Location: Abandoned Park, Kita Ward – 5:12 AM
Ren found himself in an old, rusted playground—the kind that only appeared in horror films and childhood nightmares. The swings creaked though there was no wind. The slide was chipped and streaked with something that might've been rust... or something worse.
He didn't remember walking there. The key had led him again—buzzing faintly, like a compass for damned souls.
And then…
A chuckle.
Small. Raspy. Wrong.
Ren spun around. No one.
Then he looked down.
Something was crouched beside his feet.
Barely the height of his knees, it had charcoal-black skin like burned leather, eyes like twin coals, and a grin that nearly split its head in half. Tiny horns curled out of its head like a mockery of a crown. It stood on two bony legs, arms folded like it was bored of waiting.
"'Bout time, boss. Thought you'd never wake up," it squeaked, voice like nails across velvet.
Ren stumbled back, hand on the key. "What the hell are you?"
The imp gave a little bow, wings fluttering like a mosquito's. "Name's Naru. I'm your assistant. Advisor. Confidante. Legal representative in hell-related matters. The works."
"You're… not real," Ren muttered.
"Oh, I'm very real. Just exclusive. VIP access. Only visible to the wielder of the Hell Key. Lucky you, champ."
Ren stared, heart pounding. "Did you follow me last night?"
The imp shrugged. "Partly. That wasn't just me, though. That was… one of the others. Guess word's gotten out."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "Others?"
Before Naru could respond, the air turned cold.
A gust swept through the empty park, and from behind the merry-go-round, a familiar figure stepped out. His long coat fluttered like it had a life of its own. His cane tapped the ground with each deliberate step. And his eyes—those ancient, predatory eyes—locked onto Ren with amusement.
"Still sharp, boy," said the Old Man. "And still just as lost."
Ren's hand tightened around the key. "What do you want from me?"
"Want? Nothing," the old man replied. "You already accepted the terms. The moment you turned that key… you became something far more interesting than a victim."
Ren grit his teeth. "I'm not your puppet."
"No. You're the hand of judgment." The old man smiled. "You passed your First Verdict. But the game has only just begun. There are more sinners. More keys. And more… players."
He raised one hand and gestured vaguely toward the sky.
Ren followed his gaze—and saw nothing.
But he felt it.
A presence. Like something watching. Studying.
"Someone used a key like mine," Ren said quietly.
"Not like yours," the old man corrected. "Its opposite. A Key of Heaven. And she has made her first move."
Ren blinked. "She?"
The old man turned to leave, cane tapping.
"You'll meet her soon enough. Let's see if mercy burns as bright as vengeance."
As he faded into the shadows, Naru sighed dramatically and flopped down on the slide.
"Guy's got flair, I'll give him that," the imp muttered. Then he looked up at Ren with a devilish grin.
"So, boss. Ready to play God again?"