After the storm, silence. Maya awakens in an unfamiliar room—one that feels like a medical bay. She’s alone, and yet not.

  “Ah, you’re awake. Morning!”

  A girl with short dark brown hair and curious amber eyes greets her cheerfully. She looks about the same age as Maya. Her name is Emma Valenti—the same girl who saved Maya in the forest with a devastating kick.

  “You’re the one who helped me, right?”

  “Yup. Good thing we went in pairs. I figured we’d run into some tough ones from Lumen Dei’s Returner squad.”

  Emma’s smile is warm. The contrast from her fierce combat persona is striking. Maya finds it difficult to reconcile the two images.

  “I didn’t introduce myself earlier, did I? I’m Emma Valenti. And you are?”

  “…Maya Graves.”

  A beat. Maya wonders whether revealing her name is wise. If they knew she was Ezekiel’s daughter, would they turn on her? Still, it feels right to answer honestly.

  “Maya, huh? That’s a nice name. How old are you?”

  “Seventeen.”

  “Same here! Cool, right?”

  There’s a knock on the door. A calm, commanding voice follows:

  “May I come in?”

  Emma’s tone changes—more formal. “Yes, of course.”

  A tall woman enters, around thirty. Her dark red hair falls to her shoulders, and her green eyes shine with fierce intelligence. She has a model’s figure wrapped in blue and black tactical wear, but her presence feels more like a hawk than a human.

  “I’m Beatrice. Leader of the Returner organization, Luna Nordics.”

  Her eyes lock with Maya’s ice-blue ones. There’s no hostility, but no warmth either.

  “Maya Graves. I’ve confirmed your identity through your school ID. That’s correct?”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Yes… that’s me.”

  “We found a GPS tracker in your belongings. It’s been disabled. You’re safe here. But let’s get to the point: Maya, you died recently, didn’t you?”

  The words cut deep. Maya trembles.

  “I… I don’t know. I woke up buried alive. I killed the man who did it. I ran. Crashed. Got saved…”

  Tears well up.

  “You did die. And you were reborn as a Returner. Emma witnessed the abilities you displayed. They aren’t human—they are special powers called Exceeds.”

  Maya’s skin prickles with fear. None of this makes sense. Her hands tremble.

  “Some young girls and boys under twenty, when faced with an unnatural death, return—with gifts. Luna Nordics exists to protect such Returners, to train them, and give them purpose.”

  “No…” Maya whispers. She remembers the final humiliation, the betrayal, the pain. Goosebumps rise. Her breath shudders.

  “You’ve been unconscious for a month. Considering who was chasing you, if we let you out, you’d likely be recaptured. Brainwashed.”

  The mention of brainwashing sends a jolt through her. Ezekiel’s face flashes in her mind.

  “I’m giving you one week. Stay here in the infirmary. Then decide: join Luna Nordics—or leave. If you join, I’ll train you. I’ll teach you to survive. But once you’re in, there’s no going back. No exceptions.”

  “…Okay.”

  Maya can barely speak. The weight of it all presses down on her.

  (What kind of organization turns dead girls into warriors?)

  She doesn’t want to be used again. Her heart flutters with unease.

  “I’ve said a lot,” Beatrice adds. “Do you have any questions?”

  “…Yes.”

  Her breath shallow, Maya asks:

  “How did you know I was a Returner? How did you find me?”

  “I have the ability to sense newly awakened Returners. That’s how I found you.”

  “…And what is Exceed?”

  “Exceed is the power Returners awaken with. It stems from their deepest desires, regrets, or emotions at death. Each one is unique—yours especially so.”

  Beatrice gazes deep into Maya’s frozen eyes, as if trying to see her Exceed itself.

  “One week. Make your decision. And Maya—Emma’s the one who took care of you this past month. Be sure to thank her. She’ll also give you a tour of the building and the city.”

  Beatrice’s eyes flick between them before she turns and leaves.

  Maya exhales. The tension in her chest eases.

  Emma chuckles softly.

  "Scary, right? Honestly, Director Beatrice is even more intimidating than our enemies."

  “…Thank you. For everything.”

  “Call me Emma. I’ll call you Maya. And you’re welcome. Your recovery wasn’t too bad. I think your Returner awakening drained you, that’s all. Come on—I’ll show you around.”

  She smiles, takes Maya’s hand, and leads her out.

  In a secret intensive care unit

  Machines hum around a restrained male patient. Five doctors work in silence.

  “The Myrkrsvalinn drug is ready.”

  “Administer it.”

  A needle pierces his neck.

  “Vitals?”

  “No change… Wait. Pulse detected!”

  The monitor lights up.

  “Good. Increase the dose.”

  Color returns to the man’s face. Muscles twitch. Lungs inflate.

  His eyes snap open—amethyst purple, burning with hatred, madness, obsession.

  “Ma~yaaa… I’ll flood you with my love… until you break.”

  Ezekiel’s laughter echoes through the room.

  Thank you for reading.

  This chapter marks the beginning of Maya’s second life—and the world she’s about to enter is darker than death itself. In the next chapter, she must make her choice… and take her first step beyond the veil.

  Thank you for reading Chapter 6 of *HELL’S RETURNERS*. Next: Chapter 7 – *Luna Nordics*

  If this chapter resonated with you, please consider leaving a rating or comment. Your support means everything.

  check out my Substack article here:

  https://open.substack.com/pub/knishi2050/p/why-i-wrote-hells-returners?r=5wfkgu&utm_medium=ios)

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  Stay with her. —K. Nishi