I felt myself die.

First came the visual confirmation. I watched, helplessly strapped to a chair, as the needle drew closer. And closer. And closer. The needle pierced my skin. A tiny prick, casual as a vaccination. But where a vaccination was meant to heal, this was made to kill.

5 Grams of Sodium thiopental snaked for my vitals.

I tried to scream, but I couldn't. The mask put over my mouth prevented that.

Five Grams of Sodium Thiopental up my arm.

I struggled, but the restraints kept me in place.

Five Grams of Sodium Thiopental to the heart.

Pump.

Pump.

Pump.

A lethal dosage of Sodium thiopental to my brain.

Is...this it? My eyelids drooped. No... I... won't... My eyelids shut. I tried to signal my brain to open them, but I felt so very sluggish...

Something very weird happened then. I felt a feeling of levity, as if I was buoyant. Even stranger, I saw myself in third person view, looking from above. The Me on the chair wasn't moving. I had a moment to digest the out of body experience I just experienced. Then the prison was swallowed by darkness.

My life flashed before my eyes. Me, as a newborn, gazing at my parent's faces for the first time. Me, as a toddler, waiting in my house, blissfully unaware that my parents are never coming home. Me, crying, as the social services brought me to Saintsbury Orphanage. Me, sobbing every night in the orphanage. Me, being screamed at by the orphanage staff. Me, running away from the orphanage at the age of 14. Me, fending for myself with the homeless on the streets. Me, picked up by the Vultures to execute their crimes.

I saw all that and more. Images before my eyes, memories in my head.

So you really do see your life flash before your eyes before you die...

"How interesting." A deep voice rumbled, and the replay cut off. Who is it? I tried to speak, but found that I couldn't. The voice spoke again, amused this time. "Me? You could say that I'm an arch-demon." He can read minds? A snap of the finger, and I could see again.

I was in a... space of sorts. The space appeared to be constantly changing and re-moulding itself, part of it disappearing, then reappearing at another end. Convex, then Concave. Coruscating lines of blue, black and white whirled in the space. I was floating in the middle of the space, suspended by air, but my body felt oddly out of place, like my consciousness had been transmigrated to another body. I tried to speak. This time it worked. "Ahh.." My eyes flickered to the figure in front of me. The Arch-demon was a well-dressed man in a pinstripe suit, hair slicked back, sporting a set of dark sunglasses. He towered over me, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of smallness and insignificance in the face of such an entity.

A domineering presence.

The Arch-demon's lips twisted into a smile. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. I wasn't fooled. He knew he was in charge. Any placatory gestures were a mere courtesy to me.

"What happened to me? Am I dead? " I dared to ask.

"Not yet. You will be soon, but time flows slightly different here. I withdrew your consciousness from your body before you died and trapped it in my Imaginary Space. " He gestured at the surroundings. " Imaginary space... I silently digested his words, trying to make sense of the situation.

"So... what do you want from me?" I asked after thinking for a short while.

The Arch-demon wet his lips. "Entertainment."

"Entertainment? Like, you want me to do tricks or something?"

The demon roared with laughter. "No. Of course not. I have no need for such things." As if to demonstrate, a troupe of clowns appeared out of thin-air, juggling balls, doing handstands. They formed a human pyramid and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

"Anyway..." I felt the demon's gaze on me. "I like uncertainty. I mean, what's the point of watching television or movies if you already know the ending? So. I will reincarnate you with a power of your choosing. Any power, provided I can grant it."

"I can grant any power that I possess. And I possess a lot of powers." The Arch-demon added, looking pleased with himself.

"Like the clown thing?"

"Like the clown thing."

"Um... Then can you tell me what abilities you have?" I asked.

"My abilities are as countless as the stars. "

"Right...Immortality?" I asked hopefully. With any luck, I wouldn't have to experience death a second time.

"Unfortunately, no. To be immortal is to have an energy source that is inextinguishable. Even Arch-Demons like me can be killed, under the right conditions. So no. But I can grant abilities like superhuman strength, speed, mind reading, teleportation, transformation, control over the elements, stuff like that."

"What about Imaginary Space?" My answer surprised even me. A flicker of surprise crossed the demon's features, but it disappeared before I could register it. "That's how you did the clown thing, right?" The Arch-demon nodded slowly. "Yes... I can do that. Imaginary Space... interesting choice. I hope you don't regret it. "

I was about to demand an elaboration when the Arch-demon smiled, revealing razor sharp teeth.

"Do your best to entertain me now, will you?"

There was an impossibly bright flash of light, and I lost consciousness once more.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.