Silence.
Not the peaceful silence Jimin had imagined after death.
This silence felt alive.
It wrapped around him like invisible chains, pressing against his ears until even his own breathing sounded distant.
Slowly, Jimin opened his eyes.
A sharp gasp escaped his lips as he pushed himself upright.
"...Where am I?"
The ground beneath him was as black as obsidian, smooth and cold beneath his fingertips. Tiny crimson cracks glowed between the stones, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
He blinked several times.
His body...
It didn't hurt.
The bruises were gone.
The unbearable exhaustion that had haunted him for months had vanished.
He touched his face, then his arms, searching for the wounds that should have been there.
Nothing.
Not even a scar.
A strange emptiness settled inside his chest.
He slowly stood up and looked around.
The sky wasn't blue.
It wasn't even dark.
It was a sea of crimson clouds stretching endlessly above him. Black lightning silently crawled across the heavens without making a sound.
Ash floated gently through the air like snowflakes.
A warm breeze brushed against his skin, carrying the scent of smoke and something strangely sweet.
Jimin frowned.
"This..."
His voice echoed through the endless land.
"...This isn't Earth."
No answer came.
He swallowed hard.
Then the memories returned all at once.
The rooftop.
His final decision.
The darkness that swallowed everything.
His fingers curled into trembling fists.
"So..."
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
"I really died."
He lowered his head.
He had believed death would finally end everything.
No more nightmares.
No more fear.
No more loneliness.
He had wished for peace...
Yet peace was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he stood in a place that felt completely unfamiliar.
"...Was I wrong?"
The question disappeared into the wind.
For several minutes, he remained where he was, unsure of what to do.
Finally, he began walking.
Each footstep echoed strangely, as if the land itself was listening.
The world around him slowly changed.
Towering trees with silver leaves rose from the black ground. Their branches stretched toward the crimson sky without moving, even though the wind continued to blow.
Rivers shimmered like liquid crystal.
In the distance, mountains pierced the clouds.
Everything was beautiful...
Yet unsettling.
Jimin wrapped his arms around himself.
"I don't like this..."
A sudden whisper drifted through the air.
"...Human..."
Jimin froze.
His heartbeat quickened.
"...Who's there?"
Silence.
He turned in every direction.
No one.
He took another cautious step.
The whisper came again.
"...Human..."
This time it sounded closer.
Jimin started walking faster.
Soon, strange shadows appeared at the edge of his vision.
Whenever he looked directly at them, they disappeared.
His breathing became uneven.
"Stop it..."
Another shadow flashed past him.
Then another.
His legs moved on instinct.
He began running.
The endless silence was replaced by the sound of his own footsteps.
He didn't know where he was going.
He only wanted to escape whatever was following him.
Suddenly—
A massive gate emerged from the thick mist.
Jimin stopped so abruptly that he almost lost his balance.
The gate was enormous.
It towered high into the crimson sky, carved from black stone covered with ancient symbols glowing faintly in red.
Before he could move...
The gates opened on their own.
A deep rumble shook the ground beneath his feet.
Beyond them lay an enormous kingdom.
Dark castles reached into the sky.
Wide streets stretched in every direction.
Rivers of glowing crimson light flowed between towering buildings.
Creatures unlike anything Jimin had ever seen walked peacefully through the city.
Some had horns.
Others had black wings.
Some possessed glowing eyes that shone like fire.
None of them looked human.
Jimin instinctively stepped back.
"...What is this place?"
One creature noticed him.
Then another.
Within seconds...
Hundreds of eyes turned toward him.
His heart nearly stopped.
He expected them to attack.
Instead...
Every single one of them lowered their heads.
The streets fell completely silent.
Jimin stared in confusion.
"W-Why are they bowing?"
No one answered.
Heavy footsteps echoed behind him.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The sound alone carried an overwhelming pressure.
The creatures bowed even lower.
Some even knelt.
Jimin slowly turned around.
A tall man dressed in black stood several steps away.
His dark hair moved gently in the warm wind.
Sharp golden eyes calmly watched Jimin.
There was no smile on his face.
No anger.
No emotion at all.
Yet his presence alone made the entire kingdom seem smaller.
Jimin unconsciously took a step backward.
"...Who are you?"
The man remained silent.
For a long moment, he simply studied Jimin as though confirming something.
Then, for the first time, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"You finally arrived."
Jimin frowned.
"...Do you know me?"
"I've known of you for a very long time."
His heartbeat grew louder.
"I... don't understand."
"You don't need to."
The stranger took one slow step forward.
"I am Min Yoongi."
He paused just long enough for the name to settle in Jimin's mind.
"The King of Hell."
Jimin's eyes widened.
Hell.
The word echoed inside his head.
"No..."
He shook his head repeatedly.
"No... this isn't possible."
Yoongi watched him quietly.
"I wanted peace..."
Jimin whispered.
"I didn't deserve this..."
For the first time, Yoongi's expression softened ever so slightly.
"You misunderstand."
Jimin looked up.
Yoongi's golden eyes met his.
"You were never brought here as punishment."
"...What?"
"There is a reason you stand before me."
Before Jimin could ask another question, every bell across the kingdom began ringing at once.
The demons immediately dropped to one knee.
A distant voice echoed across the sky.
"Your Majesty..."
"The Gates of Heaven have opened."
Yoongi slowly lifted his head toward the crimson heavens.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So..."
"They've finally come."
Jimin stood frozen.
He had no idea who "they" were.
But somehow...
He felt they were coming for him.
Who is looking for Jimin?
Why is the King of Hell waiting for him?
What makes Jimin different?
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