Death Only Happens Once

"Suspicious."

The voice echoed throughout the vast but silent room. There was no one else there, apart from Luna and Rio, two colleagues who suddenly became close. How came? They continued to be together from day to night until the sky turned into night.

"What's suspicious?" asked Luna, the grim reaper's only interlocutor, as she opened the white box in front of her. It was her dinner for that day. A serving of fried noodles was getting cold because they bought it on the way home. Practically, this became her first meal as a human.

Oh, she couldn't wait to try it soon.

"Zach," Rio mentioned one name that became a source of disaster for her. Well, even though it was a hundred and eighty degrees. "Why was he so kind to rent this place to you for free? Not to mention the amount of money he left you." He revealed the origin of his prejudice. Two good things in a row felt odd. No. Three favors with his help to Luna when she fainted.

That sounded like it was too good to be true, right?

Luna shrugged her shoulders, not knowing the answer. She couldn't read people's minds. "Whatever it is, the important thing is that I have a place to live and money to buy food." She then used the wooden chopsticks to feed the food into her mouth. "And I think I also need new clothes," she added while chewing her fried noodles. It tasted fantastic!

Rio teleported so that he was in front of her in the blink of an eye. "Aren't you suspicious?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hm," Luna muttered with her mouth full. It was only when she had finished chewing and swallowed the whole food in her mouth that she replied, "Then what should I do? Refuse his help and leave me stranded and starving on the street?" She deliberately used a defiant tone. He needed to remember that they were different. She lived in the human world, meaning she must follow the rules here. "I have no other choice. You know that." She continued with a conclusion they both knew.

"I know. But-"

"What bad thing could happen to a former grim reaper like me?" Luna cut in quickly. "Can I die a second time?"

Anyone knew the worst thing a human could experience was death. Of course, that was the human version. But for her, she would say after death when all human actions during life got their recompense. However, humans did not know that. So, they were going to discuss things from the point of view of an ordinary human.

And since she didn't fall into that category, all those fears didn't apply to her. Right?

"Death only happens once," Rio responded after a few seconds of silence.

Because of that, Luna would not die. At least not in human form. Remember, she was already dead.

"So the worst thing that could happen to me is to be wiped out. Right?"

Rio nodded his head slowly.

"And if I don't take advantage of the situation, that's what will happen to me," Luna said with a dreamy look. She didn't want to be destroyed. After all, Luna wanted to be like her comrade who had finished her work. So she could advance to the next step in her existence.

Being the grim reaper was also her way of atoning for her mistakes in life.

"Are you sure?" He asked in hesitation. Although not very close, he knew her personality, who was emotional when she saw death. Actually, all grim reapers felt that way. Perhaps that was the punishment for the actions of those who have wasted their lives.

"Weren't you the one who told me to approach him? Why did it suddenly change?" She instead voiced her confusion. Someone who urged her to approach Zach turned suspicious at him. It was strange. Strangely enough, the suspicion would not help her at all.

Rio fell silent again, apparently aware of his wishy-washy behavior. "Sorry. I was just worried about you."

Luna let out a sigh, understanding his concern. Perhaps she would react similarly if this happened to her co-workers. But, sadly, she was the victim. Correction. The suspect who got her punishment. So, her only concern was her bad luck.

"You didn't come back to the above world?" she asked, changing the subject. Talking about the same thing over and over wouldn't change anything. Instead, their anxiety would increase along with fear and doubt about the new situation.

Wait. Had this happened before? The angel of death became a human.

"My job is to keep you company until twelve o'clock."

That meant she would be alone five hours later.

"Is there anyone else after you to accompany me here?" Apparently, the thought of being alone brought a bit of trepidation to her heart. What was she supposed to do alone here?

Sleeping. Luna needed it, did she?

Rio shook his head. "I don't know. Orders from above often come out of nowhere."

Luna nodded, agreeing with his last statement. The orders would appear on each grim reaper tablet unexpectedly. It could have been an hour before, or it could have been longer. It could also be five minutes before death, especially for unexpected deaths.

"Then accompany me until you get the next order," Luna asked as she fiddled with her chopsticks on the food in front of her.

Again, he shook his head. This time more confident than before. "I have to make a report to them." That was rejection.

"What kind of report? About me asking Zach for help?"

"That's one of them. But also about the incident this afternoon. I need to make a written report."

Luna sighed in resignation. For the above world, she could no longer interfere.

"So, quickly kill him so you can return to our world."

And the sigh turned into a small grunt. "You're really asking me to hit you, aren't you? Earlier, you told me to kill him but then hesitated. And now you're asking me to kill again," she said, expressing her frustration at his attitude. "You wishy-washy!"

Rio laughed loudly at that. He had such a tendency considering his tenure was not much different from her. Eleven years. "I was planning to learn more about what happened to you." In fact, his wishy-washy nature was more due to his lack of knowledge. So, when he had gained enough information, he might help her make a better decision.

"Then can you find out about a possible similar case in the past?"

"Of course. I'll let you know later."

Luna stopped her hand movements and then smiled at him. "Thanks."

Rio stuck out his right hand and placed it above her head. He then gently stroked that area. "You'll be fine. The others and I will definitely help you."

Her smile grew wider. She even displayed a grin that exposed her neat teeth. "Thank you again, and I'm sorry for everything that happened because of my mistakes. Please also convey my apologies to others."

"Sure."