The Rise of Nirvana

The silence made her senses sharper, hearing nothing more than the burbling of water against the hull and her constant deep breaths that gave away her emotional instability. It wasn’t pitch-dark, but it is for her, as she remembers nothing that might explain how she ended up in a century-old-looking boat that seems to lead her anywhere but home. Fog scattered above the river like vines creeping its way to the ground, limiting her sight of what’s beyond and amplifying the almost unbearable cold. She hadn’t been here her entire life, but she could almost tell that it wasn’t a place she wanted to go to. The waters seem cold, the wind tastes putrid, and the air smells like death. She clutched the side of the boat with both hands and peered down the deep murky water of the river. It felt dead, and unsurprisingly, so is the girl staring back at her; empty eyes, pale lips, and a spiritless body. Her boring gray eyes and silver hair almost blended well with the sadness of her surroundings. The boat shifted on her weight as she sat back down. If only she could turn the boat around, she would, but she found nothing around that she could use as a paddle. There were just cobwebs and what seems to be like pieces of torn filthy garments that piled up in a corner. “Where the hell am I?” she pressed her lips together, and let out the sigh that had built up in her chest Remembering only made her head throb, and it was almost like it refused to unlock the memories she wished to recover. Amnesia? The thought of it seemed hilarious if you consider the dead to still sustain illnesses and mental conditions. Well, she only needed an explanation, a concrete assurance, maybe, on why she ended up damned in a what every single human wouldn’t dare set foot on, the land of the doomed, “Hell.” the words escaped her mouth almost like a reflex that she couldn’t tell whether she was cursing or entirely terrified as the fog cleared, revealing a towering structure that screamed of evil in every corner. The dark sky revealed the biggest moon she had ever seen with bright spots and a rough surface that reflects nothing but blood red. The water got shallower as her boat neared the dock ahead and the winds whispered danger ever so lightly to her ears. She began to prepare herself, assessing the situation and slowly relaxing her tense muscles. Her adrenaline seemed to heighten the nearer her boat got to the dock and the more she processes what was happening. Her fingers curled up in a ball, ready to defend herself. After all, hell is not a place to be taken so lightly. Her thoughts were stopped by the sudden force that lurched her forward as the boat bumped the foundation of the old wooden dock before halting to a stop. Hesitating, she carefully stood up and reached for something to grab on to as she steadied herself to resist the wobbling of the boat beneath her. She grabbed onto the surface and felt small sharp pebbles pierce her palm as she forced herself up when suddenly, she heard a faint trickling of water and felt a cold hand wrap around her ankle, pulling her down with power that she tried to overcome. A sharp scream escaped from her as she felt another hand grab onto her. She kicked and wiggled herself free from the grasp but it was no use. "Let me go!" she fiercely shouted, hoping it would scare off whoever, or whatever, is clinging on to her ankles. Unsurprisingly, it did nothing. She managed to slightly pull herself up higher to the platform's surface. At that moment, she realized that she wasn't alone. Lifeless eyes stared back at her. Pale skin, pale lips, and spiritless body, just like hers. Hundreds of them, yet none reflected any concern, as if they were actually waiting for her to be swallowed up and drowned. Their piercing eyes made her skin crawl. She felt tangled up in a web, vulnerable, paralyzed, and waiting for the inescapable end. For a moment, she felt scared. Not because of her situation, but because she's witnessing how much people can be self-centered, and she doesn't want to be one of them. "Help us." Her heart pumped upon hearing the softest cry of plea. It was faint, sorrowful, and weak, yet she heard it clearly enough to kick her senses alive again for some reason. She tried to go up using her full force this time while trying to sweep away the hands with her free foot. Her elbows reached the surface, giving her more force to raise her body upwards. With one final kick, she freed herself and jumped up the surface. Her breaths were unsteady as she fell to her knees. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she sat there, panting, and processing what just happened. She drew her hair back and observed her surroundings. Seeing that everyone turned their backs on her this time made her more relieved as she was no longer being eyed upon like a worm on its deathbed. This time, she saw all the empty boats that were resting on the waters, each one tied to a single dock like hers that almost looked like they were all paired up. Crawling slowly on her knees, she looked back below the waters where her boat lies. The river below was still, leaving no trace of the creatures that tried to pull her down. Help us. She stood up with her aching legs that she got for sitting for hours straight in a boat ride. "Help who?" she thought to herself. She turned around and made sure that no one else was around. Shaking it off, she went to take the direction of the path that everyone else took. She was the very last person behind the crowd, but she didn't think it would matter since they were all going to the same place. She looked up ahead, past the line of crowded people and the hanging bridge right above a massive abyss, and there stood the most towering structure of all. The door resembled that of castle doors of ancient ruins with a clear sight of a staircase that starts at the entrance, and what seems to be stalagmites were scattered on the ground, intensifying the horrific scenery. A bell tower stood tall at the left side of the structure with bricked walls and a sturdy foundation. It made her wonder what the bell would be for. War maybe? Or perhaps, lunch? She snorted at the thought of having lunch at a place like this. She's sure they would never get to have a taste of anything near food. If hell was as terrifying as they say, then wouldn't it make sense if the devil would try to push them down the abyss one by one? How come she was the only one who got messed around by mysterious creatures? "You shouldn't have done that," a woman's voice cut her thoughts up. She looked around and saw a girl her age walking beside her. Her straight dark hair is held up in a high ponytail, and her clothes flawlessly glittered. She wore a black tank top topped with white faux fur, with high-waist denim jeans that are loose on the ends. Wow. This lady died in style. "Done what?" she asked, a little bit taken aback that someone even tried to talk to her at this point. "Saving yourself." "What do you mean?" she arched her eyebrow, feeling annoyed and curious with her response. "You want me to die? Just like that?" She scoffed and gave her a knowing look, "Would it matter? I mean we're practically dead already." With her eyes squinted at the girl, she tried to assess her point and predict where this subject might lead. Sure, it made sense, but even beyond death, their human instincts remained intact, and survival instincts were on top of that too. "I thought this place is supposed to be filled in lava. Y'know, where they burn the bad kids," she mumbled while innocently looking around, "That would've been a sight, don't you think so too?" "I don't." is what she wanted to say. Damn, this woman's messed up right in the head. "Beats me," she mindlessly replied like she never had a whole debate in her head. The girl skipped past her like a subject she's done with, to her utmost relief. Although her words were quite alarming, she didn't let them get to her. When she reached the hanging bridge, she couldn't help but peek down the abyss beneath. She knew she doesn't fear heights, but this one would make any knees tremble while they cross this old wooden bridge that made her doubt if she would ever reach the other end alive. After all, she never gave up on the thought that if the devil wanted to get rid of them all by flicking a finger, then this would be his best chance. She carefully took her first step on the bridge and steadily held the rope handle beside her. Taking the next steps with caution and avoiding the holed up and weak parts, she reached the other end of the bridge unscathed. With the distance they've covered, she was able to make out the small details she missed, like the tall rusty metallic gate that led to a wide forest that looked dead from the outside, and a small dark concrete shed with the same patterns as that of the main structure. In there, lies a grumpy-looking man with a white beard and a silver round choker, holding a paper in his hand where his eyes were glued. Beside the shed lies a metallic gate that made rusty noises from its hinges as the cold breeze gently pushed it back and forth. "Name?" the man asked the girl she talked to earlier in a monotonous voice. "Rianne Leonhard." The man nodded his head without lifting his eyes on the paper and Ariana continued to walk forward as the gates opened up for her. "Name?" the old man asked her in the same dark voice She blurted out the single memory she was left with, her name. "Seraphina." The man nodded the same way he did like the last time that it almost made her ask if it didn't get him any dizzy at all. Before she could walk away, she saw the man put down the paper on the desk in front of him. He noticed her and looked back with curiosity. "Aren't you coming in there?" he asked as he shifted in his seat inside his tiny shed. "Can I?” she asked him back, not really expecting a positive answer. The man gave out what seems to be something close to a laugh. “You’ve got no choice. Welcome to the underworld, my lady.”