As soon as I woke up, I found myself in a strange place. My heart pounded as a sudden shock coursed through me. Where am I? The unfamiliar surroundings sent a chill down my spine, but I forced myself to stay calm.

This has to be a dream.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and started counting. One… two… three… four… Each number echoed in my mind, grounding me. But then, a thought struck me—I had turned on my AC before sleeping. Shouldn't I feel the cold air? I hesitated, pushing the doubt away. Maybe I'm just imagining things.

I continued counting. Five… six…

Slowly, I opened my eyes—only to feel another jolt of terror.

I wasn't imagining things. This was real.

No… this has to be a mistake. There's no way this place is real.

I tried to convince myself, but the eerie silence around me felt too tangible. Maybe if I count again… Just as I was about to start, a rough voice interrupted me.

"Hey, kid. What are you doing?"

I jolted, my body stiffening as I turned to face the speaker. A stranger stood before me, someone I had never seen before. His face was unfamiliar, but that wasn't what unsettled me the most—it was the way he looked at me, as if my very presence was out of place.

Still refusing to accept reality, I frowned and snapped, "Don't interrupt me! I'm trying to wake up from my dream."

The man's expression shifted into one of confusion. "Huh? What dream?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but my words froze in my throat.

Right beside me stood a massive metal gate, its presence sudden and ominous. Was that there before? My breath hitched as I turned back to the stranger—and that's when I truly saw him.

He wasn't human.

He looked human, but something was undeniably off. His outfit, his skin color—everything about him felt… different. Unnatural. Alien.

A chill ran down my spine.

Where the hell am I?

The man narrowed his eyes and said, "So, you aren't aware of where you are."

I hesitated before answering. "No…"

But then, something felt off. Wait… how did he know that? The question echoed in my mind, but before I could dwell on it, he spoke again.

"Don't freak out. I can see what you're thinking."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. My body tensed, and I took a step back. "What…?"

Desperation crept into my voice as I tried to rationalize the situation. "Okay, hold on. Is this some kind of TV show? A cosplay you're performing? Or…" I swallowed hard. "Am I still dreaming?" My voice trembled as the realization set in.

"If this is a dream… it's the worst nightmare I've ever had."

My heart pounded against my chest, fear slowly taking over.

But then, the man's voice turned cold.

"You are in Hell."

I stared at him, my breath hitching. Then, out of nowhere, I burst into laughter.

"Seriously? That's the best excuse you could come up with?" I mocked, shaking my head. "'You are in Hell'—come on, you expect me to believe that?"

His expression darkened in an instant.

Before I could react, a sudden force gripped me, and my body lifted off the ground. My heart lurched as I realized—I was floating. But it wasn't just that. Below me, the ground had disappeared, replaced by a bubbling sea of molten lava.

The heat was unbearable. The thick, suffocating air burned my skin.

Panic surged through me. "Wait… wait! Are you serious?!" My voice cracked with terror as I struggled against the invisible force holding me.

This wasn't a joke.

This wasn't a dream.

I was in Hell.

Terror gripped me as I hovered over the molten abyss, the searing heat licking at my skin. My bravado from earlier vanished in an instant.

"I—I'm sorry!" I shouted, my voice shaking. "I didn't mean to mock you! I just… I got a bit excited!"

The unseen force holding me didn't waver. The man's expression remained unreadable as he stared at me.

"Please," I pleaded, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Can you put me down?"

For a moment, silence stretched between us, the only sound being the bubbling lava beneath me. I swallowed hard, hoping—praying—that he would show mercy.

He finally lowered me to the ground, and the moment my feet touched solid land, I lunged forward, grabbing his arm in desperation.

I bombarded him with questions. "How did I end up here? How did I die? Wasn't I just sleeping in my bed? And—why the hell is this place so hot?!"

My words spilled out in a frantic rush, my mind racing to make sense of it all. My chest rose and fell rapidly as panic clawed at me.

The man simply stood there, watching me with an unreadable expression. His silence only made my anxiety worse.

"Answer me!" I demanded, gripping his arm tighter. "What's going on?!"

The man sighed, finally speaking.

"I don't know either how you ended up here," he said, his tone laced with confusion. "I didn't receive any letters about someone new showing up."

I blinked. "Letters?"

He ignored my question and continued, "I was just passing through when I noticed you. So, I came to take a look."

His words sent another wave of unease through me. Even he doesn't know why I'm here? That made things even worse.

I loosened my grip on his arm, my thoughts spiraling. "So… does that mean I wasn't supposed to be here?" My voice was barely a whisper.

If even the people in Hell didn't expect me—then what the hell was happening to me?

The man—Warden—raised an eyebrow as if reading my mind. "Aren't you Daichi Kurusu?"

"Yeah," I answered, still caught off guard. "But… who are you?"

He gave a small, almost amused smile. "Call me Warden."

I blinked, processing the name. Warden? I was expecting someone more... authoritative, maybe with a more intimidating presence. Instead, this man looked like nothing more than an ordinary person, albeit one with an unsettling aura.

Before I could voice my thoughts, the Warden spoke again, his voice carrying an edge of sarcasm. "Oh, come on. I can hear you."

I froze, embarrassed. "Oh, uh… sorry, it was just—"

I trailed off as the Warden coughed, a loud, almost theatrical sound that seemed to pull me back into reality.

Back on Earth, the scene shifted. A shadowy figure stood alone in the darkness, their face concealed by an impenetrable blackness. The air around them crackled with an eerie presence.

"I guess you might be enjoying there," the mysterious figure muttered, their voice low and chilling.

Their words hung in the air, as if mocking someone far away—someone trapped in a world they couldn't escape.

Daichi stood in front of the giant metal door of Hell, the sheer size of it overwhelming. The Warden stood beside him, his gaze steady, as if this were a routine occurrence.

"This is the gate," the Warden said, his voice grave. "It will lead you to Hell."

Daichi stared at the door, his mind racing. So, maybe this was my fate after all... The thought echoed in his head like a dull thud.

He turned to the Warden, his voice hesitant but desperate. "Aren't you coming with me?"

The Warden glanced at him, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes. "I would like to," he replied, "but I have something to take care of first. After that, I'll come to visit and check on you."

Daichi nodded, his heart heavy with uncertainty. "Okay…" he murmured, his eyes lingering on the door. "So, here I go."

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and placed his foot just beyond the threshold. The moment he crossed into the gate, a wave of immense, raw power surged through him. It was unlike anything he had ever felt—intense, suffocating, and all-encompassing. His eyes widened in shock, his senses overwhelmed as the force of Hell itself seemed to course through him.