THE REVENANT OF EMILY

GEHENNA

The white corridors of the hospital were cold and silent, except for the soft hum of machines and the occasional hurried footsteps of medical staff. Emily lay motionless on the hospital bed, her face pale, lips colorless, and her chest rising ever so faintly—barely noticeable beneath the blanket.

Outside the ward, Harper sat with her face buried in her hands, shaking. Her body trembled under the weight of what she had done, heart pounding with guilt, fear, and something even worse—regret.

Across from her, Emily’s mother sobbed uncontrollably, her cries echoing through the hallway. She had just received the news no mother should ever hear: her daughter was gone. The doctor had emerged from the ward minutes ago with a heavy expression and had delivered the devastating words: *“I’m sorry… there’s nothing more we can do.”*

The world seemed to freeze in that moment.

Emily’s mother collapsed to the floor, clinging to a chair for balance as the pain crushed her spirit. Harper wanted to scream, to confess, to take it all back. But she remained frozen in shame and silence.

Just then, a young nurse burst through the doors of the ward, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Doctor!” she called, rushing toward the man who had just delivered the final verdict. “You need to come back. Right now. I think… I think she’s breathing again!”

Gasps filled the corridor.

“What?” the doctor asked, already turning around.

“I saw movement—her fingers twitched and her pulse returned. It’s faint… but she’s alive.”

Within seconds, the medical team rushed back into the room, wheeling equipment and oxygen with urgency. Emily’s mother stood up slowly, stunned and barely able to believe what she was hearing. Tears still fell, but now they were mixed with hope.

A few minutes later, the doctor returned, his expression completely changed.

“She’s not gone,” he said gently, placing a hand on the mother’s shoulder. “Emily is in a coma… but she’s alive.”

The hallway fell silent again—but this time, it was filled with quiet disbelief and the fragile promise of a second chance.

Harper stared ahead, her heart caught between guilt and relief.

Emily was still breathing.

But for Harper, the storm had only just begun.

---

Harper couldn’t hold it in anymore. As the doctors worked behind the ward doors and Emily’s mother clung to a flicker of hope, Harper quietly slipped outside the hospital and sat on the steps, her chest heaving with silent sobs.

Tears streamed down her face—not just from fear or shock, but from the unbearable weight of guilt. She had pushed her best friend off that rooftop. She had let jealousy consume her. And now, the girl she betrayed was fighting for her life, caught between this world and something far more unknown.

At least now, her mother had hope. At least *someone* had hope.

But neither of them had any idea of what was happening somewhere far beyond human comprehension… in a realm untouched by the living.

...........

Some say that when you die, your soul drifts to a spiritual realm—heaven, hell, or something in between. Emily had never believed in any of that. She used to laugh it off as myth, fairy tales made to scare or comfort people.

But now… there she was.

Alone.

In *Gehenna*—the name the ancients whispered for the underworld. A place of suffering. A place of silence.

Emily stood in absolute darkness, the air thick like tar, pressing against her skin. There were no stars, no light, not even the sound of wind. It was as if the universe had closed in on her.

She couldn’t remember how she got there.

One moment, she had reached out to Harper on the rooftop… the next, nothing. Now her body was numb, her mind foggy, but her feet moved forward—guided by something she couldn’t explain.

Her bare feet hit scorched earth with each step. The ground crackled faintly beneath her, but otherwise, there was only silence. Then suddenly—

*Voices.*

Faint at first. Echoing, layered, and strange.

Her body froze, a chill running down her spine despite the heat in the air. She didn’t recognize the language, but the tone was deep… ancient… angry.

Her body trembled.

Were they speaking *about* her? *To* her?

She took another step, and the voices grew louder.

And then—just for a second—she felt eyes on her and she saw a man who was kneeling but he was stabbed by a man in a long black robe and he let out a final broken cry—then, without warning, his body erupted in a flash of red flame. No ashes. No blood. He simply vanished into thin air, like he had never existed.

Emily’s body trembled. Her breath quickened.

She didn’t understand where she was, but one thing was certain—this was no place for the living.

She crawled forward on her knees, her eyes wide with fear. She didn’t know who these beings were, but the raw, overwhelming power radiating from them made her soul quiver.

“I… I don’t know why I’m here,” she stammered, barely able to raise her voice. “Please… don’t hurt me.”

The female turned slowly, her gaze landing directly on Emily.

She smiled—but it wasn’t kindness.

It was recognition.

And that terrified Emily more than anything else.