NOVEL SIMPLE The brutal reality
With high expectations and a giddy mood, Eric skipped to his company. Ah, it was really nostalgic. He went here every day to work, sipped on red wine, read manuscripts of the 500 worst ways to die specifically designed for him and enjoyed his life as a triple S-tier celebrity. Until one day, handsome Del came and took him to the Demon World where all disasters began.
Now that Eric's death has been declared, it was even harder to get into his company than before. The security was extra tight because many passersby and mourners wanted to get in and still feel the bit of warmth Eric left behind and see his crashed Porsche that was still left in the underground parking lot.
Damn, Eric didn't know that people would go so far. It was as if they were creeps and stalkers... Well, weren't they kind of?
Eric couldn't even get to the entrance. Masses of people stood there and laid flowers against the columns of the large plaza of his company. Eric's face blanked once again. They were treating his burial place so grand, it was even grander than anyone mourned over murdered victims, royalty and presidents.
Wow, not to boost his own ego again but this was quite the sight. But this also meant Eric wasn't able to get into his company. In the first place, he hasn't thought this through at all. What was he going to do in there anyway? Ah yes, he wanted to see his authors sobbing and regretting their decision and cursing him. This was it. What Eric wanted was satisfaction.
He remembered a secret way to get into the company, basically, it was the emergency exit. His company had so many since Eric was quite popular so he needed a lot of ways to escape from the company without paparazzi coming after him. The number of escape routes were two digits so that no one could even properly remember how many there were and where they were located, but of course, Eric memorised every single one.
There were in total 46 emergency exits. Now that Eric thought about it, it was quite excessive. Cough. Anyways, it all served a purpose. Whatever Eric did, also served a purpose! Or so he thought, but it did come in handy right now.
Through one of the dazzling 46 emergenciy exits, he crawled his way back into this old nostalgic second home where he lived, laughed and most of all, tortured. His office was on the highest floor. Eric has been through so many stories and sneaking into somewhere has become his main skill, his superpower, his hidden ability. Getting to the top floor without getting caught by the immense amount of security guards?
No problemo for Erico. In less than a minute he made it to a lift and was on his way to the top floor. Yet once he got there, his expectations have been reversed like never before. No one noticed his entrance! A random person walking around his office with all authors present, how the fuck can't you recognise me in the midst of you?
What was even more shocking was that these fucking bastards were celebrating! Half a year later and they still celebrated Eric's death! Mental! They were all mental! Eric's face fell back to the first floor from the 3890 floors to the heavens! Fuck, how awful was I that you really have the face to be happy about someone's death?
What the fuck is wrong with you deranged and mental people? Fucking authors, Eric hated them.
Speaking of authors, Eric suddenly remembered what he really came here for. Van and Timo! He wasted his time with his ex-authors, thinking they still had an ounce of respect and sadness left for him but it was long gone with the catastrophic storm that raged across Eric's heart! He thought they shared a bond but in the end, none of it was ever existent!
They went and celebrated! Were happy! Look at them having these stupid letters hanging around all of the offices! Congratulations! Why the hell would you need congratulation? Did any of you cause my death? Why do you congratulate yourself when you do no shit else than sit in the office, churning out a few shitty manuscripts, wallow in self-pity and writer block, and that's it?
All the bond he had with them, turned into burnt bridges. Exes after all should remain exes. This relationship was long over. If you break up with someone, never get back to them or else you'll be disappointed like Eric! He was betrayed by his exes!
Standing in the middle of the room, this above average but not too handsome male had fumes coming out of his head, so strong and stuffy that finally all the cake eating and singing authors shedding tears of joy finally noticed this stranger amongst them. What an imposter! Good, they managed in time to spot him! Out with him!
"Wait!" one of the authors spoke up after they telepathically agreed to throw this imposter out, "He's... he's one of us!"
The imposter in the end managed to mingle among them and deceive these gullible, hurt and abused authors.
"Really? How do you know that?"
"I... I can see it!"
Eric almost rolled his eyes to the back of his head. Was he in stories too much so that all dialogue sounded so fucking bad to him? What was up with real humans being fucking 2D? Wait, could demons be real and humans- no, stop this absurd thought. He was basically questioning himself then.
The authors now circled around Eric and stared him intensively in the face. They- Yes, they all saw it! This nostalgia in his eyes, this hidden pain behind the glint and shimmer of hope. This undeniable lingering sadness that was almost prevailed by happiness and joy! This- This was indeed one of them!
"Brother, come here! You deserve a hug!" the authors immediately cuddled together for a group hug with Eric in the middle being suffocated to hell.
Just what was going on? Eric blinked a few times and then just let it all happen. Luckily, these authors were to busy crushing him to death with their bear hugs that they didn't notice Eric's expression that just screamed how done he was with everything.
Especially when he heard this sentence, "You are also a victim of the tyrant right? Our fellow brother, join us, you must be a great author when that tyrant tormented you like this!"
Oh, great, so they boosted their morales and ego like this, huh? What superior and great author? You were all shit and I was the one who shot you to the top you are laying now! I edited and polished your stories and writing skills to be this top-notch and unrivalled! Screw all of you!
But then just at that moment, the group hug ended and Eric was keen on keeping his fake angel act, so he only smiled innocently.
Oh, how he wished he could tear them apart, but since he wasn't Eric, he couldn't just destroy these noobs as a stranger. Dammit. He didn't want to go behind bars. The dilemma and pain of having to endure it!
"Brother, come and drink with us!"
"Yes, come brother!"
Was this how you were calling yourself amongst each other?
"Brother, share your story with us. How did that tyrant exploit you and claim your godly skills as his own?"
Are you still on your high horse trip here? Get down already! I might be a tyrant but at least I'm a realistic one! Since when did his authors become so delusional? No, were they always like this and it was only because Eric used to surpress them that they couldn't show it? But now that they were free, they showed their true nature? How... terrifying!
"Brother, eat something. Brother, you're safe with us and-"
Stop with this brother shit! Why do I feel like I'm in a sect? Damn, did you guys merge into one? Were you so traumatised by me you could only cope through creating a damn controversial sect? Don't go to that dark side yet! Stay on the bright side!
Never in his life has Eric questioned himself more than ever. Was he really this bad and awful? He was quite decent! He was still better than most bosses! He valued them as authors and made sure not to go beyond human levels! Meaning, he never did anything that violated their human rights!
And he did not work them like slaves! They worked themselves as slaves! Who asked them to write these 50 manuscripts of 10 000 pages detailing how they murdered him in the cruellest way? Who asked them to overexert themselves just for that? Eric obviously didn't! It was all on them!
"I-I'm fine," Eric hit another low point. He just went and stuttered in front of the authors who turned to sect members.
This was one of his worst days ever. He found out he was dead, found out the whole world creepily mourned him, and the only really close people to him celebrated his death. Wow, what a great way to go.
Eric didn't even have the motivation to go and find his old celebrity friends to see how they feel. Because at this point Eric already knew, there were only two types of people who coped with his death. Either through mourning or celebrating! There was no in-between!
"No, no, look, let's talk about your stories! It'll be fun!" his authors stared with bright eyes at him and seemed eager to talk about stories and writing and all that wholesome looking shit.
Eric gulped. Whenever he faced his authors, their eyes were either possessed by Satan or Death. So they could sparkle like this too? Maybe it was a good thing Eric left earth. His authors were free and finally had a bit of human spirit returning in them. Fuck, was Eric really that bad?
This was too unscientific! Was this the time to question himself? Become self-conscious? Hey, we left that long ago, at least we should've. I already went through character development, kind of... hey, I admitted I like to be done by demons, ain't it enough, do I need to have an emotional one too? No, no, no, I'm the editor. Emotional character growth arc and development? Skip! Onto the next one!
Like the wind, Eric left that depressing hole. The encounter with his authors left a big, way too big impression on him. Not good. Eric needed a breather and the fresh air and sunshine really helped. What didn't was the depressing mood outside! Just go and have fun! Go shopping, eat your food, have fun with your friends, roll around the city or parks! Dammit, this felt like some kind of apocalypse like disease taking over the world enforcing lockdowns to reign over yall!
A change of mind was what Eric needed. Yes, Van and Timo, they were his top priorities right now! Forget everything else!
Yet, just at that moment, Eric heard a voice inside his head, giving him a countdown of his worst nightmare, one of his worst nightmares.
" You only have one day left. Exactly 24 hours. Make the best out of it. Don't forget, this is the only chance for you to go back to the human world. If you force yourself, your soul will strain and explode, since the curse is bounding you to the demon world."
Oh, fuck you too.