SPIDER-CHICA!

The stairs spiraled downward into darkness, each step heavier than the last. The air grew colder, and with every breath, it felt like they were inhaling the weight of centuries-old dust. Akira led the way, her black cloak swirling around her like shadows come to life. At the bottom of the staircase, she turned, handing cloaks to each of them.

"What are these?" Ben asked, wrinkling his nose. "And why do they smell like dead animals?"

Akira's eyes flashed with warning. "They're disguises. Unless you want to fight every single demon and creature across all six circles of the underworld?"

Ben grimaced, pulling the cloak over his head. "No thanks."

The others followed suit, adjusting the cloaks as they stood before the towering gates of the first circle. The darkness behind the gate seemed alive, pulsating with an unholy energy.

"Whatever you see or hear," Akira warned, her voice low, "do not raise your heads. Keep your eyes fixed to the ground. And remember—these souls deserve to be here."

Raphaela swallowed hard, her heart racing in her chest. Jasmine's fingers twitched nervously at her side. They nodded in unison.

The gates groaned as they opened, and from the shadows emerged a massive three-headed dog. Its breath, hot and rancid, washed over them as it sniffed each of them carefully. Then, satisfied, the beast pressed its enormous paw against the gate, pushing it open.

They stepped into the first circle—Limbo.

The air was thick with the stench of rotting flesh, clinging to their clothes and skin like an unwelcome guest. Screams filled the air, sharp and unrelenting, as if the very atmosphere was soaked in agony. Raphaela instinctively covered her mouth, gagging at the intensity of the smell.

"Hold it in," Jasmine whispered, her voice tight with restraint.

Without looking up, they pressed forward, their eyes fixed to the ground as instructed. But even in their peripheral vision, they could see the horrors unfolding around them. Men and women, their faces twisted in eternal torment, were thrown into boiling cauldrons. When they begged for mercy, they were dragged out, only to be tossed onto beds of needles. A grotesque, stubby creature with massive feet leaped onto them, crushing them beneath its weight.

Every time the word "Stop!" was screamed, the cycle would begin again.

Raphaela's hands trembled as she walked faster, eager to leave the torturous scene behind. Her heart pounded in her ears, each scream like a knife to her soul. She had trained for this, but nothing could have prepared her for the real thing.

At the gate to the second circle, two figures stood guard—a man and a woman, both dressed in revealing, flashy clothes, with chains coiled around their wrists.

"Is this... bondage?" Jasmine muttered under her breath, unable to stop a smirk from creeping onto her face. Raphaela suppressed a giggle.

Ben, never one to miss a chance for a joke, adopted the posh tone of their old teacher. "Quiet, you dirty village rats! You belong in the gutter!"

The girls stifled their laughter, but Akira shot them a deadly look. "Shut up if you want to survive," she hissed, bowing low to the guards. They gave a single nod before pushing open the door.

The group entered the second circle—Lust.

Here, naked bodies were strapped to stone slabs, limbs splayed wide as creatures covered in thorns and tongues violated them with unspeakable cruelty. Hot oil was poured over their writhing forms as they screamed in endless agony. The air crackled with dark magic, every inch of this place humming with malevolent energy.

Ben clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to look up. The weight of the sins around them was oppressive, threatening to crush their spirits. Raphaela's heart sank as she forced herself to move forward, each step heavier than the last.

They passed through Lust quickly, eager to escape its horrors, and soon reached the third circle.

The stench hit them before they even crossed the threshold. This was Gluttony.

Two bloated, pig-headed creatures stood guard, their bodies greasy and foul, with bits of rotting food stuck in their fur. They opened the gate with lazy, sloppy movements, and the group slipped past them, into the most grotesque sight yet.

Men and women sat strapped to chairs, their mouths stretched impossibly wide, their jaws torn and bleeding. Demons stood above them, shoveling excrement into their gaping mouths with spades. Once their stomachs were filled to bursting, more demons would descend to defecate directly into their mouths.

Raphaela felt bile rise in her throat. "I think I'm going to be sick," she muttered, eyes glued to the floor.

"Just keep moving," Akira whispered.

They passed through, each trying to block out the sickening sounds and smells that filled the air. Every breath tasted like ash and rot, and the oppressive heat made the air feel like it was on fire.

The fourth circle—Greed—was no less horrifying. Here, naked men and women were chained to chairs while demons heated precious jewels in pots of lava. Once the jewels were molten, they were pressed into the victims' flesh like brands. The smell of burning skin was overwhelming.

Above, more demons poured molten gold and silver over their heads—symbols of the wealth they had once cherished. Raphaela flinched as she saw diamonds, once sparkling with beauty, now being used as tools of endless torture.

The demons laughed as they splashed barrels of expensive wine over the victims' charred bodies, waiting for the flesh to heal just enough to begin the torture again.

By the time they reached the fifth circle—Anger and Violence—the group was on edge. A massive woman, her muscles rippling under blood-stained armor, slammed her fist into the door, causing it to swing open with a deafening crash. The force of it sent a shockwave through the ground, making the group stumble.

Inside, chaos reigned. There were no demons here—only the damned, who fought endlessly, tearing each other apart with bare hands and teeth. Blood splattered the ground in waves, and the air was thick with the sounds of bodies crashing and bones snapping.

They dashed through the battlefield, dodging flailing limbs and deadly blows. Every second felt like a lifetime as they narrowly avoided being pulled into the violent fray. Raphaela's heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. They made it to the other side, breathless but unharmed.

The final circle, Thievery and Deception, was guarded by two creatures with faces that were half-human, half-serpent. Their long fingers dripped with a sticky, foul-smelling substance as their tails flicked against the door, pushing it open.

Inside, the punishment was almost too gruesome to comprehend. Men and women lay stretched out on stone slabs, their arms pinned down. A demon with the head of a cat approached each victim, raising a gleaming axe before bringing it down with a sickening crack, severing their hands. Screams of pain filled the air, but the punishment didn't stop there.

Demons pried open the victims' mouths, pulling out their tongues before scalding water was poured down their throats. The cat-like demon then hooked the victims' tongues, splitting them apart like the peel of a banana. The sight of it sent shivers down Raphaela's spine.

"Let's get out of here," Jasmine whispered, her voice shaking.

They hurried through the final gate, leaving the screams behind as they stepped into a new chamber. Before them stood a gigantic golden door, gleaming under the faint light of the underworld. On one side was an engraving of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the afterlife. On the other, a scale balanced a feather and a heart.

Akira stopped and removed her cloak. "This is it," she said softly.

"Are you ready?"

Raphaela and Jasmine exchanged a glance. "Sure," Raphaela muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Let's do this," Jasmine said, her body already shifting into her werehyena form.

"Just like we practiced," Akira whispered, before raising her hand. A powerful gust of wind erupted from her fingers, blasting the golden doors open.

And what lay beyond left them breathless.