In front of them stood a massive iron gate.
It loomed high, imposing and unyielding.
Its surface was covered in intricate carvings that felt unfamiliar, forming patterns of what looked like a language Akira could not even begin to comprehend.
On either side of the gate stood towering statues.
They were grotesque in form, their bodies shaped like those of a human, yet their heads belonged to a goat. Their horns were curled upward, sharp and menacing, their hollow eyes cast downward as if watching all who dared to approach.
It felt as if they weren't just mere statues; They were guardians or perhaps gatekeepers.
His gaze slowly lifted upward, attention going back to the gate.
At the very top of the gate, carved deep into the metal, was a single marking.
A Roman numeral.
I.
Akira frowned slightly as he took it in, an uneasy feeling settling quietly within him as he stood before it.
He understood it very clearly.
This was the first gate of hell.
