Somewhere on the European Continent

She awoke from her nightmare, the body fully covered in cold sweat. She had had a strange dream; a disembodied voice telling her she had been chosen to become a Reaper, giving her only twenty-four to say goodbye before her soul was to be collected. She sat up on her bed and rubbed her face with her hands. It took some time for her to slow her breath down. Her dream has been so vivid she wondered if it really was just a dream.

Anyways, she had to get ready for university. Another boring day was waiting for her. Her mind still foggy from slumber, she did not notice the time-frozen hourglass etched on her chest…

The young woman spent her day without a thought to the voice and its warning. According to her, universities were designed to drain the students from all thoughts, imagination and reflections in order to let only empty shells to fill with mediocre approved knowledge. It was surely her punishments for some crimes committed in a past life.

At the end of the day, she came back in her small room she called home. It was modestly furnished with a bed also purposed as a desk. A narrow kitchen filled a corner facing the door leading to the bathroom equipped with a trivial shower cabin. Most of the space of the room was occupied with books telling legends and myths of foreign places and fallen empires. Fantasy novels piled up under the bed, taking the dust as new comers found their place on the bed table. Replicas of past time weaponry with some internet-bought cheap souvenirs from cities selling their past medieval glory to bunch tourist, were scattered into various boxes repurposed as furniture.

Almost twenty-four hours had passed since her last nightmare. She did not change her ways at all, as she had no one to say goodbye to and no one to worry to about her. However, when only two hours were left of the time she was given, she recalled the voice and somehow, her behaviour changed. She felt a small flame of hope rushing in her heart. If this dream was warning her about the adventure she had waited for her whole life, she needed to get ready.

In the small room plunged into darkness, the young woman started to roam around, moving objects without care, adding to the already present mess. She grabbed her largest bag and started filling it up with objects she thought would be necessary; spare clothes, medicine and another set of shoes. She had planned to bring dry food and a water bottle with her but then remembered what the voice said. She would have no mortals’ needs, making any food useless. Even if she would be provided with a scythe, she chose to take a dagger from her collection of medieval weaponry. When she was done, she sat on her chair, waiting for her new beginning. She could not stop herself from staring at her alarm clock.

When the allotted time had elapsed, she lost hope. It was a simple dream of her disturbed mind.

Once again, after a sleepless night, she would have to resume her monotonous life.

The following morning, as she was crossing the road in a hurry, a car suddenly appeared from the corner of the street. Before, she could move out of its way or realised what was happening, an abrupt flash of light had wrapped her. She could not feel or see anything anymore.

It was the darkness.