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Here's the lore for the three realms in The Hellish Cycle! Please note that none of this truly reflects my actual religious views, it's just for the sake of my silly OC story <3
Parts of this were inspired from classic Christian beliefs, other parts inspired by Chinese Folk Religion, and other parts are just me bullcrapping out my own rules.
Heaven
A peaceful paradise in the sky, entirely populated by the spirits of dead humans, known as Heavenbound (e.g; Azalea). They resemble your more stereotypical angels; human-looking with wings & haloes; though many are hesitant to call themselves by such a grand title. Along with these angellic traits, Heavenbound also sport more bird-like features, such as talons & tails.
There used to be True Angels; mysterious, otherworldly beings who were never human, with untold powers & abilities; but they're all gone, now. Nobody knows where exactly they went; but most believe True Angels to still be around in some capacity, just without corporeal forms, in charge of maintaining the order of the universe & the forces of nature.
Wherever they are; Heavenbound are all that seem to currently populate Heaven. Most tend to spend their afterlives entirely in Heaven, but all of them are capable of travelling to-and-fro the other realms, Earth & Hell, if they so desire. They are invisible to living humans, and cannot interact with Earth beyond just observation.
Heavenbound can choose to reincarnate as living beings on Earth if they want, it just requires a bit of paperwork. Heavenbound can remember all of their past lives, if applicable, though many have only lived once. The only exception to this is the few Heavenbound who had formerly been True Angels or True Demons in their very first life; a human mind was not built to hold such otherworldly memories.
Azalea, a Heavenbound.
Earth
Probably doesn't need an explanation. Populated by living humans & invisible Heavenbound. Not much goin' on here.
Hell
Despite its reputation as a scalding hot cauldron of magma & fire; Hell appears to be... quite the opposite. An endlessly twisting cavern, covered in snow, ice, and frost; Hell is a dark, frozen wasteland with little light. It was once populated by True Demons; otherwise known as Fallen Angels, long ago; but they've all reincarnated as humans & presumably died out, by now.
What remains are the Hellbound (e.g; Atlas), spirits of dead humans, who, for whatever reason or another, didn't qualify for entry into Heaven, and now await the day their time in Hell is over & they can reincarnate. Usually lasting only a few years at most; nobody quite sticks around Hell for too long. Their appearances tend to be more demonic; resembling furry animals with red details & a proficiency for fire.
Unbeknownst & forgotten to all, contrary to what quite literally everybody believes; Hell wasn't originally supposed to be a place of punishment or torture, or even misery. It was simply a place for souls to rest, recuperate, and reflect, until they were ready to begin life on Earth anew. Even the Hellbounds' demonic appearances reflect this- their beastly forms aren't punishments; their souls manifested with the forms needed to best handle Hell's current frigid environment; if Hell were warmer & more Earth-like, Hellbound would look much more human.
A beacon of darkness; originally planted there by Fallen Angels, lies at the heart of these endless, twisting caverns; covering the entire realm with a shadowy smog, blocking all light & warmth from entering.
Atlas, a Hellbound.