Assalamu alaykum, I'm Curious About Islam

Assalamu alaykum, everyone! I’m in the southern US and was raised as a Christian. There was a good amount of negativity toward Islam around me growing up, but I moved past that a while ago-now I’m just genuinely interested. Just to share where I’m coming from: I don’t really identify as Christian anymore. Around 15–20 years ago, I started feeling disconnected from the way religion is practiced today, and about 5 years ago I seriously began reexamining what I’d been taught-trying to find my own path in matters of faith. Over the last year or two, I’ve been listening to different religious scriptures. I went through the Torah, some extra texts, and also the New Testament, and while doing that I was reflecting and weighing up what I was hearing. It’s completely shifted my outlook. More recently I’ve started listening to the Quran during my commute, and I’m up to Surah 5 now-maybe 15 to 45 minutes a day. Honestly … it’s beautiful. I don’t know if it’s because I’m coming to Islam fresh, without a backstory in Christianity, or whether something in the message just clicks. But I find myself wanting to listen more and learn more. I’m not sure if I’ll become Muslim-I want to finish the Quran before deciding anything. So I guess I’d love to hear: - What advice would you offer to someone considering embracing Islam? - Could anyone help explain a few Islamic terms and concepts? - What is the general understanding of Hell in Islam? I’ve come across mentions so far, but it reminds me of a question I had years ago: How is it fair if a person leads a righteous life but doesn’t believe in Allah-do they face eternal punishment? - And what if-just hypothetically-someone after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a prophet but their message never became widely known? I’m open about where I’m at right now, and I hope you all know I’m still trying to understand things. I strive to be a good person, but we all have our moments. Jazakum Allahu khayran for your patience and guidance.