THE JUDGES FROM HELL

Hell had laws. Even demons obeyed them. Deep beneath the world of the living, where rivers of fire flowed like water and the sky burned red without smoke, stood the Hall of Judgment. It was a place feared by souls and respected by demons—a court where eternity was decided in seconds. At the center of the hall sat the most feared judge in the Underworld. Justitia. She wore a long robe the color of dried blood. Her hair fell like black silk over her shoulders, and her eyes shone silver, cold and emotionless. For hundreds of years, she had judged souls without hesitation. Mercy was not part of her vocabulary. To her, justice was simple. Crime deserved punishment. A trembling soul knelt before her now. A young woman. Human. She looked no older than twenty-five, dressed in a plain white shirt and dark trousers. Her face was pale, but her eyes were full of determination. “My name is Kang Bitna,” she said, her voice shaking. “I didn’t commit the crime they accused me of. Please—look again.” The hall fell silent. Demons standing along the walls exchanged glances. No one dared speak while Justitia considered a case. Justitia leaned forward slowly, her gaze sharp as a blade. “Every soul claims innocence,” she said calmly. “The records show your actions. The judgment stands.” Kang Bitna shook her head desperately. “There’s been a mistake! I helped people. I defended the weak. I was a judge in the human world. I fought corruption. I never—” “Enough.” Justitia raised one hand. A heavy chain of black fire shot forward, wrapping around Kang Bitna’s wrists. The young woman gasped. “Please,” she whispered. “Check again. I beg you.” For a moment, the room held its breath. Then something unexpected happened. Justitia felt irritation. Not doubt. Not curiosity. Annoyance. She had heard thousands of pleas. She had no patience left for another. Without waiting for the council to review the case, she struck the gavel. The sound echoed like thunder. “Guilty. Sentence: Eternal punishment.” The chains tightened. Flames swallowed Kang Bitna’s figure. Her scream echoed once— Then vanished. Silence returned to the hall. Justitia leaned back in her chair, satisfied. Case closed. But seconds later, the massive doors of the hall burst open. A tall demon messenger rushed inside, breathing hard. “Stop the judgment!” he shouted. Too late. The flames had already died. Only ashes remained. The messenger dropped to one knee, his face pale. “There has been a correction,” he said slowly. “The records were wrong.” The hall froze. Even the fire seemed to stop burning. Justitia’s expression did not change, but a cold feeling crept into her chest. “The human named Kang Bitna,” the messenger continued, “was innocent.” The air in the Hall of Judgment turned heavy. Darkness gathered around the ceiling, swirling like storm clouds. Then a voice spoke. Not loud. Not soft. But powerful enough to shake the foundations of Hell itself. “Justitia.” Every demon fell to their knees instantly. Even Justitia felt her body grow still. It was the voice of the Supreme Tribunal, the highest authority in Hell. “You have abused your power,” the voice declared. Flames dimmed. Chains of shadow rose from the floor and wrapped around Justitia’s arms and legs. For the first time in centuries, fear touched her heart. “I followed the records,” she said firmly. “You acted without patience,” the voice replied. “You allowed anger to guide judgment. An innocent soul has been destroyed.” Silence. Then the sentence came. “You will bear the consequences.” The chains tightened. “You will descend to the human world. You will possess the body of the one you destroyed—Kang Bitna. You will live among humans and judge criminals in their courts.” Justitia’s eyes narrowed. “And your punishment will be this,” the voice continued. “You must send twenty guilty souls to Hell within one year.” A pause. “But not through law.” Another pause. “Through your own hands.” Murmurs spread among the demons. That was not justice. That was execution. “If you succeed,” the voice finished, “you may return to Hell.” The chains burned hotter. “If you fail, you will remain trapped in the human world forever.” Then came the final rule. “And one more condition: You must not fall in love.” The words echoed like a curse. “If your heart binds to another, your judgment will be clouded. You will never return.” Suddenly, the chains snapped tight. A flash of blinding fire filled the hall. Justitia screamed— And vanished.In the deepest chamber of the Underworld, where flames burned without smoke and time had no meaning, the judges of Hell gathered in silence. At the center of the black stone hall stood Justitia, once the most feared judge among them. Her crimson robe brushed the floor, and her silver eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. For centuries, she had sentenced souls without mercy. She believed justice was simple: punishment for wrongdoing, punishment for sin. But one year ago, she made a mistake. She killed the wrong soul. Not by accident—but by anger. The soul belonged to a young woman named Kang Bitna, a human who had pleaded for mercy. Justitia, impatient and proud, struck her down before the council could review the case. Later, the truth was revealed: Kang Bitna had been innocent. In Hell, even judges were not above judgment. A thunderous voice echoed through the chamber. “Justitia, you have abused your power.” The flames around the hall dimmed. Chains of shadow rose from the ground, wrapping around her wrists. “You will bear the consequences of your crime,” the voice continued. “You will possess the body of the human you destroyed. You will walk among the living. You will judge criminals in their courts—but your punishment will follow you.” Justitia’s expression remained cold, but inside, fear stirred for the first time in centuries. “You must send twenty guilty souls to Hell within one year,” the voice declared. “Not through lawful judgment—but through your own hands. Only then may you return.” The chains tightened. “And one more rule: You must not fall in love. Attachment weakens judgment. If your heart binds to another, your punishment will never end.” With a flash of fire, Justitia vanished. She woke up gasping. Rain hammered against the windows. Sirens wailed somewhere in the distance. Her body felt strange—heavy, fragile, human. She stumbled toward a mirror. A young woman stared back. Dark hair. Sharp eyes. A faint scar above the eyebrow. Kang Bitna. Justitia touched her face slowly. “I… am alive,” she whispered. Memories flooded her mind—Kang Bitna’s childhood, her studies, her dream of becoming a judge. The human life she had taken now lived inside her. A sudden knock shook the door. “Judge Kang? Are you ready?” a voice called. Judge. Of course. The punishment had already begun.