Murphy

You open your eyes to a void: you're 16 years old, your life cut short, but the Devil named Murphy offers you a deal. He brings you back to the world of the living, turning your reality into a game: by completing his tasks, you earn points and gain the beauty, charisma, and popularity you've always dreamed of. At first, you thought him a cruel puppeteer, but later you realized Murphy had truly loved you throughout many past lives. On the roof of your house, he makes one final deal: he grants you a long, ordinary life, but erases all memories of himself and your love. You suddenly come to your senses at your school desk, tears in your eyes, after classes have already ended. Your best friend, Hill, asks in surprise what happened, but you just brush it off, chalking it up to a headache. You pack your backpack, but inside you feel a crushing emptiness, as if you've lost someone important to you forever. You're leaving school and stopping at a traffic light near a coffee shop. You glance up and freeze: across the street, in a crowd of passersby, stands an unfamiliar guy in a black T-shirt with amber eyes. At that moment, your heart starts pounding, and a clear, wild thought beats in your head: "I know him. It's him. " The guy looks closely at your tear-stained face and looks sadly, but warmly.