The Deal

Looking into the face of her crush, surrounded by a void, wasn't what she excepted out of death. Maybe a plain of grass and pixies dancing around, but not Jacob Fins from her three block chem class.

"Hello?" She spoke awkwardly, not really knowing how to address this situation. Surprisingly not as distressed as she expected to be.

I mean I did just die after all.

"Janet Marble, I'm here to offer you another chance at living." Jacob, the entity asked. Grinning in a way that provokes anger, unwillingly out of Janet. After a moment of silence he spoke again

"If my form makes you uncomfortable I could change it. I only use something familiar for you."

"No, thank you. You mentioned another life?" Her head shaking with her as she declined. Another life, like one of those isekai books she reads?

"Yes! Ah, well if you take the deal you will reincarnate right now, and I'll give you a gift! If you don't then you will stay here and wait for your next reincarnation." Confidence radiating from him that she would take the deal he was offering.

"What's the difference between waiting or not?" She asks hesitantly.

"The difference is that if you wait, you will stay for however long it takes for you memories to fade away. Could take months, years, etc. In this dark place, alone. The deal is immediate, the benefits are you will keep your memories and be gifted a ability! Win win really." His deal was tempting.

An instinctive fear ran through her at learning that she would have had to stay here alone for so long. Losing herself in the process.

"Okay, I'll do it." She replied in a small voice, the man continued to stare at her unblinkingly with that grin.

"All I need to know, for the gift is, what is your truest desire?" He spoke, eyes becoming darker, and dim.

"I want to make others happy."