Ryan opened his eyes to darkness and an icy cold that seemed to permeate every inch of his body. His mouth was dry, his throat parched, and when he tried to move, it felt as though his body was weighed down by invisible chains. Every part of him ached, but the pain faded as the coldness enveloped him.
"Where... where am I?" Ryan thought, trying to gather his senses. He glanced around, but there was nothing to see except endless darkness.
Slowly, he forced himself to stand. His body felt heavy, his mind clouded with confusion. He had no memory of how he ended up in this strange place.
"You're here..." a hoarse voice said from the darkness.
Ryan spun toward the voice. From the shadows emerged a figure—a woman clad in black armor, exuding an aura of cold dignity. She spoke with an air of authority and calm, introducing herself as Charlie, the Princess of Hell.
"You're in a place called 'Hell,'" Charlie said, her voice cold yet firm. "This is the realm of lost souls, and you... you have a chance to redeem yourself."
Ryan was still trying to process what was happening. "Hell? How did I get here?"
"That's a question we'll need to answer together," Charlie replied with a slight smile. "But for now... there's something we must do."
Suddenly, the dark shadows around Ryan began to stir. He felt a strange power surging through his body, as if something deep inside him had awakened. He realized that he could control these shadows, manipulate them at will. The shadows moved as if responding to his thoughts.
"Shadows... this power..." Ryan muttered to himself as he watched his hands manipulate the darkness around him.
"It's the power born of your sins," Charlie explained. "And if you want to leave this place, we must work together to create a sanctuary—a place where lost souls can find redemption."
Ryan was still grappling with the idea of being in Hell, but Charlie's words sparked a sense of purpose within him. He didn't know how he had ended up here, but he knew there was something he had to do.
Suddenly, the shadows Ryan controlled parted, revealing a portal of dark mist. Through it, he saw another world—one filled with dungeons and gods, a place unlike anything he had ever imagined.
His fate was about to change.