They took us to the Rebirth Chambers. As you enter, the first thing you noticed was 5 rectangular boxes, that seemed like glass coffins with tubes going into the ground, in the middle of the room. To the far right, there seemed to be a small monitoring room with 2 instructors inside.

They told us to get inside the coffins, we were stripped and then strapped to the bottom, before they closed the lids our instructor told us that if we survive this, we will become Ghosts of Sparta and officially join him as someone under His Excellency.

We were given an oxygen mask before the lid closed and locked. Then the box started to fill with water and mechanical arms with needles attached to them rose from the bottom of the box.

They all stuck in at the same time in different places. It was a weird feeling, seeing yourself covered in needles like that. Then a blue liquid was injected into us, it took a couple of seconds for the arms to finish before retracting back into the floor.

I remember thinking 'Was that it?' before the worst imaginable pain racked through my body. My body convulsed and thrashed around in the coffin with what little mobility I had left.

The past 5 years of torturous training was nothing compared to what I felt that day. It was if I compared getting your limbs blown off with a shotgun and paper cut.

I saw as my muscles and skin melted off my bones before regenerating again and again. It felt like I was in there for years, to this day I still don't know how I made it out of there alive. It wasn't until I was an instructor years later that I found out that the whole Rebirth process took 3 minutes.

As soon as the pain stopped, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a simple room looking up towards the ceiling. I turned to see a white tactical outfit with a white skull mask.

'I'm finally one step closer to Him'

I sat up on the bed, I felt different. I was stronger, faster, my senses were sharper than ever before.

I fell to my knees in reverence of His Excellency, it is only through him that I could gain this power. Suddenly, there was a knock on my door and the instructor, no, my fellow Ghost, walked in.

"Welcome to the Ghosts of Sparta, comrade," He said,

I think that was the first time I smile so happily since meeting his Highness. I put my new uniform on and followed him out the door. He explained how my masked worked, it was an amazing piece of technology.

It was bulletproof, it could allow you to breathe underwater, it was a gas mask. It allowed you to communicate with fellow ghosts without any sound escaping to the outside. I finally found out how the instructors were able to communicate with each other without ever making a noise or hand signals.

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He then went to explain how the Rebirth changed my body on the molecular level. It was then I learned of mutants and how when you become a Ghost you can gain these incredible powers.

The revealing of this information only made me praise His Excellency to the high heavens. To think he would so unselfishly grant me my wish and more!

But my delight soon turned into anguish because no matter what I did or test I took, it appeared I had no powers. I didn't let it get me down for long and soon I was back into training.

After 5 years of becoming a Ghost, I became an instructor and taught the new believers. It was during my time as an instructor that I got to witness His Excellency more times than when I just did missions all over the world.

But everything changed when one of the missions with the recruits went wrong. Someone messed up and we were ambushed, I protected the recruits the best I could, and gave them a chance to retreat.

I thought for sure I was going to die there, as I watched my enemy come near where I laid, my blood slowly staining the ground beneath me.

I wasn't scared or anything, it was a peaceful moment, I dedicated my life to His Excellency. I smiled underneath my white mask as I looked upon the 15 enemies surrounding me, their AK-47's pointed at me, ready to execute me on the spot.

"All for His Excellency," I said, loud enough for them to hear. I closed my eyes waiting for my impending death.

At that moment, my body started to heat up and then,

*Fwoosh*

I felt an energy come from within and burst out. When I opened my eyes, I saw red spikes impaling all 15 of my enemies, their eyes filled with fear at the moment of their deaths.

When I looked at the source of the spikes, I realized they came from me, more specifically, my blood. I was surprised as I saw the spikes retract back into puddles and then the puddles slowly retreated into my body.

I watched as my wounds closed and bullets spit out. I couldn't believe it after all this time, I finally got my powers.

I was filled with joy! It was without a doubt due to His Excellency! My prayers once again reached him and in turn, he gave me strength!

I told no one, I continued my training and my duty as an instructor. There was a tournament coming up in 2 years for the opportunity to challenge a Ferryman. I finally got powers and I wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

I won the tournament and challenged the last ranked Ferryman. When I revealed my powers for the first time, it was my complete victory.

My opponent took off his mask revealing a man similar in age to me. It made sense; I was thirty now, but I still looked like I did when I first became a Ghost. He smiled as he handed me his black mask.

"You will make a great Ferryman… All for His Excellency!" He said as he continued to blow his brains out in front of me.

All the Ferryman bowed to their fallen comrade and then saluted me as to welcome me into the fold. Then the crowd split revealing the object of my worship, His Excellency.

I got on my knee and thump my chest as a salute to my Master.

He walked up to me and said,

"Take off your mask and show me your face,"

I immediately became nervous; I haven't shown my face to anyone since I became a Ghost. Will he recognize me? Or did he forget my face in the sea of worshippers?

I slowly removed my white mask and looked up at His Excellency. He looked upon with the same smile from all those years ago.

"Ah, it's you… you have come very far, and it seems your wish came true,"

When I heard his words, a sense of pride and accomplishment filled my body. It was then accompanied by overwhelming happiness.

For 15 years I have not cried once, but suddenly I grabbed on to him and I started wailing my heart out. It felt like I cried for hours in His Excellency's chest. As I think back, I can believe I was so disrespectful to my Master like that.

When I stopped crying, he took me by the hand and walked me deeper into the hall. I came upon a massive wall with names etched upon them.

"This is the walls of The Ferryman, every Ferryman's name is etched into this wall, and now is your turn," My master said,

"I don't have one," I replied,

"Oh? Then how about Lily?" I was overcome with happiness when my Master named me.

I cried as I etched my name into the wall, when I turned around I was met with all the Ferrymen without masks on and His Excellency in the front.

"Welcome, sister!" my fellow Ferrymen exclaimed,

I smiled, I was finally where I was meant to be, by my Master's side.

I have now lived for 35 years on this planet; it has been 20 years since I was chosen by His Excellency. 5 years since I became a Ferryman and I couldn't be closer to my Master.

"All for His Excellency..."

I whispered into the night, as I lovingly caressed the letter "A" etched in between my mask's eyes.

"All For His Excellency!" 99 voices echoed into my mask.