“Hey, why don’t we make a promise?”

“What is it?”

“Whatever happens I want you to promise to me that you’ll live.”

“Alright.”

The thick smell of metal fills my nose.

My vision is pitch black.

As I slowly open my eyes, I realize I’m looking down at the pavement. I see the ground beneath me. It seems I’m on a sidewalk, but I can’t figure out why my surroundings smell like metal.

I glance around and catch something out of the corner of my eye.

For some reason, a huge crowd has gathered around me, but they aren’t staring at me. They’re fixated on something else. Confused, I turn around.

And then I see it.

A dead body.

A bloody corpse lies right beside my feet.

And I recognize whose body it is.

The bloodied clothes, the hair, the physique, and that bag—they’re all familiar to me.

The person lying dead on the ground is me.

For some reason, as I look at my corpse, I can’t scream or even cry. Am I in the afterlife? Have I become a ghost?

Despite being dead, I don’t feel a thing.

I watch as the crowd grows around my body. The police arrive and start pushing curious bystanders back. I wave my hand in front of the officers, but they don’t react. It’s clear they can’t see me.

I watch as the police gather around my body, examining it.

I kneel beside one of the officers, who’s taking pictures for evidence.

"Well, you don’t have to look too hard. Even I can tell I committed suicide." I rest my elbows on my knees, staring as the officer takes photos of my corpse from every angle.

An older man, probably in his early 50s, scribbles something on a clipboard while ruffling his hair in frustration.

“Hah... another body to examine. Let’s see—the victim is a 26-year-old woman named Sheng Xiao Li. Company worker. Neighbors describe her as ‘quiet and stoic.’ Yeah, this case is pretty clear. It’s a suicide."

Xiao Li, huh? So that’s my name. For some reason, I don’t remember anything about myself since opening my eyes.

I place my hand on my chin as I stand and glance around the crime scene.

Now what? I mean, I’m dead. Does that mean I can just walk around and do whatever I want?

As I wander through the crowd, I spot two peculiar figures dressed in suits, holding what looks like a tablet. A tall man with black hair and a piercing smile walks toward me. Beside him is a short girl with black hair tied into a pigtail streaked with pink. She’s so small that she barely reaches the man’s shoulder. From one glance, it’s clear they’re both Asian. No one else around seems to notice them.

I cross my arms once I confirm they can see me.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“I’m guessing you two are dead too?”

The tall man and short girl abruptly stop in front of me and bow. The man speaks in a polite, apologetic tone.

“I’m very sorry for the delay, Ms. Sheng. You must be confused about the situation right now—"

“I don’t need an apology. I just need to know what I’m supposed to do now that I’m dead.”

“Well, it seems we don’t need to explain that part. That makes things easier since you’re remarkably calm for someone who just died!” The short girl beside him taps away at the tablet, typing into what appears to be a document.

The man gives her a slight nudge, visibly annoyed.

“I apologize for my partner. I should properly introduce myself. My name is Park Seo-Jun, and this is my colleague, Sasaki Reina. We’re here to escort you to your afterlife evaluation. Please follow us.”

“Oi, it’s Sasaki Reina-senpai, got it?!” She glares at Seo-Jun before turning back to me with a bright smile. “I’m Sasaki Reina-senpai, here to assist you!”

“Uh—what is an afterlife evaluation? Are you taking me to heaven or something to be evaluated?”

“Well, it’s not heaven. I think of it more like a random shady company, though~” Reina replies, still typing on her tablet as she walks toward the apartment complex. “Let’s go, everyone!”

Seo-Jun sighs and looks at me. “This way, please. We’ll explain what the Afterlife Evaluation is on the way to our destination.”

I follow them toward the apartment complex.

“Wait, why are we heading into the apartment complex and not somewhere else?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Seo-Jun presses the elevator button, and it opens immediately. I stare at it in confusion.

“Uh, wait, why does the elevator look different?”

The interior of the elevator is unexpectedly fancy. It’s all white with a huge mirror on one side, and there’s a camera fixed on the ceiling. For the first time since I died, I see my reflection—I’m still wearing my bloodstained jacket and shirt, though I feel no pain. My hair is a total mess, too. Well, at least this elevator looks more inviting than the dingy, smelly one from the apartment.

“Oh, just get in! It’s a normal elevator!” Reina pouts as she pushes me inside.

I glance at the elevator panel. There are only three buttons: open, close, and one labeled “0.” Reina presses the “0” button, and the doors close.

“This elevator’s going to take a bit, so while we wait, I’ll ask you a few questions about your identity before explaining everything. Is that okay, Ms. Sheng?”

“Uhm, yeah… sure.”

“Alright! First, I just need some basic information. What’s your name, age, height, and weight?” Seo-Jun reads from Reina’s tablet.

“My name is Sheng Xiao Li. I’m 26 years old. I think I’m about 165 cm tall? As for my weight, I don’t really keep track, so I’m not sure.” Reina types as I speak.

“We’ll check your weight later, then. Okay, next we’ll move on to the interrogation questions. Do you remember anything from before you died?”

At that moment, the realization hits me.

I can’t remember a single thing aside from my name and age.

I look down in confusion, trying hard to recall anything, but nothing comes to mind.

“W-what? I can’t… remember anything—”

“Ms. Sheng, please remain calm. This is normal. You’re not supposed to remember.”

I look up, puzzled. “Huh? But why?”

“It’s protocol for everyone. No one remembers anything from before they died. We’ll explain more later. Please continue answering the questions for now.”

“A-alright.”

“Next question. Do you know the cause of your death?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I think I committed… suicide.”

Reina pauses briefly after hearing this but then continues typing, shaking her head.

“I see. Thank you for answering.” Seo-Jun glances at the camera in the elevator and gives a slight nod.

“We’ve concluded that you are permitted to enter the afterlife.” Reina puts away her tablet and steps out of the elevator, with Seo-Jun standing beside her.

A blinding light floods my vision. As the doors open, I find myself in a massive space filled with people in suits milling about. The sounds of idle chatter and footsteps echo around me. I step out into a grand lobby with a glass ceiling, which explains why the light was so intense when I exited the elevator. I look at Seo-Jun and Reina as they stand side by side, bowing once again.

“This is the company you’ll be staying at from now on. Think of it as the afterlife. Once your evaluation is complete, you’ll either work here, be reincarnated, or face punishment depending on your deeds during your life.”

Seo-Jun and Reina step aside from the elevator.

“Welcome to Quod Erat Demonstrandum.”