~Chapter 1~

"Congratulations, Players. You have successfully made it through the Game."

I rubbed my eyes against the bright white lights, trying to let them focus. When my eyes adjusted, I could see Butch next to me, shielding his own eyes; an angelic looking woman was standing before us. Her curly blonde hair fell loosely in front of her forget-me-not baby blue eyes. She was smiling.

She was suspicious.

"Y-you mean we won?" Butch asked, shocked. His grey eyes were full of a mixture of longing hope and the careful yielding of trust that all of us Players had adopted during the game.

"Yes, Yoshiro. You two are the soul survivors. Once again, congratulations," the woman said with a gentle smile. Butch ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair, embarrassed by the use of his birth name. His insistence on the use of his nickname – and most everything about him, for that matter – reminded me of my 'uncle', Beat.

"Who are you?" I asked, getting to the point.

"I am the Conductor of the Reaper's Game," the woman smiled, "I'm the one who supervises the Game and follows through on the Composer's plans. My actual name however, is Aoi Yatsuda. You needn't remember it though. You've won, haven't you?"

"So that's it then? We get our lives back?" Butch asked excitedly. I understood his excitement. From what he had told me, he'd been engaged to some girl and had been planning on getting married the week after he died. He wanted to go back.

Another thing he and I didn't have in common.

"Incorrect," Yatsuda said, suddenly frowning. "Only one of you goes back."

"What!? That's totally jack, Dude!" Butch exclaimed. "I thought whoever won the Game got a second chance!"

"That's correct; the Player that wins the Game gets a second chance at life," she replied, her smile still gone. Somehow, it seemed more natural.

"But that-"

"Player, Yoshiro. Not Players. Never forget details. While the two of you were playing the Game, the Composer was personally grading you. And the person who came out with the higher score was you, Yoshiro," Yatsuda explained, her angelic smile returning.

"So I can go back?" Butch confirmed, relief flooding his face. Yatsuda nodded. I felt relief wash over me as well. I was glad it was him going back.

"Wait, then what about Nishiki?" he asked, suddenly remembering I existed. Thanks, Partner.

"Nishiki has three options. He may choose to join the Reapers and help us run the Game, he may choose to play the Game again, or, if neither of those options appeal to him, he may choose erasure."

I felt my heart give a slightly harder than average thump at the word 'erasure.'

"Don't worry about me, Butch. I'll be okay. I'll play the Game again," I clarified, addressing the Conductor at the end of the statement.

"Thanks, Man," Butch grinned, punching me in the arm. Apparently this was a 'friendly' gesture. "Good luck in Round 2."

Yatsuda smiled at our exchange and turned her attention fully to Butch. "Here is your entry fee," she smiled. Butch winced for a moment and then beamed. I vaguely wondered what his entry fee was. I'd never asked. "Enjoy your second chance."

I watched with mild interest as Butch was lifted into the whiteness above us and vanished. I assumed that meant he made it back okay.

"Now, Nishiki," Yatsuda began, turning back towards me. "Your most valuable item hasn't changed during the course of the Game, so I'll continue to hold onto it."

"What was my entry fee?" I questioned her.

"You mean you never figured it out?" Yatsuda asked, raising and eyebrow. I shook my head, feeling rather stupid. "Your entry fee was a little different than everyone else's. Since you have nothing that valuable to you, we took something that the Game would have taken anyway."

I didn't get it. Yatsuda sighed.

"Details, Nishiki. You must always pay attention to details." What was with her and details? She'd said the same thing to Butch too. I didn't feel the need to say anything, so Yatsuda continued in place of my silence. "In the Game, you need a partner to survive, correct?"

I nodded, not really seeing or caring where she was going with this.

"So, that in itself took from you what you…like – rather than value, in your case – the most. Your entry fee, Nishiki, was your 'Solitude.'"