The Fall.

Nancy's tears caught the city lights as she perched on the edge of the skyscraper, forty stories of emptiness beneath her dangling feet. The wind tugged at her hair, almost urging her forward.

"Perfect," she whispered, voice barely audible above the distant street noise. "No second chances from this height."

Her eyes closed, fingers loosening their grip on the concrete ledge. One moment of courage—or despair—was all it would take. The world had become too heavy, too cruel to bear any longer.

She leaned forward.

And fell.

*The impact never came.*

Instead, heat. Oppressive, suffocating heat that forced her eyes open. Gone was the city skyline, replaced by towering columns of obsidian rock and rivers of molten fire that cast an eerie crimson glow across a vast cavernous expanse.

Before her stood a throne fashioned from what appeared to be blackened bones, upon which sat a figure both beautiful and terrible. Not the cartoonish devil of human imagination, but something far more elegant and infinitely more terrifying. His skin was like polished onyx, eyes burning with the wisdom of eons.

"The jumper arrives," the Devil King's voice reverberated through the chamber, simultaneously a whisper and a roar. "How... predictable."

Around him, twisted creatures scurried about—some humanoid, others defying description—all pausing to observe the newcomer.

"Prepare a chamber for our guest," he commanded his minions, never taking his burning gaze from Nancy. "She believed she was escaping her torment." A smile curved his perfect lips. "How charmingly naive."

The Devil King rose from his throne with fluid grace, each step toward Nancy echoing through the vast chamber. His minions scattered like roaches from light, pressing themselves against the walls, eyes downcast in deference.

"Weak," he pronounced, the word cutting through her like a blade. "So very weak."

Nancy tried to back away but found herself rooted in place, unable to flee his approaching presence.

"Did you think it would be so easy?" The Devil King circled her, his height imposing as he towered over her trembling form. "That you could simply... opt out?"

He extended a hand—elegant fingers with nails like polished obsidian—and touched her cheek. The contact sent visions flooding through her mind: a broken body on pavement, surrounded by flashing lights. Paramedics working frantically. Blood pooling.

"You're not dead, Nancy." His voice softened to something almost like compassion, which somehow made it more terrifying. "Not yet."

She gasped, the realization hitting her harder than the pavement had. "I'm—"

"Suspended between worlds," he finished for her. "Your mortal form clings stubbornly to life, even now."

With a casual gesture, he conjured an image in the air between them—a hospital room where doctors hovered over a barely recognizable figure.

That's it for today...

This is my first time writing a story. I would be glad if you would support me.

Hope you would love the story. We will continue in the next chapter.

Till that, Bye. ☺️

Nancy stared at the floating image of herself in the hospital. Her body looked broken and small, surrounded by doctors and nurses working frantically. Machines beeped. People shouted medical terms she didn't understand. Blood—her blood—was everywhere.

"I'm still alive?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Technically," the Devil King replied. He waved his hand, and the image grew larger. "Your heart is still beating. Your lungs are still breathing—with help, of course. But you're hanging by a thread."

Nancy watches as a doctor pressed paddles to her chest, making her body jump on the table. It felt strange watching herself from the outside, like watching a movie about someone else.

"Why am I here then? If I'm not dead?"

The Devil King smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Think of this as... a preview. A chance to see what awaits you if you get your wish."

He snapped his fingers, and the image disappeared. In its place appeared a large, ancient-looking book that floated in the air. The pages flipped open by themselves, revealing writing that glowed with a faint blue light.

"Your ledger," he explained. "Every good deed, every bad deed, every choice you've ever made." He ran a long finger down one of the pages. "Quite interesting reading."

Nancy felt exposed, as if she were standing naked in front of a crowd. The idea that everything she'd ever done was written down for someone to judge made her stomach twist.

"Most of your life shows kindness," the Devil King continued. "You helped your elderly neighbor with groceries every week for five years. You volunteered at the animal shelter. You always gave to homeless people on the street. You were patient with your difficult boss.

He turned the page. "But then we come to your final choice." His voice hardened. "Suicide. The ultimate act of selfishness."

Anger flashed through Nancy.

She followed the Devil King through winding passages of black stone. Rivers of lava flowed alongside them, providing the only light in the darkness. Despite the nearby molten rock, Shruti didn't feel the heat she expected. Instead, she felt a deep, bone-chilling cold that seemed to come from inside her.

"Are you wondering why you're cold?" the Devil King asked without looking back. It was unsettling how he seemed to read her thoughts.

"Yes," Nancy admitted.

"The cold comes from you, not from this place," he explained. "Your life force is draining away. What you feel is the emptiness growing inside you."

They arrived at a large doorway carved with strange symbols. The door swung open without being touched. Inside was a room that looked nothing like the rest of this hellish place.

It was a perfect copy of Nancy's apartment.

Every detail was exactly as she had left it—the faded blue couch with the coffee stain on the right cushion, the small dining table with only one chair, the bookshelf with her favorite novels arranged by color rather than author. Even the dirty coffee mug she'd left in the sink was there.

Thanks for your Support.