_Chapter Begins_
Adam raised his head, waiting with a smile for William's reaction to the insane statement he had just made.
William crossed his arms and sank into deep thought.
"I am so… confused."
He lowered his gaze. It was impossible to think straight while staring at Adam — the being who had just proclaimed himself as Death itself, not to mention the other disturbing things he'd revealed.
"It's… so hard to believe all this shit… but I have to go with the flow."
He bit his lip, forcing himself to look back up at the amused figure before him.
"I have to adapt to the situation. That's my best trait, after all."
William lingered, then spoke again in a voice that carried little confidence.
"Adam… I know I'm not worthy of asking favors from you, but…"
He steadied himself, forcing a cold, indifferent expression — his best attempt at imitating Elsa.
"Can you answer a few questions I have?"
William braced himself, ready to defend if Adam took offense. But deep down he knew the truth: if Adam wanted to strike him down, there was absolutely nothing he could do.
The silence boiled into unbearable tension until Adam suddenly burst into laughter.
William flinched, startled by the menacing sound.
Adam wiped a tear from his eye, his grin stretching wider.
"Ahh… you really are an interesting one."
William relaxed a little, though confusion lingered on his face.
Adam tilted his head.
"Yeah, I can answer some of your questions. But it wouldn't be fair if I didn't get something in return."
William tensed again.
"Oh yeah? What could I possibly give you? I'm just a regular human."
Adam shook his head.
"Well… you won't be for long."
His smile faded, and his gaze cut straight into William's soul. His tone shifted to one of deadly seriousness.
"You know Elsa, right?"
William shivered.
"Y–Yes, I do. Did I… do something wrong? Are you mad because I was going to hand her over to the cult?"
Adam shook his head slowly.
"No. I don't care about that. I only want one thing from you."
William listened, every muscle tense.
Adam vanished in an instant and reappeared directly in front of him. Two black voids for eyes stared into William's frightened ones.
"Do not go near her ever again. Do not speak to her. Do not speak about her to others. And do not listen to whatever she tells you."
William swallowed hard and stepped back.
Adam leaned closer, unblinking.
"If you get involved with her, I promise you — it won't end well. Not only for you, but for everyone."
William staggered two more steps back, his voice trembling.
"Y–Yes, I'll do as you say. I promise!"
Adam's expression softened, the deadly seriousness fading. William, seeing this, allowed himself the smallest breath of relief.
The smile returned to Adam's face.
"Well. I see you're willing to accept my request. So in return, I'll answer three of your questions."
William almost burst out in outrage — three questions? He had hundreds burning in his mind, screaming for answers. But he bit back the protest, forcing himself to choose carefully.
He lingered, weighing his options. Then finally, he asked:
"What is this place?"
Adam wasn't surprised. It was the most obvious question to ask.
With an even tone, he explained:
"Some beings call it the Dark Realm. Others, the Judgment Realm. Personally, I use no name for it."
He paused before continuing.
"This realm was created to judge mortals on their morality — on how they lived their lives. After judgment, a soul is transported to another realm that reflects the way they lived."
William stood still, struggling to digest the information.
"So this place… judges people based on how they lived?" he muttered. He shook his head, frustrated.
"He said after judgment they get transported to another realm that fits their lifestyle? Does that mean…"
His thoughts raced.
"Is he implying that Heaven and Hell actually exist? That after someone is judged here, they're sent to one of those realms?"
He clawed at the back of his head, furious at the tidal wave of information he was being forced to process.
Dropping his hand, he asked his second question:
"What will happen to me after I get judged in this realm?"
Adam gave him a puzzled look.
"Didn't I already answer that for you?"
William clenched his jaw, holding back a curse.
"I need you to be more specific. You said people are transported to a different realm — what does that mean, exactly?"
Amusement flickered across Adam's face.
"Oh, right. You mortals love putting names to things. Very well. These two realms you might be sent to — in your world, you call them Heaven and Hell."
Fury burned in William's eyes.
"Yeah… that's what we call them."
He dropped his head, despair flooding in.
"I'm screwed… there's about a one-in-a-million chance I'll end up in Heaven."
He gritted his teeth in frustration.
But Adam's voice broke through his rage.
"You still have one more question left. Or… do you not need it?"
William straightened, his body steady now, his face serious.
"No. I do need it. This is my last question."
Adam nodded slowly.
William met his black gaze and asked:
"How do I survive in Hell?"
_Chapter Ends_