Fates: Rewritten

Fates: Contracts

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of the story, should I mention anything that belongs to someone else's work either I used them as an inspiration or was making a reference. Thank you.

Chapter One:

Shock swept across the room following 63M's statement. The students and teachers stared at him in disbelief, grappling with the heavy reality of their situation. The idea of never speaking to their loved ones again, never seeing their friends, and leaving their lives unfinished weighed heavily on their hearts.

63M allowed the silence of their thoughts to settle in the air. He understood the gravity of the moment and knew he couldn't simply ask them to brush aside the fact that they had died. This revelation would take time to process.

After a moment, 63M responded to Chris's question, "To answer your question, Chris, I gave you five options you currently have available: Peaceful Passing, Returning as a Ghost, Religious Passing, The Void, and finally accepting a Contract with the Rosetta Company."

"Could you please describe all the options in detail and explain what would happen if we took them?" asked Lina.

63M paused, taking a breath before continuing. "Option one is straightforward: it is a peaceful passing directly into the afterlife. In other words, someone from Death's Company comes to pick you up and escort you to your final destination."

Bud furrowed his brows. "So, let's say someone is a convicted war criminal who has committed horrible and unethical crimes. If they chose this option, they just peacefully pass into the afterlife? There's got to be a catch somewhere, right?"

"Nope, no catch—just a simple acceptance into the afterlife," 63M replied. "Of course, if another Company approached them and not one of Death's workers, they might have been taken to one of the Religious afterlives for judgment. But, for the sake of your question, yes, they could."

"As stated previously, the simplest option, and something that was requested by Life: Option One is peaceful passing into the afterlife. There are no 'ands,' 'buts,' 'ifs,' or strings attached; you can simply go into the afterlife."

63M continued with his explanation after seeing no one had any further inquiries. "Now, the second option is returning to Earth, but as a type of ghost, remaining in the spectral space until you fulfil your goal. Furthermore, you can choose to leave and return to the afterlife."

Reid looked confused. "Sir, exactly what would happen?"

63M addressed Reid's confusion. "The short version is that picking option two would allow you to return to Earth and reside in its spectral space until you either finish your business or decide you're ready to move on. This option was designed for people to be able to finish any final regrets, goodbyes, or tasks, and use their trigger."

63M paused briefly to let the information sink in before continuing. "A trigger is something that starts the process of returning to the afterlife. In simple terms, you need to imagine something that would kill you if you were still alive. For example, imagine a gun pressed against your head and firing. As a spectral entity, this won't harm you but will send you to a mental waiting room or corridor. This area varies depending on the person, but you will instinctively know that one side leads you back to the spectral space, while the other leads you to the afterlife. That side specifically feels like the call of your bed after a long, satisfying day of work."

Israel spoke up. "Sir, you've mentioned Death's Company a few times. What is it? Is it a type of company dedicated to Death itself?"

"You're half right," 63M replied. "Death's Company is what it sounds like; a company dedicated to escorting souls to their final destination, the afterlife. Originally, Death handled this on their own, but as races discovered parallel worlds, the universe, the multiverse, and string theory, Death couldn't keep up with the number of souls needing guidance."