"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.

"Just get in the car," Mark said, clicking the button to unlock it. After several minutes of driving, we arrived at a tall, classy building, the kind I wouldn't even dream of entering on my own.

"Where are we?" I hesitated, reluctant to step into the elevator.

"Just get in," Mark replied. "I'm getting you a new job."

"What?" I said, surprised as I walked into the elevator.

"You heard correctly. You're getting a new job at this company. It's one of my dad's many businesses, and they're looking for new employees. I figured you would fit in." He smiled.

"That's great, but I don't think your dad would approve. He doesn't want my low-class life anywhere near him," I said.

"Don't worry. My dad wouldn't even know. He doesn't care about this part of his empire. He has other things to worry about, unless someone tells him," Mark reassured me.

After a while, we reached the floor where the manager's office was. I was racking my brain for what to say in the interview since Mark hadn't told me what job I was applying for. When we entered the office, the manager, an oversized middle-aged bald man, rushed towards Mark like a dog greeting its owner after a long day. With a fake smile plastered on his face, he said, "Hello, sir! Welcome! Hope you're having a good day. Would you like anything to drink?"

I wondered, if this was how he acted around Mark, he probably groveled at Mark's dad's feet whenever he saw him.

With his pretense, I could immediately tell that this manager was one of those slaves to money, people who only cared about wealth and would do anything to get it. He was emitting an aura of greed.

"This is my friend Alex. He's a perfect candidate for the job," Mark said. The manager, with his glasses almost falling off his nose, looked at me in disgust, probably wondering why I looked so untidy. Suddenly, he turned to Mark, wearing his fake smile again. "Um, I know I told you that you could bring a replacement, but um, you have to get permission from your father, you see."

Mark replied, "Come on, Mr. Harper. This guy is perfect for the job. Forget how he looks. And don't tell my dad. I'll send word to him about how perfectly organized you made this office."

And bingo, the magic words had been said. The manager couldn't resist the offer, so he immediately said, "Okay, um, welcome to the company, sir. From today, you'll be working as the new receptionist."

And that's how I got the job as the receptionist. I owe Mark big time for this.

On my way home, I reached the highway. The busy rush of vehicles, honking horns, and the hum of engines created a symphony of city life. Just as I was about to cross to the other side, a car—a sleek, black sports car with tinted windows—came speeding towards me. When I turned around, it was just eight feet away. My eyes went wide in surprise, and I immediately closed them. Everything went silent; there was not a single noise in the environment. Curiously, I opened my eyes and found myself in a white void. There was no other description for it.

I stood still for a while and then shouted, "Hello!" My voice echoed. Wondering if I was finally dead, I thought, "Is this the afterlife? Did I finally die? That's such a shame, just when I thought I was immortal." I chuckled.

Then a voice, calm yet oddly humorous, replied, "Idiot, you thought you had immortality? That's hilarious."

It was weird because I didn't say that out loud; it was all in my head. It gave me a little scare. My body turned unwillingly, and when my eyes landed on this creature, my heart immediately knew it wasn't human. It looked human but also like a god or something ethereal. The being was tall and slender with luminescent skin that seemed to glow softly. Its eyes were deep and knowing, filled with ancient wisdom. It wore simple yet elegant robes that flowed like liquid silver, and its hair was a cascade of shimmering light.

Stammering, I said, "Who are you? Are you God? And where is this place?"

Surprisingly, the being burst into laughter. "Ha, ha! He asked if I was God. That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while," it said, still laughing. After a moment, it stopped and said, "I'm obviously not God, silly. I'm a Glampri, a being in charge of death."

I looked at him a little more closely. "So you're the god of death?"

"What the hell is a god of death? Wait a minute, that makes a little sense. You can call us that," it replied.

"Us?" I asked, curious.

"Of course. What, you think there's only one Glampri? How do you expect one of us to deal with all the deaths? Give us a break," it said.

"Why am I here, then? Is this where we go when we die?" I asked.

"Hell no. This is in your damn head. You aren't dead or anything. I just decided to make contact with you because you officially belong to me now," it said.

"How so? How do I belong to you?" I asked.

It said with a conniving smile on its face, "Good question. You know, when a person kills himself, I send that person to the afterlife. But on very rare occasions, I avoid their deaths, making them lose the urge to kill themselves. But when they try again and I stop it, they become mine because they have embraced my existence. But you—you didn't try to kill yourself once or twice. You tried multiple times, which made me choose you for my little game."

Still trying to process that information, I asked, "What little game?"

The Glampri stood up from the squat position it had taken, spreading itshands into the air and looking directly at me. "TO CONQUER THE WORLD,"it said.