Cold.
That was the first thing she felt.
Not the kind that makes you shiver and pull a blanket closer—but the kind that seeps into your bones… quiet, absolute, endless.
Then came the silence.
No wind.
No footsteps.
No distant hum of the world she once knew.
It felt like standing in the pause between two heartbeats—except hers wasn’t beating anymore.
A pale, endless stretch of nothing surrounded her, like someone had erased the world and forgotten to redraw it.
The air didn’t move.
Time didn’t move.
She did.
“Okay…” her voice echoed strangely, too loud in a place this empty.
“This is either the weirdest dream I’ve ever had… or something is seriously wrong.”
She rubbed her eyes.
Blink.
Blink.
Nothing changed.
No sound.
No life.
No escape.
And then— She wasn’t alone.
A man stood a few feet away, as if he had always been there.
Calm.
Smiling.
Watching.
Dressed like a man caught between two worlds—half office clerk, half wedding guest—with a pen and paper in hand like it actually mattered here.
Her brows furrowed.
“Hey,” she called out, her voice cutting through the stillness.
“You planning to just stand there and stare, or are you going to explain what the hell is going on?”
His smile widened.
“Ma’am,” he said pleasantly, “you are not in hell.”
“…That wasn’t even my first guess.”
“You are currently in the process of going to heaven.”
The words didn’t land all at once.
They sank.
Slowly.
“…Heaven?” she repeated, like the word didn’t belong in her mouth.
“So… let me get going straight…”
He nodded, already writing something down.
“I’m dead?”
“Correct.”
A pause.
“…Dead-dead?”
“Very.”
The silence returned—but this time, it pressed harder.
She stared at her hands.
At her body.
At everything that still felt like her— and yet wasn’t.
Suddenly—
Smack.
She slapped her cheeks.
Nothing.
No sting.
No pain.
No reaction.
Her breath hitched—then stopped.
“…Wait.”
She inhaled.
Out of habit.
And froze.
“…I don’t need to breathe.”
“Efficiency Upgrade,” he replied smoothly.
Her head snapped toward him.
“Okay, no. No—stop right there.” She pointed at him, frustration rising.
“You don’t just drop ‘you’re dead’ like it’s casual and then talk about upgrades like I’m some kind of Phone Update!”
He said nothing.
Just smiled.
That same unsettling, polite smile.
Her voice hardened.
“How did I die?”
For the first time, he straightened.
Formal.
Careful.
“I’m afraid that information is not available to you.”
“What?!” Her voice echoed, sharper now.
“Why not?!”
“It is not part of the standard onboarding process.”
“ONBOARDING?!” she snapped.
“Am I joining a company or the afterlife?!”
“…There are similarities.”
She dragged a hand through her hair, pacing now—if this even counted as walking.
“This is insane.”
“Please feel free to explore while I complete your processing,” he said while pointing his hand toward the space.
She let out a dry laugh.
“Wow. Even in death, there’s paperwork.”
Without waiting for permission, she turned and moved forward.
The world stretched endlessly—blank, unfinished, wrong.
And then—
Something appeared.
A gate.
Tall.
Silent.
Waiting.
And in front of it—
A figure.
Her steps faltered.
Her chest tightened out of instinct, not need.
“No way…”
She moved faster.
Closer.
Closer—
“Hey!” she called, grabbing the girl’s shoulders.
“What are you doing here?! This isn’t funny!”
No response.
The girl didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t breathe.
Her grip tightened.
“Stop it. Say something.”
Nothing.
A crack of fear slipped into her voice.
“…This isn’t funny anymore.”
“Ma’am.”
That voice again.
She turned—slowly this time.
The man stood behind her.
Unavoidable.
Unchanging.
“You are not allowed to interfere,” he said calmly.
Something inside her snapped.
“…Excuse me?”
“This is not your place. Please return—”
“HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS ISN’T MY PLACE?!” she shot back.
He blinked.
She pointed at the girl, anger burning now.
“Do you even know her?! She’s my best friend, the kindest person I’ve ever met! If anyone deserves heaven, it’s her!”
The man sighed, flipping through his papers.
“I am aware.”
“Then why is she standing here like this?!”
A pause.
Then— “Your friend,” he said, voice steady, “is bound for hell.”
” What….No.”
“Due to her past karma—”
“No.”
“—she must proceed—”
“NO…..”
The word echoed, breaking the silence apart.
She stepped forward, eyes blazing.
“I am not going to heaven if she’s going to hell.”
“That is not how this works.”
“Then change it.”
“I cannot.”
“Then I stay.”
“…That is also not allowed.”
“Watch me.”
Silence stretched between them again.
Long.
Heavy.
Then, He sighed.
“…You’re difficult.”
“I’ve been told.”
Another pause.
Then— “…Fine.”
Her breath caught.
“I can make an exception.”
Her eyes snapped to his.
“You can?”
“Yes. Your friend may go to heaven.”
Relief hit like a wave.
“See? That wasn’t so—”
“But.”
The word cut through everything.
Sharp.
Final.
Her smile faded.
“…Of course, there’s a but.”
He stepped closer, something darker in his expression now.
“You must pay a Price.”
Her voice lowered.
“What kind of price?”
A beat.
“You must solve your own murder.”
Silence fell again.
But this time—
It wasn’t empty.
It was terrifying.
“…I’m sorry, what?”
“Your murder mystery. ”
She stared at him.
Disbelief.
Anger.
Fear.
All colliding.
“Do I look like a detective to you?”
“No.”
“A cop?”
“No.”
“Then why me?!”
“Because”, he said quietly, “it is the only way to balance the scales.”
Her gaze drifted back to her friend.
Still unmoving.
Still waiting.
“…And if I refuse?”
The answer came without hesitation.
“She goes to hell.”
Her fists clenched.
Her decision didn’t take long.
“…Fine.”
The word felt like a vow.
“I’ll do it.”
His smile returned.
Wider.
Colder.
“Excellent.”
She pointed at him.
“But if this turns out to be some kind of cosmic joke, I swear I will haunt you.”
He chuckled.
“Ma’am… you already qualify.”
She exhaled sharply.
Then turned.
“…Alright.”
Her voice steadied.
“Let’s solve the murder mystery.”
She took a step—
Then stopped.
Something clicked.
Slowly, she turned back.
“…Wait.”
“Yes?”
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“If I’m dead…”
He nodded.
Her eyes darkened.
“…then who killed me?”
The man’s smile deepened.
“That,” he said softly,
“is exactly what you need to find out.”
And just like that—
The silence didn’t feel empty anymore.
It felt like the beginning of something Dangerous.
To Be Continued… 👀
The beginning of an original story.
Thank you to all readers who are going to read.