After his death, Marc Morning found himself in a brilliant white room. The walls shimmered softly, and in the center of the room hovered a pair of scales filled with a black and a white ball. These scales symbolized his deeds: the black ball, heavy and somber, represented the many evil deeds he had committed, while the white ball, light and almost shimmering, represented his few good deeds.
Marc stood there, surrounded by an oppressive silence. His heart raced as he felt as if time stood still. The Dragon Emperor, a powerful and ruthless ruler, stood in a corner of the room, watching him with a mocking smile. But it wasn't the Dragon Emperor who would judge him—that was the Judge's job.
The Judge appeared before him, a gray teddy bear with sparkling black eyes. The teddy was the embodiment of kindness and perfection, and despite the serious accusations made against Marc, he radiated indescribable affection and warmth. Everyone loved this teddy; he was the sweetest and kindest creature imaginable.
"Marc Morning," the teddy began in a sweet, soothing voice that wafted through the room like a gentle breeze. "My daddy told me to judge you. Let's consider your actions."
The teddy took a deep breath, and a small scroll appeared in his hands. "The charges against you, Marc Morning, are serious. Let me recite the charges. You are accused of committing the following acts..."
Marc was tense. "Wait! That's not true!" he cried before the teddy could begin reading. "I didn't do that!"
The teddy smiled gently and let him finish. "The first charge is: You lured a woman to her death after inviting her into the woods to help you. What do you say to that?"
"She wanted to kill me!" Marc protested, remembering how she had led him into the darkness with the promise of a hidden estate. "I didn't kill her!"
"That's not true, Marc Morning," the teddy replied with a mixture of compassion and determination. "You let her go, but the bear got her because you ran away. You could have helped."
Marc felt his breath catch in his throat. "That wasn't my fault! I was scared of the dog I imagined!"
The teddy nodded in understanding as he recited the next offense. "The second charge is the murder of your best friend because you were angry at him for your imaginary girlfriend. What do you say to that?"
"No! He betrayed me!" Marc cried, but the pain in his voice was unmistakable. The memory of how he had acted in a fit of jealousy overwhelmed him with full force.
"The third accusation," the teddy continued. "You killed a man who was creepy in your childhood and lived in your house. But that man was never really a threat."
"He was a threat to me! I killed him because I no longer felt comfortable in my own skin!" Marc retorted, furious at the accusations.
The teddy continued as if he didn't hear the protests. "You murdered the president to gain freedom. And you killed a therapist sent by your parents to help you."
"He wanted to kill me! He wasn't real!" Marc screamed, but doubts gnawed at him.
"And the final charges," the teddy continued, "concern the cult that worships the Dragon Emperor, whom you slaughtered, leading to a catastrophic end of the world, and finally, your own family, whom you brutally murdered."
"They wanted to kill me! I only acted in self-defense!" Marc protested desperately.
The Dragon Emperor, who had been standing silently in the corner, stepped forward and regarded Marc with an amused expression. "You really were easily manipulated, weren't you, Marc? You're a pitiable case," he laughed.
"That's not true! I'm not a criminal!" cried Marc, refusing to accept reality.
The teddy took over and continued in a soothing voice: "Marc Morning, your charges are true, even if you can't remember. You must realize that you can't hide the truth. You are responsible for your actions."
"But I didn't want to..." Marc began, but the teddy interrupted him. "The truth is, your fears and hallucinations have betrayed you. I have no doubt that you have the opportunity for atonement if you are willing to accept reality."
Marc felt the darkness closing in around him. He didn't want to believe he was responsible for all this. "I can't accept this!" he cried desperately.
"If you don't accept it, the Dragon Emperor will punish you for your actions," the teddy warned, his voice unmistakably heavy. "You will be banished to the lowest world, where you will feel the consequences of your actions."
"No! Please don't!" Marc screamed as the darkness began to explode around him. He didn't want to hear the truth, didn't want to acknowledge that he was responsible for all of this. But as the darkness closed in on him, he felt the cold of loneliness, and the screams of his victims echoed in his ears.
"It's not too late to learn, Marc Morning," the teddy said gently. "You can find the path to salvation if you accept your mistakes and take responsibility for your actions."
But the words seemed to fade into the darkness as Marc fell into the lowest world, trapped in a nightmare from which there was no escape.
In the lowest world, Marc met many other souls who, like him, were being punished for their actions. There was no escape, only endless darkness and the ghosts of those he had hurt. Feeling the weight of his actions weighing heavily on his shoulders, Marc realized there was only one way to be free—to accept the truth and face his own fears.
He was trapped in a cycle of damnation that repeatedly confronted him with his own mistakes. But the teddy's words echoed in his mind: "It's never too late to accept the truth."
Taking a deep breath, filled with a mixture of determination and fear, Marc began to face his demons.
Slowly but surely, he began to take responsibility for his actions. He remembered the faces of the people he had hurt and the sadness that had shone in their eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered into the darkness, holding the words of remorse close to his heart.
And in that moment of self-acceptance, the darkness around him began to fade. Marc knew the path to salvation would be long and arduous, but he was ready to take it. There was hope, even in the deepest depths of hell.
The journey had only just begun, and Marc was determined to reclaim his place in the world—a place where he could live at peace with himself.