Max's vision swam as he slowly regained consciousness. The frigid bite of metal gnawed at his wrists and ankles, the chains digging into his skin with every slight movement. He was shackled, each link heavy and unyielding, anchoring him to the pitch-black room. The only source of light was a faint, sickly glow that barely illuminated his surroundings, casting long, mocking shadows that danced across the walls.
Desperately, Max tried to move, but the chains rattled, their grip tightening with every struggle. His head pounded, thoughts slow and disjointed. Where was he? What had happened? The last thing he remembered was the pirates—and then—nothing.
A shape began to materialize in front of him, but it was no ordinary form. It flickered in and out of existence, a glitch in reality that warped the space around it. The figure seemed to defy the very nature of the world, its presence unsettling and alien.
Max's voice came out as a hoarse whisper, barely cutting through the darkness. "What… happened to me?"
The figure's form crackled, its voice an eerie distortion that echoed with a blend of sorrow and something far more sinister—disappointment. "You have been judged, Max."
Max's mind raced back through the events leading up to his captivity. The forbidden fruit he had stolen from the ancient, hidden grove—a fruit whose name was never spoken, a symbol of forbidden knowledge and power. He remembered the thrill of taking it, the way it had seemed to promise a shortcut to his vengeance. He thought of the countless lives he had destroyed in his pursuit of revenge—the lives of the Yun family's servants, the destruction of entire worlds, the pain inflicted on innocents caught in his wake.
Max's breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled against the chains. "What… what is this place?"
The Judge's voice was cold, almost mechanical, yet layered with a sharp edge of disdain. "I am the Judge of Souls… the deity of Fate… the entity who deems you unworthy. You have committed grievous sins."
Max's eyes widened, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and confusion. "Sins? What have I done?"
The Judge's voice took on a harsh, condemning tone. "You stole the Forbidden Fruit, an act of defiance against the natural order. You have murdered, destroyed entire worlds, and brought chaos to countless lives. You have acted with arrogance and cruelty, believing yourself above the consequences of your actions."
Max's heart raced as he struggled to comprehend the weight of his deeds. "I did what I had to do. They took everything from me!"
The Judge's form flickered with a menacing intensity. "Your crimes are not justifiable. You have slaughtered and ravaged without mercy. The innocent, the guilty—none were spared from your wrath. You have shown no regard for the suffering you caused, only a relentless pursuit of vengeance."
Max's breath came in ragged gasps as he reflected on his actions. The faces of those he had harmed flashed before his eyes—the families torn apart, the planets reduced to rubble. The thrill of power and revenge now seemed hollow, the cost of his actions weighing heavily on his conscience.
The Judge's voice was laden with a cold finality. "You will be stripped of your power, your soul shattered. You will be reincarnated into a world of suffering, a mere mortal stripped of all you hold dear. There will be no reprieve, no second chances. You will face the same agony you have inflicted upon others, and perhaps, then you will understand the weight of your sins."
Max's face contorted with a mix of fear and rage. "You can't do this! I'll—"
But the Judge's voice interrupted him, more chilling than before. "I have spoken. The fate of your soul is sealed. Your struggles and pleas are meaningless in the face of the judgment I deliver."
As the Judge's form shimmered and began to fade, Max felt a crushing darkness enveloping him. The room seemed to dissolve around him, the chains pulling him deeper into an abyss. The last thing he saw was the Judge's cold, indifferent gaze, a reminder of the harsh reality he was about to face.
The darkness closed in, and with a final, piercing scream, Max was plunged into an inescapable void, his fate sealed by the deity of judgment.