“Uhh, well alright then, I guess,” Enzo hesitantly responded. “So, what happens now?”

“First, let me properly introduce myself. I am Archibald, your death adjustor. It is my job to take on cases with a bit more nuance and bring them to a satisfying resolution. Not necessarily satisfying to you, but satisfied nonetheless,” explained Archibald.

“For a case like yours, there are two primary options. First, resurgence. Essentially, you would be reborn in the world that you came from with some alterations. If you’d lived your life well, you might have the chance to positively influence your next life. Say you were a particularly industrious ant, you could perhaps be born again a bit further up the food chain as a sparrow.”

“And if I lived my life poorly?” asked Enzo.

“Depends on how poorly,” Archibald responded. “In a case like yours, where you didn’t do anything particularly interesting until your death, which resulted in the death of many other creatures, you’d be bumped back a bit. This is the normal rhythm of life, and no manual adjustments are normally required for these lives.”

“So saving the boy…?” led Enzo hopefully.

“It complicates matters. A resurgence is still possible, though we’d have to be fairly creative with it,” said Archibald. “If that is what you choose to do, you’d likely be reborn in a lesser time rather than a lesser form. With the Fire Affinity currently attached to your destiny, I’d say somewhere in the Industrial Revolution would fit fairly well. Nothing says reconciliation with a forest fire like spending eighteen hours a day, every day of the week in front of a steel forge. You would be starting from scratch, so you’d get to enjoy your first six years as a starving child in the slums of some city.”

Seems like reincarnation is a main part of the afterlife, Enzo thought. I don’t remember much about the Industrial Revolution but it doesn’t sound pleasant. This Fire Affinity is a problem.

“What other options are there?” asked Enzo.

“Well, as far as Resurgence goes, it’ll all be pretty similar to that,” Archibald explained. “You’re pretty much guaranteed a fiery demise and a rough life. You could come back as a lesser creature and remove the Fire Affinity, but that would be quite the step back for you. Reaching a peak lifeform is quite the task, few would be willing to try again voluntarily.”

Enzo sat silently thinking. I could restart as a lower life form or sign on for a lifetime of struggle. Neither option is really all that appealing. All this for that damn forest fire. If only I’d been more diligent, this wouldn’t be happening.

“Sorry to intrude, but there is another option. A Reassignment,” Archibald said. “You could instead choose to leave Earth and start over in another world. It wouldn’t require any steps backward but you would retain the Fire Affinity. That being said, there isn’t any guarantee where you would actually end up. It’s a gamble, but not a guaranteed punishment. The outcome could be equally good or bad. In your case, you could be the first human on the planet to discover fire, or you could be a marine destined to die fighting a swarm of space hornets on a molten planet. The only guarantee is that fire will be involved in your life and your death.”

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“How would a Reassignment work?” asked Enzo. “Would I be starting off as a newborn? Would I retain any knowledge I have now?”

“The form is guaranteed but nothing else. You would be a human male, but age is random,” explained Archibald. “Typically, this option is only available for planets with a negative Resurgence rate. You’d be going to replace the soul of someone who chose to leave the planet rather than be reborn. As for knowledge, you’d have the abilities attributed to your soul.”

It's a gamble, but there’s more upside than just signing on for a resurgence on Earth. Thought Enzo. The chance to get out of this mess without too much punishment is tempting. Still, there must be a reason why someone wouldn’t stay on the planet.

“Is there a way to know what abilities I have?” asked Enzo.

Archibald handed the papers back to Enzo. He looked down and noticed more details on the paper than he remembered before.

Onboarding - Complete.

Debrief - In Progress.

Fate

Burned to death in a wildfire - Fire Affinity.

-Saved a child in the process, needs adjustment - assigned to A

-Will experience a closeness to fire in life, will die by fire. Available for Reassignment.

Perks

- Heat Resistance.

- Handy.

- Language.

Scheduled Resurgence -

Monkey - Brazil 1993 - Forest Fire

Human - Sheffield Steel Furnace - 1880 - Equipment Failure

Scheduled Reassignment - NA

“Normally, this is another area I can make adjustments to. You, on the other hand, have already selected the adjustment ‘Language’ by taking one of my books,” said Archibald, looking down at Enzo. The fire in the fireplace intensified behind Archibald as he spoke, and he leaned in toward Enzo, casting him in an intimidating shadow. The unease Enzo felt initially returned instantly.

“In a Reassignment, you would have naturally gained the first language you heard,” continued Archibald. “You’re lucky to have happened to receive Language. Had you stolen a more powerful ability, I would be forced to take action.”

The room seemed to tremble as Archibald spoke. The uncanny intensity of his eyes as he stared into Enzo was absolutely terrifying. Enzo felt the pressure of an incredible weight crushing him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t look away, all he could do was stare back into Archibald’s gaze. Enzo almost wished he were still trapped in the book with the kraken.

After a moment, Archibald sat back into his chair. The flames in the fireplace died down and the pressure was released. Enzo took a deep breath, unaware that he’d been holding it. The glare lasted only a moment but conveyed an ocean of understanding to Enzo. He was at Archibald’s mercy in this place.

“So what will it be, my boy? Resurgence or Reassignment?” asked Archibald, back in his normal tone. Little trace was left of the intimidating presence he held moments before.

“I’ll go with a Reassignment,” responded Enzo shakily. “If I die there, will I see you again?”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ll earn an advancement. Maybe you will be demoted. Only you can determine the specifics of what happens in your next life,” responded Archibald. “Good luck.”

The world spun abruptly, and the awareness of Archibald and his office faded as Enzo lost consciousness.