I was by no means a good person in life. In fact, I think it would be fair to call me bad—if not downright evil. The blood of many people stains my hands, both from those I personally killed and those who died because of what I had created. So it came as no surprise that I met an untimely end and now stood in a sweltering-hot throne room I could only assume was Hell.
Dark black stone made up most of the majestic yet intimidating chamber I'd found myself in, though the red accents—both of cloth and the echoing screams of tortured souls—really brought out the ominous atmosphere.
On a raised platform stood a throne seemingly made of bones. Sitting upon it was a fierce, yet beautiful woman. She glared at me with clear disdain—like someone might look at a person who litters despite a trash can being only a few steps away.
"Vellen Arcturus. Truly one of the filthiest pieces of scum to enter my palace. I trust I need not recite your crimes—the list is quite long and would keep us occupied for a while."
I wanted to reply, to make a snide remark—but I couldn't. It wasn't that my mouth was sealed. I had no body to speak of. I was a formless wisp, simply floating before the Queen of Hell, waiting to be judged.
"Normally, you'd be sentenced to the lowest pits of Tartarus, where you would be tortured until your evil karma faded," she said, pausing as a thick black-and-white tome appeared before her.
"The Book of Fate records all the actions a soul has taken—whether in their most recent life or in any of their previous ones. This is not the first time your soul has stood before me, but I do hope it will be the last." The book opened on its own, its pages flipping rapidly before stopping about a third of the way through.
"For some reason, the Book does not judge you. As such, both I and my siblings have had little choice but to allow you to reincarnate immediately—an injustice I refuse to perpetuate further. Your soul is darker than the deepest level of the Abyss, clearly indicating to any Divine that you have committed great evil and caused immeasurable suffering." Her voice shook with anger and malice.
She glared at me as she rose from her throne and descended to stand before my formless soul.
"Originally, I planned to sacrifice my existence to erase you—to break my Divine Vow and rend your soul into nothingness." I could feel her hand squeeze around me, threatening to shatter me like a glass orb. But she didn't. The pressure eased.
"Because my sister did not want to see me die, she came up with a compromise. Rather than destroy you, we will use you. There is a world that has long been outside the Divine Court's influence—ruled by seven Outsiders. Beings from beyond the known realms, who do not conform to the rules of Fate. Technically, that world is also their prison, preventing their influence from spreading. You will be reborn in that world, and you will defeat the Outsiders. Otherwise, the next time your soul finds its way here will be its last."
Her sharp and commanding tone softened slightly as she released her hold on my soul.
"This is not without its merits. Unlike a normal reincarnation, you will slowly regain the memories of your past lives, granting you knowledge and skills—something very useful in the world you're going to. In addition, should you defeat the Outsiders, your karmic value will rise, and you will also receive a reward from the Divine Court."
She took a few steps back, then began performing strange motions and speaking words I couldn't understand. Her movements quickened. A sensation of being pulled backward overtook me—and then I was violently thrust away, the sense of my surroundings vanishing entirely.
Continued...