The darkness was suffocating, like a void swallowing Hana whole. She couldn't feel her body anymore, only an overwhelming numbness that made her question if she was still alive. The last thing she remembered was the weight of betrayal — Sato’s name had been the final word on her lips. Now, there was only the empty void of what felt like an endless abyss. But something changed. A faint voice, almost a whisper, began to echo around her.

"Hana..."

Her eyes fluttered open, but instead of waking, she found herself standing in a dimly lit space that stretched endlessly in every direction. The eerie glow came from the ground itself, casting long shadows that danced with each breath she took. A figure stood before her, a figure that seemed all too familiar.

"Sato?" Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper.

He stepped closer, the shadows clinging to him like a second skin. But his face — it wasn’t the same Sato she remembered. His eyes were hollow, dark voids that reflected no light. And his expression... twisted, cold, devoid of any warmth.

"You really thought I was going to let you live, Hana?" Sato’s voice was venomous, dripping with contempt. "After everything you’ve done?"

She recoiled at the words, her hands instinctively reaching for the Soul Ledger. But it wasn’t there. Her fingers curled into empty air. Panic surged through her.

"Sato... where am I? What is this?"

"You’re exactly where you deserve to be," he replied, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "The afterlife. The place where the Ledger sends those it no longer needs."

Hana took a step back, her pulse quickening. This couldn’t be real. The afterlife? The idea seemed absurd, and yet, the reality of it began to sink in. She was dead.

"You're lying," Hana spat, her voice stronger now, though her fear was palpable. "This is just some trick. Some nightmare."

Sato laughed, the sound echoing through the void like the tolling of a bell. "You're not dreaming, Hana. You’re trapped. Just like all the others. You used the Ledger to control life and death, but you forgot one thing — death doesn’t forget. And neither do I."

Her mind raced as she struggled to piece together what was happening. "So what? You’re here to punish me? To mock me?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Mock you?" Sato sneered, his cold gaze locking onto hers. "No, Hana. I’m here because you failed. You thought you could outsmart everyone, play God with that cursed book. But all you did was seal your own fate. And now, you're just another soul the Ledger claimed."

Her chest tightened as his words pierced her. The Ledger... it had used her all along. She had thought she controlled it, that it was her weapon, her power. But the truth was far more terrifying.

"How long have you known?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper now.

"Since the beginning," Sato said calmly. "The moment you touched that Ledger, you were doomed. It was always a matter of time before it turned on you. I just sped things along."

"You bastard..." Hana’s voice cracked, fury surging through her. "You used me!"

Sato chuckled darkly. "And you used everyone around you. We're not so different, Hana. The difference is, I won."

Hana gritted her teeth, every muscle in her body tensing with rage. "You think this is over? You think killing me means you've won?"

Sato shrugged. "You're dead, Hana. What more could you possibly do?"

Her fists clenched as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. "I'm still here. That means there's still time. Time to make you pay for everything."

"How will you do that?" Sato’s voice was mocking now, his smile smug. "You have no Ledger, no body, no life left."

Hana glared at him, her mind whirling with possibilities. She didn't know how, but she wasn't about to let him walk away with his victory. Even in death, she would find a way to bring him down.

"Watch me," she growled, her eyes burning with a new fire.

Sato stared at her for a long moment, the smile never leaving his face. "You always were stubborn, Hana. It’ll be your undoing."

With that, he turned and began to walk away, his form dissolving into the shadows. Hana stood frozen, her mind racing. This couldn’t be the end. She had come too far, lost too much. There had to be a way out.

Suddenly, another voice echoed through the void, softer this time, almost like a whisper in the back of her mind.

"Find me..."

Hana whipped around, her heart pounding in her chest. "Who's there?"

"Find me..." the voice repeated, clearer now. It was a woman's voice, soft but commanding.

She felt a pull, something deep inside her urging her to follow the sound. Without hesitation, Hana began to walk, the eerie light beneath her feet glowing brighter with every step. As she moved, the void around her began to shift, the darkness giving way to faint shapes and forms. A path, winding and narrow, appeared before her.

"Find me..." the voice urged again.

Hana followed, her determination growing with every step. She didn’t know where the voice was leading her, but she had no other choice. She had to find out. She had to fight back, even if it meant facing the unknown.

As she walked, memories began to flash in her mind — memories of the lives she had taken, of the blood on her hands. Faces, names, screams. The Ledger had given her power, but it had also stolen her humanity.

"Find me..."

The voice grew louder as Hana continued down the path, her heart pounding. She didn’t know who or what was waiting for her at the end, but she knew one thing for certain — this wasn’t over.

Not yet.