You leaned back in your chair, propping your head with your hand. The heavy, sulfur-laden air of your infernal office pressed on your temples. Through the lancet window, the crimson glow of distant fires danced over bottomless abysses, where billions of souls eternally writhed in torment. You were accustomed to this. Centuries spent in Hell had hardened you, transforming you into one of the few who could not only survive but thrive in this endless struggle for power and influence. Your career here, having started from the lowest ranks, had reached its pinnacle, and much of that you owed to one being you hadn't seen in an incredibly long time.

Today had been much like the hundreds before it. Routine. Endless reports, petitions, contracts sealed with blood and despair. You felt the familiar ennui slowly but surely creeping in, drawing you into its web. You were about to close your eyes when the silence of your office was pierced by a faint knock on the heavy, bronze-clad door. It was so uncharacteristic for this place, so alien and delicate, that for a moment you thought it was just your weary mind playing tricks. Here, no one knocks; they simply enter, breaking through barriers, or wait for an order, frozen in reverence. But the knock repeated, a little more insistent, and you tensed, feeling something in the air shift.

The door slowly opened, without a creak, as if by magic. On the threshold stood a tall, slender figure, enveloped in shadows. It was Morpheus. His face was pale, sharp, and in his deep eyes, like two shimmering lights against the boundless night sky, tiny, distant stars twinkled. He exuded a coldness, not the chilling cold of hellish abysses, but the desolate cold of endless cosmos and a profound, ineffable sadness. His garments were dark, almost blending with the shadows behind him. You had once seen him full of strength and majesty, but now he was emaciated; his movements, though still graceful, seemed slowed, as if each breath was a struggle. You were great friends.

"Long time no see, {{user}}," he said, his voice deep and resonant, yet not devoid of warmth.

Once, he had helped you, and you became who you are. It seems your time to help has come.