1... 2... 3... Ajal mentally counted as he collected another soul. The tally had reached 11 today, with one more remaining on his list. He sighed, glancing down at the report Death Corp provided. Final destination: Earth. Good. Not that far away.

Upon reaching the planet, Ajal used invisibility to remain unseen by human eyes. He moved quietly until arriving at target - a towering apartment building. Without breaking stride, he ascended, body slipping through walls and ceilings as if they were made of air. Reaching desired floor, he found himself in long, narrow hall. Quiet - almost too quiet.

That's when he heard it - low, threatening growl behind him. "Uh?" Ajal turned slowly to see a dog, teeth bared, growling in his direction. Animal's hackles raised, barking furiously while staring directly at him as its owner tugged confusedly at leash. "Goldie, what are you doing? There's nothing there. Come on, let's go to the park, okay?" Owner scooped dog into arms and headed downstairs.

Hmmph. Animals always give me a scare. He resumed his task, phasing through an apartment door. Living room empty. Ajal moved toward another room where he found a person seated at desk, back to door, absorbed in work. Ajal became visible, stepping forward silently. "Your time to die has come," he announced coldly, voice echoing like final toll of a bell.

As he spoke, dark smoke swirled around his hand, forming menacing shape of a spirit's head. Then Ajal hesitated. Something felt off. His eyes narrowed examining the face before him, doubt creeping into mind. Wait. He quickly retrieved report and compared photo to the person before him. Dammit! Realization hit - this wasn't the right person. Faces didn't match.

This had never happened before. He'd never made a mistake.

Ajal stood frozen, mind racing. What should he do? Kill the person to keep his secret safe? No - that would cause ripple, imbalance he couldn't afford. For first time in centuries, Ajal felt uncertainty. He'd messed up - really messed up.