The oppressive heat bore down on them as the barren landscape of the First Layer of Hell stretched endlessly before their eyes.
The ground beneath their feet radiated abnormal warmth, and the air shimmered faintly, as if mocking their attempts to find solace. Discover stories at empire
Anaya, Damon, and Daveon struggled with the unfamiliar environment, the sweat beading on their foreheads a clear sign of their discomfort.
“How are we supposed to survive here?” Anaya asked, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and unease.
“We don’t even know where we’re going,” Damon added, glancing at Leana, who remained silent.
Leana had heard their complaints but paid them no mind. Without a word, she began walking away, her confident strides kicking up small clouds of dust.
She’d already made it clear: their survival depended on how well they followed her orders. Now, she wanted to see if they would trust her enough to follow without questioning.
For a brief moment, the three students hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.
Then, like moths drawn to a flame, they quickly chased after her, falling in step behind her. None of them dared to ask where she was leading them, though their curiosity was palpable.
As they walked, the heat continued to torment them, their bodies struggling to adapt to the harsh environment.
Damon wiped his forehead, muttering something under his breath, while Anaya fanned herself with a small piece of cloth she had tucked away.
Daveon remained stoic, though the slight tightening of his jaw betrayed his discomfort.
Rather than dwell on their plight, Anaya decided to lighten the mood. “Alright,” she began, glancing at the others, “let’s play a little game.”
Damon raised an eyebrow. “A game? In this heat?”
“Why not?” Anaya countered with a grin. “We’re stuck walking anyway. Might as well make it interesting.”
Leana kept walking, her expression unreadable, though she listened quietly to the conversation behind her.
“Fine,” Daveon said, his tone resigned. “What’s the game?”
Anaya’s grin widened. “Who do you think will adapt to the heat first?”
The three of them burst into laughter, each confidently pointing to themselves. “Obviously me,” Damon said, puffing out his chest.
“No way,” Daveon shot back. “You’re already sweating buckets. I’ll adapt first.”
Anaya shook her head. “Both of you are wrong. I’ll adapt first because I have the strongest willpower.”
Their playful banter continued until Daveon glanced ahead at Leana. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “I think Miss Leana’s already adapted. Look at her—she’s not even sweating.”
The group fell silent for a moment, their eyes on Leana’s calm, composed figure.
“She’s a machine,” Damon muttered, shaking his head.
Anaya decided to move on to the next question. “Alright, how many demons do you think each of us could kill in a day, starting out?”
The question sparked another round of discussion. Damon estimated he could kill about five, Daveon thought he could handle six, and Anaya confidently claimed she could kill eight.
“What about each other?” Damon asked, curious about their perspectives.
Daveon smirked. “I’d say Damon would manage three at best. Anaya could probably do seven.”
Anaya rolled her eyes. “I’d give Damon five. Daveon, maybe six.”
They went back and forth, analyzing each other’s strengths and weaknesses until the numbers were settled. None of them estimated more than ten demons for themselves or their peers.
“What about Miss Leana?” Anaya asked, her tone serious for the first time.
The three of them fell into a brief debate, eventually concluding that their guardian could easily slay over a hundred demons in a day if she were actively hunting.
Leana remained silent, though a faint smile tugged at her lips. She was amused by their confidence in her abilities, but she didn’t want to break her quiet facade.
Internally, she acknowledged that they weren’t wrong—she could eliminate hundreds of lower-grade demons in a day. But when it came to higher-grade demons, the numbers dropped drastically.
Anaya broke the silence with a more morbid question. “Alright, who do you think would die first?”
The group fell quiet again, the question hanging awkwardly in the air. Then, one by one, all hands pointed at Damon—even Damon himself.
“What?” Anaya exclaimed, surprised. “You think it’d be you?”
Damon shrugged, a small smile on his lips. “Of course. If it came down to it, I’d sacrifice myself to make sure you two survived.”
His answer momentarily softened the mood, but curiosity got the better of the others.
“Why did you point at Damon?” Anaya asked Daveon.
Daveon smirked. “Because he’s more attractive to demons than I am. They’ll target him first.”
Damon groaned, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.”
“What about you, Miss Leana?” Anaya asked, her tone suddenly serious.
Leana didn’t hesitate. “Damon would die first because he doesn’t know when to stop. He’s the type to carry every burden, even if it kills him. It’s a good trait for a leader but a dangerous one in a place like this.”
Her answer cast a somber shadow over the group, the already oppressive atmosphere growing heavier. Sensing the shift, Leana quickly changed the subject.
“Let’s lighten things up,” she said. “Who do you think has the most potential, despite all three of you being S-Rank Talents?”
The students immediately pointed at Damon, their unanimous decision catching him off guard.
“Me?” he asked, genuinely surprised.
“You’re reckless,” Anaya said, grinning, “but you’ve got the heart of a leader.”
Before Damon could respond, Leana came to an abrupt stop. “We’re here,” she announced.
The students looked around, their eyes scanning the desolate landscape for any sign of significance. In the distance, they could make out a jagged structure rising from the ground, its dark silhouette stark against the crimson sky.
“What is this place?” Anaya asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Leana turned to face them, her expression serious. “This is where your training begins. Stay close, stay sharp, and follow my lead.”
The three students nodded, their earlier banter forgotten as they prepared themselves for whatever challenges lay ahead. Their journey into the depths of hell had officially begun.