Hazbin Hotel: Sins and Second Chances

Chapter 9

The old elevator creaked as it made its ascension to the upper floors of the hotel. Zack stood beside Charlie, the silence between them stretched for a moment before she cleared her throat, breaking the stillness.

"Angel means well, you know," she said, her voice light, trying to assure him. "He just has a... strong personality. But once you get to know him, he's a great guy."

Zack nodded, forcing a smile. "I'll take your word for it," He replied. Personalities like Angel were not unfamiliar to him. People who hide behind a loud bravado masking something deeper, pain, insecurity, or fear. He didn't know the story behind Angel Dust yet, but he suspected there was more to the demon behind his flirty façade.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival. The doors slid open with a groan and Zack followed Charlie down the dimly lit hallway. It felt like stepping back into a different time, with faded red wallpaper and carpeting with hinted of a once grand past. It was an eerie, haunting vibe that unsettled Zack as they headed to his room.

Charlie stopped in front of a door near the end of the hall, turning to Zack with a smile. "Here's your room," she said, pulling out an old key and inserting into a large keyhole, twisting it making an audible 'click' as it unlocks. She pushes the door open, revealing a simple but cozy setting.

Zack stepped inside, looking around. The room was modest, certainly nothing like the modern hotels he had stayed in during his life, but it had its charm. The bed, though old, looked comfortable enough, with a dark red comforter draped over it. A small wooden table sat in the corner, along with an antique dresser and a mirror that had seen better days. A curtain covered the window, keeping the room in darkness while a single light bulb on the ceiling, casting a dim glow over the room.

Charlie watched him expectantly. "What do you think?"

Zack took in the room for a moment before walking over to the window.

"It's...nice." He said, his voice trailing off as he pulled back the curtain and caught his first real glimpse of Hell.

His eyes widen.

The sky was a deep, hellish red, casting everything in a bloody glow. A massive Pentagram stretched out for miles in the sky with a large moon that floated ominously above with a red star also etched into it.

The Hotel seemed to have been situated on a hill that looked over a valley of jagged mountains surrounding what looked to be a sprawling city below. The streets and avenues crisscrossed, making the same shape, each piece of the pentagram seemingly its own district and buildings. In the center of it all, a glowing golden palace-like structure stood out of place amongst the hellish red landscape.

Charlie stepped up beside him, her eyes following his gaze. "This is Pentagram City," she explained.

"All sinners who come to Hell reside here."

"This is...all of Hell?" He would ask as he pointed at the sight below them.

Charlie would shake her head. "Pentagram City is just one of the many cities in Hell. There are many amongst the various rings. We just happen to be in the Pride Ring."

Zack turned to her, furrowing his brow. "The Pride Ring?"

She nodded. "Hell is divided into rings, each representing one of the seven deadly sins," she said, naming them all. "Pride, Wrath, Greed, Envy, Lust, Gluttony and Sloth."

"The seven deadly sins," Zack repeated, his voice tinged with curiosity. It was familiar, having read Dante's Inferno and learning about the rings of Hell, fit for the punishment of a soul that committed them. "So, this is just one of the rings a sinner would land in?"