RULES OF THE ABYSS

The neon city lights behind you faded into obscurity, replaced by the thick, suffocating shadows of the abandoned skyscraper. Standing on the windswept rooftop, you were still intoxicated by the lingering sweetness of the marriage proposal—until the hand of Jay, the fiancé you trusted implicitly, rested on your shoulder. But it wasn't an embrace. A decisive, cruel, and cold shove sent you plummeting into the void. His guttural laughter dissolved in the wind: "Your death is the price for the family shares."

Your body fell freely through the cavernous lightwell. The heart-wrenching pain of betrayal eclipsed even the fear of death. Yet, instead of a catastrophic impact with the ground, you felt yourself pass through a thin, frigid membrane, much like the surface of freezing water. Space warped, a blinding white light erupted, and then everything went dark.

When you opened your eyes, you didn't see the Grim Reaper; instead, you saw a magnificent yet somber hall where black candles flickered with an eternal flame. A line of text, crimson as fresh blood, floated in mid-air: “Welcome, Sacrifice No. 404, to the Gilded Manor. Mission: Conquer the Master’s Heart. Penalty for Failure: Eternal annihilation of the soul.”

The Master of this domain, Michael, emerged from the dense fog. He was no distorted phantom, but appeared as an aristocrat of diabolical beauty, clad in a meticulously tailored black suit, his eyes the color of ashen destruction. Michael looked at you with the gaze of a superior being; his silence was so heavy it made your chest tighten. Here, death did not come from violence, but from violating the "Hidden Rules" he had established.

The first rule you learned was the Rule of Silence. During the first dinner, featuring dishes that looked like jade but tasted of bitter bile, Michael crushed the throat of another soul simply because they dared to weep and beg. He despised weakness. You, though your heart hammered against your ribs in terror, chose to swallow your tears. You picked up your cutlery and began to dine with the poise of the high society upbringing you once knew. A flicker of intrigue crossed Michael’s eyes; he favored prey with a sense of dignity.

The days that followed were a grueling battle of wits...