"NO FLAMES BURN HOTTER THAN REGRET"
VELMORA
The gates swung open, releasing a wave of blistering heat and thick, dark smoke that hit me like a wall.
I nearly stumbled, choking on the heavy air. The demons ahead of us stepped forward without hesitation, vanishing into the darkness. We followed, the heat growing more unbearable with each step.
"I know it's hell, but does it have to be this hot? Jeez," I muttered, glancing at the tall man beside me as we struggled to keep up. The smoke coiled around us, making it almost impossible to see him.
He let out a quiet chuckle. "If we ever get the chance to meet the devil, let's both remember to suggest installing air conditioning at the gate. A welcome gift for the inmates."
I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his lame joke, though the thought of meeting the devil didn't sound half bad—I had a proposal for him.
Suddenly, the dense smoke faded, revealing a long, dimly lit hallway. The only source of light came from an open room at the very end. The demons led the way, while we followed closely behind.
"Are you sure about this?" one of them asked the other. "You know she hates being disturbed, especially for things like this."
"How else are we supposed to know what pit these souls belong to?" the other replied. "I don't know about you, but I'm not getting demoted again for sentencing the wrong soul to the wrong pit. We're already stuck as escorts—one more mistake, and we'll be sharpening torture weapons for eternity."
The other demon shuddered like the thought alone was unbearable. Then, as if suddenly remembering our presence, he glanced over his shoulder at us.
"What do you think is the reason they came here together?" he muttered. "In all my years as an escort, this is the first time I've seen two souls at the gate at the same time. Do you really think they somehow got lost on their way upstairs?"
Upstairs? He meant heaven? That would make sense—I was supposed to go to heaven instead. Angels like myself had no business in a place like this.
Besides, if the stories were true, God was understanding. It would be much easier to present my proposal to him than to the devil.
"Well, we're about to find out," the other demon muttered as we reached the room. The light spilled out into the hallway, unnaturally bright in contrast to the shadows surrounding us.
The demons halted at the entrance, bowing their heads as if awaiting permission to enter.
I turned to the tall man. He stood there, calm and indifferent, as if this were nothing new to him.
His lack of reaction made me almost certain—this wasn't his first time in hell. Even with all the research in the world, surely something about this place should have unsettled him. So why did he look so unbothered?
Well, fuck it. One problem at a time, Vel.
"Where are we?" I whispered. If he was so damn knowledgeable, surely he would know why we were here.
"I believe this is the Light at the End of the Tunnel," he replied. "A place where seemingly 'unlawful' inmates are brought to determine their fate. They must have brought us here because we arrived at the gate together. That only happens at the gates of heaven."
"So… does that mean there's a chance we won't be sentenced to hell after all?" I asked, hope flickering in my chest. Maybe the writing at the gate was wrong. Maybe there was still a sliver of hope in here.
"Don't get your hopes up, cupcake," he said dryly. "This is just a formality—a way for these two charred heads to determine which part of hell we belong in. Heaven makes no mistakes. No guest of heaven ever ends up in hell."
I wanted to roll my eyes at him again. There was no way I was giving up hope. The fact that I was here meant there was a sliver of a chance, and I was holding onto it. Besides, he was just another damned soul, a newcomer like me. What the hell did he know?
"You don't think you have a chance at heaven?" I asked.
"Not a single chance," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "There's no way to physically prepare for this place, but mentally… I accepted my fate long ago. You should, too."
I frowned. "Depending on how you lived your life, you mean?"
"Exactly." He glanced at me. "I suggest you start preparing yourself."
I scoffed. "I don't belong here."
My life was simple—college, grades, stress. I rarely partied, never did drugs. So what if I slept around a little? They wouldn't punish a college student for living a little, would they?
I refused to accept a punishment for something as trivial as sex.
"Well, we'll see about that," he mused, amusement flickering across his face.
I couldn't wait to wipe that look off his face when I was escorted to heaven.
Wait and see, you asshole.
"Enter," a commanding female voice rang from inside. The demons immediately straightened and stepped forward, forcing us to follow.
The room was vast, the air thick with the scent of roses and ink. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings, shifting like shadows beneath the dim lighting.
At the very end of the room stood a massive black throne. A woman lounged against it, her legs crossed, body draped in an elegant black gown with a high slit that revealed long, honeyed legs.
A sheer black veil concealed her face, but I could feel her gaze piercing through it.
In one hand, she idly twirled a silver fork. Beside her stood another demon, similar to the ones who brought us—except this one had a tiny tail and barely visible horns. He held a silver platter, its contents hidden from view.
Our escorts dropped to their knees immediately.
I hesitated. I turned to the tall man beside me, but as expected, he stood unbothered, watching the scene unfold with mild interest.
Typical.
I turned back to the throne. I didn't know who this woman was, but I sure as hell didn't want to get on her bad side. Without another thought, I dropped to my knees.
The man above me chuckled.
Moron.
"Haven't I warned you fools that I will not be doing your jobs for you?" the woman—Lucinda—spoke, her voice laced with irritation. "Why do you keep coming here when you're indecisive? If you've gotten this bad at your duties, go work in the weaponry!"
Her sudden change in tone must have terrified them, or maybe the idea of working in the weaponry was worse than eternal damnation, because the demons immediately flattened themselves against the ground.
"Lucinda, we swear, we are not here because we are indecisive," one of them stammered.
"Then why are you here?" she demanded.
"We saw these two souls at the gate. Together. We feared they might be guests from above who somehow found their way here."
"But that's impossible," she said, now intrigued. "Righteous souls do not have access to the gates of hell."
"You're right, Lucinda, but that was the only explanation we could come up with."
Lucinda stood from her throne and strode toward us, her gown flowing behind her. She stopped in front of the tall man, studying him.
"You. Get up."
I froze.
Was she talking to me?
Slowly, I raised my head.
She was.
I scrambled to my feet, my breath hitching as she towered over me. She was almost as tall as the man beside me, forcing me to tilt my head up to meet her gaze.
Even with the veil, I could feel the weight of her scrutiny.
Then, without another word, she turned back toward her throne.
"They're our inmates, all right," she said. "Why they arrived together, I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. Let's get this over with"
She turned to the man beside me.
"Omari Voss. Twenty-three. Computer wizard. Fraudster. Greedy little thief. You stole so much in life, yet barely spent any of it… what a waste."
Lucinda's voice dripped with amusement, but there was something sharp beneath it—like she was genuinely offended by how boring his crimes were.
Omari remained expressionless. If her words rattled him, he didn't show it.
Lucinda tilted her head. "No reaction? Interesting. Either you've made peace with damnation, or you have a severe lack of self-preservation. Which is it?"
"Does it matter?" he replied smoothly. "The sentence is the same either way."
Lucinda hummed. "You're right. There's nothing to be done about it now." She turned to the demons. "He's going to the Seventh Pit. No negotiations."
Seventh Pit? That didn't sound good.
The demons stiffened. "The Seventh, my lady? Are you sure?"
Lucinda sighed dramatically. "Would you like to do my job for me, dear?"
"N-No, of course not!" The demon instantly bowed lower, practically pressing his forehead to the floor. "Seventh Pit it is!"
Lucinda smirked, satisfied, then turned to me.
I straightened instinctively, pulse thudding in my ears.
"And you," she murmured. "Velmora Cain. Nineteen. College student. Overachiever. Never touched a drug in your life. Never killed. Never stole. Never even committed fraud." She shot Omari a pointed glance before looking back at me. "So… what in the ever-burning fuck are you doing here?"
That made my stomach drop.
Exactly. What was I doing here?
Lucinda studied me for a moment longer, then let out a deep, frustrated sigh.
"You don't belong in the Seventh," she admitted. "Hell, you don't belong in any of the pits."
Hope sparked in my chest.
"Then that means—"
"It means I have no idea what to do with you."
The hope died instantly.
Lucinda pinched the bridge of her nose like I was a particularly annoying puzzle she couldn't solve.
"This is the part where I usually send a soul straight to its assigned torment, but…" she trailed off, eyeing me again. "You don't seem to fit anywhere."
I opened my mouth, ready to argue that I should just be sent to heaven instead, but before I could get a word out, Lucinda snapped her fingers.
"Got it. You'll go with him." She gestured toward Omari.
I blinked. "What?"
Omari finally reacted, turning his head slightly toward me, one brow raised. "What?"
Lucinda grinned. "Yes, yes, this will be fun. He's going to the Seventh Pit, and you—since you have no designated place—you'll be assigned as his companion."
"Companion?" I echoed.
"Consider it a temporary arrangement. You'll stay in the Seventh until we figure out what to do with you."
"You're sending me to the same place as a fraudster?" I snapped. "A guy who—who—" I gestured at Omari, failing to find a strong enough insult. "—deserves to be here?!"
Lucinda gave me a bored look. "Sweetheart, you're in hell. If you thought you were going to get a cozy little room with a scenic view of burning souls, you were sorely mistaken."
My blood boiled. "I don't belong here."
Lucinda's smirk widened. "Neither does Omari, if you ask him. But guess what? You're both here."
I clenched my jaw.
This wasn't happening. This had to be a mistake.
Lucinda waved a hand lazily. "Take them away. Seventh Pit. We'll reevaluate her placement later—if we even bother."
One of the demons grabbed Omari by the wrist, dragging him toward another hallway. The other reached for me, but I yanked my arm away.
"I can walk myself," I snapped.
The demon just grunted and gestured for me to follow.
Omari was already moving, walking like a man who had accepted his fate. I refused to be like him.
I wasn't staying here.
One way or another, I was getting out.
I immediately fell to my knees.
"Please, I will do anything, I beg of you. I will become a demon if I have to," I cried, pleading desperately. "Anything but eternal torment."
"Take her away," she said.
The demon stood up and began dragging me out.
This won't do.
"At least let me speak to Lucifer!" I screamed, causing the demon to stop and the woman to tilt her head questioningly.
"You want to speak to the Devil? How will that help your case?"
This was my chance.
"I have a proposal for him—something he won't refuse," I said, forcing as much confidence as I could muster, flashing a smirk through my tear-streaked face.
"You? A damned soul? Have something Lucifer can't resist?" she asked, amused. "Take her away now!"
The demon resumed dragging me as I begged and screamed. As soon as we walked out the door, the hot, thick black smoke engulfed me again.
Where was the long hallway that was here before?
The smoke cleared faster this time, and suddenly, we stood on a high cliff. The sky above was dark, the air biting. The space was filled with the sounds of endless screams.
The demon dragged me to the edge of the cliff, and I looked down to see a black river filled with writhing, screaming souls.
The river stretched endlessly, its surface thick and sticky, trapping the damned as they struggled to escape. They climbed over each other, desperately trying to stay above the surface, only to be pulled back in.
There's no way I'm getting in there.
"Welcome to the River Styx," the demon holding me said. He leaned toward my ear, his burnt odor filling my nostrils. "For the record, I liked your spiciness," he added mischievously, making my stomach churn.
And with one hard slap on the butt, he pushed me off the cliff.