The Classroom we Mistook for Hell

The space I woke up in was grassy and moist. The air was filled the scent of burning leaves, like the scent of fresh autumn. I feel lost and scared. When I opened my eyes, darkness filled the air. I was in the center of a field and when I focused more I saw someone was sitting in front of me, it was my friend, Zephaniah. She was sitting in front of me, watching me sleep. She smiled and I sat up, "Where are we? And what are we doing here?" I asked as it is the common question to ask. 

"Well here we are in forest of broken dreams. The gloomiest shadowrealm." she said with a smile then with a pause, she stood up immediately with a stern face. I saw her expression changed. She looked as if observing the whole place firmly. She looked down on me and gave out a hand to lift me, "and we're going to hell, the shadowrealm which is the most accommodating." she pulled me up with ease and she ended with a grin. "We must in any circumstances leave the forest," she said as I can see that we were surrounded by black tree hidden by the darkness and the field we're in was a small patch of field. “And to do that, we need to pass Hell. And if we fail, we'd end up as trees, the trees you see surrounding us." she looked sad.

"Why are they turned trees?" I asked sadly.

“Well they are actually people who have lost their dreams and hopes, they were so lost that they failed learning and have nothing in their hearts but despair. We'll turn to that soon if we don't leave this awful place." I was shocked and scared of the thought.

"What has kept us alive then?" I asked persistently.

"My aura, spells, sigils and wards have kept our mortal bodies intact but that wouldn't last long." she said worriedly. "Let's make haste. I'll lead the way." she said and ran so fast, yet I could catch up. We were so fast that images appeared as if they were etched lines in the air. 

As we approach the cliff, the forest has cleared leaving nothing but a field encasing the forest strictly in a curved manner. No trees grew on the open field and at the very edge of the cliff stand a majestically tall yet grotesque gate. She ran faster and reached the base of the gate where I followed behind her. She then looked at me, "This is no ordinary gate. We could only open it using our aura, but I have used so much of mine in protecting us. I could only help you by a little." she said and I nodded. I looked at tall gate, I place both of my arms in front of my and slowly walk towards the gate. As I walk closer the gate, the sweet and raw scent of Ylang ylang filled the air growing stronger and stronger as every step I took closer to the gate. Then black liquid like with speckles of bright light flowed out of my whole body and seeped within the gates body. Then the gate opened and my aura flowed more and more, growing brighter and brighter. The aura was so bright that it appeared to be the sun has fallen in the very land.

“Not too much!” she shouted but I barely hear it as a faint whisper. “It will consume you and burn you to dust!” she warned but I know what possibilities could happen in using too much aura. I know the dangers and I know my capabilities.

“Zephaniah,” I said to her sternly. “I know what I’m doing.” I said simply. I see the gate opening. And I stopped. Instantly the light of my aura burst out and fade like a flash of lightning. And Zephaniah had her hand in front of her eyes, she haven’t given her eyes to Chronos yet. And She stepped beside me and locking her arm to mine. The bellows and screams of foolish mortals aroused around us.

“Welcome to Hell,” she said grimly. “And so our journey starts.”

First Shadowrealm, Somñoliento

The first shadowrealm is far the worst sight, a tall wall of bodies and some are scattered throughout the shadowrealm. All of the bodies were covered and surrounded by moving rose stems. The stems were pitch black and covered with spikes, the stems moves slowly. The Shadowrealm also appeared to be a land to be filled with rose bush, but no leaves nor flowers. Just the thorny stems.

“What place is this, Zephaniah?” I asked out of pity and disgust.

“This is the place of torment,” she said dismally. “to those who fell asleep in the heart of their lecture in their class.” She took a step closer to the wall of bodies. I finally realized that those were no rose stems but snakes. These were different snake, instead of scales they grew pin like thorns. “They are punishment is to stay awake forever, never to sleep and to close their eyes,” and I observed that their eyes are sunken to their sockets, and with deep eyes bags. “and if they are to sleep and close their eyes, the snakes would bite their very flesh. They are kept awake by the thorns of the snake. This shadowrealm is widely known as Somñoliento” Pity and dismay was all I felt. And the wall stretched across the land.

“We need to get to the other side, the gate to the other shadowrealm lies on the other side.” She said hastily, looking for path or way.

“And how do you propose to go there exactly?” I asked her patiently. I see her walking pass the bodies and alongside the wall.

“There was a path long time ago.” She said absently. “And before it was open to all who would like to pass, until the gate keeper went mad and fell occasionally asleep himself.” She continued until she stopped and I bumped right to her.

“Why did you stop?”

“There it is.” She said while pointing to a sleeping troll. “Don’t worry, he negotiable, sometimes.” We walked towards it and it sit up straight as if it sensed us coming. Then it twisted its head in an incredible angle which is almost impossible. It grinned showing its mismatched, dagger like teeth.

“Perhaps you’d like to pass the wall?” it snarled with a cheery tone. “Well you can’t!” It yelled at us. “On a second thought… go ahead, enjoy this path.” It waved its hand towards the wall and path opened right through it.

“We are most thankful, Gatekeeper.” Zephaniah graciously said. “Let’s go before he changes his mind.” She whispered close to my ear. And we hurried towards the path, while inside it was very long path and quite narrow. All of the sudden a hand grabbed my hand and pulled me towards it. It was a boy.

“Don’t sleep!” he whispered roughly. “so you’d escape our fate.” I quickly pulled my arm free and ran towards Zephaniah. She was in front of a tall Stonehenge; she looked at me and gestured to follow her immediately. And as I reach her she looked at me sternly.

“What did he told you?” she asked grimly.

“He warned me about sleeping,” I said cautiously. “It would relieve me of their fate.” I said wearily.

“We better go to the next Shadowrealm.” She said and hurried passing across the Stonehenge. And she disappeared and I followed her.

Second Shadowrealm, Arrogante

Here was the bloodiest place I’ve been and seen. Even the skies are blood red. The blood was all in a wide pool that stretches across the whole land. Like a river that don’t flow. Near the bank was long boat with wooden oars. There were faint cries and screams in the air, all which came from the pool.

“What is this place, Zephaniah?” she regarded my question with sigh.

“Remember that this place is for torment and torture, to teach a lesson.” She said “The right question is who they are and what did they do to deserve such punishment.” She said turning her head towards the boat. “Let’s do this quickly.” She quickly jumped to the boat and lends me her hand. Then we sat facing each other. She then dipped her hand in the river and we suddenly moved.

“So,” I said while we lazily float on the river. “Fill me in about this shadowrealm.”

“This shadowrealm is called Arrogante, and you could tell that the people here are arrogant in their study that they do not care and do anything at all. They neglect their duties. They are punished by removing their eyelids,” she said grimly and pointed at her left and came floating are white patches in the red blood. They were eye lids. “and they are to swim in this boiling blood with their eyes open.” The far end of this pool of blood is a small island. The island is isolated and with two pillar of obsidian black column with a black slab on top. As we get near the doorway, I saw that it was made out of single obsidian. Our boat eased on the side of the island and we hurried to get pass the gate. Then I stopped.

“Zephaniah, wait!” I called to her and she looked back just before she pass the obsidian doorway. “Where are the people exactly?”

“They’re submerge under the thick blood, and to keep them sinking they’re feet are chained to the ground.” Then we both continued towards the next shadowrealm. But before I fully crossed the doorway, I heard the clearest shout of warning, “Arrogance! Arrogance will kill you!” and head on the next shadowrealm.

Third Shadowrealm, Perezoso

We entered the shadowrealm that you would compare to the surface of the sun. Here the wails of torment are clearly audible. Their screams gave me a running heart. In front of us was a pool of molten lava that blazes extreme heat. It radiates tremendous light that made it appear like the face of the sun, yet there were the people all encased in the molten earth. All swimming in the lake of fire, the people tried to reach the shore yet all didn’t came close in reaching the shores.

“Zephaniah, Tell me everything I need to know.” I said as we walk closer the hot pool

“This is the realm for the lazy,” she said with a bleak expression. We stopped at the very rim of the pool. “Who instead of doing their work they did nothing out of laziness. Now here they have to stride hard to get away from this pool of fire.”

“What keeps them at bay?” I asked quickly.

“Their feet are tied together by Nenussa’s tail and only their arms work for them.”

“Who’s Nenussa?”

“She is the guardian of this shadowrealm called Perezoso. She is the daughter of Apophis.”

“And how to you suppose to get across this pool of fire?” she smiled and held out a bag “What’s inside the bag?”

“Ice magic.” She said and opened the bag and showed me a glowing blue powder. She took a handful scoop and sprinkled it on herself then to me, a blue screen of light envelope us. “This will keep us cold and safe. As we cross this lake, but first we must call Nenussa.”

“Who dares cross my lake?” a voice wailed across the fiery lagoon, then a figure rose out of the lava, covered with fresh magma. As the magma resumes to the lake exposing a beautiful lady with fine hair, then she changed her form, her beautiful head exchanged with an ugly serpent head. “And you are?”

“We are just passersby and with me is a special visitor who ought to pass you lake.” She laughed a hideous croak like laugh.

“And who are you, to order me, The Child of Apophis!?” she looked at me and smiled. “You mere mortal have power over me!”

“I am Zephaniah! The Mistress of the wind, with me alone, I could destroy to rubbles!” She looked stern and the scent of autumn and burning wood filled the whole realm and her hair rise with static. “Allow us to pass!” the creature kept its face expressionless. And she opened her mouth and allowed her forked tongue to brush the air leaving traces of flame, as if she was drawing, no! More like writing. She wrote several letters with her tongue and raised its lizard like hands and waved it across the writing and it fell to the lake. The whole land trembled and the lake parted. Zephaniah looked at me and nodded, she then hurried across the path and I followed. Inside the parted lava a hand caught me, the grip was excruciatingly tight even with the charm of ice it felt hot. A voice whispered, “Hard work will save you from this fire we are facing.” He finished and let go of his hold to my wrist. At the end of the path was a large doorway made out of stone lined with molten lava that formed ornate writing. Then we passed.

Fourth Shadowrealm, Desobediente

This must be the most earsplitting of all the realms. We found ourselves at the edge of a very steep cliff. I looked at Zephaniah and nodded at what we are looking at. She then stared at me in question then understood what I meant.

“This is the Desobediente, the place for the disobedient, those who disobeyed the orders given to them. They are down there,” she looked down at the cliff below. “Where they are to swim in a river of needles and bring one huge boulder on to their backs as a sign of obedience, across the river back-n-forth.” She said fearfully. So much pain yet we are only on the fourth realm.

“Where is the next door?” I asked as she was pointing to the doorway which is across the vastly far cliff. “And how do we cross this valley?” she looked down and yelled;

“Caedma! Bridge master!” she bellowed down. “Come to our calling!” and the earth trembled along with the needles. Then came rising is a figure that rose too quick. The figure came to a complete halt allowing its hair to flow upward then down. It was a beautiful young lady whose hair is the color of starlight changing to light blonde. Her head changed into an old lady where her head is abnormally huge and her nose is a big dropping long nose.

“What can I do to the two mortals in this treacherous realm?”

“Caedma, Allow us to pass.” Zephaniah begged.

“Who are you to order me?” Caedma asked simply and neutrally.

“We are just travelers. And we need to get pass your valley.” Caedma smiled at the statement.

“You are irritating mortal. But I hate irritations,” she said sternly and harshly then she waved her wrinkled hands to her side. “And so the both of you can pass.” Then needles started to rise from the valley floor and slowly formed a bridge. I looked at Zephaniah in protest in the idea of crossing such bridge. She rolled her eyes and looked at me and took my arms and together we crossed the bridge. Unexpectedly the bridge didn’t puncture us and was remarkably steady. At the end of the bridge, we looked back at Caedma and bowed our head and thanked her, we then hurried at the doorway. The doorway was like the other doorway we passed but is was made of millions of needles that formed the frame.

Fifth Shadowrealm, Charlatán

Cold air welcomed our entrance and the blizzard greeted us in surprise. I looked at Zephaniah. She looked at me in surprise. I was wondering when would she talk about this shadowrealm, but she paced forward then stopped and looked back and opened her mouth and spoke in a low voice that I only see her mouth the words. Then the blizzard came to a complete stop, and tranquil air was replaced. I looked at her in surprise.

“Remember who I am, I’m the mistress of the wind, Witch of Endor, I am Zephaniah.” She said proudly and dramatically. “The wind shall obey to me and to no one but me.” Then she smiled and continued to walk and I followed beside her. “This is Charlatán, the place for cheaters and charlatans, those who did evil things to other and to themselves just to win and rise above the rest and they don’t care. They would do anything to be safe. Cheat and win as they would say.” She ended grimly. “And so here they are. They are here to suffer the cold and harsh weather.” They are stripped of clothes and to wonder aimlessly in this winter wasteland.” The doorway was straight ahead, made of solid ice, plainly standing. We stopped at the doorway and I looked at her.

“Is there no guardian in this shadowrealm?” I asked her quickly. And she looked around and thought to herself until she finally answered.

“Well there is, but she guards the last three shadowrealms. She is vicious, ruthless, and powerful. She resides mostly on the sixth and seventh and last shadowrealm.” Then I nodded and we continued. Before leaving the fifth shadowream I heard cries “Never cheat!” and we passed and heard no more from the tortured humani.

Sixth Shadowrealm, Hombres Locos

This was far colder than the Charlatán. The air was cold and I saw we were standing in solid ice. The floor was ice solid, and hundreds or even millions of standing pillars of ice.

“What realm is this?” I asked stammering in the cold weather. “Even my aura can’t warm me up.” I said and she placed a hand horizontally along my forehead and warmth started to flow throughout my whole body until I felt warm and cozy.

“This place has a different flow of energy,” she said looking through the horizon. “And a powerful one too, the energy even seeps in our body, rendering us cold even with our auras warming us.” She continued and looked back, “Welcome to Hombres Locos, the torment to mad men.” We continued and stopped until we reached a pillar of ice, inside was a human, it was a girl who was pierced with millions of needles. Her pail face was light blue and her lips were navy blue out of the cold. “Here the ones who showed madness and anger, wrath to their teachers. To those that taught them. They have left the side of humility and enraged their own teacher. They showed anger instead of compassion.” She looked at the pillar and touched it. “They would suffer the cold and pain they gave their teachers. The cold of ice and pain of the needles.” We hurried then to the doorway which is a Pillar of white ice with ornate writings out of blue icicles. Before passing I pulled her to stop.

“Wait!” I yelled at her and she looked back. “What is the name of this so called guardian?”

“Isolde the cold hearted witch.” She said grimly. “The isolated sister.” And we headed to the next doorway.

Seventh Shadowrealm, Alta de Orgullo

This would be the far worst shadowrealm; pain hit my stomach like a heavy weight pulled me down. The surrounding was icy and bloody. The pillars are stained with red blood. The place is chaotic yet everything stood still and quiet. The pillars are stabbed with long metal skewers of different sizes, shape and length. Above the scattered bloody pillars of ice stood a tall ornate throne with writings and scriptures, these are all written in red blood. Seated flamboyantly in the throne is a lady. The lady’s skin is eerie white and her face is smooth like the texture of finely polished porcelain. Her lips are red rose, and she spotted us and smiled then turned to an evil grin.

“Welcome mortals! To my shadowrealm, Alta de Orgullo!” she said raising her voice. Her nostrils flared. “Dear, Mortals or should I say Elders?” she murmured to herself. Her grin turned savage. And she jumped a sky-scraping height and dropped in front of us that sent the earth shaking and trembling. “Your scent is unusual and unique, you are an elder!” she said looking at Zephaniah, and then looks at me. “But you are different! You’re aura is pure. What are you?” I was about to speak until Zephaniah cut me off and spoke for me.

“It is none of your concern, Next Generation!” She shouted and raised her hands and a whip solidified on her hands. She cracked the whip in the air just in front of the creature and Isolde hissed while stepping back away from us. I held my right arm in front of Zephaniah and Isolde, keeping her from releasing the whip.

“Enough, Zephaniah!” I raised my voice.

“But I thought we shouldn’t-”

“I think we should.” I ended what she would say. I looked at the creature. “I am an Origin.” The creature with wide eyes backed away from us.

“Those are just myths! I can never be fooled!” she barked and launched herself towards us and I raised my hand and concentrated my aura into a finger and dropped the aura to solid ice floor. The moment the droplet touched the ground it thawed the ice to water and rose to the creature sending it flying away. We head towards where the creature fell. After seeing it unconscious I sent another aura to the ice and thawed it again but this time the water wrapped around the unconscious creature and rose to form a pillar of water. I placed my hand to the pillar solidifying it to ice. I looked at Zephaniah with satisfaction.

“What place is this?”

“Like what she said, Alta de Orgullo, High of Pride. The people here have no hint of humility that they hurt other people’s feelings. So here they will endure the cold and the pain.” She said grimly, and then she looked away towards the throne. I later on realized that the doorway is just below the tall pedestal of the throne, etched with writing and scripture in blood. We went towards the doorway and left hell, for good.