteen days, capture one soul.
Aarav's eyes widened. "Yama…"
The pain disappeared. He breathed heavily. "It's Yama…"
Aarav staggered, thoughts colliding inside him. 'One soul…every thirteen days…' his lips pressed into thin line.
He slowly stood up and checked his surroundings. Then a pressure weighed upon him. His instincts kicked in. He pulled out his gun instantly. ' What's this…?' He gripped the gun tightly. "There is no one here… then why do I feel someone's presence?"
Do your work.
His heart skipped a beat.
"What?" His mind raced. 'Is it Yama's voice? No, it's different from before.' Aarav looked at his surroundings. A faint black fog hovered in front of him. He gulped and looked at the black thing. "What's this? Are there any souls around?"
Follow it.
He first looked at the fog, then around. His face was covered in sweat.
"Who… who are you?"
But there was no response. Only silence.
He looked at black fog first, then at his gun. "Is it even going to work on it?" He put the gun away and turned his head outside. The sun was about to be fully covered in red, yellowish clouds.
Silence fell again.
Aarav looked at the place, standing there calmly for a second and followed the black fog. After coming out of the abandoned building, he looked at the black fog and as time went by, it became more dark than before.
Aarav stood still.
"Do souls really exist…?"
"And do I have to catch them?"