The chains around my ankles and wrists chirped and chattered as I was shuffled down the hall by two armed prison guards. My plea had been heeded, and I was now on my way to an interview that would quite literally change my life.

I found myself sat down in a small room, surrounded by fake wood paneling covering thick layers of concrete. To my left seemed to be a massive mirror mounted on the wall, however it was quite obvious what it truly was. Across from me sat a young woman, no older than thirty, with chestnut brown hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a black suit with a skirt and stared at me emotionlessly, as if waiting for me to start.

I tried to reach my hand forwards for a handshake but was met with a quick wrap on the wrist from one of the guards on either side.

“Ow…” I looked at my wrist and then back to the woman. “My name is Jason. In case you didn’t already know.” The woman simply nodded and gave me a cold yet gentle smile.

“I know, Jason. I know who you are.” The woman pulled a bulging folder from beneath the table. “I know who you are… What you’ve done… Who you know… Where you’ve been… I know everything, Jason.” She ended the sentence with an almost venomous hiss. It was as if saying my name gave her the most disgusting tasted in her mouth and she couldn’t help but spit it out towards me. “First degree murder, manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, second degree murder, possession of narcotics, armed robbery, grand theft auto. Just to name a few.” She gave me another one of those smiles and continued nodding as she silently read down the list.

I sighed and looked down at the table in between us, simply nodding along as she listed off a few of my many crimes. “I know, I’ve done a lot, I just want a chance to start all over.”

The woman gave a short laugh and looked up at me. “It isn’t just starting over. For you, it will be continuing what you have always done. Killing others to make your way all the way up to the top of the so called ‘social food chain’.” She shook her head and grimaced. “Why?”

I tilted my head at the question. “What do you mean, why?” I asked.

“Why do you, Jason Ramsey Marlow, wish to go to the End of the Line?” The woman further explained.

I stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment, thinking. “Why not? It must be better than sitting around in a dank, grey cell awaiting the moment that I get my last decent meal and then am put to sleep forever. At least this way I have a chance to go down fighting.” I shrugged and brought my eyes down to her. She was nodded, writing notes on a thin, yellow papered notepad sitting in her lap.

“Okay. Thank you.” She nodded towards the guards and they roughly picked me up by my arms. As I was being dragged out I looked at her with pleading eyes, “W-wait! Was I accepted?” I called as the door shut between her and I. I was only met with that cold smile as the last crack met its end and I was dragged back away to my cell.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

It’s been two days since the interview. I now find myself sitting back in that room with a list of strange, bestial names sitting just in front of me. I looked up at the woman with confused eyes. “It’s a bestiary. These are the monsters and little beasties you are allowed to choose from before entering the End of the Line.

My eyes widened in surprise and I tried to throw my hands up in excitement but the chain connected my wrists and my feet kept me from doing so. In an excited voice I asked, “S-so you mean I was accepted?!” My face was a mix of happiness and confusion as the woman simply nodded back at me with a small, slightly warmer than usual, smile on her face.

I took a deep breath to calm myself but excitement was still rushing through my system. I stared back at the long list before me. It seemed to contain multiple pages of names that were unknown to me, long lost in whatever fantasy knowledge I may have ever once had. I could just hardly manage to flip the pages as my eyes scrolled past some slightly familiar names. Goblins, slimes, cats and even dogs. There we even many, what seemed like basic, animals among the list such as deer, mice and even water buffalo. As I flipped further into the bestiary there were more and more unknown names coming forth and floating before my eyes. Finally, I stopped on a particularly eye catching name.

It was quite a simple word, but it stood out to me. Next to the name was a simple description. Shade: one of the weakest monsters within End of the Line, unknown evolution path. Amount of times picked: 0

I stared at the words for a long minute, letting the idea of becoming this weakling of a monster enter my mind. I could take a gamble, and hope that this being perhaps had somewhat stronger evolutions as it grew and continued to learn. I looked up at the woman and back down at the words. “I uh… I want to pick the Shade thing.”

The woman raised her eyebrows at my statement. “Do you know?” She pursed her lips and nodded, pulling the list of beasts away from me. “Then so be it.”

From behind me, one of the guards grabbed me while the other shoved a large syringed into my arm. I only caught a glimpse of the needle before the memory of it ever entering my arm left my mind completely. Next, came the memory of picking the Shade and then the memory of looking through the list. And slowly, all of my memories began to fade. When all that was left was raw instinct my eyes began to feel heavy and I fell into a deep coma like sleep, somehow knowing that I was safe.

For now.