A Light Too Bright for Hell

Three Years Ago

The line of souls stretched endlessly into the foggy void, each one silent, waiting. Some were crying. Some were blank. Others had long since accepted their fate.

Damantia, the Guardian of the Soul Gate, stood calmly beside his ancient, creaking scales—an eerie relic that shimmered between light and shadow. With a tired look on his face, he pointed to the next soul, and the scales began to glow.

He measured their sin value and silently sent them to the respective gates of Hell. It was a process—cold, quiet, methodical.

Until suddenly—

RUMBLE.

Screams echoed from the back.

Damantia looked up, annoyed. "Tch."

The Hell Guards were struggling with someone. A girl. She fought them like a wild beast, pushing back with more strength than she should've had.

Damantia sighed and walked toward the chaos.

"No need to hurry," he said, brushing dust off his dark robes. "Hell isn't going anywhere. Your sins will be weighed, and then you'll be allowed to enter."

The girl snapped back with a glare. "Who wants to go to Hell?! There's been a mistake! I don't belong here!"

Damantia just sighed. "That's what every soul says when they get here."

He waved his hand, and an old man's soul appeared beside them. He pointed at him. "Look at him."

The girl, Aria, turned and winced. The man looked like he'd been stuck here for decades.

"He's been here twenty years. Said the same thing. That he was supposed to be in Heaven," Damantia added flatly. "Now look at him."

Aria was disgusted.

Another soul appeared—this time a girl with ragged hair and lifeless eyes.

Aria screamed. "AH! What the hell—?!"

"She also said she didn't belong here," Damantia said, emotionless.

"But I'm different! I did donations! I helped an orphanage!" Aria argued, stepping forward.

"Then you're just like them," Damantia said.

Aria stomped. "I need a lawyer! Someone get me a lawyer to testify for me!"

"There are no lawyers here," Damantia replied. "But there is someone who can testify for you."

He snapped his fingers.

A glowing light formed beside Aria, and from it emerged a radiant creature. Gentle wings of light, a calm aura, completely silent.

Aria blinked. "What… What's this?"

"Your Angel," Damantia said. "We call them Veritas. Or if you prefer, your 'lawyer.' They're always by your side, recording every single deed you do—good or bad."

Aria's eyes lit up. "Good. Fine. Perfect!"

She turned to the angel and screamed, "THEN WHY AM I IN HELL?! Why didn't you record my good deeds?!"

Damantia interjected calmly, "They cannot speak."

"Then how's it supposed to testify?!"

"By showing me your deeds," Damantia said, pointing at the scales. "I weigh them."

"This is absurd!" Aria shouted, storming forward—but her foot caught on something.

She tripped.

BAM!

She crashed directly into one of the Hell Guards, falling right on top of him.

"You pervert!" she screamed, smacking him. "I didn't know there were perverts in Hell too!"

Damantia blinked. "Hako. What are you doing?"

The guard froze. "I… I wasn't doing anything!"

Aria pointed down, face red. "Then explain this! Your hands are rubbing my chest!!"

Hako looked down. His hands were indeed… there.

"H-HOW?!" he yelled, confused. "I didn't—my hands—!?"

Aria slapped him hard. "Get your damn hands OFF me!!"

Snapping back to reality, Hako quickly withdrew.

Aria held her chest like a child, tears brimming in her eyes.

Damantia's face twitched. "What were you trying to do in front of me, Hako? Do you want to be punished?"

"No, Lord Damantia!" Hako bowed, panicking. "She just fell on me! I swear—I don't know what happened!"

Damantia stepped forward, a heavy aura surrounding him.

"WAIT!" Aria suddenly yelled, stepping in. "If someone's going to punish him—it should be me! I'm the one who got violated!"

But as she moved, she tripped again—this time over Hako's foot.

CRASH!

She fell forward, and this time, her chest landed right on Damantia's face.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed. "HELL IS FULL OF ROTTEN PERVERTS!!"

She scrambled off in a panic, Damantia frozen like a statue, eyes wide, face red. His soul looked like it left his body for a second.

"Lord Damantia? Are you alright?" Hako asked, confused.

Damantia didn't respond.

Hako gave him a little shake. "My lord—"

THUD.

Damantia dropped Aria to the ground.

"OUCH!" she yelled, rubbing her butt. "That's MEAN!"

Damantia, blushing furiously, shouted, "THROW THIS SINFUL BEING INTO THE FIFTH GATE OF HELL!"

Everyone went silent.

"The Fifth Gate?!" Hako repeated, shocked. "But Lord Damantia, the Fifth Gate is for souls who pose a threat to Hell! You're not thinking clearly! If Lord Azreal finds out—"

"I AM thinking clearly!" Damantia barked. But inside, he was panicking.

("She poses a greater threat than any soul in the Fifth Gate… I should have thrown her in the Final Gate… but if Lord Azreal finds out… What was that feeling…? I've never felt anything like it before. She's… a formidable enemy.")

"…She will be placed in the First Gate," he finally declared.

Hako bowed. "Yes, my Lord."

Three Hell Guards grabbed Aria. A massive gate emerged, shaped like two skeletons holding hands. It gave off a chilling aura.

Aria yelled, "THIS IS INJUSTICE! I NEED A NEW LAWYER!! THERE'S A CRIME HAPPENING IN HELL! I BELONG IN PARADISE!!"

The gate opened—and with one last scream, she was dragged in.

Silence returned.

Damantia let out a long sigh.

The glowing angel still floated beside him.

"…Let me weigh her sins," Damantia muttered, raising his scales.

The two pillars rose—one dark, one light.

The pendulum swayed…

…and landed on the light.

Damantia froze.

"…How is this possible…? Her sin value is so low…"

He stared at the scale, then at the empty space where she'd stood.

"Who is she…? And why is she in Hell?"