WARNING

This is a future update.

The series will be about TBOI and Helluva Boss, with Isaac in this hell, and nonsensical things may happen. Prior knowledge of these two franchises is taken into consideration. In any case, this first chapter will focus on Isaac's life and his arrival in hell for those who are not familiar with TBOI. Otherwise, it is strongly recommended to have watched Helluva Boss."

P.S.: It doesn't work like that, but, for my self from months ago.

INUTIL PENSA MEJOR LAS TRAMAS, CHINGAS A TU MADRE CABRON, NO SE COMO MIERDA HICISTE PARA METER UN MONTON DE COSAS RANDOM A LA SERIE Y LOGRAR QUE SIGA LIGERAMENTE LAS REGLAS DEL HELLVERSE DE VIVZIE

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Bleh! I miss you, Phil...

Hey, this is just to write for a while. To know how to do something, you have to practice first. So, we could say that this is my practice

Oh, and I have my Discord (as_of_cookies). If you want to contact me to give some advice, ask any questions, or if you have any suggestions for the story, there you go.

(by the way, there is an old design of what Isaac will look like in hell, obviously it's on P a treon . com (slash) Asofcookies, AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY FREE)

Enjoy this, because for me, this gives me incredible embarrassment xd

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Life has always been cruel; perhaps you already have that clear. You also understand the 'complexity' of your situation in relation to your current state

It's a simple, well-known foundation within humanity itself. Despite the harshness it entails, humans often fall into this reality eventually and are capable of living with this understanding—a truly intriguing aspect, simpler than one might think. It's common to suffer from the loss of something, but in the end, you can't lose something you never had. It's strange that this must be a constant reminder for you

For example, a child dropping an ice cream she was enjoying could be considered a cruel event, but that's a minor one compared to the death of a loved one, for instance—a much worse event

When that loved one is no longer in this world, and it's not really about their death. No, it's about what this loss entails, because it's also cruel for those who stood by their side all the way to their last breath

Those who loved them so much are now in mourning, suffering from their loss. Some manage to accept their death over time, while others never do, unable to move on in their daily lives without them

And in the end, not everything is as cruel as it sounds, as one must consider the other side of the coin. The girl who cried over the loss of her dessert? Initially, her parents probably could afford to buy her another one—loving parents who wouldn't hesitate to comfort their daughter or buy her another one next time. But at least her parents had the opportunity to buy her the ice cream, unlike many families that can't even afford that—a fact that is, in its own way, cruel

While the death of a loved one is horrible but natural within all of you, it's something you already know and understand. Death comes for everyone, a clear thing, and you make the most of that time

You form memories; some may not be so happy, but they are memories, something you'll have in your mind until the day of your own death. And it's well known that humans tend to appreciate happy memories more than anything else, often clouding their vision and idealizing people

The point of all this? No matter how much someone has suffered, in the end, there will always be, deep down, someone who suffered more. Within every cruel moment, there's usually a moment of happiness or a glimmer of hope to keep going, even a lesson to learn, reminding you that everything will be okay. But the horrible tends to outweigh the good, prompting a question: Was there really any moment in your life that wasn't cruel?

...

Isaac was a happy child—or at least he thought so, with a mother and a father who were once loving, and despite his humble life and circumstances, they managed to find happiness with the help of their faith in the lord

Despite being a child with an experimental imagination, many people saw the product of his imagination as grotesque, due to its constant visceral theme, leading to a high level of ridicule from his classmates, being considered abnormal by his teachers, and clear concern from his parents, who, despite everything, still loved him and saw him for what he was

a child experimenting with his imagination

But for Isaac, all of this was a trivial matter. People always considered him weird, but none of them could provide the enjoyment that his imagination gave him, be it through stories or ideas; everything was within his creative grasp. This process expanded when he was old enough to put his creativity on paper

Creating countless games to the point where other children envied him for what he could do

And one thing he enjoyed too much was creating those games with his father, who was the best companion he could have.

Someone who, when he could make time for him, would make his days something completely different from a normal one, despite his mother's semi-disapproval of the constant theme of gambling that these games had due to his father's influence. Isaac just liked spending time with his father, having control in a world created by and for him.

Although things didn't seem to be the best, Isaac loved him, truly loved him. He loved everything, from spending time with his parents, his pets, or even alone, taking advantage of the time to draw and create concepts for more games. He couldn't wait to show them to his father or even his mother when she had time.

Except that Isaac's love wasn't enough to keep things that way, and Isaac learned the foundation that eventually everyone learns: life is cruel, and sometimes, more than it should be.

It was only a matter of time for the problems to unravel. They were difficulties that had always been there, like the fuse of a bomb that was lit even before he was born, but due to his young age, Isaac didn't have the mental capacity to fully comprehend them.

Starting with his father, a rehabilitated alcoholic and gambler, who, thankfully, had managed to recover. Now he had relapsed, to the point of taking all the savings from his humble family and spending them on his vices, further degrading the state of poverty in which his family had always lived.

Despite the horrible situation Isaac's parents were going through, they still didn't separate, trying to figure out what would be best for their son.

Continuing in a constant back-and-forth of fights, which slowly began to destroy the mental health of the couple, showing that this fuse was about to end, and it was only a matter of time before the bomb known as the 'Moriah Family' detonated.

Circumstances only worsened, feeding more into the addiction of the family's father. And although the suffering of this father was bad when problems began to resurface, his poor mother ended up worse off in the situation.

Gradually entering an addiction she had left behind over time, and without her husband to console her, she slowly found solace in Christian programs, helping her in ways her family never could. She idealized these crazy and disturbed ideas that offered her warmth but slowly became distorted until she eventually abandoned her faith and was corrupted, falling for the deceptive words of those who only wanted to profit at the expense of others.

And this... ended as expected.

The father, back in his senses after a while, found a broken family, seeing how everything had ended, and being, due to a fight larger than all the previous ones, the final trigger, the father of the broken family saw all this as his fault.

Despite loving his family, he knew they didn't deserve this, and to avoid hurting them more, he decided to take all his things and leave, reflecting that Isaac might be better off with his mother than with him in his life, although she didn't see it the same way.

Despite the hatred she had for her husband's vices, Isaac's mom considered it necessary for her son's father to be in his life and begged him not to leave, regretting all her words spoken earlier, and pleading with him not to abandon them, even begging on her knees. But in the end, the inevitable happened.

And to Isaac... all of this shattered him. He slowly saw how that person he loved most in the world, the person who promised to always be with him, was drifting away, apologizing for everything and deciding that it was best not to be in his life.

Isaac's mother, disgusted by her husband's behavior, fell deeper into drugs and fanatical religious programs, to the point of forcing her son to watch them with her, with the aim of preventing him from ending up like his father.

But Isaac still thought about his father, something that displeased his mother, to the point that his young mind reached a conclusion, tying every point he could remember in his life. Unfortunately, he began to see something he considered definitive—he had found the root of all these problems.

But he still didn't fully believe in this. That sane part of him was fighting as hard as it could. His mind could resist a little longer, but even so, Isaac's cruel life momentarily stopped, finding some peace along the way and bringing him some hope that maybe things would get better.

With the absence of his father at home, there was a cessation of the constant fights and arguments that were normally had, a pause to the constant yelling that kept him awake on those nights when his beloved cat was his only companion. He used this time to spend it with his mother around the clock, completely abandoning his studies and therefore school.

But, to be honest, this didn't seem to matter much to him. It was more time to spend with his mother, and more time to imagine things, while his mother, now completely immersed in corrupt religion, tried to force extremist values into her son's head with the intention of making him a true 'religious' person. She longed for her son to have the same values as her, even considering any contrary thought as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, harboring particular hatred for the boy's father and constantly reproaching him for being a blatant copy of the man who ruined them.

But the result of all these practices was an unpleasant one, at least in the eyes of his mother. Isaac liked watching TV with her despite everything; it was a good way to relax after his mother stripped him of all his belongings, even the games he had created with his father, considering them part of a 'devil's contamination.'

Thanks to all this, he managed to delve deeper into religion than his family or school had taught him. Countless stories and dialects slowly fueled his imagination more, making him realize how enriched religion was in terms of history and construction, so much that all his creations slowly took references from this grand narrative that transcended eras.

Unfortunately... his mother didn't like this. She considered these actions as if they were blasphemies, a cruel mockery of her son to what allowed them to keep living. Slowly, she began to see her son as the same blasphemy towards religion and everything she perceived as the 'absolute good,' something that fit perfectly into her representation of Isaac as the man who ruined her life, taking a more cruel and ruthless attitude.

And that mother who once existed had become nothing more than a monster, a beast deserving the darkest place in hell. There was no more that affection that once existed; now, there was only the consciousness of a mentally disturbed person, disregarding true religion and taking extremism and drugs as her true teachers.

And that beast, who once was a mother, saw all her son's actions as blasphemy. Her twisted mind went through countless turns, only to blame her son for everything, deciding that it was best to strip him of every possession she hadn't taken yet, from toys to clothes, even slowly considering his life.

After all, he was still the son of the man who destroyed her, the demon slowly hunting her, why would he be different from himself?

And why should she have consideration for a monster, a demon like him? At least, that's what the once mother of Isaac thought. And with that, the cruel life of the little one worsened, a lot

Why should one have consideration for a monster, a demon as such? At least that's what Isaac's once-mother thought, and with that, the little boy's cruel life worsened significantly.

It led to physical and psychological abuse, fostering self-loathing in someone who only kept himself alive with the bare minimum because 'it was a sin to end another individual's life.'

But this punishment didn't only reach him; it also took his dearest and most loyal friend, the one that allowed him to get this far and constantly reminded him that not everything in his life was bad.

Perhaps it was intentional, or maybe she simply never considered it due to other concerns, but his cat began to fall ill, even though Isaac had tried to share a portion of the meager food granted by his mother.

But it wasn't enough. Over time, Guppy, the ray of light that illuminated his dark life, the one he could turn to when his mother insulted him, the one who comforted him when he couldn't sleep at night due to hunger or uncontrollable tears, fell gravely ill.

So grave that he had to beg his mother to take him to the vet, to the point of pleading with her. For some reason he could never understand, she did.

And he just waited, waited for his mother to return with his beloved cat. He had so much faith that he didn't even think about the numerous procedures that needed to be taken in cases like these, something that would take more than a day.

But he really knew. He wasn't such a stupid child; he knew what awaited him. He wasn't oblivious to what happened to animals that were too sick in these cases... He knew about euthanasia and in which cases it was used.

And despite everything... He didn't care. He decided to keep waiting, ignoring the voices in his head that blamed him, or those voices that didn't hold the truth, the ones that screamed what was going to happen. And in the end, the voices won, and Isaac never saw Guppy again since his mother took him away.

And with that, he understood, although he always knew it. Isaac understood that he was the cause of all this, from the guilt of his parents' separation to the guilt of his cat's death. Everything was a result of his actions and his greatest sin: taking the life of a small child by claiming that body as his own, depriving him of a better destiny.

After all, it was no longer a secret. Since the day he was born, he knew this and evaded the truth until now. An evil soul will always be evil, no matter how much it tries. He knew he was destined to destroy everything he loved because demons are born to do evil. They were beings born for misfortune, and Isaac was the worst of all, as he took the worst of all as his master. Isaac was Satan's disciple, his true son, and not his parents' as he thought. He was the one in the world as his hand, the hand that would take the life of everyone.

But...

Isaac 'found' a solution to all this darkness, getting rid of the supreme evil and causing its end. It wasn't for redemption; it wasn't because he thought it was right. He simply did it to avoid causing more pain to those he loved.

It didn't seem strange to him. Even his mother always wanted a daughter, his father would have wanted a better son, his classmates a better friend, even his pet would have preferred a better owner. But unfortunately, Isaac believed it was his fault that they needed something better. He believed it was his fault that everyone suffered; he believed it was his fault that someone better hadn't taken his place.

And that evil couldn't help but cry. It was natural in such a heartbreaking situation. Still, it never retracted; it remained locked up, falling into the hands of suffocation, atrophied by the thoughts swirling in his head: fear, confusion, remorse. These emotions slowly distorted due to the lack of oxygen in his brain.

Despite all the suffering, Isaac never tried to get out of the chest. He just kept waiting, believing it was the best option for people to live in peace, for his mother to be happy, and for no one to suffer anymore.

And then...

Brown walls filled his vision, a room with four doors, one in each direction, one filled with spikes, another with a golden frame, and he soon realized something: he was in the basement. He never understood how it happened, but he found himself in the basement, and he wasn't alone.

It was only a matter of time before he decided to move forward, perhaps due to a lack of options or a faint glimmer of bravery, but his feet started moving forward.

And regret filled him after entering one of those doors, finding bodies of forms similar to his own but distorted, grotesquely deformed.

So grotesque that he could recognize them; these weren't just any monsters. These were his creations, which now bore a physical body and only moved to attack him.

Obviously, horror overcame him, and to his surprise, he found help in his own tears, which he could use as an offense against these infernal beasts. But there was not only negativity there, as he also encountered tools that he could use to end all this: trinkets, items, pills, cards.

These were just some gadgets he could use to challenge his fears, and so he did, starting his last adventure. Despite being full of fears, he diligently continued until the end, defeating bosses, encountering more enemies and more objects, and never stopping.

He progressed so much that, in the end, he managed to encounter himself in different ways he had never seen or felt before, like the daughter his mother once wanted, like the demons he was, or even versions of himself dead, foreshadowing his destiny: a suffocated body, a soul, a corpse.

He managed to make contact with every facet and state of himself, advancing more and more, clearing every challenge imposed on him, seeing patterns in everything, feeling like he was unlocking things every time he found himself back in the basement, becoming stronger each time.

And there was a certain satisfaction in this, whether it was for power or perhaps adrenaline. He faced all his fears eventually, defeating his sins, emerging victorious against his mother countless times, taking on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in his hands.

It was something that no one could have done, an endless nightmare that would end with him, dying endlessly in a loop. But Isaac persevered, and just as he could die, he continued endlessly.

Taking every path more complex than the other, accepting Satan as his master, taking the lives of seraphim to angels, proving both his resemblance to him, even ending up fighting and proving that he was the true demon, worse than Satan.

He even ascended to the heavens, taking his own life, the true symbolism that the good he so desired was behind his own death, without Mega Satan being left behind, being the next to be taken by the willpower born from Isaac and his desire to reach his end.

Everyone fell before him; not even his own delusions were able to end him, being nothing more than another challenge for the boy, proving his worth

And as he continued on his journey, he accepted more and more, knowing that the end was approaching.

Until it finally came.

His own home.

Awakening in the living room, Isaac roamed his home once again, no longer the same as he once was.

Though not as spacious, it brought nostalgia, yet it no longer felt the same. This time, he had a purpose, and unlike in the past, he did not fear walking through the place, afraid of being found.

From his room, which was as empty as when he left, to his mother's room, just as he remembered it. He rarely entered the closet, only to eventually find the television that started it all.

As he thought it would be a final confrontation as always,He found himself fighting against himself, as he had so many times. But this time was different. It wasn't just "him" as it had been so many times before. It was what his mother once wanted him to become

His ideals and the weight they carried.

It was the amorphous version of himself that abandoned all semblance of the word of the Lord, falling into absolute corruption. He was his idealization, what his mother would have set as a goal. But for Isaac, he was no more than another boss to defeat.

And so he did. He defeated him, showed his purity, destroyed the desecrator of the word of the Lord, and accepted his dogmas, his "evil."

In the end, he proved that such a thing never existed for him. And despite having shown what he truly was, there was still a task ahead. It wasn't for his redemption, it wasn't a task assigned by God; it was merely his obligation as a true son of God.

Facing the beast, that monster who profaned the word of the Lord and dedicated himself to spreading fallacies in his name, the monster that he brought down in every phase of his personal hell, from his body, heart, to ending with his corpse – the true form for Isaac. Not like the mother he once was, but as what remained after abandoning the Lord and his word, bidding farewell to his son along with his life.

This was the end. It was time for the harlot of harlots to pay for her sins, followed by her riders, standing solely for the messages that went against the word of the Lord, wishing to continue corrupting his word, surpassing all thought and becoming a craving that was more than an addiction. Only this time, it wouldn't be the case.

The four horsemen fell, and the beast accompanied their fall.

…

Then, suddenly, the sky above cracked open, and a white beam of light reached down into the Earth, smiting the Mother of Harlots asunder and setting the blood lake to a boil. As the Beast descended down into the lake of fire, Isaac ascended towards the crack in the sky, and as he flew he could see echoes of his past before him:

He saw his mother mourning the loss of her son.

He saw his father leaving them without turning to say goodbye.

He saw his mother sleeping, and his father taking money from her purse.

He heard the late-night fights they had that kept him up at night, and the guilt he felt for what he believed he was causing.

He felt the pain in his stomach during those sleepless nights, and saw his shadow in the closet, waiting for him.

As he rose, he felt his fears drop from his body. His shame, his worry, pulled from his being. As he became lighter, his ascent became faster.

He saw his one true companion, alive and well.

He saw his mother and father together again, holding each other.

He felt his mother kissing him on the head after he had said his prayers, and the comfort in knowing someone was watching over him.

He saw his own birth, and the faces of his parents filled with joy and optimism.

And then... he saw nothing.

Because the world, besides being cruel, is also unfair. He knew that everything that happened to him in his life was undeserved, that all the harm inflicted by his family was not even remotely justified. But despite all that, he still longed to return. He didn't care about something like eternal rest or paradise.

He wanted to be in the arms of his family again. He didn't care if they were a humble family again, if people treated him badly. It was nothing.

Absolutely nothing compares to the desire to see his father again and the mother who broke him, all gathered as a happy family one last time.

But life is unfair. So much that it was simply impossible, because Isaac was already dead. And not only was life unfair to him, but death was going to be as well. Even though he hadn't done anything wrong in his life, and even if he deserved at least eternal rest for all that happened in his cruel life, it was naturally impossible for the young the Isaac to go to heaven

Do you understand, Isaac?

…

The young protagonist of all these tragedies observed the angel's face, not speaking or making a single movement since this encounter began. For many, this might not have even been a possibility, but for Isaac, encountering this kind of situation at this point was normal. The 5-year-old was no longer the same, as evidenced by his indifferent gaze, as if this were an everyday occurrence.

and although his wings were dwarfed by the true angel wings of the being in front of him, that smaller pair remained upright.

And despite the heartbreaking news, the young one observed the area around him, not caring much to shift his focus from the angel. He saw how everything seemed like a void around him, maintaining his indifferent demeanor. A young voice could be heard in the infinite void, "I guess... I'll have to burn in hell?"

The emotionless tone was met with a voice of similar lack of affection, the only distinction being a graver tone.

"Not necessarily."

Isaac tilted his head in confusion while raising an eyebrow, still not saying a word. The angel took his silence as a response to continue explaining his situation.

"Destiny is not definitive, or at least, that's what I like to believe. Not everything completely. If you were destined for 'eternal suffering,' we wouldn't be having this conversation." The angel observed Isaac diligently, expecting some kind of response. But he was met with absolute silence, accompanied by eyes fixed on him, so he continued.

"You can't go to heaven, and there are several reasons for this. It's not too complex to name some of these 'reasons,' such as considering yourself Satan's disciple, making the decision to end the lives of seraphim, whether through demonic pacts or even a greater number of actions that can enter this list. But these were mostly recreated in your mind, and considering your situation, they can be somewhat overlooked." The angel paused for a few seconds, thinking about how to formulate the next part as effectively possible

"You... have taken your own life, and that is the greatest sin a human can commit, and it is unforgivable."

...

The angel's voice began to sound emptier, something Isaac quickly noticed, but he still didn't interrupt. "Despite everything mentioned, your entry into heaven is not completely restricted, but there are two main reasons why it won't happen."

The uninterrupted silence continued

"Firstly, you have a certain aversion to religion... And that's natural, especially in your case. After all, and even if you hate it, many religious extremists can still be considered part of religion for your people, and they were responsible for destroying your life. Even if you don't categorize everyone the same way, you remain aware of this detail." The angel noticed a certain reaction when mentioning the extremists, a reaction he couldn't decipher, mostly due to the expression of impassiveness Isaac maintained, something he didn't know how long could last.

"Above all, I know the kind of person you are, and you would probably hate heaven. You would feel too uncomfortable in such a place, even rejecting your entry to heaven because you are aware that you do not have a pass to paradise" The angel realized how accurate he was in the last part as Isaac's eyes shifted with embarrassment, considering this as a strange compliment.

Even he knew, that it sounded stupid to say that someone wouldn't go to heaven because they knew that it was not for them, a rather strange existence, considering how lately heaven had been filling up with people opposed to him.

...

If only more people like this existed... I guess it's too much to ask for him to simply accept entry into heaven. That would go against his beliefs.

"But hell is not the end of your journey; it could actually be the beginning of a new one, though it sounds cliché. And though I don't like to say it, there are certain... 'differences' between the perception of hell in life and what it's really like. This is something that heaven also suffers to a lesser extent, as they are entirely different from what a human usually believes." If a believer heard an angel say these words, it would be a quite amusing scene, much like when they hear about the sins they commit daily.

"So... hell isn't that bad?" Confusion dominated the tone of the little one's question, accompanied by surprise that diminished as he thought more about what he heard.

Does it sound weird? Yes, on the other hand, an angel said it, no need for further proof.

"It's... Complicated. It's not good, not even a bit, but it differs from the 'eternal suffering' that is often talked about. It's one of the many things you'll have to discover for yourself eventually."

...

Isaac understood the strength behind those words; he would go to hell. It didn't seem so strange to him; he realized it since they treated his entire life as a tragedy. But still, there was something he didn't fully understand.

"I..." For everything he heard, his facade of absolute indifference was breaking, to the point where he felt more comfortable speaking, but still, he couldn't fully trust... That's why it took him a few seconds to finish his sentence, feeling an annoying itch in his throat as he spoke.

"I died, suffocated in the chest, and now I'm in this place for my sins."

"That's right." The angel nodded at the young man's words, with a smile growing increasingly on his face, closer to what could be considered the climax of the conversation.

"But shouldn't I just be in hell? Why—"

"Why this encounter? Well, that's simple. Your memory may be a bit... Rusty, and I think it was necessary for you to remember your entire life for this moment." His completely white eyes began to open wider, that smile he drew earlier started to abandon its divinity and enter an inhuman distortion, causing clear terror in Isaac, who for a moment, believed this was just another boss.

"INJUSTICE!" his voice rose as much as his arms and his face, losing that feeling of divinity and formality he maintained until now, while with a smile that reached its maximum point, abandoning its resemblance to a human face.

Something a being like him shouldn't show in public, he could afford it in this place, leaving the little one a bit frightened. He instinctively began to move backward as the angel "recited" some prayers.

"Enveloped in the whirlwind of the most ruthless injustice, you faced inhuman cruelty with unbreakable purity. Clinging to the word of the Lord amid chaos, your faith remained unscathed despite the adversities. And this faith, this burning flame, cries out for justice! Your suffering, marked by helplessness in the face of ruthless life, demands compensation, and it will not be in vain! For your suffering, you will be given the right to be as unjust to death as life was to you!"

...

¡HE FUCKING LOVES THEATRICALITY!

The initial fear on Isaac's face deconstructed into genuine concern for the angel due to the sudden change in tone. It took a few seconds for his mind to register the words, leaving him even more confused than before once he fully comprehended them.

But luckily for him, the angel realized his actions, giving a slightly embarrassed look for his behavior. He attempted to return to the divine demeanor he held earlier, failing abruptly.

"I... apologize if my actions put you on alert. They were not the proper actions for an angel of my level. I li-, enjoy theatrics and things of that nature" The angel made eye contact with Isaac, still maintaining the embarrassment. He took a step forward to approach, met with a step backward, a pattern that continued until Isaac gave up, realizing this wouldn't lead anywhere.

"You— you spoke of some right to be unjust with death?" He was never the best at navigating awkward moments, especially when it involved a divine being that made him uncomfortable. Although it lightened the situation a bit, it no longer felt like he was talking to an angel, more like—

No, he's still an angel. I can't compare him to a beggar.

"YES— I mean, that's correct. You will go to hell with tools that will be of help, which are nothing more than manipulations of something natural that all sinners possess." Mostly, at least. It's a very specific case to know what kind of repercussions it will have, but it's not something necessary to mention. For now.

The angel positioned his hands behind his back, attempting to appear more formal.

"Something natural?" Isaac asked, becoming increasingly curious. Despite the situation, his mind was slowly wandering back into imagination, thinking about the possibilities.

"That's right. All sinners, upon going to hell, end up with various qualities, mostly and primarily, a unique ability and something they hate about their body or a negative characteristic in any case."

"You... Um, you'll manipulate that? Isn't that against some celestial rule about controlling such things?" He felt insecure about all this, and the fact that an angel was talking about manipulating something he didn't understand and probably breaking some rule made by God only made it worse.

This concern wasn't a surprise for the angel, and maybe he had a point to some extent. It wasn't unusual for him to intervene in a case like this, but it was in general. There weren't many people as pure as this child, especially considering the tenacity needed to maintain beliefs in such extreme situations as his. It's as if destiny set out to end this child's faith.

Maybe he has mixed feelings about religion, but he's still very attached to God, to the point of having an almost childlike adoration for Him. Even demons would be saddened to hear his story, at least those who still have some empathy.

Is this against the rules? Yes, there were angels who did worse things and let worse people into heaven, obviously. If the Father knew what this child had gone through, he would lose more faith in humanity. He doubts that He would mind if he did something like this, at least he hopes...

"You shouldn't worry about that. You can consider this as a gift from God, to the one who fought his worst battles and in the end overcame his fears. Maybe he lost battles, but his story will not be forgotten even after the war."

...

"that- was that theatrics..?, or is it literally like that?" The angel sighed and gave a smile (less psychotic), deciding that the best thing he could do now was to demonstrate his words in actions, and that God had not completely abandoned him after so much hardship.

A hand transcended the void, rising to the young man's height, opening its palm and leaving it in such a way that it could be fully observed.

And before Isaac could question his actions (or his mental health), things began to happen.

There was an unparalleled darkness, more of a real void, but a luminous glow began to shine, attracting everything to its grasp, uniting into a whole, ending up in his palm as such.

As if the light itself were swirling, the young man's eyes opened in amazement at the spectacle, watching as his wings slowly became part of that light that was slowly consummating in the angel's palm. Maybe this was just pure show, perhaps it wasn't necessary, but for the young man, it was undoubtedly beautiful.

And after a few seconds, it ended, finishing with a bright flash that left his eyes blinded for a moment, until he could finally see through and found something peculiar, even a bit funny considering the circumstances and the tone of things.

It was like his head, and not as viscerally as it sounds, more like it was pixelated and simplified. His eyes were completely closed; the tears had stopped falling, but marks indicating their existence could be seen. All of this was accompanied by a gray hand, which was resting on top of his head, reassuring rather than with malice or malicious intent.

He... didn't take long to understand what it was, an item from the pedestals, at least similar to that. Just like he used so many in his past, and he could understand the angel's words a bit. It was like God's mercy toward him, at least that's what he grasped in the few seconds it took to be hypnotized by the shape and glow of the object."

His hand approached slowly but retracted with uncertainty. He didn't know why, but now he truly didn't know what to do. Perhaps that part of him that constantly claimed this was another dream, another battle to win, and that he would wake up again in the basement regardless of the outcome, was beginning to fade away. In the end, the idea that maybe all of this was real remained, and... He didn't know how to feel about it. It was like a reality check. He had already rid himself of all his darkness, his regrets, but still, he remained human, and this was something beyond his shattered mind.

Although... Just looking into his eyes was enough, eyes that might be empty due to the light, but still capable of conveying thoughts about all this. He trusted the angel, and he trusted the serene smile the angel was giving him. The angel never rushed him; he was just waiting, a wait that ended when his hand touched the object after what felt like endless seconds.

It didn't take long, but in a matter of seconds, that object was no longer there, taking with it the glow it possessed, leaving everything in the same previous darkness.

Isaac looked at himself for any sign of something different, confused a bit by the way the object simply disintegrated without a trace. While doing this, something began to form in front of him.

A piece of paper appeared in his hand, unlike the ones he had used before. It was smooth and completely white, with cursive writing in lines.

 Divine Benevolence

 'Your imagination knows no end; there is no limit to what you can create.'

 Item: Passive

"At the end, I'm just allowing you to reclaim what is already yours, but remember that everything has a price."

...

That was something, and he didn't know exactly what. He didn't feel different, but he didn't know if he should feel different.

clap

An applause abruptly snapped Isaac out of his thoughts, quickly looking forward, seeing the same angel, in the same place, but with a smile while holding his hands together in a praying pose.

"Well, the first part is done. Now let's talk about the second part, which is related to another reason why you can't enter heaven." The angel made a grimace. Again, it was a different experience explaining these topics to young ones, especially considering the horror of his situation.

...

For the angel, the silence was nothing more than confirmation to continue. "You are... in a compromised situation, so to speak, and a quite horrendous one, actually. Let me explain it to you in the best way I can." One of his hands moved to point at the center of Isaac's chest.

"Many beings like you are composed of three equal parts, which complete them: the soul, the mind, and the body. The Trinity that binds them in completeness... And well, in your case, those three things are in a lamentable state, so to speak."

...

It wasn't a surprise; it was actually expected. One doesn't go through all that without ending up broken in every sense, and it showed on the emotionless face he had, as if it were redundant to mention his current state.

"Well, in your current state, it would be impossible to enter heaven, and it would be annoying for you to go through hell with... that."

"So, what will happen?" The little boy stared at the angel, not knowing where all of this was going.

...

"These three things, your own Trinity together, are in constant evolution, and by forming a whole being, the fact that they change doesn't mean you stop being the person you once were. In your case, growth was corrupted, unable to grow as you should have, without becoming what you should have been. But there is a way to help you and resolve this issue completely." The angel, for a moment, realized that after this, the likely thing is that that attitude toward heaven will be lost, and he will start to hate it more... Still, it won't be something that concerns him.

"But... It would be a very abrupt change of the three states, all at once, and without a process in which you have time to learn from them. Although you will still be Isaac, you will feel like a completely new person."

...

"It's not a decision you can take lightly, so can-"

"I'll do it. I don't really know what it means... But I'll just become better, right?" These were things he didn't fully understand the strength of their meaning, but still, he wouldn't back down now.

A smile formed on the face of the divine being, this time, a calmer and truer one, pleased with the behavior of the young one and his attitude to move forward despite the circumstances. It was wonderful to see a being with so much willpower.

"You won't become better; you already are. You have nothing to change. Now you are Isaac, a pure and likable boy, and after this, you will still be the same boy, just... You'll have things clearer. I would like you not to change once you get to hell and understand your life better. Now you have control over your own death and what follows it, and no one can order you to behave in a certain way, but..."

...

He could only let out a sigh and give the warmest smile he could to the young one in front of him.

"I've already said it; you're not bad. And it might be hypocritical for an angel to tell you to behave in hell, but still, don't force yourself to be something you don't want to be." Silence accompanied his words, giving him time to think about his response, although it never came, knowing that it was probably just part of an information overload due to his limited time.

...

'It's time.'

Unfortunately, that limited time was already reaching its limit, even as Isaac continued to ponder his words.

The angel lowered his hand to the little boy's head, sliding it slowly down his head until it ended on his chest.

A golden dust began to fall from the movement, causing the same effect it had before, until it left an object similar to the previous one formed by this dust, except that this one had more of a physical form than an unreal object.

It was questionable, especially considering its appearance of a golden apple shining in white tones.

His small hands grabbed the apple, feeling a lightness that didn't seem coherent with its size. Isaac stared at the object, then returned his gaze to the angel in doubt.

'This seemed like-'

 "The Fruit of Knowledge"

 ?

 Single-use active

 ?

"That's a... interesting design, so to speak." The angel inspected the item, taking the sheet from the child's hand to read it properly. Unlike the previous one, this one seemed to be polished in gold, and couldn't help but notice how the first thing its ability did was already strange in every sense. It had to be admitted that the design it ended up with was a bit interesting.

"See, this isn't something as grand as modifying the values of your arrival in hell (among other things). This is more like... giving an idea to your ability and forcing that idea into existence. That's why the appearance is... curious, so to speak."

The angel now, more expectant than before, observed with a hand on its chin the object in front of it, even stooping down to get a better look.

It inserts the idea, but it's unable to predict the final result. It doesn't know what effects it will actually have. After all, it can allow a certain level of interception in these matters, but the fact that it makes reference to the fruit of knowledge is still ironic.

"Well, that would be all. After you use this item, you'll disappear from this place. Any last questions? Although it's doubtful that you'll remember all of this completely."

...

His hands squeezed the apple tightly... Yes, it was an apple, but at the same time, it would be the beginning of a new adventure, an adventure in which he wouldn't be restricted by anyone, neither rooms, nor bosses, nor his own mind. And even if enemies appeared... Well, he wasn't that weak child he once was... At least not in his entirety.

It was his new life, as much as discarding a previous game to continue with a new and different one.

"Can I do something before I go?" To the angel's surprise, this time Isaac's cheeks were a bit red with embarrassment, something rare, considering the act of indifference he maintained all the time. Anyway, the angel nodded, giving him a curious look at the request.

"Can... Can I hug you?"

...

'Oh.'

A cry of surprise, sharper than Isaac would have wanted, could be heard in the endless void when the angel gave him a hug that completely enveloped the young one. Maybe he would have liked something quieter and smaller, but still, he couldn't help but feel happy about the sensation.

For the angel, it couldn't be happier, comforting those who had a complicated life was something it longed to do constantly, but it seemed incapable because of its status, because it had to maintain that semblance of divinity, which it accidentally broke when its pastime interrupted its work again. Giving it the opportunity to indulge in this.

Despite the intensity of the hug, which the angel didn't realize measured, it would have liked it to last a bit longer, but still, it felt happy when they finally separated, and it could observe the angel in its fullness.

It was very similar to the seraphim it fought against once, with the grotesque and visceral being the substantial difference. It had the same tunic, and this angel did have facial features, setting aside that completely empty face the others had, seeing this as nothing more than curious details it didn't notice before due to concentrating on other things.

...

His gaze went to his hand, feeling the slight weight of the apple that constantly reminded him of its existence. It was incredible how something of this size was supposed to start his new life.

Without feeling fear, remorse, or regret, he decided to lift the apple to his mouth, hesitating whether to take a bite right away and leave this place.

Everything was so strangely peaceful here... But it wasn't his new home; it was just a transition to it.

His hand began to close around the apple tightly, lifting it until it was close to his mouth, and lowering it a bit before looking at the angel.

"How... How bad were my sins?" It wasn't necessary to know; it was a fact of no importance that wouldn't change anything... But he knew he wouldn't have another chance to ask this.

"Oh, I assumed you already knew, after all, you even had a monologue after defeating Dogma, but well..." The angel forced a suspenseful pause, something that only made Isaac nervous, prompting the angel to better stop playing games.

"You're not a sinner! I thought you already had that clear, dummy." It ended with a smile as it looked at the small one in front of it, feeling a bit of pity and embarrassment for acting cryptically, but it was up to him to understand these things.

...

Isaac thought it was contradictory considering how he has already been told what sins he committed in life

"But, to be honest, he didn't care. His lips slowly lifted, forming a small smile, the first in a long time. He even felt a bit fond of the nickname, regretting a bit that he had to leave already.

However, definitively, the apple rose to his mouth, and he bit into it fully, not without saying words as strong as they were clear.

"Thank you."

...

The void returned to what it once was, with its only resident standing in the middle of nowhere. Those empty orbs seemed to focus on the spot where he could find the child before.

Although there was no clear sense of direction, the angel turned around and began to leave the place, getting ready to continue with its duties, while taking the opportunity to unload what had been gnawing at it since it found the child's case.

"Oh, Father, how do you endure these kinds of things every day?"

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chapter finished, first chapter, an introduction to set aside what is 'The Binding of Isaac' part, to go directly to you-know-where.

Fun Facts with As! (Story facts or future story ideas you might want to know, which may or may not be mentioned in the future, I don't know yet)

*I'm not going to think about the implications of this, but I doubt that a person with psychological problems can enter heaven in this hypothetical situation. Besides, I see heaven as a version similar to hell, and I'm sure Isaac's mind is too broken to rationalize that.

*Isaac loves God, he still does, and understands the distinction between different ideals within the same group of people. Still, he is reluctant to what religion, in general, entails, not to mention extreme fanaticism.

*Why the heck is an angel in the scene? It's indifferent to explain it, but I doubt that the review of each human to see if they deserve paradise or not is automatic, and it took his case only because of the empathy he felt for his situation. You could call it a guardian angel who arrived too late to protect.

Also, it is known that heaven is corrupt, and I'm pretty sure that an angel wouldn't mind helping a person who suffered as much as Isaac, considering that there are probably angels who don't care about the "natural" order of things and put anyone in heaven just because they could provide a benefit.

*Sounds OP, probably is if I feel like it, but it's not the main idea. Obviously, it's exaggeratedly advantageous and absurd, but hey, that's the fun, life was unfair to him, now he can be unfair to life, the balance of living and dying, I suppose.

*Why is Isaac so calm? Well, if we consider the things he does in the game, we'll realize that it's not so strange that he has gotten used to this point. In his situation, the strangest thing isn't the angel, but how he communicates.

*Oh, right, I forgot to mention that I don't know how the procedures in the United States work, but I read that euthanasia isn't exactly free, and you saw what Isaac's mother did with everyone in general.

...

I'm just going to leave that there.

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Next chapter 9/12

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