Dewey Duck, Webby Vanderquack, and Violet Saberwing stood frozen in the eerie, dimly lit chamber. The air felt heavy, thick with the scent of something unnatural. Before them stood a cloaked figure, skeletal fingers wrapped around a scythe that pulsed with an ominous energy. His hollow, glowing eyes pierced through the darkness.
"Ah, finally," Death (from Family Guy) rasped, his voice dripping with amusement. "You three have quite the history, don't you?"
The trio exchanged uneasy glances.
"You know us?" Dewey asked, trying to mask his nervousness with bravado.
"Oh, I know everything about you," Death continued, stepping closer. "I know the choices you've made, the secrets you hide, and the regrets you carry. And I also know…" He paused, tilting his skull slightly. "You all desperately want something. Something you would die—oh wait, you did—to get."
The memories came rushing back.
Flashback – The Fall of the Duck TrioIt was supposed to be a simple adventure. Another mystery to solve, another danger to conquer. Dewey, Webby, and Violet had been deep in the ruins of an ancient temple, a place spoken of only in whispers. They sought treasure, knowledge—answers to the past. But in their arrogance, they ignored the warnings.
A single misstep. A crumbling ledge. A desperate scream.
Dewey had tried to save Webby as she fell, but the weight was too much. Violet had reached out, her fingers barely grazing theirs before she too was dragged into the abyss. Rocks tumbled, the world spun, and then… nothing.
Their adventure had come to an abrupt and tragic end. Or so they thought.
A Second Chance… At a Cost"You can still change your fate," Death stated, watching as their eyes flickered with disbelief. "I can grant your desires. But first, you'll have to prove yourselves worthy."
A massive room materialized around them—a grotesque, gothic hotel floating in a void of swirling darkness. Its crimson glow cast sinister shadows across the floors.
"This is the Hotel in Hell," Death explained. "Ten portals. Ten nightmares. Each one holds a piece of the Riddle of Heaven—the only thing powerful enough to grant your wish."
A heavy silence settled over them.
"All you have to do," Death continued, his voice taking on a delighted edge, "is survive."
A shimmering portal crackled to life, its interior revealing a darkened hotel lobby. Without another word, Death motioned for them to enter.
Chapter 1 – The Murder MonkeysStepping through the portal, the trio found themselves in an eerily pristine hotel. The chandeliers flickered, casting long, jagged shadows. The reception desk stood empty—except for the ominous ding of a service bell.
A figure in a bellboy uniform stood in the distance, motionless. It was a monkey—its fur dull, its face expressionless. As they took a step closer, its head snapped towards them. Its eyes gleamed red.
The elevator door slammed shut.
"...That's not normal," Webby muttered.
The elevator soon returned, its doors creaking open once more. With no other option, they stepped inside. The moment the doors sealed shut, Death's voice echoed around them.
"Inside this maze are Soul Shards," he instructed. "The remnants of the poor souls who met their end here. Collect them all, but beware… you are not alone."
A tablet materialized in Webby's hands, displaying a map of the hotel layout. Hundreds of tiny glowing dots marked the locations of the Soul Shards.
And then… the hunt began.
The moment they stepped into the maze-like hallways, the silence was shattered.
Metal footsteps echoed behind them. Claws scraped against tile.
A murderous cackle rang out.
The Murder Monkeys had awakened.
The ChaseThey split up.
Dewey dashed through the corridors, breath ragged as a trio of monkeys chased him with knives gleaming under the flickering lights. Violet barely dodged a blade as it embedded itself into the wall beside her. Webby spun on her heel, outmaneuvering one of the creatures as she reached for another shard.
The monkeys were fast. Too fast.
Dewey rounded a corner and skidded to a halt—dead end. He turned, heart pounding, as the monkeys closed in.
"NOPE!" he shouted, diving past them just as Webby came crashing through another corridor.
Piece by piece, they gathered the Soul Shards, their escape growing more desperate.
But then the laughter stopped.
The ground rumbled.
From the kitchen doors emerged a larger figure—a Chef Monkey, his apron stained with something dark. He wielded a cleaver far too large to be just for cooking.
"Oh, come on!" Violet groaned.
Two more monkeys guarded the altar where the ring piece lay. The only way to it was through them.
With little choice, they devised a plan. Dewey and Webby distracted the Chef Monkey, leading him in a frantic chase through the halls, while Violet snuck through the side passages.
Finally, she reached the altar, fingers closing around the glowing ring piece. The moment she did, an alarm blared.
The monkeys screamed in rage.
The hotel came alive with frenzied movement. The walls groaned, shifting as dozens of eyes opened from within.
An elevator door burst open. A Murder Monkey with blazing red eyes lunged at them—only for the doors to slam shut just in time.
They had seconds to escape.
The moment they reached the reception area, the monkeys poured from the elevators, knives flashing.
With a final leap, they threw themselves into the portal.
Darkness swallowed them.
Back at the Hotel in HellGasping for air, the trio found themselves back in the Hotel in Hell, the first ring piece clutched in Violet's trembling hands.
"You did well," Death mused, though his tone was unreadable. "One step closer to your wish."
Before they could respond, the room grew colder. A presence stirred.
The hotel doors shuddered.
From within, a disembodied eye, bloodshot and filled with malice, stared at them.
A voice—many voices, layered and distorted—whispered, "You shouldn't have come here."
The 3 Vees (from Hazbin Hotel).
"Beware the Riddle of Heaven," the eye hissed. "You don't know what you're dealing with."
Death only chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "Ignore them. They have no power here."
Dewey, Webby, and Violet exchanged wary glances.
They had survived the first nightmare.
But they were beginning to wonder if Death had told them the whole truth.