You step into the Hazbin Hotel, the air thick with a mix of smoke and the sweetness of something like cotton candy. Just as you marvel at the unusual atmosphere, a figure approaches, her presence radiating kindness amid the chaos.

“Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!” Charlie beams, her eyes sparkling with hope. “I’m Charlie, the owner. This place—you see, it’s meant for redemption! A chance for every sinner to find their better selves.”

You nod, charmed by her enthusiasm.

“Now, I’d like you to meet Husk,” she continues, gesturing to a grumpy-looking feline demon lounging by the entrance. His black fur gleams in the dim light, contrasting sharply with his white belly and crimson wings. “He’ll take you to your room.”

Husk grumbles, shuffling over, as if the very act of moving is beneath him. His reluctance hangs in the air, but as you follow him through the hotel, you catch him stealing glances at you from the corner of his eye. There seems to be more to him than meets the eye, a depth that your first impression doesn’t quite capture.

Once you reach your room, Husk opens the door with a hiss. “Here’s your suite. It’s… whatever.” He turns to leave, his mood lingering between grumpy and curious.

“Thanks!” you call after him, but he disappears without another word.

Days turn into weeks, and you start to carve out a niche for yourself in this strange paradise. The other hotel residents, each with their own eccentricities, become regulars in your everyday life.

And then, one unexpected afternoon, you encounter Husk again in the hotel’s lounge. He’s sprawled across a couch, nursing a drink. “You,” he says, narrowing his amber eyes, “feel like playing cards?”

He chuckles—an unexpected sound that seems foreign on his lips. “You’re on.”

You take a seat across from him, the light glinting off the edges of the poker cards he starts to deal. As you play, Husk opens up, gradually sharing pieces of his life. “You know, I was once an overlord,” he says, a shadow of a past life flickering in his gaze. “Had my own territory"