At noon, Harleen put me on the till. I stood beside her, scanning groceries for customers—just the usual stuff. Every now and then, some troublemakers would try to mess with me, but Harleen always had my back. She showed me how to handle them—firm but not rude. The key was staying calm.

"Look, if they ask for credit, just say no. And if they start getting cheeky, don't hesitate—tell them to leave, or you'll call the police. Don't let them push you around," she advised.

I pointed to the button I'd found under the counter earlier. "Is this the button to call the police?" I asked, curious.

"Yep. Press it, and it sends a signal straight to the nearest station. My dad had it installed after we had a few too many run-ins with some troublemakers," she explained.

"Or," Bagley chimed in, "you could kill them, feast on their souls, and grow strong enough to take on other criminals who threaten this fine establishment."

"Bagley..." I warned, giving him a sharp look.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, no killing. Some Apostle of the Death Lord you are," he said, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Who's Bagley?" Harleen asked, catching me off guard. I hadn't exactly whispered his name.

"Uh... it's just something I say when I'm nervous," I stammered. "Helps me calm down." I glanced at Bagley, who was sitting on the counter now, legs crossed, rolling his eyes again.

Harleen shrugged. "Anyway, I'm off for lunch. My dad's taking over, so you should get a break too. I'll let him know you're good to go—don't worry, he won't mind."

I thanked her as she headed out, but not before she chatted briefly with Mr. Mann, who grunted and waved me aside to take over the till. Before he left, he told me I had an hour for my break. I decided to pop into a nearby café and grabbed a sandwich. After that, I headed back to the shop.

When I returned, Mr. Mann directed me to the break room at the back. It was a small space—just enough for a couch, a TV, and a little kitchen area with a microwave and some cabinets. I heated up my sandwich, then sank into the couch, enjoying the quiet. But of course, Bagley had other ideas.

"Zak, Zak, Zak," he droned, his voice grating on my nerves.

"What?" I snapped, glaring at him.

He tapped his wristwatch. "You're wasting time. We should be out collecting souls by now."

I let out a deep sigh and put down my half-eaten sandwich. Suddenly, food didn't seem that appealing. I looked him straight in the eyes, trying to keep my voice steady. "Do you seriously expect me to kill someone? To actually murder another human being and collect their soul? Even if I could shove my morals aside, why would I do that? Am I supposed to hand over their souls to the Death Lord just so I can get stronger?"

He shook his head like I was missing the obvious. "The Lord—may his name be praised—doesn't need the souls you collect. He gives you the ability to turn those souls into power. And trust me, you need that power. Your tiny planet is on the brink of an invasion. A race called the Vorastrix Horde is coming."

"Wait, hold on. Vorastrix Horde? Aliens?" I stared at him, my mind spinning. "Are you telling me Earth is about to be invaded by aliens?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I've been trying to tell you since we were on that big red bus. Your planet is about to be Initiated into the Known Universe, ruled by Emperor Zulthra. He's sent the Vorastrix Horde, also known as Clan Beast, to take over Sector 2986—your solar system. They're coming to conquer and absorb it into the expanding Known Universe."

I just looked at him, trying to wrap my head around it all. "So you're saying not only are aliens real, but they're coming here to invade us and force us into their empire? We're going to be... colonized?"

"Finally! He gets it!" Bagley clapped his hands together, dripping with sarcasm.

But I wasn't letting it go. "Cut the crap. Why does your Master, the Death Lord, care about this invasion? What's in it for him?"

"Our Master," he emphasized the word "our" like it should mean something to me, "wants this sector for his clan—the Death Clan. And believe me, his deal is way better for humans. If you join him, most of your species won't be wiped out during Initiation. You won't have to face the trials to get into the system, you won't be taken as slaves, and you won't be treated like third or fourth-class citizens. You'll be second-class, with a chance to climb the ranks of the Known Universe. The Beast Clan? They bring only violence, death and destruction."

I leaned back, trying to process everything. "So, two different groups are coming for Earth. One's brutal, the other's less so. But either way, we're still getting colonized, right?"

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“How do I know if anything you’re saying is true?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“If you don’t believe me, then kill. Kill something. Anything. Please, for god’s sake, just kill. Look over there—see that rat in the hole? Kill it.”

I stared at him in disgust. “I’m not killing a rat. Are you mad? Do you know what kind of diseases those things carry?”

Bagley rolled his eyes, throwing his hands toward the sky in an over-the-top performance “Oh, Death Lord, have mercy on me and forgive me! Surely, you must be doubting your decision now, handing your kingdom to such a coward.”

“Hey!” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. His words hit me hard. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been called a coward before—my dad threw that at me enough times. But this? Being called a coward by some undead spirit? For some reason, it stung worse. And that sting lit a fire inside me. I wasn’t going to prove him right.

I bent down to where the rat hole was. My gut twisted in regret, but something inside pushed me forward. The hole was just big enough for my arm to fit. With a deep breath, I plunged my hand into it. My fingers brushed against something furry, and I recoiled, my stomach churning. But I forced myself to reach again. The rat tried to scramble away, but I was quicker. I grabbed it and yanked it out.

The rat was bigger than I expected, its fur greasy and matted. And the smell—oh god, the stench—made me gag

“Quick! Kill it before you puke all over it.”

I did what he said. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen, and with one swift motion, I sliced through its neck. Blood splattered everywhere, but more than that, something else happened. White energy poured out from the rat, swirling through the air before it rushed into me—through my mouth, my nostrils. The energy rushed into me, through my nose and mouth, filling my mind, seeping through my veins until it settled deep inside... then disappeared

It felt... good. Strangely, it felt invigorating. But then reality set in—I had killed. I’d just killed something. Not just anything—a living, breathing creature. Sure, it was just a rat, but still. I’d slaughtered it without a second thought. My body had acted like it knew exactly what to do. The moment the thought of killing crossed my mind, I moved without a second thought, like I’d done it a thousand times.

I opened up my status to look for any changes.

Profile:

Name: Zakir Osman

Class: Apostle of the Death Lord.

Lesser Souls: 1

Normal Souls:

Greater Souls:

Absorbed Souls:

Abilities:

"Congratulations," Bagley said, clapping dramatically. "You've just taken a life. All praise to the Death Lord, ruler of souls."

I stared at him, my stomach turning as my mind spun. I felt like puking. But I had to hide the bloody rat before Mr. Mann found out. Skin crawling, I picked it up and I flushed it down the toilet, watching, until it was gone. Then I cleaned the blood off the floor and wiped the knife until it gleamed. Exhausted, I sat down. I glanced at my sandwich; my appetite was gone. I wasn't hungry anymore. But something else stirred—I craved that rush again, the strange feeling I'd had when I killed the rat.

"That's the hunger for souls," Bagley said calmly. "It happens after the first kill. You need to control it by calming your mind. Right now, all you can think about is feeling that sensation again. You have to temper it. Slow your breathing, control it. But remember, if you take too many souls at once, the urge will control you."

I took deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. My hands were shaking, and my heart was racing. Slowly, the urge began to fade. Then suddenly, a sharp jolt shot up my spine—I screamed. The pain was intense, and I collapsed onto the sofa.

"What the heck was that, Bagley?" I shouted, panic rising in my voice.

Just as I was about to get an answer, Mr. Mann burst through the door, his eyes wide with concern. "What's going on? I heard screams."

Oh no. Think fast. "Uh... there was a bee in here, but it's gone now," I blurted out, my mind scrambling for any excuse that might stick.

"A bee?" he echoed skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "You screamed like that over a bee? Sounded like a little girl's scream." He scoffed, clearly not buying it.

"I often wonder about that, Mr. Mann," Bagley chimed in from behind him, smirking as if this was all some big joke.

"Um, no sir," I mumbled, feeling my face heat up like it was on fire.

He gave me a doubtful look, shook his head, and slammed the door as he left. Relief washed over me, but only for a brief moment. I turned to Bagley, who was now casually sipping tea he'd conjured out of thin air. "What was that all about?" I demanded, frustration bubbling up inside me.

"That," he said, setting down his conjured teacup with a clink, "was your body reacting to your first soul. It's just adjusting. You know when you try ale for the first time? Does your planet have that? Alcohol or something? Anyway, when you try it the first time and then you puke. It's like that. Your body is adjusting to the energy you've consumed."

I processed what he said and came to one terrifying conclusion: this power is addictive. If I get used to it, I might not be able to control myself and could become some kind of serial killer. The thought sent chills down my spine. This was dangerous, and it hit me—I didn't want this power. I was in over my head, way over.

"How do I give this power back?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. "I don't want it. I realize now this is dangerous, and I don't want any part of it."

"Bagley snapped his fingers; his teacup and all his tricks disappeared. Now, it was just me and him—nothing else. He lowered to the ground and locked eyes with me. The seriousness on his face was unmistakable, like I'd just crossed a line I shouldn't have.

"Zak, you're in this now," he said firmly. "There's no turning back. The life you had yesterday? It's gone. You'll kill, consume souls, and grow strong to prepare this planet for our master and our clan's arrival." His voice turned cold as ice. "You have no choice—except death."

I swallowed hard at his last words. It was a threat, and he wanted to make sure I'd remember it. My right hand started shaking, and I tried to steady it with my left, but it didn't help. Fear gripped me tighter than ever before. Bagley began swirling and dancing around as If I didn’t exist. I watched him with wide eyes, the reality sinking in—I was trapped.