“In the beginning, our world was a strange and dangerous place. Vicious spirits and beasts roamed the land freely, preying upon the residents of the world. Life was horrible, and people were dying left and right.”

Mikel was up now, pacing back and forth behind his desk as he began his lecture. He wasn’t as stern as before when he’d ordered Marish to restrain me, but his demeanor was still serious.

“In those early days, one human decided that he wanted to save the others. He trained endlessly, strengthening his body and soul to fight the beasts that were preying on us. He eventually became so strong that he was able to evict all the beasts to the Gray Plane, and the world was safe once again.”

“If that’s true,” I interrupted, “Then why are Reapers needed? Also, WHAT are Reapers?”

“I’m getting to that,” Mikel said, glaring at me. The message was obvious. Don’t interrupt me.

“History does not remember the man’s name. He is known only by what the Gray Clan came to call him. Death. He was the first and strongest of the Reapers, and his skill and power were legendary. Even after sealing the Gray Clan away, he knew that it would not hold, and that smaller holes would appear in the seal, allowing them to escape back into our world.”

I nodded in understanding but didn’t say anything. Yet. It was starting to sound like one of those old fairy tales. Ancient hero, ultimate evil that was sealed away, and recruiting young Clan to fight against said evil.

“So Death, as we also call him now, gathered about him many apprentices, and trained them in the arts he had created. They in turn became Masters and took on apprentices of their own. This has continued for thousands of years. We’ve had our fair share of trials and losses, but the Gray Clan has not wiped us out. We stand strong.”

“And now to explain what us Reapers do. We are born of the world, and as descendants of those first Reapers, it is our duty to protect the rest of humanity, and hunt down any Gray Clan that break out of the Gray Plane and make it to our home.”

“And you do this by fighting them?” I guessed, knowing the answer. Somehow, it was beginning to appeal to me a little. “And in return, we’re paid four hundred thousand a year.”

Mikel nodded, and Marish threw in. “Well, you start at four hundred thousand. You earn more as you earn a higher rank.”

“Rank?” I asked. “I’ve heard of Master, Grand Reaper, and Adept, which you are, apparently. What other ranks are there?”

“You are an Apprentice,” Mikel put in. “After Apprentice, there is Journeyman. Then Adept, Master, and Grand Master. Grand Reaper isn’t a rank, it’s just a title that one Reaper holds for life. He sits at the head of the council.”

“Technically, there are three levels for each rank after Apprentice. Master has 5 levels.” Marisha corrected. Mikel nodded in confirmation.

“What is the Council?” I asked.

“The Gray Council are the six wisest and most experienced Reapers alive,” Marisha said, sounding as if she were reciting a script. “The Grand Reaper is the seventh member of the council. He is the leader and the tie-breaker in matters of voting. But really, they’re all old fogies who’ve lost their edge.”

“Show some respect Marisha,” Mikel cautioned her. “We don’t want to make a bad impression.

A little too late for that, I thought. She’d already attacked me. Marisha scoffed. “You recruited me because I don’t like them. You don’t like them either.”

“That doesn’t mean I do not respect their life of service,” Mikel said with a stern frown. “They have been Reapers for many years, and it is upon their efforts that the Reapers still stand.”

“With respect, you are a man of action,” Marish said with no shame. “You have discipline, and you have not allowed yourself to slacken in your efforts. You know this is not just my opinion. Many within the clan believe as I do.”

Mikel was silent for a second or two as he considered her heated reply. He very nearly shrugged but didn’t bother to correct her.

“So what rank are you two, then?” I asked, sensing the awkward pause.

“I am a third-class Adept,” Marisha said, glowing with pride. “Master Mikel is of the first-rank, one level from earning the title of Grandmaster.”

I looked back to Mikel, studying him with new interest. I didn’t know anything about the Reaper clan, it’s ranking, or how it all worked under the surface, but that sounded impressive. It felt like Mikel was one of the top dogs.

“How much money do you make a year?” I asked, leaning forward.

Mikel really did shrug now. “I do not know. My wife handles all the finances. She is more skilled at such things.”

I was a little surprised to hear that he had a wife. He was a stern, silent figure, and the idea of him opening up to another person seemed strange. Still, I knew there was more to people than the eye could see.

Realizing that they were both looking at me, waiting for a response, I heaved a deep sigh. No doubt, everything they’d told me was crazy. Evil beings from another world, Death, and a shady high pay rate? Any ordinary person would decline on the spot. Even after told they had no choice, they’d still refuse to do anything.

To tell the truth, I wasn’t ordinary. I tried my best to act normal, studying hard, and making friends, but that was all an act. I liked people from time to time, but my real peace came from music and solitude. I joined the wrestling club because it was the most popular sport, and worked hard until I got good at it. I wasn’t the best, but I fit in.

The trouble was that I just worked differently. I liked dark humor, I thought other people were idiots as a rule of thumb, and I was a sarcastic bastard. The only surprise for me came from wrestling. I discovered that I enjoyed the conflict of the sport, and always looked forward to my next match. Maybe that could translate to actual fighting, I thought to myself. Apart from the money, any honor that Mikel would claim was there, and the potential of promotion, the idea that I could make a living doing something so fun was what really changed my mind.

“Alright,” I said, standing up. Mikel and Marisha seemed thrown by my sudden agreement. “I accept. Please train me.”