The castle felt even more oppressive now, the air thicker, the shadows deeper. The Warden said nothing as they walked, and Satou didn't bother asking any questions. There was no point. He had learned from the trial that Hell didn't offer explanations—it only threw you into the fire and waited to see if you burned.
After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at a large door. This one was different from the others—massive and ancient, with strange symbols carved into the stone. It radiated a sense of power that made Satou's skin crawl. The Warden stopped in front of the door, turning to face Satou.
"Beyond this door lies the Abyss," the Warden said, his voice low and cold. "It is a place of torment, where the lost souls of Hell are cast to suffer for eternity. The King has decreed that you must enter."
Satou's stomach dropped. "Enter? Why?" he asked, feeling the familiar surge of fear creeping up his spine.
"There is someone inside who you must find," the Warden continued, ignoring the fear in Satou's voice. "A prisoner, bound in chains of ether. They hold knowledge that you need if you are to survive what is to come."
Satou swallowed hard, his mind spinning with questions. "And if I refuse?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
The Warden's eyes glowed red beneath his helmet. "There is no refusal. You have been chosen. You either succeed… or you perish."
Satou felt a lump form in his throat. He looked at the door, the symbols glowing faintly in the darkness, and knew there was no escape. He had no choice but to go inside. The weight of the King's expectations pressed down on him like an iron fist.
Without another word, the Warden stepped aside, allowing Satou to approach the door. His hands trembled as he reached for the handle, the cold stone biting into his skin. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open, stepping into the unknown.
The Abyss was like nothing Satou had ever seen before.
The air was thick and suffocating, filled with the sound of distant wails and screams that seemed to come from every direction. The ground was cracked and uneven, with jagged rocks jutting up from the earth like teeth. Shadows twisted and writhed in the corners of his vision, always moving but never fully taking shape. And in the distance, a massive, dark chasm yawned, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Satou took a cautious step forward, his heart pounding in his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to turn back, to run as fast as he could. But he couldn't. Not with the Warden watching. Not with the King's command hanging over him like a death sentence.
The door slammed shut behind him, sealing him inside the Abyss.
Satou's breath quickened, but he forced himself to keep moving. The sword in his hand felt heavier with each step, the weight of his task settling on his shoulders. He had no idea who he was supposed to find in this forsaken place, but he knew he had to survive long enough to figure it out.
As he walked, the shadows around him seemed to grow thicker, pressing in closer. The wails of the damned grew louder, filling his ears with a sound so terrible it made his skin crawl. Satou gritted his teeth, trying to block it out, but the noise was relentless, digging into his mind like claws.
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead of him, barely visible in the darkness.
Satou froze, tightening his grip on the sword. The figure was hunched over, its back to him, moving slowly as if it were dragging something heavy behind it. Satou's heart raced. He didn't know if it was friend or foe, but in the Abyss, it was more likely to be the latter.
"Hey," Satou called out, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness.
The figure stopped, its head tilting slightly as if it had heard him. Slowly, it turned around. Satou's breath caught in his throat.
The figure wasn't human.
Its face was twisted and gaunt, with hollow eyes that glowed faintly in the darkness. Its skin was stretched tight over its bones, and its mouth was filled with sharp, broken teeth. Chains hung from its wrists and ankles, dragging along the ground as it moved. But what struck Satou the most was the emptiness in its eyes—like it had lost everything that had once made it human.
The creature let out a low growl, its broken teeth snapping as it began to shuffle toward Satou.
"Damn it," Satou muttered under his breath, raising his sword.
The creature lunged at him with surprising speed, its chains clanging loudly as it moved. Satou barely had time to react. He swung the sword with all his strength, the blade cutting through the air. The creature's body crumpled as the sword sliced through it, dissolving into ash and shadow before it even hit the ground.
Satou stood there, breathing hard, staring at the spot where the creature had been. His hands trembled, the weight of what had just happened sinking in. He had no idea how many more of those things were lurking in the Abyss, but he knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down.
He had to find the prisoner. Before the Abyss consumed him too.