Reaper

Chapter 1


Kaoru Kamida was 17 years old when his life changed. His mother had fallen ill, and he was about to leave her behind. He was just three months from his 18th birthday, the day he would move with his friends to college. He was walking with those same friends on the night that Sakku had come to take him. Kira, his close friend from his childhood, and Tomo, his semi-genius friend from high school, had just taken him to a celebration that Kaoru knew nothing about. As they were walking down a sidewalk, Kaoru felt something strange. Then, a man came up behind him and pulled him into an alley. He tried to call for Kira and Tomo, but they couldn't hear him.
"They won't hear you no matter how loud you scream."
"H-hey! What are you trying to do to me," Kaoru yelled in frustration.
"Let me at least introduce myself before you start asking questions." The man gave a wicked smile that would make even the toughest man on Earth flinch. "I am Sakku, Lord of the-"
"Stop, I know exactly who you are! You are the guy that stole my father away from me 17 years ago. You made Mother's illness worse, I know all about you. I did some research when i found my father's old diaries and letters. You're the one who steals young 17 year old Japanese boys and makes them your eternal slaves."
Sakku let out a small laugh, "You are quite mistaken, my boy. I don't 'steal' anyone. They always come willingly."
"No they don't," Kaoru screamed again, hoping someone might hear them. "You always kill those who are closest to them and force them to go with you," Kaoru took a slight breath, "and i am not 'your boy'."
"Ah, details, who needs them! It's not all that bad really, they have a wonderful life. They get married, have children-"
"One son, who gets taken before his 18th birthday and gets turned into some horrible demon! Well, I've got news for you, your tricks won't work with me." Kaoru flashed a quick smile and continued, "My mother would be better off dead so she won't suffer anymore. I don't have a girlfriend or anything like that. My friends would be better off if they didn't even know me. There is nothing you can take away!"
As Sakku smiled, Kaoru's slowly disappeared, "You see, the funny thing about this job is that I can see right into a person's heart and soul. You can't lie, because I know all about your feelings for this girl."
With the wave of his hand, Kira appeared behind Sakku and was bound by some sort of weird rope. Kaoru tried to run at her, but Sakku threw him back into a wall. As Sakku lifted her head to kiss her, Kaoru screamed in protest. Sakku just let the girl's head fall and began to laugh.
"See, I always know the truth," Sakku said once his laughter subsided. "It seems that this is going to take a bit of hard work. I'll just...take the girl with me. Then, you can decide on what you really want for your friends." Sakku vanished, along with Kira.
Kaoru tried to run to them before they could leave, but he couldn't. He ran to his house to find exactly what he expected. His mother was laying in the middle of the floor, dead. He called an ambulance and left his house as quickly as possible. He hid in some bushes down the road and watched as they took his mother away. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he slowly turned away.
Soon, he started to run. He tried to get away from everything. He ran for miles, until finally, he heard soft music playing nearby. He walked over a hill and over to a grassy area under some trees. There sat Sakku, playing an old Japanese guitar with Kira unconscious at his side. Karou cautiously approached as Sakku began to speak.
"Beautiful music if I do say so myself. I have always been fond of it, but it seems to be a bit outdated in this time period."
"Enough, what do you want me to do? I don't know what to say to something like this."
Sakku looked at him with half caring eyes, "Then don't say anything. All you have to do is become my reaper and come to the Underworld with me."
Kaoru hesitated, "Okay, but you have to let Kira go. Let her have a normal life."
Sakku nodded and placed his hand on her back. Kaoru flinched slightly, and the ropes disappeared. Kira's body just slumped over on the large rock Sakku was sitting on. He let out a sigh of relief, but it was short lived. Sakku placed his hand on Kaoru's shoulder.
"You might want to hold your breath, because this can hurt a little."
As Kaoru tried to take a breath, he instantly felt a pain in his stomach, then his entire body. He tried to scream, but couldn't. He could feel his body heat rising. The air was getting hotter and hotter. Sweat dripped from Kaoru's forehead as he felt like he might die. Then, suddenly, the air grew colder, like ice. Finally, he blacked out just as they reached the Underworld.

Kaoru woke several hours later with a huge headache. He sat up and looked around. He was in a normal looking room on a normal looking bed. Everything seemed normal to him as he looked around the room, except that there was no door.
Who the hell makes a room without a blinking door?!"
"Maybe someone who doesn't need one," Sakku said as he stepped through the wall.
Kaoru looked at him in shock, "How did you do that?"
"Simple really, I just walked through. You can do it too if you would get out of bed."
Kaoru looked at Sakku for a few minutes. There is definitely something different about this place, he thought to himself. Sakku didn't have that evil air about him as he did before. His voice wasn't as deep, either.He would almost sound as if he were a normal human, if Kaoru didn't already know otherwise. Kaoru slowly got out of bed. He was still a bit nervous, but he felt an odd sense of calmness. He walked over to the wall next to Sakku and placed his hands on it. As he started to push, he lost his balance and fell to the floor on his face. Sakku laughed gently and extended a hand to help Kaoru up.
"Come on," he said through his laughter, "I'll show you around."