Chapter 35: Simulation Exam (6)
The heavy oak doors groaned open, their creak echoing through the chamber like thunder rolling slow through a canyon. Dust kicked up around their boots, swirling in the faint blue glow from the walls as the trio stepped inside, cautious but steady. The air felt colder here, sharp with the bite of old mana, like stepping into a cave that hadn't been touched in years.
What hit them first was… nothing. No claws, no roars, just quiet.
The chamber stretched out wide, a hollow cathedral of cracked pillars leaning like tired old men, their surfaces carved with glyphs that glowed ghostly blue, flickering like they were half-asleep. The ceiling arched high, parts of it caved in, letting slivers of the red sky outside peek through. Broken stone tiles crunched underfoot, scattered like pieces of a puzzle nobody cared to put back together. The place felt big but empty, like it was waiting for something to happen, the mana humming low in the walls, a soft buzz you felt in your teeth more than heard.
Christopher let out a long breath, hands dropping to his knees as he leaned forward, grinning. "Finally. No traps, no beasts, no freaky voices whispering in my head. Just the mana core sitting pretty over there, waiting for us." He pointed across the room, where a crystalline orb floated above a cracked altar, glowing soft blue like a star you could touch. "Let's grab it and get the hell out of this creepy place."
Celestia nodded, her silver hair catching the light as she adjusted her grip on her sword. "Agreed. The sooner we finish this part, the better. I don't like how this place feels."
Both of them started forward, steps quick toward the mana core, their boots kicking up more dust that hung in the air like mist.
Lucian hung back, his deep black eyes narrowing just a touch. 'It's too easy… there's no way this is unguarded. Every ruin has its keeper,' he thought, his hand resting light on the hilt of his saber, fingers ready to move if the quiet broke bad.
His gut was right. A second later, the air exploded.
BOOM!
Something massive dropped from the ceiling, a blast of wind and broken stone sending Celestia and Christopher stumbling back, arms up to shield their faces. The light dimmed fast, the air turning cold enough to sting. From the settling dust, a figure stepped out—tall and skeletal, cloaked in shadows that moved like they were alive, a crown of black fire flickering above its hollow skull. Its presence hit like a punch, the mana rolling off it thick and heavy, pressing on their chests like a weight they couldn't shake.
Its voice came low and deep, a mix of thunder and whispers that crawled into your ears. "{Who dares enter my domain? You will di—…}"
It froze mid-sentence, the fire in its empty eye sockets flickering, like it saw something it didn't expect. Then, in a voice that shook with a weird mix of shock and awe, it spoke again: "{…My Lord?}"
Celestia blinked, her face twisting with confusion. "Did—did it just say My Lord?" she asked, glancing at Lucian, her sword still up but her grip loosening a bit.
Christopher frowned, flexing his gauntleted fists, his voice low. "Why the hell would it call you that, Lucian? What's going on?"
Before Lucian could answer, the Wraith King spoke again, but the tone shifted—less angry, more sure, and the words came out wrong, not in the common tongue of the empire but in something else entirely.
English.
"{My Lord… The Demon God is back. HAHAHAHAHA! What did I say, my Lord? The Demon God has returned!}"
Lucian's whole body went stiff, his black eyes widening just a fraction, enough to show he was rattled. 'What the… he's speaking English? That's impossible. Only people from Earth should know that language. And the Wraith King—he's not even supposed to appear until the second game. So why is he here?'
He took a slow step forward, boots quiet on the stone, and answered in English, voice low and sharp like a blade drawn slow. "I'm not your lord… nor your demon god."
The Wraith King shook its tattered head, the black fire flaring brighter, its voice heavy with certainty. "{No, my lord. You are my lord. I can feel it within your soul. The same energy, the same essence that once ruled the Demon Domain. We were given prophecy by the priestess of the Demon God Cult—that his reincarnation will appear and save us from the coming war between the Gods and Evil Gods.}"
Celestia and Christopher swapped quick looks, their faces blank with confusion. They couldn't follow a single word—the sounds coming from the wraith's mouth were strange, sharp, nothing like the languages they'd studied or heard in the empire. All they could do was watch, feeling the air get heavy with something big—tension and a weird kind of respect rolling off the wraith like heat from a fire.
The Wraith King kept going, its voice echoing deeper, bouncing off the pillars. "{And there was another… one who came to me before you. A man cloaked in black, his presence greater than the Gods and Evil Gods combined. Even you, my Lord, are but a fraction of his being. He told me this—}"
The wraith's eyes flared bright, the fire shifting like it was mimicking someone else, its voice dropping to something older, calmer, but so vast it made the shadows shake. "{'My other half will arrive this year, Wraith King. Do not return to the Barren Lands—wait here.'}"
Lucian felt his blood go cold, like ice sliding through his veins. 'Other half…? What the hell is happening?' he thought, his mind racing, trying to grab onto something solid.
The Wraith King's skeletal hand lifted slow, the air around it rippling. "{He also told me to give you this, my Lord. His exact words were: 'Ahh Before I forget, give this amulet to my dear other half—and goodbye.'}"
A pulse of light sparked in the wraith's bony palm, and there it was—a faintly glowing amulet, simple but heavy with meaning. A metal charm etched with a single symbol: the Northern Star, sharp and clear like a memory that wouldn't fade.
Lucian's heart stopped, his breath catching hard in his chest.
He reached out slow, hand shaking just enough to notice. When the amulet dropped into his palm, a jolt ran through him—warm, familiar, like the touch of a hand he hadn't felt in forever. It carried the faint scent of moonlight and snow, soft but sharp, cutting through the years.
'This… this is… the amulet I gave to Seoryeon,' he thought, his mind reeling. 'I made this for her throne… back when I stood with Areum as a final gift for her in my third life.'
The mana around him quivered, matching the hitch in his breath. His fingers curled tight around the amulet, pressing it hard against his chest, like he could hold onto the memory it carried. For the first time since his second life began, his face broke—eyes wide, mouth trembling, the calm he always wore cracking like thin ice.
Tears welled up slow, spilling quiet onto the cold stone floor, catching the blue glow from the walls.
'How… how is this here? Seoryeon… where are you now? You were supposed to ascend. You were supposed to live happily… not—not this,' he thought, the words heavy, each one a weight pulling at him.
The Wraith King bowed low, its voice softer now, almost gentle. "{My Lord… the prophecy never lies. The one who carries both Divinity and Demon within will return, and the whole world shall tremble once more.}"
Lucian didn't answer, his eyes locked on the amulet, tears rolling silent down his ashen-white cheeks. The weight of two lifetimes, three deaths, and too many regrets pressed into his chest, squeezing until it hurt to breathe.
He whispered, so soft even he barely heard it, "…Seoryeon."
Celestia took a hesitant step forward, her gray eyes wide, catching the glint of his tears in the dim light. Her heart twisted, like she could feel the hurt coming off him. "Lucian… are you okay?" she asked, voice small, like she was afraid to break the moment.
Lucian didn't answer right away. He wiped his tears with the back of his hand, slow and deliberate, then slipped the amulet into his pocket, the weight of it grounding him. He forced a faint, tired smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah," he said softly, the lie quiet but steady. "Let's finish this exam."
But as the Wraith King's words hung in the air, one truth burned clear in his mind—something bigger, darker, and older than the gods themselves was watching him. And it knew his name.