Prologue: A Hell Called Purgatory

People like to say, Hell Hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned.

To those people I ask- did you ever bear witness to the fury of hell? If not, please don't go about making irresponsible statements. Keep in mind, that in no way am I underestimating the sheer terror of a scorned woman. I just believe that comparing the wrath of a mortal to the sheer damnation of a place called hell is unfair, to say the least.

I have personally had the opportunity to experience a special kind of hell. A hell called Purgatory.

Some might say that Purgatory is cruel, that hell is a place designed to bring out the worst in the hearts of men and women and then punish them for the same darkness they hide within. That, however, is only those who have just scratched the surface might say. Those like me who have waded deep into these pits will realise, that it is not sadistic pleasure hidden behind our collective damnation. No, it is not even close to some type of malevolent ecstasy. What we get is much, much worse, pure bone-chilling indifference.

It doesn't care if you are good or evil, cruel or kind. It doesn't care if you are submissive or rebellious, strong or weak, repenting or ecstatic. There are only means and ends. There are only quests to complete and trials to clear. Human life is nothing but experience points and heartfelt emotions but an exploitable mechanic.

It is a place where we are all disposable pieces in a game, we do not know that we are playing.

Purgatory is indeed a horrible place, which raises the question, why does such a place exist, and for what possible reason does one end up there. The purpose of this realm and its rules of operation is still a mystery but there is one thing common between all its inhabitants.

They are all sinners.

By sinners, I am not referring to coveting the wife of thy neighbour, stealing the Queen's Royal Jewels or even God forbid - Tax Fraud.

I am talking about... #@!%*$ [ … Data Corrupted … ]

It could be one, it could be many, it could be hot-blooded, it could be cold-blooded, it could be done with full recognition of the act, or it could have been done witho-

No, not those done by accident. The realm only recognises those done with malice aforethought.

Those done with full intent and recognition.

These are the type of sinners I am talking about.

Now, what happens when you throw these sinners into a world without laws, save that of the jungle?

What happens when we give them a bunch of special abilities and let them loose?

Isn't it obvious?

We get… pure…

Chaos.

Now, isn't that fun.

Too bad Purgatory itself is too indifferent to notice.

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In a dark alleyway, located in some far-flung forgotten corner of Purgatory, a person was about to die.

"Tell me, &#@$! , what are you feeling right now?" [Data Corrupted]

Sebastian Alaister asked the person whose head he was currently crushing beneath his feet.

"Do you feel sad? Do you feel angry? Perhaps you feel regretful? What you did was quite despicable after all."

However, all Sebastian got in response was a muffled voice screaming expletives at him.

"Oh, My bad... I forgot that you couldn't speak since I have your face plastered into the ground right now"

Sebastian lifted his foot from the other man's head before viciously kicking it over.

"Oops... looks like I used too much force. Didn't expect you to fly all over to the wall... Well, do you feel like speaking now?"

Sebastian squatted down in front of the bleeding and battered face of his victim, pointing a handgun at it.

"Look here. I don't have too much time to play with you. Speak up alright..."

"I don't regret anything... "

The battered man finally managed to squeeze out a few words from his mouth.

"OOH! Finally, he speaks! Pray tell, I couldn't hear you."

Sebastian leaned his face closer trying to hear what the other man was saying.

"I said... I DO NOT REGRET ANYTHING! YOU! CRAZY! BAST*RD!"

The battered man spit on Sebastian's face, before continuing.

"Hey, Seb... Let me go. We used to be friends right? So why are you doing this?"

Seb calmly pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his face clean.

Then he neatly folded his handkerchief before returning it to his pocket.

"You know what you did @#$%^! Friends? Is that some sort of joke? Because I. am. not. laughing. No, in the first place Purgatory isn't a place where people come to make friends. I have long learnt that lesson thanks to people like you."

The other man just lowered his head in response to this...

"You knew why we did it, Seb... It was your faul-"

"This is getting boring, any last words?"

"You are insane Seb. You are insane."

"BANG!"

Seb shot right through the other man's skull, leaving a bloody hole in it.

"Maybe I am insane, Maybe I am..."

Seb's eyes slowly welled up as tears started to trickle down.

"However, I do not know any other way to escape this hell..."

Seb raised his hand to touch the tears before tasting them.

"They are indeed salty..."

Then he proceeded to laugh loudly as if he had just made the joke of a century.

He laughed some, then cried some, and then he did a little of both together.

If despair was a face, he was wearing it right now.