DTD 13

Last night, the full moon greeted us as we finally defeated the last water creature. I spent the morning thoroughly re-reading the original Divine Comedy to prepare for our journey. Considering that I was heading to hell, my preparations were surprisingly minimal. All I carried in my pocket was a dagger and my mother’s will.

As midnight approached, I went down to the first floor as we’d organized. Simeon, who’d arrived early, was talking with Enoch. I cautiously approached, not wanting to interrupt, but Enoch noticed me quickly and smiled.

“Good evening, isn’t it?”

“Oh, yes.”

I gave an awkward smile and bowed my head slightly. Enoch then turned back to Simeon.

“So, you two will be away for about three days?”

“Yes. You won’t be able to reach us during that time.”

“Really? Hearing that makes me want to cause some chaos.”

Enoch rubbed his chin with a meaningful smile. 

“What?” Simeon frowned and responded sharply, but Enoch quickly laughed it off.

“Haha, I’m just kidding. Take care of yourselves and don’t worry about us. On-ah.”

With his characteristic lighthearted smile, Enoch patted Simeon on the shoulder. However, Simeon, still suspicious, took out the ark’s key. As he opened the door, Enoch waved goodbye to me.

“You take care of yourself too, Jae-yah.”

Enoch’s crescent-shaped eyes seemed as if he knew exactly where we were heading.

With Enoch’s farewell, we left the ark. 

Beyond the door was a desolate field. I raised my head at what sounded like a distant airplane, only to see massive wind turbines slowly turning in the night breeze.

“Where… are we?”

“This is Jeongseon’s Cheongok Mountain. It fell into ruin after the rift opened.”

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the surroundings gradually became visible.

The place we’d emerged from was a dilapidated management office. A warning sign stuck on the office window read ‘DANGER NO ENTRY’, and there was tattered police tape scattered over the ground like bits of trash. Most of the wind turbines were damaged, likely due to the force of the rift opening. Blades lay scattered on the ground, and a few pillars were even broken in half.

“Are you planning to open the door here?”

“This is the best place with ample moonlight.”

Simeon quietly lifted his head. He was right; the moon cast its light down upon the tree-less field as Simeon moved toward the center of it. He took out <Divine Comedy>, his face looked solemn as he glanced back at me.

“Whatever happens, don’t freak out; just try to stick close to me.”

Simeon’s quiet warning made me swallow dryly without realizing it. Then, he opened <Divine Comedy> and began to read aloud with a grave expression.

[He who passes over me will journey to the city of sorrow]

At that moment, I heard a thud from somewhere. I glanced around in alarm, but there was nothing in sight.

[He who passes through me will come to eternal torment]

As Simeon read the next verse, another thud sounded. The ground. It began to tremble as if an earthquake was occurring. The tremors grew so strong that it became difficult to stand. Just as I reached out to grab Simeon’s arm, something started writhing beneath a nearby wind turbine blade.

What is that? A wild animal? I couldn’t approach and just frowned, staring at it. When the clouds covering the moon cleared, the shape finally became visible. 

It was a hand. A human hand.

“Simeon! O-Over there…”

I urgently pointed, but Simeon ignored it and continued reading from the book.

[He who passes by me will join the mass of lost souls]

Rumble—.

The ground shook more violently. Suddenly, hands made of earth emerged from various places in the ground. They pulled themselves up as if climbing a cliff, pressing their arms against the ground, and struggling to rise. What finally stood on two feet were unmistakably human figures.

The first one to stand raised its head towards the moon and opened its mouth wide. At that moment, a piercing scream filled the field. Even covering my ears didn’t stop the scream from seeping into my bones. 

Simeon raised his voice as if to counter the scream.

[The Divine Creator, Infinite Power, and Holy Spirit… Moved by justice, He created me with love at the very beginning.]

As soon as he finished reading, all the “hands” simultaneously pushed off the ground and stood up. They staggered, unable to control their bodies, as if they were newborn giraffes. The eerie feeling was different from when I first saw the creatures from the ocean.

Rustle—. 

I quickly turned around at the sound of something brushing against plastic. Behind me, there was another one of those figures. In the blink of an eye, more than twenty of these earthen humans had surrounded us. They waved their long arms threateningly at that moment and rushed towards us.

“Watch out…!”

I hurriedly tried to pull the dagger from my back pocket, but they ran past us without attacking.

The leading figure reached a broken wind turbine pillar. As it tried to climb the pillar, the figure behind it caught its ankle and dragged it down. The one ripped from the pillar screamed and curled up on the ground as the other figure mercilessly trampled on its back. After its stomping, the second figure began its own frantic climb onto the pillar. But like the first figure, it was interrupted as the next figure behind it grabbed the back of its head and threw it onto the ground. This scene repeated several times as one figure would climb, another would pull it down and the others would trample on it.

Finally, the last figure, stepping over its entangled kin, reached the top of the pillar. As it stretched its hand towards the moon, the piercing screams, the sound of the turbines, everything fell silent.

The wind ceased. The swiftly moving clouds came to a halt. No, it wasn’t just the clouds that stopped; time itself had frozen.

“What… is this…?”

Even the tiny insects buzzing around were frozen in mid-air. A profound silence settled in, so quiet that I could hear a ringing in my ears. I couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality. 

It was then.

“Let’s climb up there, too.”

“Up there…?”

I hesitated. We’d have to step on all those… creatures to make it up there. Feeling uneasy, I stood still, but Simeon quickly moved forward without hesitation. 

Reluctantly, I followed, eventually stepping on the back of the figure at the bottom.

The moment I stepped on the head of the final figure, a loud voice boomed inside my head.

[I shall remain in perpetuity, just as all that came before me]

It was the voice I heard the day we completed <Divine Comedy>. It felt like a blend of male, female, old, and young voices speaking simultaneously. A cold chill ran down my body. My neck stiffened like stone, making it impossible to lift my head. It felt like I shouldn’t look at the moon above.

As I struggled up the steps, just as I stepped on the head of the last figure—

[All who enter here, abandon all hope.]

The ground crumbled beneath my feet.

****

My body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. I considered falling back asleep, but a voice calling my name from somewhere made me slowly open my eyes. After blinking a few times to clear my hazy vision, I saw Simeon’s face twisted in a deep frown.

“Are you ok?”

He helped me up, and I glanced around. We were in a forest devoid of even a single sliver of light. When I looked up at the sky through the bare branches, it was pitch black—there was no moon, not even a single star. As I took a short breath, a damp, musty smell like that of a basement filled my nose.

It’d only been about five minutes since I regained consciousness, but instinctively, I knew.

“We’ve made it, haven’t we?”

We were in hell.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes, but… do you know where we’re going?”

With no light in this unfamiliar place, I’d lost all sense of direction. However, Simeon seemed more confident in our next movements. He pressed a finger to his lips and silently looked off in one direction. Holding my breath, I strained my ears, focusing on the area he indicated. 

And then I heard it.

“That’s…”

Someone was crying, sobbing quietly. Simeon and I exchanged glances, nodding at each other. We followed the sound of the crying until we arrived at a river. There wasn’t any wind and yet the entire black river was rippling.

Was the crying coming from here? As I cautiously approached and looked into the river, my whole body froze. My eyes had locked with those of someone submerged under the water. 

No… this wasn’t a river at all. It was a heap of charred, blackened corpses. 

What I’d thought were waves in the sea of black were actually the writhing of bodies as they pushed against each other.

“Ugh…”

I gasped in shock, inhaling a pungent, acrid stench that burned my nose like smoldering coal. I covered my nose and mouth and stumbled back. Simeon, who was next to me, grabbed my shoulder. His expression had also hardened. He’d seen the truth of the black waves, too.

“What is this place? In the original, there was nothing like this…”

“It’s the Acheron River.”

“W-What? But this isn’t water.”

Simeon furrowed his brow and muttered quietly.

“They never said the Acheron River was made of water.”

‘Sea of bodies’. I’d heard the metaphorical term thrown around before, but this was the first time I’d seen it so literally, laid out directly in front of me. I stood there, dazed with shock, when a distant light appeared in my vision. I turned my head as if drawn by some spell and saw a figure draped in a black robe. The scene looked like something out of the Middle Ages as the figure stepped over the piles of bodies. At first, I thought he was holding a lantern, but it turned out to be a light emanating from his hood.

Simeon softly muttered as he looked at the figure.

“Charon……”

Was this shadowy figure the ferryman Charon?

The lone source of light approached and stopped before us. The radiant glow seeping through the thick hood illuminated the river of corpses, which were blackened and shriveled like mummies. I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sight.

“Why do the living seek passage to the forsaken land?”

The voice was low and dry. I had imagined a wrinkled old man, but I was left speechless when Charon lifted his head. His head was not that of a human but a lantern containing a flickering flame.

“Are you Charon?”

Simeon asked calmly, but Charon did not reply.

“Why do the living seek passage to the forsaken land?”

It seemed he had no interest in answering irrelevant questions. Observing quietly, I took a letter out of my pocket.

“We’ll pay the fare. Please let us through.”

The lantern head slowly turned towards me. Staring into the flickering blue flame sent chills down my spine. Charon then raised his arm, revealing a blackened, charcoal-like hand beneath the long sleeve. The skeletal fingers, like burnt twigs, picked up the letter.

Charon unfolded the letter and held it up to the light, then opened the front glass of his lantern and threw it into the flame. It was gone instantly. My mother’s will, cherished for years, vanished without a trace.

Then, Charon extended his hand toward Simeon.

“Payment.”

Simeon retrieved something from his pocket. I wondered what it could be, but when I saw it, I involuntarily flinched. It was the cube I’d given him as a gift when we were young.

“Is this enough?”

I couldn’t even laugh. Who could’ve guessed that the leader of The Apostles, who possessed both extremely rare and expensive artifacts, would offer up a Rubik’s cube as an item he deemed more precious than life? I couldn’t even begin to understand what Johan meant to him.

Charon opened the lantern again and placed the cube inside. The blue flames consumed even the solid plastic cube in less than a second. Then Charon turned and gestured forward.

“Follow me.”

Charon casually walked ahead, stepping over the corpses. I was reluctant, but losing him could mean becoming lost in hell forever. I had no choice but to step into the river. Contrary to my fears, the ground—or rather, the layer of corpses—was surprisingly flat, like walking on a frozen lake.

After walking for a while, a splashing sound echoed from somewhere up ahead. I squinted into the darkness but saw nothing. 

At that moment, Charon stopped and pointed towards the sound.

“Is that where we need to go?”

The blue flame inside the lantern burned quietly. I took it as a sign to proceed. 

“Thank you,” I said, bowing politely as we moved past Charon. 

Suddenly, Charon spoke up.

“If you have sinned, now is the time to confess.”

His words seemed aimed at me, making me freeze in place. 

“Pardon?” I asked, but the ominous prophecy continued.

“Only those who admit their sins and seek forgiveness will be allowed to ascend the mountain.”

Charon abruptly leaned closer, and I instinctively stepped back. There was a hollow sensation beneath my heels. An ominous feeling came over me as I turned and looked down. 

Beneath us, there was an endless cliff. Blackened corpses were writhing and pushing against each other, sending a few plummeting over the edge and down. A distant splash echoed hollowly.

“A black waterfall…” Simeon murmured. 

As I stood there, dazed, the corpse beneath me moved. I lost my balance, my body tipping backward. I reached out desperately, but only the fading glow of the blue flame brushed my fingertips.

“Those who do not atone will remain in hell forever.”

With that, we plunged into the abyss.

****

Heaving a sharp breath, I jolted upright. My heart was pounding as if I’d just woken from a nightmare. Turning to my side, I saw that Simeon, too, seemed to have just awoken, his breathing ragged. It took us a while to calm down.

Wiping the sweat off my face, I muttered to myself, almost as if speaking to no one.

“I suddenly had this unsettling thought.”

“…What kind of thought?” Simeon asked.

“That each time we move on to the next floor, it feels like we have to ‘fall’ from somewhere, doesn’t it?”

Simeon, silent for a moment, sighed and spoke in a weary voice.

“Yes, I’ve been thinking the same.”

“…So, it’s true?”

“…We’ll probably have to fall at least eight more times.”

My vision spun momentarily, and I instinctively shut my eyes tight. Suddenly, the smell of the sea wafted in. I hesitantly raised my head to see a white horse lifting its front legs and looking down at me. For a moment, I thought it was alive and jumped in fright, my shoulders jerking involuntarily.

“T-That scared me.”

Realizing it was just a statue, I pressed my hand to my chest to calm my startled heart.

Wait a minute. This place… felt familiar. I glanced around suspiciously. The pointed red roofs, the arched windows, and beside them, a lavish rose garden and fountain.

Right, it wasn’t just my imagination. This place was…

“Winston Manor.”

It was the scene I’d seen when we entered the <Blue Hope> rift.

“Why did we suddenly end up here?”

Had something gone wrong when we fell into the abyss? Unlike my anxious self, Simeon seemed calm.

“I think this is the second level.”

“The second level…?”

After crossing Acheron River and passing through purgatory, this was the second circle of hell Lust. Of course. <Blue Hope> was a relic used to complete the chapter for ‘lust’ in <Divine Comedy>. So, as expected, each spirit item that formed <Divine Comedy> will be part of its corresponding layer.

The long ahead was abundantly clear.

“Let’s head inside.”

I followed Simeon to the mansion’s main gate. Unlike before, there were no guards, so we could easily enter. The grand ballroom beyond the door was also familiar, with its crystal chandeliers, red velvet drapes hanging in curves, and the rose emblem of the Winston family adorning various places around the room.

“It’s exactly the same as before.”

Like last time, a lively ball was underway, and pairs of men and women were waltzing. The festive atmosphere, unusual for hell, caught me off guard. 

I took another step and almost slipped on the floor.

Thinking someone must have spilled something, I looked down, and a chill ran down my spine.

“Simeon. T-The floor…”

Blood covered the floor. When I raised my head, I realized what I’d seen was an illusion. The elegantly dressed people were gone. Instead, they were all wearing tattered, ripped clothing, and both the men and women wore high heels completely soaked in blood.

There was a whistling noise as if someone was calling me. I turned and met a hollow gaze staring at me from within the dancing crowd. 

Dry lips, disheveled hair, and deep, sunken eyes. For a moment, I was startled by the ragged appearance.

The woman looked strangely familiar.

“…Charlotte?”

As the name suddenly came to me, I muttered it out loud, and the eyes boring into me widened as if they were about to pop out. Her lips twisted into a grin, making her look like a ghost. She yanked her dance partner closer and danced over to me.

“It is you, after all.”

She didn’t stop dancing. She remained glued to her partner, continuing the steps.

“You remember me, right? You remember this person, too.”

Only then did I notice Charlotte’s dance partner. The man, with tear-streaked cheeks, seemed half out of his mind. He looked so different, with his thinning hair and fully exposed forehead, that I almost didn’t recognize him. It was Ector, the man who’d toyed with two women.

“You’ve come. Just in time.”

Charlotte let out a giggle, inching closer with a sinister smile.

Only then did I notice why their movements looked so unnatural. String as thick as fingers were connected their bodies. Thin ropes pierced through both people’s skin, binding them meticulously—literally sewing them together. Every time Charlotte tried to move towards me, Ector screamed in agony. The holes in Charlotte’s skin had long since gaped open.

“You see it, right? These things.”

“What the hell… is that? Who did this…..?”

“Please save me.”

Charlotte smiled as she shed tears.

“What I did wasn’t this terrible. I just…..”

At that moment, the grand orchestra music stopped. The lights that had brightly illuminated the ballroom also went out, plunging the room into darkness. Only the bluish moonlight streaming in through the large arched windows lit up the hall. Yet, the dancers couldn’t stop moving. The sound of shoes dragging across the marble floor echoed.

Squeak, squeak—.

“S-She’s coming…….”

Charlotte’s face turned deathly pale.

“What?”

“Her… She’s coming…….”

‘Her’? Is she referring to the warden of this circle of hell?

Just then, the click of heels resonated in the center of the ballroom. A cold, eerie wind brushed the back of my neck. I instinctively looked up the staircase in the middle of the room, where I heard a woman’s laughter.

“Oh my. We have some uninvited guests here.

An elegant woman descended the stairs, her hand resting on the railing. She wore a deep red dress, the symbol of the Winston family, with her hair styled in a voluminous updo that resembled a blooming rose. At that moment, the blue gemstone around her neck caught the moonlight and gleamed coldly.

It was Blue Hope, the jewel tarnished with the blood of countless people and impossible to forget once you’d seen it. 

“Or perhaps I should say, distinguished guests?”

The woman spoke as she approached gracefully. It was Olivia, the Winston Countess.

“What are you doing here, My Lady…?”

The woman Charlotte feared so much was none other than Olivia Winston. The pitiable woman who fell victim to Ector’s schemes, losing not only her family but also her life. Simeon and I saved her in the rift, but her tragic fate in the real world remained unchanged.

When I first encountered her, she seemed like a fragile flower in a greenhouse. Her beautiful face bore a shadow of sadness, and she appeared delicate, as though on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It was only at the very end that she displayed the resilience befitting the head of her family, yet even then, she seemed to yearn for someone to lean on.

But the Olivia before me now was a far cry from the woman I remembered.

“I think that’s my line,” she said.

A confident smile graced Olivia’s lips. Her slightly raised chin and her utter disregard for the opinions of those around her were nothing short of what one might expect from a Countess. And those eyes… The fiery intensity in her gaze made me think, for a fleeting moment, that she was someone else entirely.

“What are you doing here?”

“You… remember me?”

“Oh my,” Olivia said, covering her lips with her fan as she laughed softly.

“Do I seem like the type of woman who would forget her savior so easily?”

“No, that’s not what I—”

“Haha, I’m just kidding. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

Despite her playful tone, I couldn’t bring myself to smile in return.

She remembered me. And not just me, but everything that’d happened in the rift. Could it be that, like Mujeong, Olivia had become part of the spirit, allowing it to gain self-awareness through her essence? Whatever the reason, it worked in my favor. It seemed likely that she was the keeper of this floor.

“My Lady.”

It was then that I noticed another person standing behind her. A middle-aged woman dressed in modest black clothing, almost like Olivia’s shadow. Her face struck me as vaguely familiar—it was Olivia’s sole trusted maid, Emma.

“Ah, Emma, we have a guest,” Olivia said.

“A guest…?”

Emma cast a wary glance in my direction. Not recognizing me, her eyes carried a faint air of suspicion. I was about to reassure her that I wasn’t a threat when Olivia gave Emma a meaningful order.

“Prepare what I asked.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

I didn’t have the chance to ask what it was. Olivia closed her ornate fan and gave me a dazzling smile.

“Follow me. I’ll guide you to the next floor.”

Just as I was about to follow her up the stairs, a desperate cry rang out.

“My Lady!”

The voice belonged to Charlotte, who had stopped dancing and stood frozen in place. Her frail legs trembled as though she had finally been granted a moment of rest after an eternity.

“Please, forgive me! I must have lost my mind back then. I dared to covet the Countess’s position—”

I stood there, staring blankly at the tearful woman when someone lightly tapped my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Olivia’s wide, innocent eyes blinking at me.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”

“Well…”

I glanced over my shoulder instinctively, prompting Olivia to let out a quiet sigh. With a wave of her fan, the ballroom was suddenly filled with brilliant light and the majestic sounds of an orchestra. As the endless waltz resumed, Charlotte’s face twisted in despair.

“My Lady, please, have mercy…!”

But Olivia only smiled more radiantly.

“I almost forgot about that; thank you for reminding me.”

I wanted to tell her that wasn’t what I meant, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Charlotte was merely receiving the punishment she deserved. Ignoring the pitiful cries that pursued us, I followed Olivia out of the ballroom. As the waltz’s melody gradually faded, Olivia suddenly turned to me.

“Earlier, you asked me why I was here, didn’t you?”

“Yes…”

“What did you mean by that?”

This place was hell, after all, and she had committed no sin in life. Having been wrongfully killed, and with the Winston family being devout Christians, her soul should have ascended to heaven.

“My Lady, wouldn’t it have been possible for you to move on to a better place than this?”

Choosing my words carefully to avoid offending her, I saw Olivia’s lips curl into a bitter smile.

“I didn’t want to.”

“Pardon?”

“Forgive my enemies… I just couldn’t do it. All I ever wanted was revenge.”

With a light shrug, Olivia resumed walking. Watching her retreating figure, I cautiously spoke up again.

“Forgive my impertinence, but… don’t you regret it?”

Olivia stopped and turned to face me. Her expression hardened briefly, causing me to tense up.

“What do you think?”

Then, a radiant smile broke across her face, leaving me at a loss for words.

Some say revenge brings only emptiness. But right now, she looked happier than ever—like someone reborn, free of her past burdens. For Olivia, this cruel hell seemed to be the perfect heaven.

“I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s fine. You’re still as kind as ever,” Olivia said with a shy laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.

Shortly after, we arrived at her room—the very terrace where Charlotte, cursed by her own greed for <Blue Hope>, had fallen. Though I had only been here for half a day, the memories of that day were still vivid. I even found myself reflexively touching the spot on my waist where Ector had stabbed me.

Noticing this, Olivia frowned and approached me.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Ah, no, I’m fine. It’s completely healed,” I said quickly, removing my hand and forcing a cheerful smile.

But Olivia still seemed worried. She reached out and gently placed her hand on my waist.

“I’m truly sorry for what happened back then.”

“Ah… no…”

What was going on? The stern warden from moments ago had vanished, replaced by the Olivia I remembered.

Her unexpected action left me stiff and awkward, while Olivia seemed lost in thought as if reminiscing about a time when she’d been the one injured. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and I couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“It wasn’t your fault, My Lady.”

The hand she had rested so confidently on my waist was now the least of my concerns.

I was still fumbling for the right response when another hand suddenly appeared, gripping my shoulder and pulling me back. Looking up, I saw Simeon glaring at Olivia, his brow furrowed. Olivia seemed equally flustered, quickly withdrawing her hand and looking away.

“Ah…”

Wait. What if I ended up on her bad side and got trapped in this hell? I tried to brush off Simeon’s hand and remedy the situation, but his grip was as immovable as though his hand were suddenly glued to my body.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, giving him a look.

But Simeon remained silent, his gaze fixed on Olivia.

It reminded me of that time in the rift when Olivia had asked for my name, and Simeon had locked the door, refusing to let her in. Not wanting to repeat such rudeness, I laughed awkwardly to defuse the tension.

“Uh, my… master here can be a bit overprotective of me,” I said.

At the word ‘master’, Simeon’s hand on my shoulder flinched noticeably.

“I hope you understand, My Lady—”

“I understand,” Olivia interrupted, nodding solemnly. “If Emma were injured because of someone else, I’d be upset too.”

Relieved that Olivia was taking it well, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Moments later, a knock sounded at the door. Emma entered, carrying a luxurious box wrapped in fine cloth, which she handed to Olivia.

“Thank you, Emma.”

Olivia immediately held the box out to me.

“A token of gratitude for saving me back then.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll find it useful soon enough.”

I accepted it, though I had no idea what it contained. Despite my puzzled expression, Olivia offered no further hints, only a wistful smile.

“I pray that both of you return safely.”

With that, Olivia walked to the terrace and drew the curtains. Opening the glass doors, she let the bright moonlight flood the room. It was then I realized that to move to the next floor, we had to leap from the very terrace that Charlotte had fallen from.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

After a polite bow, Simeon and I stepped onto the terrace. Peering down, I saw the rough black sea churning below. As I steeled myself for what was to come, Olivia suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Is something wrong?” I asked nervously.

Her piercing blue eyes, cold and unyielding under the moonlight, sent a chill down my spine.

“Let me give you some advice,” she whispered, her voice low enough for only me to hear.

“If you’ve committed a sin, confess it now.”

“…What?”

“Otherwise, you’ll be trapped here forever.”

Confess your sins. It was the same thing Charon had told me.

“If you don’t confess, only sacrifice will save you.”

The moment she let go of my wrist, the terrace collapsed. The moon we encountered as we fell into the sea was frighteningly bright.

Even after reaching the new layer, her words lingered in my mind like an echo. 

‘If you’ve committed a sin, confess it now.’

It wasn’t once but twice now that I’d heard that. From two different people, no less. It was growing impossible to ignore.

Sitting absentmindedly on the ground for some time, I was pulled from my daze when Simeon approached.

“What did she say to you?”

“She told me to confess any sins I’ve committed…”

What sins, exactly, was she referring to? For turning my back on Sang and abandoning him? Or perhaps for continuing to hide my identity while staying by his side? For disregarding my own life? For killing a monster the moment it began to crawl? The sheer volume of sins I might’ve committed overwhelmed me more than anything.

What disturbed me even more was the rest of what she said.

‘If you don’t confess, only sacrifice will save you.’

Whose sacrifice? Surely not… I raised my head suddenly. Simeon was gazing down at me, his eyes filled with concern. I couldn’t shake the ominous thought clouding my mind as I stared blankly at him. When my inaction seemed to frustrate him, Simeon furrowed his brow and helped me up.

“Let’s focus on getting out of here first.”

It was only then that I noticed our surroundings. The open, rectangular square we’d landed in was lined with cylindrical stone pillars set at regular intervals. Beneath them, the corridor displayed sculptures of generals charging into battle on chariots. Their billowing capes and helmets resembled horses’ manes, and their armor, sculpted to mimic muscles, looked like short skirts. The carvings were so detailed they seemed alive.

This place was undoubtedly Roman.

“So, this is the third layer, right? The circle of Hell reserved for Gluttony?”

Simeon scanned the area cautiously before nodding.

“This layer was crafted with <Vitellius’s Feather>.”

“Who’s Vitellius?”

“An infamous Roman emperor known for his gluttony.”

Vitellius, notorious for his insatiable appetite, reportedly held four feasts a day, indulging in delicacies like pheasant brains and flamingo tongues. And then, when he was full, he’d use feathers to induce vomiting, emptying his stomach so he could eat more. If anyone deserved to be trapped in a hell especially dedicated to Gluttony, it was him.

“So, Vitellius is here?”

“Yes. Records describe him as so massive he was called a giant.”

If he were that large, spotting him from afar should be easy. Yet, there wasn’t a single soul in sight. Shouldn’t Hell be filled with screams of agony? The eerie silence of the place somehow felt unnatural.

We were about to move, carrying the item Olivia had given us when Simeon suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Wait.”

He stopped in his tracks, his expression tense. A very faint squelching sound of something sticky broke the silence. I glanced down, half-expecting to find myself walking through a swamp, but the ground was dry, solid dirt.

“What is that sound?”

Simeon listened intently before abruptly changing direction. Following him through the corridor, the strange noise grew louder until we reached its source at the end.

“…What the hell.”

It was a monster. A three-headed beast. In folk tales, I’d heard of this creature being called Cerberus. But this wasn’t just any wolf-like or dog-like beast. Its neck, as thick as the columns holding up the roof, bore a lion’s mane, and its tail was long like a snake’s. Its elongated crocodilian jaws drooled profusely as it gnawed on something.

What I initially mistook for an oversized sausage was, horrifyingly, a person.

“Urgh.”

I gagged and covered my mouth. Even my breathing stopped as the grotesque squelching sound became louder. The noise wasn’t random—it was the sound of the beast chewing on a human like a dog chews on a bone.

Despite being devoured, the man didn’t scream. No, he couldn’t. His mouth was stuffed with food. Endless amounts of it spilled from his lips, stifling any cries. His grotesquely swollen stomach, bulging from just below his chest, looked ready to burst.

“Is that…?”

“That’s Vitellius.”

The once-powerful Roman emperor was now reduced to a monster’s prey. His previously majestic crown was buried amidst the filth and vomit. But he wasn’t the only one. Beneath the creature’s sharp claws, several grotesquely bloated figures lay crushed. Judging by their attire, they’d once been nobles. They, too, vomited continuously as they dragged themselves toward one destination.

Towards the well in the center of the square.

“Could that lead to the next layer?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the beast moved one of its huge claws to fling aside the tattered bodies crawling toward the well.

“…Seems like it.”

I wanted nothing more than to sprint toward the well and escape this grotesque scene. But it wasn’t possible. Reaching the well would require evading the beast’s gaze, and the path from here to the well was completely exposed.

“What do we do?”

I nervously bit my lip. Simeon tapped my wrist lightly.

“Give me that.”

He gestured toward the item Olivia had given us. Although I hesitated, unsure of its purpose, I handed it over. Simeon unwrapped it behind a pillar, and a smell reminiscent of strong soy sauce wafted out.

“That smells… oddly appetizing.”

Was it beef jerky? Curiously, I glanced at the contents and froze in horror.

The “appetizing” smell I’d noticed came from a dried human arm.

“Urgh.”

My stomach churned violently, and I clamped both hands over my mouth and nose.

“You okay?” Simeon asked calmly, holding the thing as if it were nothing.

“W-What was Olivia thinking…?”

“She probably meant for us to use it as bait.”

“…What?”

At that moment, the beast’s crimson eyes turned toward us. It sniffed the air, abandoning Vitellius to track the scent. Drool pooled between its jaw.

“All we can do now is hope this arm looks tastier than we do.” Simeon muttered grimly.

Gripping the dagger in my back pocket, I prepared myself. I might not kill the beast, but if I could buy Simeon enough time to escape, that was enough.

“When its back is turned, run for the well,” Simeon instructed.

I nodded silently. Simeon hurled the dried arm far from the well. The beast immediately turned its massive body toward the bait.

“Go!”

Together, we dashed toward the well. The swollen, grotesque figures writhed as they tried to block our path, their muffled groans echoing behind us. They looked like they wanted to speak, but their mouths were blocked, and all we could hear was ‘gulp gulp.’

The figures continued crawling toward us, dragging their chubby bodies like a pufferfish. I continued running toward the well, jumping over the traps placed all over the floor.

“Mr. Hajae!”

Simeon reached the well first, leaning over its edge to extend a hand toward me.

“Grab my hand, hurry!”

Right then, something grabbed my ankle—it was Vitellius. I incessantly kicked at him to no avail. No matter how hard my foot hit him, his grip didn’t loosen. Instead, he clung tighter, his mouth endlessly spilling half-chewed food.

“Damn it.”

I glanced back and locked eyes with the beast. It had noticed us and was charging, drool spraying as it ran.

“Go without me!” I yelled to Simeon as I drew my dagger.

But he was faster.

“Simeon?”

He snatched the dagger and stabbed it into Vitellius’s eye. As blood gushed forth, Vitellius recoiled. Simeon grabbed me and jerked me towards the well. 

Together, we plunged downwards, just as the beast’s saliva splattered against my leg.

Through the endless void, Simeon held me tightly as if he was worried I’d disappear.

When we finally landed on solid ground, Simeon’s grip changed. Grabbing my collar, his once-gentle eyes turned icy.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said, his voice low. “I’ll believe you.”

I nodded, swallowing hard.

“You were going to send me ahead on my own, weren’t you?”

This was the only chance to explain myself, yet the words wouldn’t come. After all the lies I’ve told without hesitation, why now? Why was I hesitating? As I stood frozen, Simeon grabbed my collar roughly.

“What were you thinking, telling me to go on ahead? Were you planning to leave me behind if things went south?”

His fist, pressed against my chin, trembled slightly.

“Say something,” he demanded.

Unable to meet his eyes, I averted my gaze. 

“I planned to follow right after.”

“And how exactly were you going to subdue a monster that can’t die?”

“I couldn’t subdue it… but I could at least buy some time. Either way…”

“Don’t give me that ‘I can’t die’ excuse. This is a rift.”

His cold voice sliced through my flimsy excuse.

He was right. I knew it, too. If we didn’t escape the rift within 72 hours, our bodies would begin to disintegrate and become part of <Divine Comedy>. But at that moment, it was the best choice I could make. For so long, I’d seen myself as nothing more than a lizard’s tail—something to be sacrificed if it meant protecting him.

“I just wanted you to make it out safely, Simeon.”

At my murmured confession, Simeon scoffed bitterly.

“You’re the one who said we’d go to hell together. That means we leave together, too.”

“…”

“What? Did you think I’d cry in front of your grave and thank you for sacrificing yourself for me?”

His voice, strained with repressed emotion, left me speechless.

“I just…” I mumbled, clenching my fists and lowering my head.

Finally, Simeon released his grip on my collar. Was he disgusted with me? It wouldn’t be surprising. I kept my head down, not wanting to see the resignation on his face. But then, I felt a weight on my shoulder. Peeking cautiously, I glanced up to see Simeon burying his face in my shoulder.

“…Simeon?” I froze, barely managing to say his name. After a long silence, he muttered to himself.

“Can’t we figure out a way to live together somehow?”

My heart sank. I hadn’t expected such hopeful words from him. I’d always assumed he, like me, was clinging to life out of sheer necessity. Had he changed? Had he found a reason to keep living? Meanwhile, I was still stuck in place, having given up on any plans for survival long ago.

“If I’m truly important to you, then don’t abandon yourself—not for my sake.”

“Please.” His low, earnest plea tightened around my chest. What can you say to someone asking you to live for them? A thousand responses flashed through my mind, but I chose the most cowardly one.

“I’m sorry.”

Simeon rejected it without hesitation. 

“Don’t.”

So, I chose the next most cowardly answer.

“…I’ll try my best.”

That was enough for him. Simeon let out a soft sigh and pulled me into an embrace.

His warmth seeped into me, yet somewhere deep inside, I felt an icy pang—probably my conscience.

I patted his back lightly, stepping out of his embrace with a practiced smile.

“Thanks for saving me. Thanks to you, we’ve made it this far…”

Wait, where were we? Glancing around, I finally took in our surroundings. Simeon answered my unspoken question.

“If we’ve crossed safely, this is the fourth ring of hell: Greed.”

A hell for those obsessed with wealth. Yet it was strangely quiet and pristine.

The floors and walls were entirely white marble, like the interior of a gallery. Along the wide corridor stood countless marble statues, each depicting a person. Their clothing and appearances varied as if representing different eras.

What stood out most was the objects they held. Some statues clutched ornate jewels as dazzling as <Blue Hope>. Others hoarded piles of gold coins, even scattering them on the floor.

“Wonder how much all this would sell for,” I joked, examining a particularly shiny gem. Simeon’s hand clamped firmly on my shoulder, his narrowed eyes silently asking, ‘Are you serious?’

“Just kidding,” I said with a laugh, stepping back from the statue. “I’m not that greedy.”

As if to prove my point, I looked back at the emerald the statue held. Its size reminded me of something Raphael would have admired.

“Too bad Raphael isn’t here to see this.”

I reached for the gem without thinking.

Click—.

The statue holding the emerald abruptly raised its head, its blank white eyes locking onto mine. I froze as the statue’s face twisted into an angry scowl as if to say, ‘how dare you touch what’s mine’?

Startled, I withdrew my hand, and the statue returned its gaze to the gem, a contented smile spreading across its face.

“What the—did that just move?!” I stammered.

Simeon nodded calmly. “It did.”

“So it’s not just me! What are these things?”

“They’re not statues. They’re sinners.”

Sinners turned entirely to stone. That would explain the absence of wardens like Olivia on the second floor or the monsters on the third. I stood frozen in the center of the hallway, afraid that touching the wrong thing might turn me into one of them.

At the far end of the corridor stood a staircase, atop which rested a rough stone pedestal with a massive horn.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“That is <Cornucopia>, or the Horn of Plenty. It’s a mystical artifact,” Simeon replied.

“Does it bring wealth or something?”

“Touch it, and anything you desire will appear endlessly.”

“Anything? Endlessly?”

My curiosity flared. Simeon chuckled knowingly at my wide-eyed reaction.

“But it’s all fake. In three days, it turns into dirt.”

“Oh.”

“That’s how <Amrita> counterfeits were created.”

The artifact seemed both incredible and dangerous. Simeon shared an anecdote about a jewelry store whose stock had all turned to dirt.

If it wasn’t real, I wasn’t interested. I started searching for a way to the next layer. However, every hallway ended in a wall. Even climbing the stairs to <Cornucopia> revealed no exit.

“There’s no way down,” I said, frustrated.

Simeon, following behind, explained, “According to <Divine Comedy>, the path opens when the horn is touched and gold pours out.”

“Then I’ll do it,” I volunteered.

“Why?”

“You don’t care about wealth anyway.”

With a resigned sigh, Simeon relented. 

“Ok. But don’t touch anything the horn creates.”

“Of course. Fake stuff doesn’t interest me.”

Confidently, I placed my hand on the horn. A faint glow emerged, and the wall behind the pedestal dissolved, revealing a dark abyss. The path to the next layer had opened, surprisingly uneventfully.

I craned my neck and looked out into the pitch-black abyss. 

The way to the next floor was open. Was it that easy?

“Huh. That was anticlimactic,” I remarked.

“That’s a good thing,” Simeon replied.

“Yeah, but…”

Hadn’t there been mention of gold pouring out? But it was too quiet for that. Curious to see what had appeared, I peeked into the horn, and what I saw inside made my body go rigid.

Inside wasn’t gold or jewels—it was a photograph.

“Mr. Hajae?”

This photograph… It’s yellowed with age, but the people in it are clearly visible.

“This is….”

In the picture, a man in a tuxedo grinned brightly, gazing lovingly at a woman beside him amidst falling flower petals. The woman’s face was obscured by dust, but there was no mistaking it.

“What is it?”

Because the man who seemed happier than anyone else in the world was my dad.

“What’s wrong?”

As Simeon approached, I pulled the photo from the horn. Despite its yellowed edges, the figures were clear.

“It’s my parents.”

I felt numb. I never thought I’d see my parents’ wedding photos because there weren’t any photos of them together in this world. Especially my mom. Even though we’re family, I didn’t have a single picture of her. At best, I maybe had a toy from her that was given to me as a newborn baby.

“I’ve never seen this before.”

“Their wedding photos?”

“No, I mean, any photo of my mother. She took them all when she left home.”

Even after the misunderstanding with my mom was cleared up, there were no photos. The only keepsake was a letter.

I stared at my mom’s dust-covered face and muttered.

“The neighbors say I look a lot like my mom.”

“She must’ve been very beautiful.”

The words came out without a moment’s hesitation, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t even remember right now.”

I used to be able to look at my face and recognize her clearly, but now it was a ridiculous blur. I missed her so much, and I’ve forgotten her face over the years. My face was so different now, and there was not a single piece that resembled hers.

If I wipe that dust off, will I see my mom’s face as a child? Did I really look like her, and was that why Dad often smiled sadly when he saw me? If I scrub a little, I might be able to see her face. I reached out my hand as if mesmerized, but Simeon quickly grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t,” he warned softly.

“I know,” I replied, my hand trembling.

But I still wanted to know.

“Do you think she was smiling back then?”

She must have been smiling then, completely unaware of what would happen to her in a few years. She must’ve been blissfully happy, never imagining that in the near future, she would abandon her seven-year-old child and never see the husband she’d promised to spend her life with again.

Perhaps ignorance was the only reason my mother could smile, even briefly. Maybe, if I hadn’t known about the curse, I also would’ve lived a completely ordinary life until my final moments. Doesn’t it make you wonder? If fate is unchangeable, who would be happier: someone who knows their future or someone who doesn’t?

“Simeon, would you want to know your future?”

“Would you want to know what would happen to you, when and how your story would end?”

“What…?”

Simeon hesitated at the sudden question, then nodded after a brief moment of contemplation.

“I’d want to know.”

“Even if you couldn’t change it?”

“That wouldn’t matter. If it meant I could still spend even one more day with the people I cherish before I died.”

I’d once thought the same as Simeon. I figured having ten years to prepare for my death was better than dying suddenly. But now, I’m not so sure. The despair of knowing you’d die soon, combined with the burden and guilt of having to keep it a secret from others, was far heavier.

“I’d rather not know. Not any of it.”

Because of me, someone else might inherit this lonely life. I don’t want to think about it. I just want to give my all to the person in front of me. I want to focus solely on how I feel in the present moment.

“I’d like to live without knowing how it all ends, just… live thinking it would be another uneventful day and then quietly dying.”

In the photograph, my father was smiling radiantly, enviably so. That smile disappeared from his face after my mother left. Because he knew her fate. And perhaps he could’ve also guessed mine as her child. That would’ve made it impossible for him to smile sincerely anymore.

In that case, isn’t it better not to know the future? Wouldn’t it be happier to be swept away, unaware, by the approaching tsunami? No matter how much you flailed with outstretched arms, you could neither destroy nor escape the wave as it hurtled down upon you.

“I’m sorry. That was a strange question to ask.”

I turned my eyes away from the photo without hesitation. As I walked past the horns and toward the wall that had disappeared, I could feel a gaze fixed on the back of my head the entire time. I deliberately ignored it. I’d already said too many unnecessary things.

“Thanks again. If it weren’t for you, Simeon, I’d have turned to stone.”

Standing at the edge of the cliff that led to the next stage, I muttered as if to myself. Just as I was about to leap, a hand grabbed my wrist. I naturally turned to face Simeon as he pulled me back sharply. The moment our eyes met, Simeon’s pupils quivered slightly.

“What is it that you know?”

What kind of expression was I wearing right now? As always, I covered it up with a smile.

“…Nothing.”

I slowly shook my head and pulled my hand free from his grasp.

“Let’s go. We have a long road ahead still.”

Leaving Simeon behind, I flung myself into the abyss. The fierce wind whipped against my cheeks as I fell. Even though I couldn’t see the end, I felt no fear. Hadn’t I leaped from cliffs countless times before to rid myself of unnecessary thoughts? Even knowing that what awaited beyond wasn’t an ocean but a deeper hell, my heart felt oddly lighter like this.

****

A piercing scream woke me up. Above me was a thatched roof over woven wooden beams. Rough stone walls surrounded a small window. Through the gap, there was a scorching heat, and the smell of something burning wafted in.

Looking outside, I was greeted with a scene straight out of the hell I’d imagined.

“What is this place…?”

Everywhere was engulfed in flames. People who’d lost their homes were out on the streets, while bodies were discarded like piles of trash, with no space or living manpower left to bury them. Amidst it all, soldiers clad in armor wandered aimlessly like ghosts, their vacant eyes unable to distinguish friend from foe as they indiscriminately stabbed at anything their spears touched.

I hadn’t noticed Simeon had approached until I heard him speak.

“This is Wrath’s hell, the hell created by <Amrita>.” 

“Amrita was passed around to the soldiers, leading to their victory in war, but bringing about ultimate.”

<Amrita>. Known as the elixir of the gods, whoever drank it would feel invincible—immune to pain and fatigue, able to fight endlessly. It was once used as a stimulant for soldiers, bringing about great victories, but it ultimately led to internal strife as soldiers became addicted to it.

“So war isn’t what caused this?”

“It was the soldiers, intoxicated by Amrita, who did this.”

No wonder the soldiers roaming and setting fires looked so pale, almost lifeless. While the civilians caught up in it were pitiable, this was hell anyway. What mattered now was finding the path to the next layer.

Peering outside, I couldn’t see any apparent path.

“Do you see anything?”

Simeon only shook his head. Eventually, we left the decrepit house and stepped outside. Even taking the back alleys to avoid the intoxicated soldiers didn’t help. Left with no choice, I drew my sword and cleared the path of soldiers. If they wouldn’t die, severing their legs to keep them from following would suffice.

After clearing one path and catching my breath, Simeon approached and handed me a handkerchief.

“You’re getting better.”

“Really? Maybe it’s from slaying those sea monsters every morning.”

I laughed, pleased to have my skills recognized, but Simeon’s expression hardened. His gaze was fixed on the wound on my palm. Before I could react, Simeon snatched the handkerchief back and firmly wrapped it around my hand like a bandage.

“Are you going to take a healing potion?”

“I’ll save it for when it’s really needed.”

“…I figured.”

It was then that we heard the sound of someone crying. Inside a small stable nestled between brick buildings, someone was weeping. Listening closely, it was the voice of a young boy. Something about it tugged at me, so I stared at the stable until Simeon, surprisingly, took the initiative.

“Let’s go.”

“Towards the crying?”

What if it’s a trap? I cast him a worried glance, but Simeon spoke reassuringly.

“It was written in <Divine Comedy>. Follow the sound of a child crying, and you’ll find the way out.”

If that’s true, that changes everything. Remaining cautious, I hurried toward the stable. Inside, amidst the carcasses of starved horses, I noticed a bundle of hay shifting. The crying was coming from there. 

I pulled the hay aside and found a small boy curled up in a water trough.

“Simeon! There’s a child here.”

The startled boy flinched.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I scare you?”

Finally, the boy timidly lifted his head. He didn’t look directly at me, perhaps out of fear or for another reason, and his dusty figure resembled a puppy abandoned in a rice paddy.

“Are you okay? What are you doing here alone?”

I crouched in front of him and carefully observed his expression. Then, without warning, the boy threw himself into my arms. Did he realize I wasn’t like the soldiers? Stroking his trembling head, I whispered soothingly, “It’s okay, it’s okay,” over and over.

After some time, the boy calmed down a bit and muttered with his face still buried in my chest.

“Why did it take you so long?”

…Huh? Who is he talking to? I looked around, but there was no one here besides Simeon and me.

“Me?”

“Yes. Why did it take so long? Mom waited so long for you.”

“Your mother was waiting for me? Why?”

His unfocused eyes stared blankly at me.

“Aren’t you my Dad?”

…Huh? Wait a second. Does he think I’m his dad? How does that even make sense?

Stunned into silence, I froze. Meanwhile, the boy seemed to have concluded that I was indeed his father and clung to me tightly with his tiny hands. What do I do?

“Simeon. Uh…”

I looked up at him for help, but Simeon’s expression was unreadable. His narrowing eyes seemed to be misunderstanding the whole situation. 

No, not this. Anything but this. 

Laughing incredulously, I shook my head vigorously.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that.”

Simeon rolled his eyes but reluctantly replied. 

“…I wasn’t thinking anything special.”

“Then why are you making that face?”

Before I could finish, the boy, still in my arms, tilted his head up and whispered.

“Dad?”

I said I’m not… But the words caught in my throat as I stared into his tear-filled eyes. One little push, and he might burst into tears. How does he know I’m weakest when it comes to children? Damn it. With a sigh, I pressed my throbbing temples and relented.

“Ha, yes, okay.”

“I knew it! You are my Dad!”

The boy beamed.

Oh, whatever. It’s just temporary, anyway. Besides, if Simeon is right, this boy might be the guide to the next layer. As I rationalized it, I heard a deep sigh next to me.

“I never imagined you had a hidden child, Master…”

What nonsense is this? I whipped my head around, only to see Mujeong there, covering his mouth with mock surprise.

“Please be quiet.”

“But I am being quiet; I am here quietly admiring Master’s son.”

“Please just shut up.”

I gritted my molars and glared at him, but Mujeong just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. I thought that would be the end of things until l I caught sight of Simeon watching quietly from the side. He was frowning grimly, like someone struggling at the crossroads of life and death.

“What are you thinking?”

Simeon put his hand on his chin and muttered softly.

“Even if you have a child, that’s not a deal-breaker for me.”

Ahh, really!

No, this wasn’t my concern right now. Ignoring Simeon’s words, I spoke to the child instead.

“Why are you here alone? Where’s your family?”

“Mom went ahead without me.”

“Went ahead…?”

I hesitated to ask where, fearing a reply like, “To heaven.”

“She told me to show this to my dad when he comes.”

The child, who’d been fidgeting, pulled something out of his pocket. A liquid redder than blood, contained in a small metal-crafted vial—it was <Amrita>. 

So that’s what <Divine Comedy> meant when they said, ‘follow the child’s cries to find the way out.’

I forced myself to remain calm to avoid alarming the child.

“Did your mom give this to you?”

“Yeah. She left it with me.”

The soldiers patrolling the streets were desperate to find <Amrita>. If they found out the child had it, they’d swarm like rabid dogs. Did the mother knowingly leave, entrusting <Amrita> to her child?

As I was lost in thought, Simeon abruptly reached out his hand to the child.

“Give that to me.”

His tone was unusually polite, even to a child.

“No!”

But the child wasn’t having it. He glared at Simeon with fierce defiance, which seemed to irritate Simeon. Simeon’s brow furrowed slightly. Feeling the tension rising, I quickly diverted the child’s attention to me.

“When your mom gave this to you, did she say anything specific?”

The child mumbled while fiddling with <Amrita>.

“She told me to take it to the wall.”

“The wall…?”

The child’s tiny hand pointed toward the stable wall, but all I saw were dried-out straw bundles. Something felt off. When I turned my head the other way, I saw the outside world through a rough-hewn window.

In the village center, a stone wall stood amidst raging flames. A wall that, curiously, resembled a giant well, with no sign of a castle beyond it, not even the tip of a roof. Still, it seemed that taking <Amrita> there was the way to the next level of hell.

“Then… can you give that to me?”

I thought I might get a different reaction. After all, I seemed less intimidating than Simeon. But the child was just as stubborn. He gripped <Amrita> tightly, muttering in a trembling voice.

“…I want to go with you.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t.”

“Why?”

The child’s head shot up, tears glistening in his eyes. My resolve wavered, but I fought to hold my ground.

“You know how dangerous it is out there.”

“I know. But if I go to the wall, I might see my mom again.”

“That’s…”

“I want to see her.”

Hearing those words reminded me of the ones I used to mumble as a child. It left me speechless.

The woman who entrusted <Amrita> to her child must have long since left this world. Even if she were alive, she probably didn’t intend to see her child again. That’s why she gave him <Amrita>. Deep down, the child probably knew this but couldn’t face it. 

How could I say something as brutal as ‘your mom doesn’t want to see you’ to a mere child?

“Can’t you help me, Dad?”

I bit my lip, looking down at the child. Then, Simeon crouched beside me and spoke.

“You can’t see someone just because you want to see them.”

His voice was calm, but his words were a cruel reminder of reality.

“Do you really not know why your mom left you with this and ran away?”

“Simeon.”

I tried to stop him, but it was too late.

“She left because she didn’t need you—or <Amrita>—anymore.”

Simeon said what I couldn’t in a tone devoid of any emotion. The child buried his face deeper into my chest, clutching at my clothes. Seeing his trembling shoulders, I instinctively covered his ears with my hands.

“Do you have to be that harsh?”

I frowned, chastising Simeon, but he responded with a question.

“Why not? Because he’s a child?”

“Of course—”

“Don’t forget where we are.”

His words silenced me.

This was hell. No one comes here without having sinned. At best, those seeking repentance go to purgatory, but this place is a prison for those who commit sins and refuse forgiveness. The fact a child is here means he’s committed a sin worthy of this place.

“Besides, kids that age already know. What adults want. Why they did what they did.”

Simeon smiled bitterly.

“That’s why it’s better not to have false hope from the start.”

Coming from Simeon, the words hit harder. He’d lost his parents at that age—or it was more accurate to say they’d abandoned him. Maybe he was harsh on the kid because he saw himself in him.

Before I could say anything, the child suddenly pushed my hands away and yelled.

“My mom didn’t abandon me!”

“Really? Let’s say that’s true.”

Simeon nodded lightly.

“Then what about your dad?”

“What?”

“You don’t really believe this person is your dad, do you?”

His cold black eyes flicked toward me.

“Did you just grab someone who looked like they’d help and call them Dad, hoping for some sympathy?”

“What are you—?”

“Are any of the things you’ve told us even true?”

The child flinched and swallowed hard, lowering his head to avoid Simeon’s gaze. He looked utterly defeated compared to earlier. But Simeon didn’t stop.

“Lift your head and look at me.”

Unable to tolerate this anymore, I intervened.

“Simeon. This child is—”

“Blind? You really believe that?”

“Believe…? What do you mean?”

“He’s faking it.”

What?

A heavy silence fell. I glanced at the child in disbelief. After a moment, the child clicked his tongue and raised his head.

“How did you know I could see?”

The whining child from earlier was gone. His voice was calm, and his golden eyes glared at Simeon with startling sharpness.

“How did you know? That my eyes could see.”

Where had the child who whimpered in my arms gone? His voice had calmed, and the way he glared at Simeon was downright menacing. Yet, instead of being alarmed, Simeon found the change amusing, raising one corner of his mouth into a smirk.

“I know someone who’s blind and it’s allowed him to develop an incredibly sharp sense of hearing. He can even catch the faintest rustle that others would miss. So…”

Simeon sneered, gesturing at the wall with his eyes.

“Someone who really was blind wouldn’t do something as foolish as deliberately pointing to the wrong window… unless it was intentional.”

The boy let out a short sigh like someone caught cheating at a game.

“So, you’re going to leave me behind after all?”

“We’ll see.”

Simeon put his hand to his chin, staring intently at the boy. His dark pupils gleamed with curiosity.

“Prove your usefulness. Then I’ll gladly bring you along.”

The boy chuckled incredulously as if the suggestion were absurd.

“You want me to prove myself? Not the other way around?”

“The one at a disadvantage has to prove his worth.”

“But I’m the one holding this.”

“It wouldn’t take much to take it from you… though he might try to stop me.”

Simeon’s dissatisfied expression deepened. In response, the boy opened <Amrita>’s lid and brought it to his lips.

“What if I drink it right here?”

The sight of the shimmering red liquid barely touching his lips sent a chill down my spine. Unlike me, frozen in alarm, Simeon muttered softly, almost in admiration.

“That’s an excellent threat.”

What?! That’s all he had to say? I quickly shoved Simeon aside and grabbed the boy’s wrist.

“We’ll take you with us. Just don’t do this again.”

“…Why? Are you worried about losing your precious <Amrita> again?”

“What? No. It’s just dangerous!”

Frowning, I stared him down. At that, the boy obediently closed the <Amrita> lid. 

“Satisfied?”

He glanced at me for confirmation, so I ruffled his hair in approval. He briefly gazed quietly at my face before furrowing his brow as if something felt off.

“Aren’t you… angry at me?”

“What for?”

“For deceiving you.”

“Was the story about your mother a lie, too?”

The boy nodded. For a moment, I felt foolish for having pitied him, even briefly. But well…

“I’m just… glad it was a lie.”

The boy’s golden eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. What, were you hoping I’d scold you?”

“Scold me?”

“You shouldn’t lie to people. Not unless it’s life or death.”

The boy blinked a few times in silence before bursting into laughter.

“You’re an idiot compared to the other guy.”

“You might be right there.”

When I didn’t offer the slightest denial, the boy giggled even harder. Watching his cheerful face filled me with warmth, but I worried the sound might leak beyond the stable walls, so I hastily put a finger to my lips.

The boy shrugged his shoulders with a playful pout. 

“Too bad. Calling you ‘Dad’ was fun.”

“Keep calling me that if you want.”

“Really?”

He looked up at me with sparkling eyes. I nodded without hesitation just as Simeon touched my shoulder.

“Mr. Hajae, I didn’t want to make this a thing, but…”

Something about his tone made me nervous.

“When exactly did you start wanting to be a dad?”

“What?! What are you even talking about?”

I shook off Simeon’s hand with open exasperation.

“It’s just… temporary. It’s not like it costs me anything.”

After all, if a child small enough to fit inside a bucket was stuck in hell alone, whatever the reason, he’d probably never see his parents again. There was no need to condemn him further; he was already serving his punishment here.

I could only stroke the child’s head, not offer salvation or sermons. As I brushed the dust off his hair, the boy stared at me for a while before suddenly diving into my arms.

“I like you.”

With a pleased smile, he closed his eyes and nuzzled his cheek against my chest like a puppy. Just as I thought how endearing it was, his face turned cold, and he glared at Simeon.

“But I don’t like you.”

Simeon, clearly baffled, responded. 

“Me?”

The boy ignored him and buried his face deeper into my arms. The look Simeon gave the back of the boy’s head was anything but pleasant. 

Surely, he wasn’t jealous of a child… was he? Hmm.

As Simeon’s patience visibly wore thin, the boy suddenly spoke again.

“Oh, right. Is your name Hajae Shin?”

“Yeah. What’s yours?”

His golden eyes glimmered with an enigmatic light as he lifted his head slightly to meet my gaze.

“Svarbhanu.”

The moment I heard that name, a chill ran down the nape of my neck.

“Svarbhanu?”

“Yes, you can just call me Var.”

He readily allowed the nickname, and for some reason, he seemed excited. Despite the fact that we’d soon have to navigate roads filled with soldiers drugged out of their minds, he showed no fear whatsoever. Did he see the upcoming hardships as some kind of heroic adventure out of a legend?

“Come on, let’s go!”

He tugged at my sleeve as though we were heading on a picnic, and I firmly cautioned him.

“While we’re heading to the wall, you mustn’t wander off alone.”

“Okay, I got it.”

“And what you’ve got there,” I said, nodding toward the Amrita he held in his hand.

“Don’t show it to anyone.”

“Understood. But you’ll protect me anyway, right, Dad?”

His golden eyes sparkled as he looked straight at me. Whether then or now, being the recipient of a child’s trust was both gratifying and burdensome. Of course, I was the one who decided to bring Var along, so I’d protect him with everything I had… but still.

“While I’m fighting the soldiers, you have to stay with this guy.”

“What?!”

Was it really something to be so repulsed by? Var’s face went pale as he pointed a finger at Simeon.

“This guy can’t do anything!”

“Var, calling someone ‘this guy’ is rude.”

“But it’s funny.”

I used to think Mujeong was the best at irritating Simeon, but now a new competitor had joined the ring. 

“Earlier, you told me to prove my worth, but it seems like someone else here is the one who really needs to prove himself.”

Var muttered under his breath and scoffed. Even as just a bystander, I was so shocked I momentarily held my breath. As expected, Simeon’s usually composed brow furrowed deeply. But, since his opponent was a child, Simeon quickly regained his composure.

Surprisingly, he placed a hand on Var’s head and closed his eyes… 

Wait, hold on. Closing his eyes? What?

“What are you doing right now?”

Surely, he wasn’t about to use his powers. I immediately grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from Var’s head. But when Simeon opened his eyes, his expression was curiously complex—a mix of confusion and dismay tangled on his distorted face.

“What’s wrong?”

Simeon seemed about to say something but then shook his head and remained silent. Then, without a word, he scooped Var up with one arm. After throwing out such harsh words earlier, had his feelings somehow changed? 

Var, caught off guard and now held in Simeon’s arms, openly expressed his irritation, but Simeon remained unfazed.

“Let’s go. To the wall.”

Was he pretending to ignore it? Well, as long as it spared me from being caught in the crossfire, I couldn’t complain.

“This way, right?”

“Yes. Head out through the back door and follow the hill straight up.”

As Var had instructed, we exited through the rear of the stables, where the wall became visible through the tightly packed houses. Although the winding paths were somewhat confusing, the destination was in plain sight, so we didn’t lose our way. The real problem was the soldiers springing out of the alleys like traps.

I carefully placed the handkerchief Simeon had given me back in my pocket and drew my sword once again. Neutralizing the frenzied attackers was now easier than breathing. After all, I’d spent the last month cutting down monsters every single day.

“Wow, Dad, you’re amazing!”

Var’s excited voice rang out behind me as I paused to catch my breath and steady my stance.

“Ha ha…”

Though he had my permission to call me that, hearing it repeatedly left me feeling strangely conflicted. Forcing an awkward smile, I turned back to see Var waving at me—with <Amrita> in his hand. The sight of the crimson liquid sloshing around sent a chill down my spine.

“You—put that away!”

I tried to shout for him to hide it, but it was already too late. A soldier missing one leg staggered to his feet at the sight of <Amrita> and raised his sword toward Var. My head went blank as adrenaline surged, and without hesitation, I threw myself toward Var, blocking the soldier’s blade and slicing his neck in one swift motion. A spray of sand, rather than blood, scattered along my crimson-stained blade.

As my vision swam with deeper shades of red, I was snapped back to reality by the sound of coughing.

“Are you okay?”

Var, who had been coughing from the dust, slowly nodded.

“Yeah.”

“I told you not to take that out.”

“…Sorry.”

Var quickly stuffed <Amrita> back into his pocket and lowered his head. Seeing his whole body radiate regret, I couldn’t bring myself to scold him further. More than anything, what I’d just witnessed occupied my mind entirely.

“Since you’re not hurt, it’s ok.”

Was it just my imagination? When the soldier swung his sword at Var, he seemed to hesitate for the briefest moment. It was less than a second, but I had seen it clearly. He had hesitated. Why? Because his opponent was a child? No, someone under the influence of drugs couldn’t possibly retain that level of reasoning.

Then what…

“Dad?”

“Huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

Var’s golden eyes, gleaming like starlight, quietly dispelled my doubts.

“It’s nothing. Let’s keep moving.”

After cutting down countless soldiers, we finally reached the wall. But a group of soldiers, drawn by the scent of <Amrita>, had already gathered at the base of the stairs, blocking our way. It was as though they had turned into gluttonous beasts guarding the gates of hell, much like the ancient tale of Vitellius.

“They really won’t let us through easily, will they?”

I counted at least 30 soldiers at a glance. Facing a troop of soldiers impervious to pain, I couldn’t stop the cold sweat forming on the hand gripping my sword. But if there was only one way forward, I had no choice but to break through.

“Simeon, take…”

I stopped mid-sentence, about to tell him to go on ahead, when a recent memory came rushing back, and I hastily changed my words.

“Take care of Var.”

Then, clutching my sword tightly, I prepared to charge—but Simeon suddenly grabbed my shoulder.

“That won’t be necessary.”

“What?”

Simeon walked past me toward the soldiers without giving me a chance to stop him. As he approached, the soldiers let out guttural screams like starving beasts catching the scent of blood. But strangely, they didn’t charge.

“What’s going on?”

Stopping in front of the soldiers, Simeon set Var down on the ground, almost tossing him.

“Dad!”

Var turned to me with frightened eyes. Instinctively, I moved to help him, but Simeon raised a hand to stop me. His hardened face looked as though he had made a firm decision.

“This should suffice, don’t you think?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Ignoring my confusion, Var tried to run to me, but Simeon blocked his path.

“Order the soldiers to stand down, Svarbhanu.”

Simeon grabbed the slender neck of the child in an instant.

“We’ve humored your act long enough.”

In that moment, Var’s expression, filled with shock, transformed into something chillingly cold.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Then you must also know how I died.”

A grinding sound of clenched teeth followed, as sharp and threatening as the edge of a blade. 

Var brushed Simeon’s hand off him in clear distaste.

“And yet, knowing that you dare to lay a hand on my neck?”

“I did it because I know.”

As Simeon refused to back down even an inch, a cold sneer curled at the corner of Var’s lips.

“This is why I can’t stand people like you.”

What… is this? Is this really the same person who called me “Dad” and pleaded for my help? His voice had dropped so low it sounded as though it belonged to someone else entirely. Staring at him, dumbfounded, I saw Var let out a deep sigh before turning to me.

“If only you were merely moderately perceptive and moderately stupid, like that one.”

He smiled at me, a soft and strangely unsettling expression.

“…Var?”

At the mention of his name, Var gave a slight nod.

In the next moment, the dust covering his face dissipated, revealing his dark brown skin beneath. His eyes, deeply set like those of a cat, gleamed with a luster reminiscent of amber. The patchwork rags he wore transformed into pure white silk, leaving no trace of the Var I thought I knew.

“Glory to the great Kingdom of Kedu.”

As Var murmured softly, the soldiers around us immediately knelt before him. Their posture wasn’t one of mere obedience to a warden—it was the reverence one offers to their master or to someone they respect and worship.

“What… are you?”

“Forgive me. I have deceived you again.”

“I’m asking who you really are.”

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen living, breathing people, I couldn’t help myself.”

He had the face of a child but the gaze of a wise elder, the combination exuding an eerie aura. 

Still unable to process the situation, I stood frozen, dazed. Simeon came closer and nonchalantly pulled a handkerchief from my pocket to bandage the bleeding wound on my hand as he spoke.

“He’s the warden of this place.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Svarbhanu. The creator of <Amrita>.”

At that moment, <Amrita>’s mystical origins came rushing back to me.

The story spoke of a prince tasked by his king to bring forth a way to ensure victory in war. And the prince ended up creating <Amrita>. Although the kingdom triumphed, the king was fearful that the prince might sell the secret <Amrita> to their rival nations, so he mercilessly beheaded his own son. Severed in two, the prince’s head was buried in the east, where the sun rose, and his body in the west, where it set.

“Var—are you really that prince?”

I looked at Svarbhanu with suspicion. He shrugged nonchalantly.

“Why? Do you doubt me because I look like a child?”

“That, and… from what I know, your neck…”

His neck had supposedly been severed, his body split in two. Yet, there wasn’t even a scar to be seen. Could it be that the legend of the Kedu Kingdom was exaggerated? As I stared fixedly at his unblemished neck, Svarbhanu let out a sigh and rubbed the nape of his neck.

“I remained here under the condition of regaining my complete body.”

“Then those… records were true?”

“They were. And despite knowing all that, he dared to put his hands on my neck.”

Svarbhanu clicked his tongue and shot a sharp glare at Simeon, his voice dripping with menace.

“You insolent wretch. Be grateful I don’t cut out your tongue for blasphemy.”

Despite the ominous threat, Simeon remained entirely unfazed, focused solely on tending to my wound.

Prince. Blasphemy. Execution. The flood of unfamiliar words was dizzying, yet confusion quickly gave way to an overwhelming wave of regret.

Who… on earth had I been pretending to be a dad to?

The prince who created <Amrita>, led the Kingdom of Kedu to victory, only to then be falsely accused of treason and executed for crimes he never committed… Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine he would be here, commanding soldiers drafted for war.

That explained why the soldiers hesitated mid-swing. While they had no choice but to play along with Svarbhanu’s theatrics on orders, they were likely also reluctant to truly harm him. But how had Simeon realized so quickly that he was the warden of this place?

“How did you know?” I asked in a low voice. 

“That he’s the warden here?”

Simeon clenched his empty hand slightly before releasing it.

“Because I would’ve been able to defeat him easily if he was an ordinary prisoner.”

Defeat him…? Don’t tell me he used his ability earlier when he placed his hand on Svarbhanu’s head and closed his eyes. The thought was so absurd I couldn’t even speak. Regardless of his attempt to gauge Svarbhanu’s power, it was better to keep this fact from him.

As I stole a glance at Svarbhanu, our eyes happened to meet.

“Foolish child,” he said.

“Y-Yes,” I stammered, startled.

Svarbhanu smiled, satisfied with my response.

“From here onward lies the city known as ‘Dis,’ marking your entrance into the deeper layers of hell. Tread carefully,” he warned.

Despite his childlike appearance, his eyes carried the wisdom of many years and a warm, reassuring glow. Perhaps that’s why, even as his much smaller hand patted my head, it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. Instead, it felt strangely comforting. While bowing slightly to accept his gesture, I noticed a faint, sly smile appear on his lips.

He whispered softly into my ear.

“As a reward for humoring me for a moment, I’ll share something useful.”

“Cows are afraid of fire.”

Cows and… fire? It made no sense at the moment, but I nodded, assuming it would be helpful advice. After that, Simeon and I ascended the fortress wall. For some reason, Svarbhanu followed us, but he neither stopped nor interfered with us.

When we finally reached the top of the wall, a new sight unfolded—one hidden from below. The towering wall, far taller than the Berlin Wall, protected not a world or a castle but nothingness.

Standing at the edge of the bottomless abyss, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Does it seem deeper than before, or is it just my imagination?”

“Since we’re falling into a deeper layer, it’s not your imagination.”

“Ah…”

I bit my lip and swallowed the rising anxiety. Whether I liked it or not, I had to jump.

Turning back to say a final farewell, I knelt before Svarbhanu to show respect. I wasn’t a subject of his kingdom, and he was already dead, but I wanted to honor him in some way.

“It’s been an honor to meet you, even under these circumstances.”

Had I made a mistake? Svarbhanu didn’t respond. Instead, he stared intently at me, his golden eyes glowing ominously, like the sky before a storm. He clicked his tongue.

“Poor thing. How did you end up branded with such a serious crime?”

“……Excuse me?”

“Don’t resent it too much,” he said, frowning. “Someone had to die, regardless.”

And with that, he pushed me off the edge.

****

The air was heavy, as though gravity itself bore down harder here. My body felt sluggish, weighed down. Opening my eyes with difficulty, I saw walls smeared with mud. Had we leaped backward in time again, like we had with <Amrita>?

Sitting up, I found Simeon, already awake, approaching me.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

“Other than a dull headache, I’m fine,” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck.

It was a tension similar to the ache that came before rain. As I waited for the discomfort to pass, Simeon spoke with unusual caution.

“What did he say to you?”

The hand on my neck froze.

‘Don’t resent it too much. Someone had to die, regardless.’

Who was Svarbhanu referring to? He used the past tense but… Among the dead in my life, only my parents came to mind. Had he glimpsed my past? And why did everyone I met in hell question my sins?

“Mr Hajae?” Simeon called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Ah, right… He said cows are afraid of fire.”

“Cows?”

“I’m not sure, but maybe it’s a hint for escaping this layer.”

If memory served, this was the sixth layer of hell, ‘Heresy’. Known as Dis, This layer marked the beginning of the lower levels of hell, known as ‘Dis.’ This was where the worst of the worst sinners were sent, making encounters with wardens even more likely. Unlike Winston’s Countess or Svarbhanu, they likely weren’t ones you could reason with.

Fighting was best avoided; it’d be better still to evade them entirely.

“How much time do we have left?”

Simeon raised his arm to check his watch.

“26 hours.”

“Three more layers to go. That should be enough time.”

There was no room for delay. Just as I was about to stand, Simeon suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“From here on, don’t move alone. No matter what.”

I nodded silently, turning my gaze out the window.

It was a rural village—one you might see in a painting of medieval Europe. The sky was pitch-black, yet the surroundings were strangely well-lit. It reminded me of nights at summer camp as a child when the glow of a campfire illuminated everything.

Was there a fire somewhere? But unlike <Amrita>, the village was eerily silent.

“Let’s take a look around,” Simeon suggested.

We left the lifeless house and made our way through narrow alleyways to the square. It was deserted—no people, not even a single ant. The source of the light wasn’t from within the village.

“Simeon, look,” I said, pointing.

Beyond the village, in the fields, rows of flaming crosses burned like a cemetery. Even from afar, I could count at least a hundred. It was as if an offering ritual had set an entire forest of wooden pyres ablaze, bathing the village in light.

“What are they burning?” I asked cautiously, glancing at Simeon. He frowned but said nothing, as if he already knew but couldn’t bring himself to say it.

And soon enough, my morbid curiosity was answered.

“W-What is that?”

They were people. Barely. Bound to the crosses, clad in red robes soaked with blood or fire, they burned. Their buttoned cassocks and cloaks reminded me of a priest’s attire, complete with crosses hanging around their necks.

“Don’t tell me… Are those priests?”

“They are,” Simeon replied.

I couldn’t believe my ears. Could those angry, deranged figures really be clergy? They hurled curses at the sky even as their bodies burned to cinders.

“Why are priests tied up there? Isn’t this Hell for those who engage in Heresy?”

“If they sinned, they face punishment. No exceptions, even for priests.”

“Still…”

This was the hell for heretics—those who believed in and spread harmful ideologies. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Sensing my confusion, Simeon elaborated.

“<Malleus Maleficarum>. Or ‘The Hammer of Witches,’ a book that served as a guide for witch trials and the foundation of this place.”

Witches, fire, judgment. It dawned on me that this was the era of the witch hunts. Yet the ones burning on those pyres weren’t witches—they were priests. Still lost in thought, I tilted my head, prompting Simeon to continue.

“In the 15th century, inquisitors used that book to root out witches.”

“And it actually worked?”

“Of course not. It was all nonsense,” he said with a derisive laugh.

Simeon frowned and let out a scoffing laugh.

“A witch who practiced strange spells by making pacts with demons. They resembled Awakened beings, but this was the 15th century, long before the first divine relic, <The Spear of Longinus>, was claimed by the Vatican. The book blamed witches for everything—from famines and murders to droughts. It accused innocent people of witchcraft without evidence.”

“Then… people were accused of being witches based on a single claim in that book?”

“Yes. About 400,000 people were executed because of it.”

“Four hundred thousand…?”

“It’s infamous as the book responsible for the most deaths in history.”

Around 400,000 people, perhaps more. That was the population of an entire city. The thought that a city full of life, like the one I grew up in, could be emptied by the nonsense written in a single book sent a chill down my spine.

“Didn’t anyone try to stop it before it went that far?”

“Apparently not. The Pope even signed and endorsed it himself.”

“…They must have all gone mad.”

“Things aren’t so different now. It’s still easy to frame and condemn an innocent person.”

His voice, sharp and cold, cut through the air, leaving me at a loss for words. I stood there, hidden behind the wall, watching the scene unfold before me without a trace of sympathy for the devastation.

It was then that I sensed another presence nearby.

“Mujeong…?”

Somehow, without my noticing, Mujeong had appeared. He stood motionless, staring into the fire. Shadows deepened across his face as if he were lost in thought.

When he finally lifted his head, his crimson eyes, reflecting the roaring flames, burned intensely.

“Master,” he began, his voice low and even. 

“You once said that those who commit sins must face punishment.”

Mujeong turned to us, his expression blank, devoid of sorrow or pain.

“Does it matter how high their position or how noble their origins are?”

“No, it doesn’t…”

“I see.”

Mujeong’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed dryly.

“Then the people who murdered my family and the ruler who let it happen… must be facing judgment somewhere like this.”

Simeon said nothing. Neither confirming nor denying. 

Perhaps Mujeong took his silence as agreement, as his lips, which had been tightly shut, curved into a cold smile.

He turned back to the flames, his eyes shining brighter than ever, filled with a fervent, almost sacred intensity.

“I will never see a more beautiful flame in my lifetime, then.”

To some people, a scene from hell could be considered heaven from their perspective. As Mujeong gazed at the sight of dozens of people burning, he seemed intoxicated by a kind of ecstasy. The anguished screams of the priests and the acrid smoke filling the air may have felt, to him, like the birds chirping or the touch of a refreshing morning breeze.

Suddenly, Mujeong stepped toward the flames.

“Don’t go near it.”

I grabbed his collar to stop him, and Mujeong glanced back at me.

“Why do you speak as if scolding a child playing with fire? I am a grown man, Master.”

“Your actions say otherwise,” I retorted curtly.

Mujeong frowned and pouted slightly.

“While I appreciate your concern, such fire cannot harm me.”

“I’m not so sure. It doesn’t seem like an ordinary fire.”

“…Not ordinary, you say?”

“Take a closer look.”

The fire roared fiercely, yet there were no scorch marks on the wooden racks or the priests’ robes. Even the hands of the priests, directly exposed to the heat, bore no burns. Yet all of them writhed as if genuinely consumed by flames.

“Rather than tangible matter, it seems to burn something else.”

“Like what…?”

“Sins or souls, perhaps.”

That would be deadly to someone like Mujeong, who lacks a physical form.

I frowned and spoke firmly.

“Even if it’s not the case, it would be a hassle if you got hurt.” 

To my surprise, Mujeong obediently stepped back.

“Well, Master, if you insist, I have no choice.”

He tilted his head slightly, pretending to be reluctant. But the corners of his mouth, twitching like a wagging dog’s tail, betrayed his false sulking. I turned my gaze back to our surroundings when Simeon, who’d been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

“What a shame.”

“…What is?”

“If the fire really burns souls, this would’ve been the perfect chance to get rid of him.”

The fact that he could casually speak of getting rid of the person right beside us was astonishing. He wasn’t joking; judging by the slight frown and stiff expression on his face, Simeon genuinely found it unfortunate.

Going a step further, Simeon turned to Mujeong and spoke in a detached tone as if he was inquiring about the weather.

“Aren’t you curious what would happen if you walked into those flames?”

Wait, why was he asking him that?

“Of course, I’m curious,” Mujeong replied easily.

And yet he answered.

“But what can I do? As you can see, Master cherishes me as if I were his own flesh and blood.”

Mujeong ran his fingers through his hair with a leisurely smile, prompting Simeon’s expression to twist into something venomous.

“Mr Hajae cherishes you? …Since when?”

“You just heard him, didn’t you?”

“Mistaking ‘a hassle’ as genuine care—you’d have to really be delusional.”

Mujeong replied slyly, his eyes crinkling into a teasing smile.

“Whether I am delusional or not is for Master to decide, not you, Second Lord.” 

Simeon let out a dry chuckle. They both faced each other with smiles, yet the tension between them was scorching, hotter than the sight of dozens of burning crosses before us. Their locked gazes threatened to turn murderous, and I hastily stepped between them.

“Why are you suddenly fighting…?”

At that moment, a scraping noise broke the air.

Clang, clang—.

Grabbing both Mujeong and Simeon by their arm, I pulled them behind a wall. Then, cautiously peeking out, I saw a shadow emerge at the edge of the village.

“What… is that?”

A woman in a white dress and leather corset appeared. But her head wasn’t human; it was a cow’s head, hollowed out and worn like a helmet. In one hand, she dragged a bloodstained sledgehammer, leaving deep grooves in the earth with every step.

The oppressive aura paralyzed me briefly, and then a thought struck me.

“Could it be…?”

“What?”

“Is that the Minotaur?”

In the original text, Dante was blocked by a monster as he tried to enter the seventh circle of Hell. That monster was the Minotaur. But unlike the creature of Greek mythology, which had a bull’s body and a man’s head, this one was grotesque and tragic in appearance.

Blood and viscous fluid dripped from the hollowed-out bull’s head, soaking the woman’s body. Her torn clothing revealed skin horribly scarred by burns, and her chest was pierced by a massive wooden stake. She was clearly no longer human.

“Facing her won’t end well,” Simeon muttered, and I couldn’t agree more, nodding vigorously.

“At least there’s only one.”

No sooner had the words left my mouth than two more figures emerged from the edge of the village.

Just our luck.

One was a frail girl whose body looked too small for her to have even of had a coming-of-age ceremony, and the other was the body of a hunched old woman. Both wore cow heads and dragged sledgehammers, shambling across the field.

They wouldn’t die easily, and unlike earlier floors, there was nothing here to distract them. Moreover, unlike Svarbhanu, these creatures wouldn’t understand speech, leaving us with no clear way forward.

As I desperately scanned the field for a solution, Mujeong suddenly spoke up.

“Isn’t it strange? If their vengeance is burning so beautifully, would they not want to see it up close?”

“…I suppose.”

“To sear every scream and contorted face into their memory.”

Unlike most people, these victims would likely relish the sight of their tormentors’ suffering. But the women avoided approaching the flames, circling them at a distance like someone afraid of incoming waves at the beach.

Wait. Afraid?

A fragment of Svarbhanu’s words surfaced in my mind.

“Cows fear fire.”

A realization hit me like lightning.

“The fire! Simeon, we can use the fire to get out of here!”

Since they were burned alive in their mortal lives, the flames terrified them. That’s why they only circled the sinners—they couldn’t approach the fire.

Simeon seemed to grasp the idea, nodding solemnly.

“Now all we need is a way through.”

I anxiously scanned the area as Simeon pointed to a spot beyond the field.

“The path to the next floor is over there.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s the only place untouched by the flames,” Simeon replied calmly.

“A guard post wouldn’t be placed somewhere they themselves couldn’t reach.”

It made sense. Now that we had a destination and method, all that remained was execution.

“The fastest route is through the racks, but…”

“As you said, if this fire burns souls, it’s best to avoid it,” Simeon said.

In the end, avoiding them was the only option. It wasn’t pleasant to exploit their trauma, but if we wanted to escape, we had to use their weaknesses.

Nearby the wall, I spotted a pile of dried firewood. Simeon and I each grabbed a piece and concealed ourselves again. The sound of metal scraping the ground echoed as the hammer dragged across it. They hadn’t noticed us yet.

“Let’s go.”

The moment we stepped onto the field, they all turned toward us. The milky-white, decayed eye of a maggot-infested cow stared directly at us. Paralyzed by an inexplicable sense of dread, neither of us could move recklessly.

My throat felt dry as I swallowed hard.

Then, the woman with the stake embedded in her chest charged toward us.

“Run!”

Clang, clang, clang, clang—!

The hammer wobbled noisily as it caught on the rocky ground, its sound like a bull’s hoofbeats when provoked by a red cape. Breathing heavily, I glanced back and saw her almost upon us.

At that moment—

“This way…!”

Simeon grabbed my arm and yanked me back. 

Whoosh—!

The hammer, smeared with blood and dirt, narrowly missed my face. With a deafening thunk! it struck the ground, shattering the stone at my feet into chalk-like fragments.

“Damn it.” 

A curse slipped out on instinct. A second later, and my skull would’ve ended up like that. My heart pounded so hard I lost focus for a moment, and in that instant, the hunched old witch lunged at me.

I ducked just in time to dodge the hammer as Mujeong shouted at me.

“Master, the fire!”

I quickly reached for the altar nearby and lit the firewood. As soon as the makeshift torch ignited, I swung it wildly. The creatures that’d charged at us like enraged bulls stopped dead in their tracks. Even the young witch, who’d been about to bring her hammer down on my head without hesitation, flinched and trembled with her skeletal hands.

“Hah…”

A tense silence hung in the air like a fragile ceasefire.

Beyond the flickering flames, the three women stood side by side, unmoving. Could they truly not approach? Taking a hesitant step back, I tested the waters. Though they followed with slow steps, they never seemed to close the distance.

“Fortunately, it seems to be working.”

The calm voice of Simeon gradually stilled my heart, which had been pounding as if in the throes of a seizure. Before I knew it, our steps had led us to the edge of a cliff. 

With my body still tense, I held the torch toward the three women as Muejong spoke.

“So, what do you think? About my discerning eye.”

“What?”

“Is it not thanks to me that we have made it this far unscathed?”

The words ‘”‘How is that your doing?’ rose to the tip of my tongue but stopped there. 

It was true that Mujeong’s strange instincts had allowed us to decipher Svarbhanu’s hint, so I decided to give credit where it was due.

“Ah, yeah. Good job. Well done.”

Nodding as if on autopilot, I praised him like a broken record. But then, Mujeong abruptly leaned in and brought his head close to me. 

…What is this? Don’t tell me he wants me to pat his head. Now? Seeing his expectant face, complete with closed eyes, it seemed my suspicion was correct.

“I’ll pat your head next time. Next time.”

“When is this ‘next time’?”

“After we get out of here. It’s a bit much right now.”

“But then you will forget, will you not?”

Why was he acting like such a child? Yet when he furrowed his brows and looked up at me pitifully, I felt my resolve waver. In the end, I reluctantly raised my hand. But just as I was about to pat his head, someone else beat me to it.

“…Huh?”

It was Simeon. Simeon, of all people, was casually patting Mujeong’s head. What was happening? Frozen in place with my hand suspended in mid-air, I could only watch as Mujeong opened his eyes. Upon realizing who the hand belonged to, Mujeong’s face twisted into an expression of disbelief.

“Second Lord… What are you doing?”

“If praise is what you want, does it matter whose hand it is?”

At Simeon’s shameless reply, Mujeong scoffed in disbelief.

“You, of all people, should know the answer to that.”

“And you, of all people, should know when to stop.”

Mujeong shook his head vehemently and ruffled his hair as if brushing off something filthy. Then he glared at Simeon with narrowed eyes, his lips curling in a sardonic smirk.

“If you are jealous, Second Lord, you could have just said so.”

Simeon, the kind of person who would never fall for such childish provocations… actually fell for it. His icy glare at Mujeong betrayed his barely contained irritation. The sudden tension in the air left me on edge.

“…What’s wrong with you two? All of a sudden.”

I alternated my gaze between them, exasperated, but they both ignored me entirely.

“Oh my, are you really jealous, Second Lord?”

“Pick another face before you open your mouth. It’s unpleasant.”

Now it was Mujeong’s turn to stiffen, his expression freezing. Sparks seemed to fly between from their locked gazes.

“…You two are going to start throwing punches at this rate.”

“May we? Master.” Mujeong asked, almost gleefully.

“That would work for me,” Simeon replied coolly.

It’d been a comment I muttered to myself, yet both of them responded immediately. So they could hear me after all… Then they were just ignoring me on purpose earlier? With three armed guards wielding iron maces ahead of us, was I the only one who felt anxious? My irritation flared.

“What are you saying? This isn’t the time!”

In a fit of frustration, I hurled the torch onto the ground. Both Simeon and Mujeong turned to me, startled. At that moment, I grabbed their arms and leaped off the cliff, taking them with me. It was something I should’ve done a lot sooner.

****

The air carried the damp scent of wet earth, like walking through a forest after a light drizzle. The soft whoosh of a breeze rustling through the leaves brought an involuntary smile to my face. It felt like coming home. How long had it been since I woke up feeling this peacefully?

“Mmm…”

But the peace didn’t last long. I slowly opened my eyes, only to shrink back as a chill crept up my spine. The black sky above was interwoven with barren branches, like the strands of a spider’s web. One particularly gnarled tree, with its sprawling limbs, looked almost like a ghost with disheveled hair.

Lying in the middle of such an unnervingly quiet forest, I couldn’t suppress my sigh. Right. This was hell.

Just as I was about to sit up, my hand brushed against something cool and unsettling. Startled, I quickly withdrew it and turned to the side—there lay Simeon.

“Huh…?”

He was always the one to wake up before me, watching over me as I slept.

“Simeon?” I called his name, gently shaking his shoulder. His brow furrowed as he struggled to open his eyes. Something about his complexion seemed off; he looked pale and sickly.

“Are you okay? Does something hurt?”

“It’s nothing. My body just feels a bit heavy.”

“Maybe you’re just tired…”

Worried, I cautiously placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature, and my heart sank. His skin was as cold as ice. There was no warmth, and his face lacked even a hint of color as if he hadn’t rested in days.

“Let’s take a short break.”

But Simeon shook his head firmly, taking my hand off his forehead.

“You know we don’t have time to waste.”

“Even so, just a moment—please?”

“That’s enough…”

“You haven’t even told me where we are yet.”

“…What?”

Simeon frowned at my sudden question, confused.

“At least explain this layer of hell to me while you rest, okay?”

I gently pressed his shoulder, keeping him seated against the tree. Whether it was my feeble excuse or genuine exhaustion, Simeon eventually relented, letting his body relax as he closed his eyes.

I sat close beside him, leaning my shoulder against his to share even a sliver of warmth. Then I asked,

“This circle of hell is dedicated to Violence, isn’t it?”

Simeon nodded slowly.

“It’s a hell created by the spirit <Blackthorn>.”

“What is <Blackthorn>?”

“It’s a thorny tree that bears black plums.”

<Blackthorn>. In early spring, delicate white flowers bloom on its branches, only to give way to dark blue fruit by autumn. The tree’s bark was blackish and studded with thorns, hence its name, though its branches weren’t always black.

“One winter, Europe suffered a catastrophic famine. People were starving to death in big cities, so you can only imagine the fate of people in small rural villages. Families had to share a single potato or a piece of bread among seven people.”

The pain of hunger that severe—I couldn’t even fathom it, having been spared such suffering thanks to my parents.

“If you had one potato for seven mouths, what would you do, Mr Hajae?”

“I’d split it into seven pieces.”

“Exactly. They did that, too, at first. But for one family, after the uncle died in an accident, they realized something. If there was one less mouth to feed, everyone’s share would grow larger.”

Simeon’s gaze flicked to me, his black eyes piercing.

“Eventually, they realized they could eat an entire potato alone if they reduced the number of mouths enough.”

“No way…”

“Fortunately, they didn’t resort to killing anyone. They clung to their last shred of humanity. But they did make a priority list.”

“A priority list?”

“You know, like deciding who gets to board a lifeboat first when there’s not enough space for everyone.”

So, the family abandoned the idea of everyone surviving together and endured the hunger as one.

“A four-year-old child, a man who had to work in the mines, a woman nursing an infant, and the elderly couple who raised them—whose share do you think they took?”

The question struck me hard. My lips tightened, and I hesitated to answer, weighed down by the moral dilemma. Sensing my reluctance, Simeon blinked slowly.

“Don’t feel guilty. Most people would make the same choice.”

As if he could see right through me, his black eyes remained calm.

“‘Parasites that contribute nothing but expect to share precious food just because they’re family.’”

His sharp, brutal assessment left me wide-eyed. Sensing my shock, Simeon added,

“That’s what was written in the journals they left behind.”

“They must’ve known what their family thought of them—what they wanted to do.”

Simeon’s gaze turned toward the shadowy, lightless forest.

“In the end, the elderly couple left the house at dawn without telling anyone.”

“And where would they even go?”

“Nowhere. They didn’t leave to survive.”

“What do you mean…?”

A chilling wind brushed against the nape of my neck.

“They went off to die. To reduce the number of mouths to feed.”

Rather than be abandoned, the elderly chose to abandon themselves. To ensure their family wouldn’t find them, they ventured deep into the forest, where the thorny blackthorn trees grew thick. There, they dug into the earth and buried one another as if laying their own corpses to rest.

“That fall, the blackthorn plums were said to be exceptionally bountiful.”

Centuries later, the skeletal remains of the elderly couple were discovered. Alongside them, dozens more skeletons were unearthed—all buried beneath the blackthorn trees.

“Don’t tell me all of those people also…”

“That’s why it became a spirit.”

Now I understood why <Blackthorn> was the spirit ruling the Circle of Violence.

According to the original story, the Seventh Circle of Hell was divided into three parts: those who committed violence against others, those who violated the natural order, and those who inflicted violence upon themselves. The last group—those who abandoned their own flesh—were turned into immobile trees, bound together in suffering.

Dante called this place… 

“Then, this is….”

The Forest of Suicides.