We don't belong here.

That was all that the trio could think. They had finished the first 'Penance' and were still in the first circle. The tunnel led out of the trial and back to where they had first entered the 'Penance' from.

Everything felt alien and out of place. Except for the Obsidian archway, everything they saw felt as if it was pushing them away.

Whispers rose up from the very ground. The cavernous ceiling, the blackened rock walls. All of them called out to them.

"Leave, leave, leave. Get out. you. do. not. belong. here" whispered the whole first circle.

"Are we being rejected?" Asked Solomon.

"Yeah, it feels like we are being kicked out." Hyde agreed

"I guess we should head to the docks," Fike said.

The group walked towards the docks with a lot on their minds. Not only were they plagued with whispers from their surroundings. But, they had to sort out the jumbled memories they received.

Solomon couldn't give voice to his thoughts. He couldn't put into words his feelings. saddened by his past life and terrified. Terrified that if he confessed his crimes, his companions would treat him differently.

He knew that, logically, seeing as everyone else was also in hell, they had probably also committed some sort of heinous crimes. He knew that... and yet couldn't really process this.

While Solomon was lost in his own head, the other two chatted. They passed the time boasting about their fights.

"No way! You were swallowed by the whale." Hyde exclaimed in disbelief.

"I swear I'm not lying," Fike promised. "I had to kill it from the inside because its skin was too thick. It was the only way."

Hyde sniffed at Fike. "I don't know if I believe you. You should smell like fish if that happened."

Fike shrugged, "Maybe, it's because of the fruit we ate. I feel like my whole body has changed. I might have cast off the smell as well."

Hyde nodded, his experience was much the same. He could even breathe fire now after all.

"Since you ate the dragon's heart and got its fire breathing ability. Do you think I should have eaten the Whale's heart?" Fike asked curiously.

Hyde thought about this and wasn't sure, "I think my path is gluttony, so I don't know if the same thing would apply to you."

"Makes sense," Fike agreed "Mine is the Fisherman so I probably get stronger differently."

"So you both know your paths, huh," Solomon spoke up.

"You don't?"

"I didn't even go down a tunnel," Solomon explained helplessly.

This stunned the other two. If he didn't go down a tunnel, did he not choose a path?

"Did you spend your time with the lantern guy?" Hyde asked.

Solomon explained his experience to the two. He also gave voice to his own theories.

"So you think that you don't have a path. You just have a goal?" asked a confused Hyde.

"Pretty much. If I had to name my path, it would be freedom I guess. But, giving a specific direction to freedom doesn't really make sense so..."

Fike patted Solomon on the back. "I'm sure it will work out. Seeing as your path is freedom surely you can just do whatever you want."

"I'm kind of jealous," Hyde added

"But, how am I supposed to follow a path that doesn't exist. Can I even become immortal like that?" Solomon asked self-depreciatingly.

Seeing this was a touchy subject the other two left it alone. There was no point in trying to cheer up someone who didn't want to be cheered up.

Switching the subjects, Hyde and Fike moved on to talk about the memories they regained.

Hyde had spent his childhood as an orphan. From a young age, he would steal. Anything that looked like it could be eaten or sold for money to buy food. The orphanage never had enough food after all.

Of course, stealing was not without repercussions. He had ended up being captured and sent to prison by a guard he had unknowingly tried to steal from.

Fike, hearing this blushed a bit. His story wasn't nearly as tragic.

Born in a village near a river. His life was basically decided before it even started. Fike, had grown up in the village with his mother. His father had died while hunting when he was young. He had needed to grow up fast in order to feed himself and his mother.

His mother wouldn't allow him to hunt because of the circumstances of his father's death. He had ended up teaching himself to fish In the nearby river. His memories ended whenever he had taken the coming of age ceremony.

After telling their stories they once again turned to Solomon. They wanted to ask him about his experiences. But stopped.

He was shaking and couldn't meet their eyes. Clearly, this subject wasn't one they could discuss either.

The only thing they could do was give Solomon some space. He wasn't ready to talk about the things he had experienced. The wounds were too fresh to heal.

Walking in silence they made their way towards the docks.

They left behind the first 'Penance'. for the last time, they walked past the mining camp. Fike stopped at the market to say goodbye to the demon he usually sold his stuff to.

"Do you want to say goodbye to the mafia demons?" Hyde asked.

"No..." Solomon said glumly. Perhaps he would regret that later. He just couldn't right now. He needed to get out of here.

The everpresent whispers grated against his psyche and the cave walls and ceiling felt like they were crushing him. For a moment, he remembered the shack.

Solomon shook his head. He wasn't there now. That wasn't even him. He didn't need to have the same fears as some other person.

He felt a rough hand land on his shoulder. Hyde spoke as he grabbed him, "Let's get going then. How about we 'Drop' our wallets on the way."

"What do you mean 'drop' our... oh" Solomon paused in realisation.

...

Fike walked out of the market with a smile. He would have liked to stay longer but the whispers from his surroundings were getting louder. The rejection was getting stronger. So he had to go.

On the way to the docks, He gave greetings to the few demons he knew. Most demons spent short periods of time in the first circle so it was hard to get to know many of them.

He decided to stop at his favourite bar for the last time and have his last meal there. The owner of the bar laughed and patted him on the back.

"Good job, Spikey." Laughed the barkeep. Then he lent down towards Fike and his face became dead serious, "You couldn't tell me what happens in the 'Penance'? For old times sake."

Fike went to speak when he felt his heart squeeze. Something was grabbing it and twisting. Every time he tried to open his mouth the vice-like grip got tighter.

The barkeep wasn't stupid, and when he saw Fike clutching his chest and gasping he caught on. "Wow, calm down. I was only kidding. I already know you can't tell me anything."

Relieved, Fike felt the grip on his heart loosen. He was just about to apologise to the barkeep when he stopped. The food in his mouth remained unchewed.

On the other side of the street, Was Solomon. Walking along awkwardly, he looked extremely suspicious.

Solomon looked around before loosening the belt around his waist and allowing it to drop to the ground. This level of clumsiness already required a tremendous suspension of disbelief. Not only that, But he also somehow didn't notice he had dropped it and walked on.

Fike hid his face and prayed he wouldn't be noticed. "Urgh, I don't even know that guy."

The barkeep looked over at Solomon, "That guy? I've seen him a lot lately. He sure is clumsy though... It almost makes you think he's dropping that stuff on purpose."

Fike interrupted the demon with a cough. "No, no, you are just overthinking things."

He ran out of the bar and grabbed Solomon. Fike bundled Solomon into a nearby alley. "Why are you doing this outside my favourite..."

"Hey did you drop this?" asked a demon who followed them into the alley

"Yeah, thanks," said Solomon.

Groaning, Fike tried to beg an unrelenting Solomon to stop. "Please stop doing that when I am nearby. Actually, stop doing it in places that I often go to. No, stop doing it in any place that I have ever been."

Right then, Hyde poked his head into the alley, "Hey, Solomon. You'll never believe who I saw at the docks."

Ignoring Fike's pleas Solomon stared past him and responded to Hyde, "Who?"

"It's Scorn, they are setting off in a few hours." Called out Hyde.

"Let's wait for a different boat then," Solomon shouted back

"Yeah, I don't want to deal with the crazy captain again." Replied Hyde.

...

The closer they got to the docks, the harder Fike had to drag the other two. "Why are you so against taking this boat?"

Solomon grabbed Fike by the spiky bone shoulders and spoke to him sincerely. "The captain of that ship is crazy. Look, you haven't taken one of those barges in a while so you might have forgotten. But it is literal and figurative hell."

Fike shrugged, "I'm pretty good with boats so I'll be fine."

Hyde and Solomon cursed the smug Fike. His will was firm and he had dragged them all the way to the dock.

The familiar fiery warmth of the magma and glowing red light that reflected off the black steel barge was particularly striking.

"I think I recognise the type of metal used on the hull," Whispered Solomon. Desperate not to get the attention of anyone on board.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Above the trios heads came a shout. "So you came crawling back, huh."

Craning their heads up the three were met with a blue flame and goats horns. "Fuck! it's her," cried out Hyde.

"What do you mean 'Her'?" Shrieked the captain. She lept down and grabbed Hyde.

"Some little demon spawn dares, ow, ow, ouch. It hurts so much when I step on the ground here." Swore the captain. If this place was rejecting them quite strongly, then the repulsion for demons from lower levels of must be even stronger.

The captain quickly let go of Hyde and jumped back onto the barge. She swore at Hyde as he laughed at her misfortune.

"Just you wait. Whenever you need to go down to the next circle I'll be sure to take the scenic route." Promised the Captain.

"That would be now then," said Fike.

Solomon glared at Hyde venomously. Why did that idiot have to antagonise the captain already?

Hyde dodged Solomon's fists while trying to explain himself. "Listen, she doesn't even drive the barge and it just goes straight down. What can she do?"

Not buying this argument, Solomon continued to punch Hyde. Eventually, Fike had to break them up.

"Wait, Have all of you completed the 'Penance' then?" Called out the captain in surprise.

"Yeah," Replied a disheartened Solomon.

The captain was somewhat surprised by this "That's pretty quick, good job guys... so you're saying you have to get on my boat right now then?"

"Yeah," Solomon said with a sigh.

Before Hyde could even pretend that they hadn't even passed the trials yet and were just kidding, a massive plank of wood landed at his feet.

"Come on up then." said the captain with a wolfish grin.

Solomon and Hyde walked up the gangplank like they were walking to the gallows. Fike ended up pushing them up and onto the huge barge.

When his feet landed on the deck, Solomon's legs started to shake. He looked around desperately for the nearest doorway that would lead him under the deck.

Without a word, he dashed towards the closest one and only breathed again whenever he shut the door behind him.

Fike pretended he hadn't seen this act of cowardice and was about to ask the captain how she knew the pair when he saw that she was too busy tieing Hyde to the very front of the boat with a rope to respond.

Thinking that Solomon had his priorities straight, Fike backed away and ran towards the door Solomon had gone through.

He definitely couldn't hear Hyde's cries of suffering. Definitely Not.