Victor expected nothing.
No pain.
No light.
No heaven.
No hell.
Just silence.
Instead…
Clap.
A single slow clap echoed through the darkness.
Victor frowned.
"…What the hell?"
Clap.
Another clap.
The sound echoed like it was bouncing around an endless cavern.
Victor opened his eyes.
Darkness stretched in every direction.
Not the kind of darkness you see at night.
This was deeper.
Thicker.
Like reality itself had forgotten how to exist.
"Great," Victor muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I kill myself and end up in some kind of low budget horror movie."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The applause continued.
Slow.
Mocking.
Victor turned toward the sound.
A figure stepped out of the darkness.
A tall man wearing a perfectly tailored black suit walked forward calmly, like he had been expecting Victor all along. His hair was slicked back, his posture immaculate, and his smile looked… unsettling.
Not cruel.
Not angry.
Just amused.
He finished his applause and nodded approvingly.
"Well done," the man said.
Victor stared at him.
"…What?"
"That ending," the man continued. "Very dramatic. Bit predictable, but still. Solid execution."
Victor blinked.
"…Who the hell are you?"
The man tilted his head slightly.
"Oh come on," he said. "You're smarter than that."
Victor looked him up and down.
Black suit.
Smug grin.
Standing in a literal void after death.
Victor sighed heavily.
"You've got to be kidding me."
The man smiled wider.
"Ah," he said. "Recognition."
Victor dragged a hand down his face.
"So let me get this straight," he muttered.
"I spend thirty-four years getting my ass kicked by life…"
The man nodded politely.
"Mhm."
"…I finally decide to check out…"
"Mhm."
"…and now I wake up in front of you?"
The man placed a hand over his chest.
"Technically," he said, "you woke up in front of me."
Victor stared at him.
Then groaned.
"Oh fuck off."
The man burst into laughter.
A genuine laugh.
"Oh I like you already," he said.
Victor pointed at him.
"You're the Devil."
The man gave a small bow.
"One of my more popular titles."
Victor looked around the endless darkness.
Victor: "No fire?"
Devil: "Optional."
Victor: "No screaming souls?"
Devil: "Budget cuts."
Victor nodded slowly.
"Right."
He rubbed his temples.
"Of course this is how my day ends."
The Devil clasped his hands behind his back and began walking around Victor like he was examining something mildly interesting.
"You know," he said casually, "I've been watching you for quite some time."
Victor rolled his eyes.
"Congratulations. You picked a real boring show."
The Devil chuckled.
"On the contrary."
He stopped in front of Victor again.
"Ahhh… Victor."
He said the name slowly, almost savoring it.
"You know," the Devil continued, "in my favorite language—Latin—Victoris."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"And that means?"
The Devil smiled.
"A conqueror."
He began counting on his fingers.
"A winner."
"A victorious man."
He spread his hands dramatically.
"Well… you get the idea."
Victor waited.
The Devil leaned closer, grin widening.
"You were everything but that."
Victor stared at him.
Then shrugged.
"Yeah," he said. "Life's funny like that."
The Devil chuckled again.
"Dead parents."
Victor's jaw tightened slightly.
"An abusive uncle."
Victor looked away.
"Years of drifting through life."
The Devil tilted his head.
"And finally… a terminal illness."
Victor snorted.
"Yeah that part felt unnecessary."
The Devil smiled.
"I enjoy irony."
Victor folded his arms.
"So what now?" he asked.
"Eternal torture?"
"Pitchforks?"
"Some guy named Gary stabbing me with a trident?"
The Devil looked genuinely offended.
"Gary was reassigned centuries ago."
Victor sighed.
"Of course he was."
The Devil leaned slightly closer.
"You see," he said quietly, "most souls that arrive here do the same thing."
Victor raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?"
"They beg."
Victor frowned.
"For what?"
"Another chance."
Victor scoffed.
"Sounds exhausting."
The Devil's smile grew wider.
"But you didn't."
Victor shrugged.
"Didn't see the point."
"You simply stepped off that rooftop like you were leaving a bad movie."
Victor scratched his chin.
"To be fair," he said, "it was a pretty shitty movie."
The Devil laughed again.
"Oh yes," he said.
"Your life was quite miserable."
Victor pointed at him.
"Wow. Thanks for the recap."
The Devil's eyes gleamed.
"And that's why you interest me."
Victor frowned.
"That sounds like bad news."
"Oh it absolutely is."
The Devil snapped his fingers.
The darkness rippled.
Images appeared around them like floating screens.
Burning cities.
Collapsed highways.
Crowds running through ruined streets.
Creatures tearing into screaming victims.
Victor stared at the scenes.
"…What the hell is that?"
The Devil stepped beside him.
"A world," he said casually.
Victor squinted at one of the scenes where something monstrous lunged at a terrified man.
"Looks like it's having a rough day."
"Zombie apocalypse," the Devil replied.
Victor blinked.
"…You're joking."
"No."
Victor rubbed his face.
"So what," he said, "you're sending me there?"
The Devil smiled.
"Yes."
Victor looked at the chaos.
Cities burning.
People dying.
Monsters roaming the streets.
He sighed.
"Well," he said.
"Still better than my last neighborhood."
The Devil laughed loudly.
"I knew I picked the right one."
Victor turned toward him.
"So what's the catch?"
The Devil tilted his head.
"Oh Victor…"
He smiled slowly.
"Where's the fun in telling you everything?"
Victor frowned.
"That's not comforting."
The Devil snapped his fingers.
The void began collapsing around them.
"Let's just say," the Devil said as everything faded into darkness…
"…this time your life might actually be interesting."
Victor barely had time to roll his eyes.
Then everything vanished.