As Michael and Charlie embraced each other, Michael’s smartwatch chimed; his health was critical. Charlie took notice, materializing their Health Flask without a second thought before offering it to Michael. “Here. Your Health is low.” Charlie said quietly, a slight smile adorning their face. "You gave me some of yours earlier, so I thought it would only be fair..."

Michael raised his wrist, inspecting his hi-tech timepiece. What was once a full, green bar was now a minuscule, crimson sliver. “Oh, shit. You’re right. I guess all of that adrenaline hid the pain.” Michael laughed awkwardly as he raised his arm to grab the flask, wincing from the pain that was finally brought to his attention. He took one sip to then restore his Health Points to their maximum capacity. The cuts and gashes on his body dissipated, and he felt better than ever.

“Oh… You need Mana, right?” Michael asked, summoning his Mana Flask before gesturing it toward Charlie. “Here. I have a lot left. That spell you cast used it all up, right?”

Charlie grasped the flask with two hands before taking one small sip. Though their body hadn’t undergone any physical changes upon their magical energy regenerating, Charlie could almost feel the Mana coursing through every inch of their body. “Thanks.” they whispered. "Is your Mana going to be okay?"

"Yeah. That fire spell isn't even that expensive. I'm good."

The pair looked toward the dungeon’s entrance. The fog had dissipated then, allowing the two of them to escape; though they were both hesitant as those treacherous young men were nowhere to be found.

“They’re gone.” Michael whispered.

“Yeah.” Charlie nodded. “Good.”

Stay on your toes, they could be trying to ambush us.

“Mike’s right.” Michael gripped his wand tightly, stepping in front of Charlie. “They could be lurking around any corner. Be careful.”

Charlie held their staff close to their chest, prepared to use it as a melee weapon to conserve the Mana they had left. “Right. I’m right behind you.”

The two of them crept past the corpses left by the hoar snake, all equipped with gear and weapons that weren’t of any use to them. Rather than picking up useless gear, they opted to save inventory space for things that may prove useful in the future.

Once they took their first steps out of the dungeon, Michael and Charlie looked left and right, finding nothing but all too familiar empty, frozen halls of Tartarus. Relieved, the two of them exhaled and continued onward without much worry.

“Those guys were assholes. What should we do when we find them?” Michael asked.

Kill them.

“Probably kill them.”

Michael expected Mike’s answer, though Charlie’s was quite a surprise. Charlie noticed Michael's taken-aback expression. Charlie smirked, “What? Kill them before they kill us, right?”

“Yeah…” Michael’s voice trailed off. They’d killed demons, snakes, and skeletons before. In a way, it all felt like a videogame with incredibly high stakes. However, Michael couldn’t shake this strange feeling constructing itself within him.

“It’s just that…I’ve never killed an actual person before. I mean, we’re not really people anymore, right? We’re spirits or demons or something. Our physical forms are deteriorating on Earth as we speak. Yet our souls are still alive…”

“I’ve never killed anyone either…” Charlie admitted. “But if it’s to live, we have to. I just hope when the time comes...My body does what I tell it.”

“You’re right. When the time comes, I won’t hesitate.” If Michael was speaking to anyone specific, he would’ve been speaking to himself. He wasn’t sure if he could do it, but with his goals in mind, protecting Charlie and making it to Heaven to reunite with his younger brother, he was determined to push himself to do what needed to be done.

And if both of you can’t go through with it, I’ll wring their necks myself!

Michael chuckled. “Of course, thanks, Mike.”

Charlie figured Mike must have volunteered despite being unable to hear the voice inside the body he shared with Michael. “Oh, yeah. Mike’s used to this sort of thing, huh?”

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Mike nodded, though his expression remained poised. His eyebrows furrowed and his grip on his weapon tightened slightly. “Yeah. But I can’t let Mike do everything for me. When we first entered Tartarus, I was useless and scared. Hell, I’m still scared. But I refuse to be useless. If we see them again, I’ll do it myself.”

I’d love to see that. Though Mike witnessed Michael slaying monsters, he didn’t think Michael had it in him to take another man’s life. To Mike, killing these monsters was on the same level of morality as hunting for sport. Killing another human was in a whole different league of its own.

Michael rolled his eyes as the two of them turned a corner. His tense body relaxed upon seeing the stairs to the next floor. “Hey, stairs!” he said, speeding up as Charlie followed close.

“Hopefully this floor doesn’t include any horrors beyond our comprehension.” Michael said awkwardly as he and Charlie stepped through the fog.

What was before them once they crossed the barrier was something completely unexpected. This floor of Tartarus lacked the icy interior present in each of the floors below, it was as if it had all melted.

The place looked lived in, there were even a couple of people walking around in casual clothes like t-shirts and jeans without any worry in the world. It wasn’t long before the people noticed their two new guests and a man approached Michael and Charlie with a smile on his face and his hands clasped together.

“Hello,” he greeted them. “My name is Ptolemy! I take it this is your first time on the seventh floor, yes?” Ptolemy looked and sounded like the typical American man. His brown, combed-over hair gave him a neat impression and his button-up shirt and black slacks gave him a casual, yet formal image.

His inviting smile relieved any and all tension that may have existed between Michael and Charlie. The two of them nodded simultaneously. “Great! We love having guests! Please, make yourselves at home.”

“I don’t understand.” Michael spoke with furrowed brows and his arms crossed, looking around at the many people walking around in the background. “You guys live here? Are you demons of Tartarus?”

Ptolemy chuckled, holding up two hands in defense. “Demons? Goodness, no. If anyone would be a demon, and I mean this with no offense, I believe it would be you, young man.” Ptolemy eyed Michael’s horns, fanged teeth, and blackened arms with wide eyes. He’d never seen a human with such a striking appearance.

“Maybe I am a demon.” Michael said in jest.

Ptolemy exhaled humorously, shaking his head. “Impossible. Only humans are allowed to ascend Tartarus. Demons, monsters, and such are all bound to the floor they are born in for all eternity. Even when slain they will be reborn yet again.”

“How would you know?” Michael asked.

“Because my companions and I have lived in Tartarus for centuries. You see, we have found a way to avoid going to the Inferno altogether! If we simply live as one big community on the seventh floor, we have no need to worry about our impending doom!”

“So…” Charlie interrupted. “You’re saying that you have lived here for hundreds of years?”

“Precisely!”

“But why? Why not climb and try to escape?” Michael questioned.

Ptolemy tilted his head; he was confused as to how it wasn’t clicking within the two of them yet. “Why make the climb, risking death and eternal damnation, when we have our own guaranteed safety right here? Besides, no one knows what lies at the top of Tartarus. Some say our souls return to our bodies, others say we are sent to Heaven for our trouble. I have even heard rumors that you are sent to the Inferno regardless. I’d rather stay where I am certain I am safe.”

“I guess that makes sense…” Michael whispered. ‘I forget that Mike and I are the only ones who Petra is in constant communication with. Tartarus is still mostly a mystery to everyone else. Including Charlie. I wonder if I should tell them…’

Just then, the smell of freshly baked bread invaded Michael’s nostrils, compelling his stomach to rumble and his thoughts to dissipate.

Ptolemy smiled. “I take it you’re hungry, yes? Here on the seventh floor, there’s plenty of food for all of our guests!”

“We have to eat in Hell?” Michael asked. Thinking about it then, he never really felt hungry until that very moment. Perhaps due to his mind being in survival mode, his body wasn’t focused on finding a meal until it felt safe.

“Of course! Our forms in Tartarus are still somewhat physical; therefore, one must still eat, sleep, use the restroom, et cetra!”

‘That explains how I almost pissed myself that one time…’ Michael thought.

“I see.” Michael said quietly. “Well, if that’s the case, then I think we’d be down for some food, right?” Michael looked at Charlie, who then nodded.

“I am a little bit hungry too. We could use the rest.”

“Great!” Ptolemy clapped his hands together. “We have extra space for you both to stay for as long as you like. If at any time you would like to continue your journey, we will gladly escort you to the floor’s exit.”

Ptolemy then started down the hallway, toward the smell of fresh bread. “Come now, you’ve actually arrived just before supper time. There’s enough to eat your fill and then some.”

Michael and Charlie looked at each other briefly before following behind the oddly generous man. Though most of their built-up tension was gone, they both couldn’t shake the feeling that this whole thing was all too convenient.

I don’t trust this guy. Keep your guard up.

‘Me neither.’