I wasn’t sure how long I simply laid there, letting myself just…exist. Like an ice cube in the ocean, I let myself drift. After the whole darkness ordeal, I really needed this. Nothing would harm me here.

I’m not sure how long it took, but eventually something clicked.

“Wait, what do you mean by “Judgement Zone?”” I voiced my thoughts.

“This is the Judgement Zone. It is here where we ask you to reflect upon your actions before continuing.”

“Oh…Uh-Why am I here, exactly?”

“It is here where you may always come to find peace within.”

That’s…rather unhelpful. I would turn to look at whoever was speaking, but the voice kind of just, emanated. There wasn’t any sort of source that I could tell. It didn’t even sound that distinguishable, if anything, it sounded a tad like my own voice.

“You will now be judged.” My breath caught in my now existence throat. “You will be asked some questions. Truthfully, it does not matter what you say, so long as you are honest when saying it. Now, are you ready to begin?”

“Nope!” I honestly answered. I was absolutely not ready, the sudden seriousness of the voice had really put me on edge. If it wasn’t for the calmness that smothered the entire area around me like an avalanche that had buried me alive, I would be kicking and screaming right now. But it eventually took hold of me long enough for me to settle down.

“I-okay, I’m ready…”

“Let us begin.” There was a certain finality to that “begin” that sent shivers up my spine.

“Why have you come to this place?”

“I-I wanted to escape the-uh…” Now that I think about it, I never caught the thing's name. “Dark-thingie that was uh-doing something… weirding me out mostly, and I ending up, falling, into here. I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

A feeling of acknowledgment flowed through the area, like the sound of a ringing bell. But nothing more.

“Do you believe life to be hard or unfair?”

“Uh, like, generally speaking? Um…yeah, I guess. Only one of the four seasons is winter after all. But the season kind of makes up for it, you know?”

That sound again.

“Do you believe there is more than this?”

“Wait, what do you mean by “this”? As in this conversation or life in general?” No response. “Um, yes? Question mark? I'm not entirely sure about this conversation, but I can definitely do more in my dungeon.”

Once again, the sound.

“What is your favorite season?”

“Winter.” No hesitation.

“Why?”

“Well, if you’re asking…”

____ talks about the winter season for several hours.

“And the way icicles form on pine trees is just so-“

The sound blared out several times, like a chorus of bells. I think the sound had been playing for a few hours now, but I had ignored it. Honestly, it reminded me a lot of jingling bells.

“Ooh! Jingle bells! That’s another thing I love about-“

“Alright. I get it. Please. Stop talking.”

“No, I won’t. You don’t seem to snow everything about the season yet and I think yule, only find it gets more enlightening as we go on. Now, speaking of Christmas lights-”

“You have answered every question to the fullest, you are free to leave.”

“Wait! I’m not done talking yet!”

“You are free to return anytime you need peace and tranquility. But for now you must leave.”

I felt something tugging at me, trying to pry myself away from this place. Begrudgingly, I let myself be pulled away from talks of the literal best thing on earth to be pulled up into the second best replacement, my dungeon.

The colors of the judgment room swirled around me, like cookie dough in a mixer with the food coloring having just been added. Then, with a wet plop, I found myself back home. In the first floor boss room.

That’s…weird. Why here specifically? The pool’s still the only thing in here, staring back silently with my own reflection…wait a minute.

I’m an intangible spirit, why do I have a reflection?

It was definitely me, with my classic red Santa outfit. I tried out several poses. Every time, my reflection copied me perfectly, yet I could never see myself doing those poses. If I held my hand up to my mouth, my reflection would copy, but I wouldn’t see my own hand.

That does bring up the question of what exactly am I? I think dungeons are supposed to have a full 360 degrees view of their dungeon at all times, but I didn’t have that. In fact, since the beginning, I’ve felt more like a ghost of Christmas future wandering the dungeon.

So what does that make me?

[Several alerts pending. Serval immediate responses necessary.]

Questions for later, I suppose. I’ve got a dungeon to run.