Growing Infinitely as the Reaper's Proxy

Ethan lived a forgettable life—no family, no future, just a storage container to sleep in. But when a child ran into traffic, he threw himself forward, saved her, and died without a single regret. Instead of passing on, Ethan wakes up in a fog-covered reflection of his city. For every second that passes, he fades from the world. A Reaper named Thanatos offers him a second chance. The cost is simple. To remain real, Ethan must hunt the souls of those who didn’t make it. Each soul buys time. Enough of them might buy a return to life. Thrown into a dog-eat-dog world of Proxies, Wraiths, and Reapers. Ethan learns one thing very clearly: mercy gets you killed. Yet he’s willing to endure it, refusing to disappear before getting answers. And if survival stains his hand— So be it.