That first morning, I learned what it felt like to wake up in a cloud. Well, a bed so soft that it felt like a cloud. Unused to such luxury, I slept in well past the time I’d normally get up and start my day. Good thing it’s the weekend, I thought to myself. And three days after that, I’d be done with high school. It was time to start thinking about a college, and what kind of job I wanted to get.

Oh right, I told myself. I already had a job. And it sounded tedious enough that I wouldn’t be able to fit time in for another one. Surely, ‘defending the world from the Gray Clan’ would take up the great majority of my day. With this happy thought and a heavy sigh, I reluctantly left the soft warm bed.

I hadn’t taken the time to explore the room last night when Marisha had deposited me and left. Too exhausted, I’d headed straight for the bed, pausing only to remove my shoes. Now I did take some time, walking away from the main door and taking in the rest of the space. It was not a room. It was a suite. Past the bedroom, there was a large bathroom, then, further along, a restaurant-sized kitchen. Gleaming counters and polished metal galore.

“Then why is the bedroom not further in?” I wondered aloud. “Why is it in the first room, where there’s less privacy?”

The tour of my rooms complete, I decided to take a shower. At some point in the night, fresh clothes had been placed at the foot of the bed, and I scooped them up now. There were fluffy white towels hanging in the bathroom, and the shower felt wonderful. I was just stepping out of the bathroom, clad in a new pair of jeans when a quiet knock sounded at my door.

“Come in,” I called.

There was a metallic click, and the door swung inwards. A slim woman entered, pushing a cart that was clearly laden with food. The smell of coffee and bacon flooded the room, setting my stomach growling. Marish was behind her, dressed in normal clothing this time. A gray top and black jeans, with a half-zipped Avenged Sevenfold hoodie.

“Good morning, Apprentice Silas,” the woman said, wheeling the breakfast cart over to the desk that sat in the corner of the bedroom. “I hope you enjoy your breakfast.”

She set the dishes upon the wooden surface, then left without another word. Marisha lingered in the doorway for a moment until I waved at her to come in as well. She strolled inside, glancing around.

“It’s so strange to see one of these rooms with no decorations,” she commented. “But you’ve only been here a few days, so I suppose that makes sense.”

Halfway through lifting the coffee cup to my mouth, I looked up in shock. “A few days? But it’s barely been a day!”

Marisha shook her head with a smirk. “You’ve been asleep for two full days. It happens when you Awaken. It takes a heavy toll on the body, and full recovery normally takes about three days. You’re not sore anymore, are you?”

“No,” I said, just realizing the fact myself. “My mother’s probably going crazy.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Marisha said. “She thinks you were transferred out-of-state to a much better hospital.”

“What?” I exclaimed. “So she thinks I’m much worse off?”

“I don’t know what she thinks,” Marisha said with a shrug. “But if she believed us, then she thinks that you’ll be fine in a week. The ‘facility’ is a first-rate institution, and is known for its rapid recovery unit.”

“Who the hell would buy that?” I said pithily. “That sounds like absolute bullshit.”

Marisha only shrugged again. “Whatever. When you’re finished eating, the Grand Reaper wants to meet you. Take the elevator to the ground floor, and meet me in the lobby.”

She left me in peace then to finish my breakfast, which was delicious. A couple of eggs and perfectly fried bacon, complemented by a biscuit and jam with a cup of the best coffee I’d had to wash it all down. Hungry as I was, I wasted no time devouring the meal. This had been a strange, day, or rather, a couple of days, I told myself. Still, they knew how to do food really well.

I stacked the empty plates to one side of the desk and troupe out of my room. A long hallway was between myself and the elevator, and I took the time to practice shifting a few times as I walked down it. The sensation would take some getting used to, but I was slowly getting the hang of it. Hopefully, I could change my appearance soon, I thought. I still didn’t much like the long, flowing robe.

The elevator dinged quietly as I reached the ground floor and stepped out, noticing the surge of people once again. Now that I’d gone through the initiation of awakening, I was faintly aware of waves of energy radiating from the people around me. Not all of them, I thought. About a quarter. The great majority of these were apart from the suit-wearing crowd, though there were a few well-dressed people with a spiritual presence. They seemed aware of my presence as well, taking quick note of me and nodding before moving on.

“There you are,” Marisha said, materializing out of the crowd at my side. “Let’s go.”

She led me around the large secretary’s desk, now holding a different woman from before, and down another hallway to the side. This led to yet another elevator, set apart from the rest, that we walked into. There was another panel in this elevator, and Marisha placed her palm against it. There was no button on the panel, but as soon as the doors closed, it began to ascend.

“Remember your manners,” she said out of the corner of her mouth. “You’re about to meet the most important Reaper, so don’t mouth off to him.”

“I’m a perfectly decent person,” I said with a frown. “You’ve known me all throughout high school.”

She didn’t reply to that, but her face was cast with doubt. Wondering at the sudden reason for it, I turned away from her to watch the electronic bar above the doors. Elevators always tracked what floor they were at, and I could see that we bypassed them all, heading straight for the top.

After what felt like forever, the elevator slowed to a halt and opened with another soft ding. We stepped out, and, expecting more red carpet and bare but classy interior, I was surprised to find a large open space. There were no walls or doors separating the entire floor, and we could see clearly in all directions to the windows. The only furniture was a large stone tablet standing upright, and a slightly smaller wooden desk.

I frowned slightly as I peered at the figure who sat behind the desk, watching Marisha and I approach. There was something oddly familiar about him, I thought. The sun glaring into the building prevented me from placing him, but as we drew closer, I came to an abrupt stop as I recognized him. He’d been a constant presence in the past four years of my life, after all. Furthermore, he was impossible to forget, in the way that all annoying people stuck in your mind.

“Mr. Jensen?”