Vanessa did not get a peaceful return to the Land of Death.
Her soul snapped out of her body like a bungee cord, slingshotting her into the misty roads outside the Fate Coordination Office. She landed face-first on the cold cobblestone with a soft thud that echoed all the way down the deserted alley.
She groaned, pushing herself up. "Why… can't… I return… like a normal reaper? Did I offend gravity?"
A passing junior reaper floating by muttered, "Probably."
"HEY—" Vanessa pointed a finger at the snarky cloud-shaped reaper. "I am your colleague!"
"You're an intern," the cloud corrected, then drifted off into a wall.
Vanessa inhaled deeply.
She was back.
Back in her night job.
Back where everything was confusing, dangerous, and full of death bureaucracy… but at least nobody tried to charm Karen from Finance here.
She adjusted her spectral coat and marched toward Grim's cubicle. She had a hoodie-wearing reaper to catch.
And he wouldn't escape this time.
---
[Grim's Flight Attempt #47]
Vanessa reached the hallway leading to Grim's workspace just in time to witness… Grim trying to crawl out the window.
Literally crawl.
The window frame was too small. His hoodie was stuck. His bony legs were kicking in panic.
Vanessa blinked. "Grim."
He froze.
Slowly, he turned his head like an animatronic with dying batteries.
"Oh. Vanessa. What a surprise." He tried to wiggle forward. Failed. "I—I was just doing window… maintenance?"
"You're halfway outside the building." She said emotionlessly.
"Yes, that's where the windows are." He chuckled nervously. Eyes darting around as if looking for more convincing excuses.
Vanessa looked at his behavior silently. "Grim."
Silence.
His legs dangled helplessly.
He gave up and let his forehead rest on the window frame.
"I'm quitting," he muttered. "I already filled out the form. I even color-coded it so Elder Valta wouldn't cry this time. I'm done. Gone. Poof. Bye."
Vanessa crossed her arms. "Rejected."
"Why?!"
"Because you're going to help me find out why someone tried to erase me from the cycle."
Grim made a pained whine. "Vanessa, please, I'm very allergic to danger. And stress. And you when you get that determined look."
"I'm also allergic to dying twice," she snapped.
His legs stopped wiggling. "That's… fair."
"Come down," she ordered.
"Can't. I'm stuck."
With a sigh, Vanessa grabbed the back of his hoodie and yanked him back in like a misbehaving cat. Grim collapsed on the floor in a pile of fabric and existential despair.
He curled up like a burrito. "I don't wanna do this. I didn't sign up for conspiracies. I just wanted a desk job where I stamp things."
"You stamp souls for eternal judgment."
"YES. That's the calm department!"
Vanessa sighed softly and crouched beside him. "Grim… I need you."
He flinched like she had stabbed him with emotional damage.
"Nope. Nope nope nope. Don't say things like that. I'm weak to emotional manipulation. I'll cave. I KNOW I'll cave."
"Fine then. I guess I'll march into the Forbidden Archive alone. With zero backup. And if I die a third time, I'll haunt you specifically."
Grim buried his face in his hands. "Why do you talk like a villain?!"
"Because it works on you."
"…damn it." He muttered some curses angrily.
After a while.... Grim stood, defeated.
"I hate everything."
Vanessa clasped his bony shoulder happily "Great! Let's go."
---
A Totally Unsafe, Absolutely Illegal Trip to the Restricted Archive...
The Restricted Archive was located in the lowest level of the FCO — where the walls whispered, the lanterns flickered, and the air carried ancient death energy thick enough to taste.
Grim kept glancing over his shoulder. "This place is guarded. Very very very guarded. People don't just 'walk' inside."
"Well, we're not regular people."
"You're not regular. I'm trying to be."
They approached the security gate. A ghostly sentinel loomed, its form tall and armored, its eyes glowing blue.
Vanessa whispered, "Okay, Grim. Distract it."
"What?!—WHY ME?!" Grim almost scream in fright at her command. He felt his invisible hair stood on end.
"Because if I do it, I'll get arrested." Vanessa said matter-factly
"But I don't want to get arrested!" Grim said pitifully.
She gave him the face.
The face that said I will cry and blame you.
Grim wilted instantly. "…Fine."
He shuffled to the sentinel. "H-hi. Um. Is this the, uh… exit?"
The sentinel stared at him with is void eyes. A strange voice coming from him without emotion. "This is the Restricted Archive."
"Oh. So probably not the exit then."
"Correct."
Grim nodded. "Okay. Thank you. Bye."
He took a single step back.
The sentinel blinked.
Vanessa darted behind it, swiped Grim's access tag from his hoodie pocket, and tapped it on the lock.
Beep.
Door opened.
Grim froze. "HEY—THAT WAS MY TAG!"
"Borrowing."
"That's called stealing!" He replied angrily. This damn girl always make me scared to death!
"You'll get it back."
"This is a federal crime!"
"You're already involved."
Grim groaned in despair and shuffled after her like a man walking into his own execution.
---
The air grew colder as they descended. Rows of towering shelves stretched into darkness, filled with ancient files glowing faintly with death energy.
Whispers curled around them like mist.
"Grim… this place is creepy."
"It should be! Nothing in here should be touched. Even looking too long is hazardous."
"And yet someone put my name here."
Grim swallowed. "Right. Your file…"
Vanessa scanned the shelves until a faint pulse caught her eye.
A file cabinet marked FORBIDDEN.
Vanessa stepped toward it.
Grim grabbed her sleeve anxiously. "Vanessa. Stop. If you open that—"
"I need answers."
She pulled the drawer open.
A burst of cold magic shot out, chilling the air.
Inside was a single black file.
Her name etched in silver.
VANESSA CROSS — CASE ERROR RECORD
Classification: X-Forbidden
Warning: Do Not Access Without Elder Clearance
Vanessa's throat tightened. "This… this is real."
Grim hovered nervously. "I didn't know it was THIS restricted. I thought it was just… closed. Or buried. Or misplaced. This is the kind of file that gets people reassigned to the Pit."
Vanessa ignored him and opened it.
---
Her eyes scanned the first page.
Original Cause of Death:
Extreme burnout leading to cardiac collapse.
"Yeah," Vanessa whispered. "That sounds right."
But then—
Scheduled Time of Death: 3:14 AM — CANCELLED
Rescheduled: 3:14 AM — CANCELLED AGAIN
Override Attempt Detected
Source Unknown
Grim's breath hitched. "Someone tried to override your time of death."
She took a deep breath, her fingers shakily flipped the page.
Another anomaly.
Soul Tag Assigned: VNR-01
Soul Tag Applied: VNR-02
Tag Mismatch: ERROR
Attempted Replacement Detected
Identity Swap Attempt Logged
Vanessa's fingers trembled. "Someone tried to replace me. Like… swap me with another identity."
Grim whispered, "That's… illegal. Deeply illegal. That's the kind of crime that collapses reincarnation cycles."
"And someone tried to erase me again recently," Vanessa said. "The rogue ghost. The death list. All of it connects."
She turned to the next page.
It was almost entirely redacted.
But one line was left untouched:
If anomaly VNR-02 remains alive, the cycle destabilizes.
Vanessa froze. "If I remain alive… the cycle destabilizes?"
"That can't be right," Grim whispered. "You're normal. You're a mess, but normal."
Vanessa kept staring.
"What am I, Grim?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but—
Click.
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Grim went pale.
"That's not me."
Vanessa snapped the file shut.
The footsteps grew louder. Heavier. Closer.
A voice thundered through the archive:
"WHO IS IN THERE?"
Vanessa grabbed Grim. "Run!"
Grim screamed, "I THOUGHT WE WEREN'T MAKING IT WORSE—"
Too late.
The lanterns flared. The entire archive awakened like a beast stirred from slumber.
And behind them, a towering shadow appeared in the doorway.
Someone powerful.
Someone dangerous.
Someone who should never have found them here.
Vanessa pulled Grim behind a shelf, clutching the forbidden file.
Her heart pounded.
Grim whispered, horrified:
"Vanessa… that's an Elder."
And the Elder growled—
"Show yourselves."