Parallel Memory

Chapter 616: The Shadow Beyond the Door

The chamber's silence stretched like a living thing, coiling tighter with every breath they took. The faint glow from the braziers gave off no warmth, their bluish flames flickering in unnatural rhythm. Every step the squad made echoed back too loudly, as though the walls themselves were amplifying their presence.

At the far end of the chamber stood another door. It was narrower than the last, framed with black stone polished to a mirror's sheen. No carvings, no locks, no handles. Just an invitation—if it could be called that.

Mia's gaze lingered on it, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Her instincts twisted sharply, a knot tightening in her chest. This isn't right.

"This feels different," she muttered.

Zion tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Another trap?"

"Could be," Mia answered, her voice low. "Or worse. Maybe a maze. A design meant to keep us circling endlessly, bleeding our strength until there's nothing left."

Lisa glanced at the walls, still shimmering faintly from her blessing. "If it is a maze, the enchantments here will bend space itself. We might walk in circles until our minds break."

Sylvia cursed softly, fingers tightening on her bowstring. "We've come too far to turn back."

Vance, trying to mask his unease, scoffed. "Or maybe you're all imagining things. It's just another door. We open it, we move forward, we finish this."

But even as he spoke, the air shifted.

At first it was subtle—a faint pressure in their ears, a cold pulse crawling across their skin. Then, like a dam bursting, a surge of energy spilled into the chamber. Heavy. Suffocating. Thick as tar, carrying with it a murder intent so potent it froze their breath in their throats.

The torches guttered.

The floor vibrated.

And from behind the narrow black door came laughter.

It was no ordinary sound. The laughter rattled the stone walls and seemed to vibrate within their very bones, scraping against their ears like metal dragged across glass. Cruel. Mocking. Terrifyingly alive.

The squad froze. Every muscle locked, every instinct screaming to flee—yet the sealed chamber offered no escape.

"What… is that?" Lisa whispered, her voice trembling despite herself.

Dark energy seeped through the cracks of the door, rolling across the chamber like smoke. It was suffocating, thick with the stench of decay and blood. The braziers dimmed further, swallowed by the growing darkness.

Zion's knuckles whitened around his spear. "This… this can't be…"

Hiro's face had gone pale, but his eyes were hard. "The aura… It's nothing like the monsters we've faced. This is… something else."

Mia forced herself to breathe, to steady the panic clawing up her chest. The weight of the presence pressing on her was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Her sword hand trembled despite her iron discipline.

Her thoughts raced. This is too strong. Too overwhelming. Could it be…

Her heart skipped a beat.

The Devil King.

The thought alone chilled her more than the oppressive aura. It was impossible—or at least, it should have been. The Devil King was a being of lore, a terror from the old chronicles who had nearly reduced kingdoms to ash. Every record spoke of his power, his cruelty, his immortality. And now, here, that same suffocating presence filled the air.

The squad must have been thinking the same thing. Their faces reflected the same dread dawning on her.

"No…" Sylvia whispered, her voice cracking. "It can't be… him. Not here."

"Don't say it," Lisa snapped, though her own voice wavered. "Don't give it form."

But the laughter continued, swelling louder, rolling like thunder as though mocking their fear. The black door shuddered once, then stilled again, as if whatever was behind it was pressing a hand against the barrier—testing it.

A voice finally bled through the darkness. Deep, guttural, and resonant with power.

"So… mortals dare walk these halls again. How long has it been since such fools tried?"

The chamber vibrated with every word. The braziers flared black, snuffed out one by one until the squad stood in near-total darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of Lisa's shield.

Vance stumbled back, his bravado shattered. "T-This is insane… it really is him…"

"No," Mia barked, though her conviction cracked at the edges. "We don't know that."

But in truth, she couldn't deny it. The pressure in the air, the weight on her soul—every instinct screamed it was true. If this wasn't the Devil King, then it was something so close the difference hardly mattered.

Hiro's voice was low, steady despite the sweat dripping down his brow. "Whether it's him or not, we can't falter. Fear will kill us faster than his hand."

The door groaned as the dark energy swelled again, spilling through the cracks like ink. The squad braced themselves, weapons raised, shields prepared. Lisa's blessing expanded, forming a thicker barrier around them, the pale glow standing defiant against the oppressive black.

The laughter returned, sharper now, almost gleeful.

"Good. Tremble. Despair. You came here seeking strength, did you not? Then face it."

The door began to split down the middle, cracks glowing with crimson light. Each fracture hissed like steam escaping, and with every heartbeat the monstrous presence grew heavier.

Mia forced herself to stand tall, her eyes locked on the breaking door. Her instincts screamed to run, but there was nowhere to go. The only way was forward.

She lifted her sword, steadying her breath, and spoke—not to her squad, not even to herself, but to the darkness itself.

"If you are the Devil King… then we'll see if the legends speak truth."

The door shattered.

The chamber drowned in light—blood-red, searing, violent. Out of the storm of energy stepped a figure cloaked in shadow, taller than any man, its eyes burning like twin embers in a furnace. The murderous aura intensified, slamming into them like a tidal wave.

The squad staggered, knees buckling under the sheer weight of it. Lisa gasped, nearly collapsing as her shield flickered. Zion bit his lip until it bled, forcing his stance. Hiro's hand trembled on his blade, though his gaze never wavered.

And Mia—her heart thundered, fear clawing at her throat—but she stood. Her sword gleamed in the faint shieldlight, trembling only once before steadying.

They faced not a trap.

Not a maze.

But a foe greater than anything they had ever known.

Perhaps even the Devil King himself.