Decided to pump out another chapter for the story here due to the response for the first one. Thanks for the support and the reviews so far, everybody. I appreciate it.

Italics: Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks

The white light stung my eyes as it beamed down on me. Was this the infamous light at the end of the tunnel that people saw just before they died? No. Couldn't be. Everything that surrounded me was light. If that were the case, I would have been in a long dark tunnel with that light growing closer if it was really the former.

Taking the chance, I opened my eyes and immediately squinted to ease the stinging sensation that followed it. It was as if I stared straight at the sun. Everything was so bright. It took shielding my eyes to be able to sit upright to try and comprehend my surroundings. Wherever I was.

After a deep breath, I opened my dark brown eyes.

Wait… I got shot in the chest. How did I breathe without feeling excruciating pain?

Looking down I could see the fresh hole in my shirt where that thug managed to shoot me. It was another hard realization that this was not a dream, no matter how much I wanted it to be one and how much it seemed like one now. My bloodstained shirt became the least of my problems and my curiosity only grew.

Tearing my eyes away from the shirt, I did a quick look around. I was sitting in what appeared to be an office. Not a doctor's office or anything like that, but an office where businessmen go and sit on their ass to mouth breathe for eight hours a day.

The room itself was about the size of my bedroom back at my apartment. Small, but big enough for someone to utilize until they moved up the chain. In the center of the room sat a large oak desk with a leather chain on each side. On top of the desk was a small bowl of peanuts and a keyboard to a computer with no visible monitor. Behind the desk was a large paned window that had golden light spilling through it.

The seat I was sitting on gave a groan as I stood up. A quick glance back at the seat revealed a brown leather couch.

"What the hell?"

Despite the relaxed office setting, this was creeping me out. This seemed more like the office for a psychiatrist or maybe a waiting room for my next stop.

The window looked welcoming with the light that shone through it and I went to take a look outside. Maybe I could pinpoint my location?

This belief was soon dashed. Upon reaching the window for my answer, I only saw a continuous white void. The golden light that had spilled through rained high from above. The golden light of Heaven.

The white void twisted and began to shift before me, growing darker. The darkness that followed was not that of an endless abyss, but it was lightly illuminated by stars. Far above, the golden lights still glowed in the distance. The darkness had a new addition down below. A mixture of red and orange that seemed to spread in every direction. Endless rivers of fire.

"Wait a minute…" I took a step back.

My assumption of the room seemed to be accurate. This was a waiting room where I would be passed my final judgment to ascend to Heaven or begin my descent into Hell. The void I was in served as the dimension between both biblical realms.

"Enjoying the view?" A new voice broke the silence.

My heart leapt into my chest and I wheeled around in a start. The voice belonged to a man. It was strong and calm. Like the man had done this dozens of times before and had the upcoming conversation memorized down to a T.

The man before me wore a black suit and tie. His hair was dark brown and long that was slicked back to keep it neat. The eyes that looked back at me were electric blue and appeared to be glowing slightly in the light.

This guy was familiar and it took me a minute to realize who it was. I only met him once, and that was when he was standing over me as I bled out in the gas station.

"Hey, you still with me?" The man snapped his fingers.

I quickly shook my head after he roused me with his question. The only thing I could do was nod back. He offered me the chair before him and he made his way around the desk to take his seat. Not wanting to be close to the guy who yanked my ass off of Earth, I scurried around the desk and got in the chair. Similar to how I moved when being ordered during my training. The guy didn't yell at me, but I sure as hell followed his request like he did.

The chair squeaked when I plopped down in it and leaned back. When I did, my heart began to pump again. No blood squirted out from the wound like it did back in the gas station, and it didn't hurt. It pounded normally and soon raced like it did when I ran or got anxious about something. Like waiting for an answer you needed to hear, but were afraid to hear at the same time. That kind of feeling. It only grew stronger as my eyes stayed fixed on the man who sat in the seat across from me casually.

This guy was the one who brought me here and you can bet that I was nervous with what awaited me.

"Not much of a talker, huh?" His hand scooped up a small handful of peanuts.

He popped a couple in his mouth and the small crunches met my ears as he munched on the snack.

My throat was dry and it took me swallowing the saliva that had built in my mouth to soothe it before speaking back to him.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

Easily the two most important questions that I needed to be answered, but was afraid to hear.

The man finished swallowing the peanuts that were in his mouth and brushed his fingers clean on his suit. Not something someone who appeared to take pride in their appearance would do. Especially if the suit looked expensive like that.

"I would have thought it was obvious?" The man offered back.

A shake of my head made the man sigh and suck his teeth.

"Well, shit. This is awkward," he continued.

"What's awkward? What's so hard to answer here?" I answered back.

"I guess there's no easy way to break it to you, so I'll just say it. You're dead. Gunned down at twenty-five in a gas station."

The corner of my mouth twitched and formed a grimace. That wasn't what I wanted to hear. I couldn't be dead yet! I still had a long life to live! How the hell is it I die by being a good person and doing the right thing?

My hands were gripping the sides of the chair so tight that my knuckles were white with stress. I shook my head in disbelief.

"You can deny it all you want, but you know it as well as I do," said the man with a shake of his head. "Bullet tore right through your aorta artery."

"No." I glared up at him.

"Yes. You're dead."

"Who are you to tell me that, huh!?"

The man's eyes seemed to flash at my retort. He leaned forward on the desk, his lips pursed in a thin line. His arm reached across the desk and the tip of his finger rested just above the bullet wound in my chest. In a small jab, his finger poked the wound and pain flared up for the first time since I got there, forcing a muffled scream from my throat.

"The guy who is trying to help you," he said with a firm tone.

He withdrew his hand and I gently massaged my chest to ease the sharp pain. It had vanished as soon as it had come. The man's actions had me reluctant to say anything more. If he had the ability to make me feel the excruciating pain and null it, he was not one to test. Plus, I didn't even know who… or what this guy was. He was something supernatural for sure, though.

"Who are you?" I asked again.

The man leaned back in his chair and his face softened from its stern state.

"My name is Seraph. And depending on your faith, I am an angel."

This was too much. Not only am I dead, but now I'm hearing that the guy who took my soul or spirit, whatever you want to call it, and brought it here for judgment is an angel. Too much madness for one day. This was the wildest day I had that started out great, but went to hell in a handbasket.

Now, I will be honest. I believe in God and am very open minded, but I was definitely not the most model Catholic. Science did not take a backseat to something like that. If this guy was truly an angel, I needed some more proof. Even though Seraph was making a good case for his answer with what he had done and said so far.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but don't angels have wings?" I asked

Seraph glowered and his cheek poked out in a pout of embarrassment.

"Technically yes, but I'm… a bit of a different case," he answered.

"How?" I rose a brow.

"Heaven's angel department works in a weird way. Think of it like an entry level job where you work your way up."

"So you're basically an intern?"

Seraph's silence said it all as he shifted in his seat. He reached for another handful of peanuts to snack on.

"You're shitting me, right?" I blinked. "Not even a full-fledged angel?"

"Like I said, it's weird." Seraph said in between chews.

He swallowed the rest of the peanuts and lightly pushed the bowl over to me.

"Look, we're pressed for time, so let's get to the reason why you're here," said Seraph.

"I got killed. That's why I'm here," I said after taking a handful of peanuts.

"True, and I'll be the first to tell you that your death was premature. You had at least sixty years left, so this was a bit of a surprise. And this is the reason why you're here."

Eighty-five? Man, on any other day this would have left me impressed, but now it was just a kick to the gut. How much was I going to miss now that I died? What did I get cheated out of to experience? Would I have had any kids or enjoyed a retirement? No way to know now.

The whole meaning of live life to its fullest really is something to go by. You never know what tomorrow can bring, and it's best to do everything you can while you're alive. It led to me realizing that I failed to do that. I had dreams and goals to reach, but they had fallen on the backburner as I fell into a routine. That routine became my life. Wake up, go to work, hit the gym, go to bed, and then do drill once a month. Rinse and repeat. The sad part is that it took me dying to come to that conclusion.

A small light met my eyes and a screen popped up between me and Seraph. On the screen there were two columns with dozens of bullet points that ran down the pages. One page after the next, each bullet listed something I had done that appeared to be categorized into a deed or a sin. Everything that I had done in my life was now in front of me and being reviewed by Seraph.

I could barely read any of the points since Seraph blazed through them with inhuman speed. The few that caught my eye surprised me. Not just because of what I did, but also because I didn't even remember some of them until now.

Seraph let out a whistle as he reached the end and his eyes turned to me. His gaze was one of disappointment.

"That doesn't sound promising." I frowned as fear began to swell inside me.

"We keep track of everyone's deeds and sins, but you're definitely not the worst I've seen. In fact, this is pretty average," said Seraph.

"Really?"

"Yes. The biggest problem I'm seeing here is how we judge you since your deeds and sins are dead even."

Can't be judged? Well, what happens now? Do I just stay here for eternity or does something else decide my fate?

"Right now, this is more or less Purgatory. You noticed Heaven and Hell outside the window, right?" Seraph explained.

I only nodded back. Purgatory. Vaguely remembered what the concept of it was, but I always thought that it was the state between Heaven and Hell where someone dwelled until their soul was purified through prayer, or something like that. Like I said, not the most model Catholic.

Not exactly the worst place since I could be burning for all eternity in Hell.

"People who are here have to undergo purification before passing on. And now, that's what is going to have to happen for you," said Seraph.

"How do I get out of here?" I asked.

Seraph's eyes flicked back up to me and they glowed a light blue in doing so. He was silent for a minute before a small smile came to his face.

"Since your death was premature, it prevented you from being able to live your life enough to grow as a person and have your deeds surpass your sins. You are a rare case, but there have been others like you in this situation before," he continued.

"What does this mean for me?" I asked.

"People in this position are given a unique opportunity to go through their final purification. In this case, I would be in charge of your purification to ensure you stay on track to be admitted into Heaven. Which is good, because it's guys like you that qualify as points for me to become a true angel."

So there was still hope to ascend into Heaven for me, and it involved me being purified. I was Seraph's meal ticket to getting his wings, and he was mine to get out of Purgatory.

"I need to help five people through purification to get my halo and wings, and you would be my fifth. This is a perfect setup in my eyes," said Seraph.

"What all falls into my purification?" I asked.

Seraph's fingers were a blur as he typed away at the keyboard in front of him and brought up another screen. On the screen was a document that looked like a contract for review since there was a blank line at the bottom that required a signature.

In a flash of white light, the document materialized before me after he clicked the send button. He reached into his suit and pulled out a black pen and set it on top of the contract.

"From what was on your file, it's your personality that needs the most work to go with more deeds. You need more positive qualities for enlightenment, and while you have some, you have more negative traits," Seraph began.

"Like what?" I retorted.

"You have a low opinion of yourself. You're a loner that has trust issues, and you are indecisive. The list just goes from there."

Well, he got me there. Then again, he did have my file to look at for that knowledge.

"You sign this contract here, our deal goes into effect. You get a fresh start at life to correct yourself and become purified. Once you've fulfilled the contract, you go to Heaven, I get my wings and we end up having a beer when it's all said and done," he continued.

Fresh start at life? How do I get a fresh start at life? Is he going to send me back to let me live it to the fullest? Catholics didn't believe in reincarnation, so how was this going to work?

"How is that possible? How do I get a fresh start at life?" I folded my arms.

Seraph nodded and popped some more peanuts into his mouth.

"You'll be sent to a world similar to Earth where you will ultimately have to pick up where you left off. Not reincarnation, but a transmigration. Does that make sense?"

"Not at all. Don't remember reading anything in scriptures about Purgatory leaving its dwellers with that option," I answered back.

"True, but penance has to be given to leave Purgatory. The boss felt it would be better to allow those like you who are stuck here to correct their shortcomings. They are given the choice to wait for purification via prayer from others, or can take it into their own hands."

Seraph's eyes locked with mine and leveled me with a more questioning gaze. I was quick to determine what he was getting at. This was him forcing me to confront one of my faults head on. Making a decision.

It's not that I was incapable of making decisions. I just didn't like being hasty with them when I didn't have enough information. This was him putting me on the spot and throwing caution to the wind with his words. I hated it.

My knuckles cracked as I formed tight fists.

"I don't know." I shook my head.

"I'm going to give you one minute to think. When the time's up, you either sign this contract or you stay here until enough prayers have purified you. The choice is yours."

Damn it.

My eyes drifted back to the contract and the longer I stared at it, the more tempting it got to sign. If I could have the chance to speed up my chances to getting to Heaven, I'd take it without hesitation. It beats sitting around and waiting for god knows how long. The only problem was the contract itself. It felt like the right choice, but I had that gnawing feeling in my gut telling me otherwise.

Sure it was promising now, but what came with doing this?

"Time's up." Seraph folded his hands. "Will you take matters into your own hands, or sit on your ass for all eternity?"

My hand reached for the pen and I picked it up. It may have been my imagination, but I thought I saw a brief look of relief in Seraph's eyes. He wanted me to make that decision, but it probably had to do with getting his promotion to angel.

"If I'm signing this, I want to read it," I told him with a small glare.

"By all means." He waved it aside.

My eyes scoured that contract slowly. Whenever you signed one of these things you had to read the fine print. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know about loopholes in these things, and I sure as hell wanted to know what came with my signature. Everything that we talked about. The full details of our deal. Everything.

Then it got fishy. The lower I got, the harder it became to read. It wasn't that the print was smudged or too small. I just couldn't read it. The writing had changed from English to something I'd never seen before.

"Why can't I read the whole thing?" I looked up at him.

"Admin work. For their eyes only," was his short reply.

"I'll put this pen down."

A sharp breath came from the angel in training and he stared back at me flatly.

"There's nothing set to screw you over in that contract," he answered calmly.

"Sure. And Hell is a tropical paradise," I said back.

A small grimace graced Seraph and he leaned forward on the desk.

"It's my job to make sure you reach purification. I wouldn't have you sign that contract if it didn't help you," he spoke again. "What more assurance do you need?"

The pen shook in my hand and I could feel my teeth clench together. After everything that happened to me, that was the last thing I needed to hear.

"I've had a fucked up day. I was killed trying to do the right thing, and now I'm being processed through a trial to get into Heaven because my life was cut short. You're telling me I need to make up for it by going into a new world alone to start again. If you really are an angel like you say, I want some goddamn proof that you'll hold your end of the bargain and not screw me over!"

It felt good to let it out. This had been building since I woke up on that couch and we started talking. It may have been a bad idea to use God's name in vain in the presence of an angel, but at this point with the language we've used so far, I think it was fair game.

Seraph was silent and he blinked before pulling up the left sleeve of his suit. On his arm was a mark similar to a tattoo. It was in the shape of a blade.

"This mark is branded on all angels and angels in training. Should one of us disobey an oath we've taken up, we get vaporized like that," he said with a snap of his fingers.

His tone did not falter and there was no shift in his eyes to suggest he was lying. He let me look at the mark one last time before he rolled his sleeve down.

God was merciful, but his judgment was swift and just. Much like the stories I heard from the bible, they were filled with tests of faith and devotion. If they were failed or his warnings were not heeded, it did not end well.

Seraph was telling me the truth.

With that in mind, I picked up the pen and signed my name on the contract.

Once I finished, the contract glowed and disappeared in a flash of white light. The light then split into two wisps and away from each other. The first hit Seraph in the chest and the other entered my chest.

The feeling of warmth that came with it was not only comforting, but refreshing. Out of curiosity, I looked down my shirt to find that the wound I had was now sealed up, leaving a noticeable scar.

"We're just about done here. All we have to do now is give you your new name and you're good to go," said Seraph.

"New name? Why do I need a new name?" I rose a brow.

"The rules of this world I'm putting you on are unique, and names are one of them. Once you got a name that registers, I'll send you out."

Seraph pushed the keyboard over to me and the screen between us shifted to an empty block with a keystroke waiting to enter the first letter. If that wasn't enough, a melody emitted from the screen. One that I knew very well and could only offer the man a look of mild surprise.

"I figured I could at least try to cheer you up a little bit." Seraph shrugged.

The theme that played was one that I recognized from playing video games. It was from the first game I remember ever playing that ended up using the theme for the first time and it became a staple point in the series to follow. The Fairy Fountain theme from A Link to the Past. It was fitting, I'd give him that one.

My fingers went to typing the first name I could think of.

Spike Spiegel.

Might as well try to use the name of one of my favorite anime characters. The screen flashed red and the name was immediately erased.

"Try again. That one won't work." Seraph grabbed another handful of peanuts.

Okay… what about this one?

Mitch Connor.

Again the screen flashed red and forced me to write another name.

Man, I had to have sat there for at least three minutes coming up with a new name for myself. Every name I tried did not work and some of them only made Seraph shake his head in disbelief. I was starting to get so desperate that I resorted to names I had for my OCs from my fanfiction stories. You don't want to do that.

I mean, what kind of douchebag names himself after one of his own characters or vice versa?

This was the last name I could think of. If it didn't work, I would just ask Seraph to give me one.

Dustin Stone.

The buffering bar came into view and then at long last, the screen flashed green.

"There we go." Seraph clapped his hands.

"What kind of world is that stingy with a name rule?" I got to my feet.

"One that you know very well."

That caught my interest and sent it a mile high. I knew this world he was sending me to?

"Which one is it?" I asked.

Seraph smirked and stood up with a long stretch. He then walked around his desk and stood in front of me with his hands on his hips.

"Where would be the fun in that?" He challenged.

His hand reached out and I shook it.

"You got another shot, Mister Stone. I look forward to seeing what you can do," said Seraph.

"Yeah…" I pulled my hand free.

"Make it count."

Before I could react, Seraph raised his hand and made a finger gun. It made me take a step back in anticipation and my hand was already going for my gun that was still at my hip. I had no time to move as he kicked his hand up to simulate a shot.

What hit me felt like a hard flick to the head and everything around me vanished in a flash of light.

Air swept into my lungs as I gasped for it and a couple of coughs escaped me. It was reminiscent from some nightmares that would shock me awake when I was younger.

The air was warm. Much warmer than it was in Milwaukee. The smell of salt was in the air and it tickled my nostrils as it wafted inside. Gulls cawed above me and their shadows swam in and out of sight, circling like vultures. But the biggest thing I noticed was the sound of crashing waves. They weren't small like you'd hear on a river or lake. These were waves from an ocean.

My hands found strength and managed to push me up enough to take in my surroundings. They were soon covered in warm sand as they burrowed into it.

I sat up and adjusted my hat and waited for my vision to come back into focus. When it did, I was greeted to the site of a vast blue ocean that was so clear that it looked like a second sky. The waves raced up the beach and stopped a good twenty yards away from me, leaving traces of bubbling foam before it vanished into the soaked sand.

It reminded me of the beaches of Tobago and Cabo. Beautiful.

As much as I wanted to sit there and marvel in the beauty, I remembered my current situation. I was now in an entirely new world, and from the looks of it, this remote beach was not near civilization.

"Where am I?"

So that's chapter two. Hopefully it doesn't sound or seem to corny or cliché, but this is what I had planned. I at least tried to make the goals between myself and Seraph clear and not just a Deus Ex Machina to bring me to Remnant.