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The pain went away.
As Alex rose up feeling weightless, he saw a hooded figure beside himself, holding an hourglass in one hand, while stowing a sword on his hip. Under the hood, a skull was visible, in whose eyesockets shone small blue lights. The same blue dimly emanated from the edge of the blade, as well as the scythe leaning against the wall of the room. Alex looked down on his now dead body, still peacefully lying in his bed.
"So this is the end, huh? Death has come for me?"
ʏᴇs, ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ.
The voice rung in Alex's head, cold and hollow, yet still comforting.
"I wouldn't have expected to feel like such a weight had fallen off me."
ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇʀʀɪᴛᴏʀʏ, ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.
Alex looked Death in the face, trying to hold back a snorty laugh. He failed.
Death went and picked up his scythe and motioned Alex to follow him.
ᴄᴏᴍᴇ, ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀᴛ.
"I gotta ask, why did you use the sword? The scythe would have been a way more badass way to get killed."
ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɪʟʟ. ɪ ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟɪғᴇ ʀᴜɴs ᴏᴜᴛ. ᴇɴsᴜʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜʟ ᴍᴏᴠᴇs ᴏɴ. Death said with slight irritation.
"Alright, sorry, man."
ᴛʜᴇ sᴡᴏʀᴅ ɪs ᴜsᴜᴀʟʟʏ ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ʀᴏʏᴀʟᴛʏ. ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴏᴘʀɪᴀᴛᴇ, ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴛᴀᴛᴏ ᴋɪɴɢ
"Bro, that was in a video game. There's no way."
ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏғ ʙᴇʟɪᴇғ ɪs ᴀ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀғᴜʟ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ ɪɴᴅᴇᴇᴅ. ʜᴜᴍᴀɴs ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀᴇʜᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇss ᴏғ ᴅʏɪɴɢ ɪs ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ sʜᴀᴘᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ. ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴏᴅs. ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇғ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴍɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴍᴀʏ ᴀғғᴇᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀʟɪғᴇ.
"That's wild, man."
Alex stared at nothing in particular.
"Ah yes, my fans. It's ironic that my catchphrase was "Technoblade never dies" when I died at 23."
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴀs ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀs ʜɪs ɴᴀᴍᴇ ɪs sᴛɪʟʟ sᴘᴏᴋᴇɴ? ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴅᴏᴍᴀɪɴ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪғᴇ. ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ɪs ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ɪɴ ʀᴇᴀʟ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ʏᴏᴜʀs ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ʏᴇᴛ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟɪғᴇ ᴇɴᴅs. ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴘᴘʟᴇs ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴅɪᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ.
Death led Alex away, the pair moving through walls as if they weren't there, until they reached Death's white horse, Binky.
"Honestly, I expected something with a bit more style. Just a white horse seems kinda boring, doesn't it?"
ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ, ᴀ ғʟᴀᴍɪɴɢ ᴏʀ sᴋᴇʟᴇᴛᴀʟ ʜᴏʀsᴇ ɪs ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ɪɴᴄᴏɴᴠᴇɴɪᴇɴᴛ. ʙɪɴᴋʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ sᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʙʟᴇs ᴏɴ ғɪʀᴇ ᴏʀ ғᴀʟʟ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ.
"Actually those do sound kinda scuffed. Wait, your horse is named Binky? That's hilarious"
ɪᴛ ɪs ᴀ ɴɪᴄᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ.
Alex looked at Death mounting Binky
"So, what happens next? What is the afterlife like?"
ɪ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ sᴀʏ. ɪ ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ sᴏᴜʟ, sᴏ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋ. ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʟɪᴇs ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ᴅᴜᴛʏ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪs ᴀʟʟ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ.
"Death, I have to say, You're a lot nicer than I thought. People are always afraid of you, have this oppressive fear, but you're not as much of a boomer as I would have guessed."
ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ʙʏ ʙᴏᴏᴍᴇʀ. ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍʙᴜsᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ. ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ʟɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀs ᴀ ʜᴜᴍʙʟᴇ ғᴀʀᴍᴇʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ᴅᴇᴍɪsᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʀɪᴢᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʜᴀs ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪғғᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴏғ ᴠɪᴇᴡ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴇxɪsᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ. ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀɴ ᴏᴘᴘʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ, ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ʀᴇᴘʟᴀᴄᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ʜᴀᴅ ɪ ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ. ɪᴛ ʜᴀs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴄᴀʀᴇᴛᴀᴋᴇʀ. ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ, ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀʀᴠᴇsᴛ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ғᴏʀ ɪғ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴘᴇʀ ᴍᴀɴ?
"Well then, if the afterlife is up to me as you said, and the belief of people shapes the gods, I know what I'm gonna do."
Alex's appearance began to shift, until Death stood face to face with a man sporting long pink hair, a red cape, crown and a hog's face.
ᴀʜ, ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɪ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴛʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏɢғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ. ɪ ɢᴜᴇss ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀʀᴇ ʜɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ "sᴀɴᴛᴀ ᴄʟᴀᴜs". ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴊᴏʏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs. ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ. ɪ ᴍᴜsᴛ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ɴᴇxᴛ ɢᴜᴇsᴛ.
As Death rode away, Technoblade, The Blood God, ascended to heaven to take on the Kingdom of God.