Life After Death The Game Novels & Stories

“Man didn’t even think about it.” “Some questions don’t need thinking.” That got another round of laughter. And honestly, it felt good. Talking about Amanda didn’t sting. If anything, it made me realize how much I had moved on. Whatever we had belonged to another version of me. A younger one. A dumber one. And maybe this was closure after all. Conversation shifted back to tomorrow’s game. We were all so eager for it. The bell rang after a little while, signaling the end of lunch break. Everybody groaned.

I said, even though I didn’t have any money left. But I could sell the villa—it's mine. I heard a mocking laugh. And that was all. No one talked. The front screen lit again and a running red font appeared simultaneously with the sound from earlier: [Congratulations! You have been selected for the Survival Game. Make sure you entertain your audience to get extra hearts.] A chill ran down my spine. Adrenaline peaked to its climax and my body trembled. “Extra what?” I snapped. But it seemed nobody cared to answer.

The bodyguard didn't care who was on the other end of the phone. He noticed that Everly got very excited, so he quickly answered, "She said she isn't dead. She asked you where you are. And, what afterlife?"

Then, their bodies dissolved into countless, shimmering golden motes of light, drifting upward and vanishing into the brilliant sun. I could no longer hold back my tears. I believed my own life would end with their departure, my wish finally spent. But then, the system chimed one last time. [Because Player Cassidy has accomplished a feat of redemption unprecedented since the game's creation, her selfless sacrifice has profoundly moved the foundational laws of 'Terminal Paradise'. [The laws have determined that such devotion deserves an equivalent miracle. [The system will return an equal reward—"Miracle Healing." [Congratulations, Cassidy Eden. You have been reborn.]

It's a sign that nothing can stop their deal. "You're now set!" Gami said excitedly. Obviously very happy. Claire thought that corruption only occurs in the human world. Even to the afterlife, it also happens. And she is one of the victims of corruption. Claire wants to be depressed. But she wasn't given a chance when she felt as if her world had been shaken from where she was sitting. In an instant, the surroundings changed again. "This will be your hiding place. It's twenty years after your death. Your mom is still alive at this time but it's impossible for you to meet."

Then, I squatted on the ground and sighed. After surviving two days in this game, I finally allowed myself to think about why I had been pulled into this supernatural game world. That day in the diner, I had been working hard cooking when the gas stove exploded. The scene had frozen suddenly, and my figure had suddenly disappeared right before I would be engulfed by the flames. According to the rules, countless people who had near-death experiences would become players once chosen by the Supernatural Map. If players died in the game, then they would die for good and become a ghoul.

“How then did I survive? How am I still alive? If he is as skilled as you say he was, I should have died there and then.” *You did die. Well, you sort of died* “I sort of died?” *There was a complex engraving on your heart that was activated after your death. It is something I recognized from the past. We call it False Life* “What’s that?” *It’s similar to what you see in video games. Instead of having one life, that engraving gives you two. It’s complex to perform and the materials required are very expensive. Most importantly, it must be placed there by someone who has your blood*

That person said, “Isn’t this the Pool of Afterlife?” Alex nodded. “This is the Pool of Afterlife, just like you said. You can be reborn once you jump into it, but now it's gone with a swish,” he said as he snapped his fingers. In the next instant, the 328 foot wide Pool of Afterlife suddenly disappeared into thin air. “F*ck. What’s going on?” “Is that an illusion?” Someone immediately rushed out but found nothing as a result. All but an expense of flat ground remained.

I didn’t have the energy to make decisions. Of course, pre-gaming happened in his room. Lights off, music up and cups filled. Any number of pre-game activities could go down. There was dancing, rapping, singing, and making videos while we got to a state of mind where being around a bunch of people felt good instead of overwhelming. My grief and his PTSD made a great pairing.

After all, he was already dead. “Well, getting a paycheck sounds realistic to me. And besides, if any of this is real, which I'm willing to believe it is, I haven't played video games for nothing, have I? I never imagined having no motivation would work out this way, I think being dead is more fun than being alive.” “I am glad you find being dead enjoyable, but I need to inform you that you need to throw away anything you believe to be true and be prepared to witness the truth of the universe. Mr. Akira, please be ready. The system is computing…