Sungjong gasped for air as he forced himself to sit up straight.  Everything was so dark… had he gone blind?  He quickly waved his hand in front of his face, and he could faintly see it, causing him to sigh in relief.

He was , and it felt like he was lying on a bed of rocks… where the hell was he?

“H-hello!? Is anyone out there!?” he nervously called.  Part of him hoped that there would be no response.

“Woohyun!? Is that you!?” yelled an unfamiliar voice.

“Um no… I’m Sungjong, Lee Sungjong,”

“Lee Sungjong!? Oh so you’re the missing kid! I’m Sunggyu, my partner and I were supposed to investigate your family’s disappearance, but somehow I ended up here!”

Disappearance? What was he talking about? Sungjong began to wonder just how long he’d been in this place.

“Where are is ‘here’ anyway!?”

“I was hoping you’d tell me kid,”

“Sorry, I won’t be much help,” Sungjong replied.  His eyes widened as he saw a faint orange glow behind him.

“Hey, Mr. Sunggyu! Can you see that light!?”

“Yeah, just barely,”

“Follow it and we’ll see if it takes us anywhere,”

Sungjong heard an odd shuffling sound, and soon he could feel the presence of someone next to him.  Together, he and Sunggyu crawled toward the light and after a blinding flash they were in what looked like the center of a volcano.  Sungjong couldn’t even form words… this had to be a nightmare, there was absolutely no way it was real.

He covered his exposed private area with his hands as he and Sunggyu stood up and looked around.  The sky was a vortex of black clouds and there were only small chunks of land amidst a sea of molten lava.

“Are we… in Hell?” Sungjong asked through trembling lips.  Sunggyu didn’t reply, he was too busy staring at the enormous boat that seemingly appeared from nowhere.  Sungjong heard an eerie whisper in his ear.

“All aboard,”

Sunggyu must’ve heard it too since they both reluctantly made their way toward the boat and climbed aboard.  Seconds later a cloud of smoke materialized into a young man who looked to be around Sungjong’s age.

“I am Reaper Myungsoo, here to sentence you to your respective rings of chaos,” he spoke slowly and calmly.

“Rings of chaos? What are you talking about!? None of this is making any sense and I just want to go home!” Sungjong screamed as he fought the urge to break down and cry.  Myungsoo ignored his tantrum and continued to speak.

“There are nine rings of chaos.  The first is Limbo; the souls of the nonbelievers and the unbaptized rest there, otherwise it is simply a kind of waiting room until it is time to be assigned to another ring.  That is where you just came from.  The second ring is Lust; the souls of those who were unable to fight their sinful urges are sent there.  Sunggyu, your ungodly affairs with your partner Woohyun has earned both of you a spot in the second ring,”

Sunggyu looked down shamefully, but he didn’t say a word as Myungsoo continued his explanation.

“The third ring is gluttony; for those who could not fight their monstrous addictions.  The fourth is Greed; for those with an unrighteous love for material things and wealth.  The fifth is Anger; those who could not stifle their intense emotions are condemned there.  The sixth is none other than Heresy; anyone who doubts the existence of the almighty shall be confined to this ring for all eternity… it will also be your new home Lee Sungjong,”

Sungjong’s heart sank as the words left Myungsoo’s lips.  He was about to say that he’d never done such a thing… but he knew he would be lying.  He’d never believed in any religion and he was never hesitant to say so… but how could Myungsoo possibly know that?

“The last three rings do not concern either of you… now, accept your fate,” Myungsoo said, waving his hand dismissively.  Two holes opened beneath Sungjong and Sunggyu’s feet, sending them falling into a seemingly bottomless pit.

Sungjong screamed as he helplessly tumbled for what felt like ages before crashing into a hard, wooden coffin.  The coffin immediately caught fire, causing his bare skin to blister and burn.

“AAAH! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE!” Sungjong screeched as the coffin slammed shut.