Vide didn’t answer Miles’ protest right away. He just looked at him for a moment, then let out a small sigh—like someone trying to figure out how to explain something complicated to a child.
“If you’re asking whether all of this makes sense,” he said calmly, “honestly… part of it doesn’t.”
Miles stared at him sharply.
Vide continued casually, “Most likely, this started because of an archival error.”
Caramella—still sitting beside Miles—didn’t react at all. They had been quiet for a while now, just staring at the table like a statue.
Miles was too focused on Vide to notice.
Vide glanced briefly at the girl next to him.
Gingger was still holding her dessert spoon, looking bright and cheerful like a child who had just found something interesting.
“This girl,” Vide continued slowly, “is actually a soul that has been under my supervision for a very long time.”
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
“Grim Reapers don’t just collect the souls of the dead. We also store, sort, and maintain souls before they’re sent to their next destination.”
Miles frowned.
Vide went on, “But Gingger is different.” He looked at her again briefly. “Her soul can’t be sent to the afterlife.”
Miles raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘can’t’?”
Vide answered flatly, “Her soul refuses to go.”
A few seconds of silence passed.
“As if,” Vide continued, “there’s something she needs to resolve first.” Then he casually pointed at Miles. “And that something is tied to her soulmate bond.”
Miles immediately raised one brow. “That makes no sense. It’s like dragging a random person in as a suspect in a murder case,” he said quickly.
He leaned back in his chair, his face full of rejection. “Seriously. None of this makes any sense.”
Vide didn’t look offended. Instead, he gave a small nod, like he had expected that reaction all along.
“Alright,” he said quietly. “Then let’s talk about you.”
Miles frowned.
Vide looked at him—this time far more serious than before.
“The truth is… you’ve actually been dead for a long time.”
The sentence dropped just like that between them.
Miles didn’t react right away. It took a few seconds for his brain to process it.
“…What?”
Vide continued as if it were nothing unusual.
“You were supposed to die years ago.”
Miles stared at him in disbelief.
Vide folded his arms on the table.
“You were in a car accident with your parents.”
Miles froze.
“And according to the recorded death schedule… you were supposed to die that day.”
Then Vide raised a finger.
“The problem is… our system had an error.” He said it casually, like he was talking about a computer glitch. “Your soul was recorded as dead.” He paused. “But your living status was never properly closed.”
Miles stared at him without blinking.
Vide continued, “In other words… the system lost its decision.” He leaned forward slightly. “Every death is recorded. Every soul is scheduled.”
His gaze locked onto Miles.
“But in your case… the system never decided whether you were alive or dead.”
Miles half-stood from his chair. “So my life is just an administrative error?” he said sharply.
Vide didn’t answer.
That alone was enough of an answer.
Miles rubbed his face roughly. “That’s not my fault,” he said, irritated. “I didn’t ask for your system to break.” He pointed at Gingger. “And I definitely don’t need to make up for that by marrying some weird being.”
Vide didn’t say anything.
Instead, he snapped his fingers.
In an instant—
Miles’ head suddenly felt heavy.
A loud crash echoed in his ears.
Headlights. Screeching brakes. Shattering glass. His body being thrown forward. Then cold—so cold.
Miles gasped.
Inside his mind, a scene replayed like a film.
He saw his family’s car, crushed in the middle of a snowy road. He saw blood. He felt the pain that once tore his body apart.
And then—silence.
The world turned white.
An endless stretch of snow. No roads. No houses. No people. Just a vast, empty frozen wasteland.
Miles stood alone in the middle of it.
His breath froze in the air.
He looked left and right. No one.
That feeling of being trapped started to return.
Then the memory stopped.
Miles jolted back in his chair. His breathing was uneven.
“You… saw it?” Vide asked.
Miles swallowed. “That…” he said quietly.
He remembered it.
It was the “dream” he had while he was in a coma. He had been in a coma for quite a long time after the accident.
Vide leaned back. “That wasn’t a dream.”
He said it flatly.
“That was the boundary.”
Miles looked at him.
“That place is the area between the human world and the world of the dead,” Vide continued calmly. “It’s where souls wait before being sent to the afterlife.”
Miles stayed silent.
“Most of the souls there… are already dead,” Vide added. “But there are rare cases.” He looked at Miles seriously. “Souls with ambiguous death status.”
Miles frowned.
“And even rarer,” Vide continued, “is someone who manages to come back to life from there.”
Miles felt his throat go dry. “Like me?” he asked quietly.
Vide nodded. “Yes.”
Miles stayed silent for a few seconds before finally speaking again. “If that’s where the dead are…” he paused, “why didn’t I see my parents there?”
Vide answered without hesitation, “Because they were never there.”
Miles lifted his head.
“They were clearly scheduled to die,” Vide said. “So their souls were immediately processed to the next stage.” He pointed at Miles. “Only you entered that snowfield. Because the system didn’t know where to send your soul.”
Miles felt his body go cold.
Vide continued, “Your case actually caused quite a stir in the Grim Reaper world.” He gave a faint smile. “But I happen to hold a fairly good position there.” He crossed his arms. “So I chose to cover it up.”
Miles looked at him meaningfully. The way Vide spoke made him feel like he was dealing with someone high-ranking.
“And handle it myself.” Vide returned to the main point. “That’s why I’m offering this contract.” He pointed at Gingger. “If your relationship with Gingger goes well…” He paused briefly. “She will leave naturally.”
Miles frowned.
Vide continued, “And in return… you get extra time to live.” He said calmly, “You’ll live until old age and die naturally.”
Miles went silent.
Vide added casually, “But if you fail… the system might fix your error.”
Miles understood what that meant.
He would die.
Vide shrugged. “Even if that happens, I’ll give you some warning time.” He looked at Miles calmly. “And you’ll still meet your parents in the afterlife.”
Miles lowered his head.
Vide continued softly, “I also won’t bind your soul to Gingger.” He gave a faint smile. “That’s a special bonus from me… if you at least try.”
Miles stayed quiet for a long time. But then something suddenly crossed his mind. He turned toward Caramella.
“Then what about—”
He froze.
Caramella wasn’t moving at all. They were sitting there like a statue.
Miles immediately panicked. “What happened to them?!”
Vide raised his hand casually.
“Relax. It’s just a temporary effect.”
Miles glared at him.
“I don’t want to involve them in this,” Vide said. He glanced at Caramella. “After we’re done, I’ll erase their memory of all this.”
Miles swallowed. “They won’t even remember me?”
Vide answered calmly, “They’ll still know you.” He added, “They just won’t remember me… and they’ll be given a false memory about Gingger’s status when she’s with you.”
Miles felt his chest grow heavier. He felt completely cornered.
Vide leaned back again. “This contract is actually quite beneficial for you.”
He explained, “You just need to live with Gingger for a while.” He shrugged. “I guarantee it won’t be long. I’m giving you time for a reason—I need time to investigate your case.”
Miles stayed silent.
Vide added, “I’ll continue monitoring your soul status during the process.” He said calmly, “And as long as the contract is active… I guarantee your safety.” Then his tone shifted slightly. “If you refuse…” he paused, “…I won’t be responsible.”
Miles looked at him.
Vide continued flatly, “The system can call your soul at any time.” He met Miles’ gaze. “And if another Grim Reaper finds your case…” He shrugged. “You’ll most likely become a research subject.”
Miles felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.
“A human soul that managed to return from the snowfield?” Vide said with a faint smile. “A case like that is too interesting to ignore.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“They’ll study you. Separate your soul. Test the system.”
Miles felt sick.
Vide continued coldly, “And after that… you might not even reach the real afterlife.”
Silence fell between them.
Vide leaned back again, relaxed.
“If you accept this contract,” he said lightly, “at least you won’t lose anything.”
He looked at Miles.
“Because from the start… your soul has already been an error.” He paused before adding, “And coincidentally… Gingger’s soul is connected to yours.”
Miles slowly lifted his head.
Vide gave a small smile. “That’s why I chose you.” He tapped the table lightly. “Not randomly.” He looked straight at Miles. “And because you’re a system anomaly… you’re also the only one who might be able to resolve this case.”