The underground air was thick with dust and mystery. Cobwebs glistened under the faint blue orbs Saehwa conjured to light their path. The vast underground chamber stretched into the unknown — walls lined with shelves that touched the sky, filled with books no one had touched for centuries. Doors stood between the rows like sentinels — tall, ancient, and endless.
Kai whistled low. "This place is huge… like a city made of books."
Eira nodded softly, her fingers brushing a nearby shelf. "And forgotten by everyone but time."
Saehwa led the group with calm certainty, her voice echoing quietly, "The library connects to the castle through one door — only one. But finding it won't be easy."
Noah frowned. "And the rest of these doors?"
Lyra flicked her fiery braid over her shoulder. "Let me guess — monsters, curses, and things that want to eat us?"
Saehwa gave a slight, grim smile. "More or less."
They had prepared for days — food, handmade weapons forged by Ardelle and Naya, and enchanted pouches filled with light stones Eira had gathered. The boys, though powerless, carried blades Ardelle made, infused faintly with Lyra's flame so they could burn shadows if needed.
Ethan adjusted the strap of his bag. "If this place is as dangerous as Saehwa says, we stick together. No one opens a door alone."
"Agreed," Ardelle said gently, her warm light softly glowing around her hands. "We'll get you all back home. Whatever it takes."
Lyra muttered, "Even if it kills us, apparently."
Saehwa shot her a cold glance. "If you're scared, go back."
"Scared?" Lyra huffed. "I just don't fancy being monster lunch!"
Ardelle raised her hand calmly. "Enough, both of you. We started this together — and we'll end it together."
For hours, they searched. Each door revealed something new — storms of shadows, echoing laughter in the dark, or rooms that vanished when entered. They'd open, close, fight, and move on.
Kai leaned against a wall, panting. "We've been at this for hours. My legs are giving up."
Naya handed him water, her tone gentle. "Rest for a bit, we all need it."
Jimin spoke softly, his quiet voice breaking the heavy silence. "What if… what if there's no right door?"
Ardelle smiled faintly, brushing a stray lock from his face. "Then we'll make one."
Saehwa looked down the hall, her icy-blue eyes distant. "No… there is a door. I can feel it."
Lyra groaned. "Then how about it starts feeling closer?"
Ethan stood tall again, determination lighting his features. "Alright. We try every door. Open, check, close. Fast. If it's wrong — we run."
Ardelle, walking at the center, smiled softly — steady, serene, her light keeping everyone grounded. "Stay close. Don't rush. Whatever happens, no one gets left behind."
The nine of them moved deeper into the maze. Their boots echoed on the marble floor, the sound swallowed by the endless hall.
And so, they did.
After hours of walking, they stopped before a door carved with strange symbols that glowed faintly red.
Saehwa frowned. "This shouldn't be glowing… not red."
Kai, trying to lighten the mood, said, "Maybe it's a 'welcome' sign?"
Lyra rolled her eyes. "Yeah. For the dead."
Ethan pushed the door open carefully — and the room beyond hissed. Dozens of floating, blood-red eyes appeared in the darkness. One blinked. Then another.
Then they screamed.
The air vibrated as the eyes shot forward like darts of flame.
"Back!" Lyra yelled, throwing a wave of fire. The room lit up, the heat scorching the air. The creatures exploded in bursts of dark smoke, their screeches fading into static.
Saehwa raised her hand, summoning ice walls to block the rest. "Close it!"
Eira's wind slammed the door shut, sealing the last echo inside.
The hall went quiet again. Only the sound of panting remained.
Kai whispered, "I'm officially terrified."
Naya tied a new pouch to her belt. "Good. Fear keeps you alive."
The next door opened into a dark, misty forest — impossibly large, trapped inside stone walls. Pale figures drifted among the trees.
"Stay together," Ardelle warned.
They stepped in — slowly.
Then a whisper cut through the air: You shouldn't be here.
Eira gasped. "Did anyone—"
Before she could finish, a shadow lunged from the mist — long claws, white eyes.
Noah swung his sword beside Ethan, barely dodging a claw that grazed his arm. "Next time," Noah shouted breathlessly, "remind me to stay in my world!"
Lyra set it ablaze with a smirk. "I thought you wanted adventure!"
Lyra's flames flared, cutting through the fog, and Saehwa's ice lanced through the creature's chest. It screamed, melting into ash.
"Keep moving!" Ethan shouted, swinging his sword as another creature came from behind.
Jimin ducked, slashing upward, catching a hit — his dagger glowing faint blue. The thing disintegrated into dust.
Saehwa's power surged — the ground freezing beneath her feet. "Fall back!" she yelled, sending a shock of ice that spread through the forest, freezing every last figure.
The air fell still again.
Noah swallowed hard. "Anyone else want to take a nap?"
Ardelle looked at them all — tired, bruised, but unbroken. "No naps. We move forward."
Hours passed — door after door, battle after battle.Each time, they grew more exhausted.
Naya's vines trembled with every summon. Lyra's fire dimmed. Even Eira's wind slowed to soft breezes. The boys, though weaponless in power, fought bravely — blocking blows, dragging the girls to safety, and standing shoulder to shoulder despite their fear.
By the time they reached the end of the corridor, only two doors remained.
Eira dropped to her knees, trembling. "We've opened forty doors… and none were right."
Jimin sigh, "and we still didn't open thousands."
Lyra's flames dimmed. "We can't stop now. we have came so far already."
Saehwa looked between the two doors at the end of the corridor "It's one of these… I feel it. The air's heavier here."
Noah groaned. "Perfect. Two doors. Fifty-fifty chance of dying horribly."
Ethan stepped up. "We open the first. Fast and careful. If it's wrong, we close it."
Ardelle hesitated. "Everyone, be ready."
Kai pushed open the first door.
A cold gust blew out — and darkness poured into the hall.
At first, it was just a shadow. Then it moved.
A hulking mass of black smoke crawled from the floor, eyes like burning suns, claws scraping against stone. The bookshelves around them splintered and burned just from its presence.
"Close it!" Ethan shouted.
"I can't—it's stuck!" Kai cried, struggling with the heavy handle.
Ardelle turned, light glowing fiercely around her hands. "Go! I'll hold it!"
"What is that?" Noah breathed.
Saehwa's voice shook. "Something that shouldn't exist."
The creature lunged — a blur of darkness. Lyra's fire blazed bright, hitting its chest. For a second, the flames lit up the hall like a sunburst — then the fire was swallowed whole.
"Fire doesn't work!" Lyra shouted.
Eira summoned a hurricane of wind, trying to push it back, but the creature roared, slamming its hand down. The floor cracked. The air rippled.
"Move!" Ardelle shouted, throwing up a dome of golden light. The monster struck it — again and again — cracks forming with every hit.
Naya hurled thorned vines at its legs; they wrapped around, sizzling as the darkness burned them away.
Ethan and Jimin slashed at its arms, the steel glowing faintly. "We're not even scratching it!" Noah yelled.
The beast roared again, its voice like a thousand screams.
Books flew from the shelves. Light shattered.
"Saehwa, now!" Ardelle shouted.
Saehwa raised her hands, summoning ice from the ground, freezing the creature's torso. It struggled, roaring louder, as Lyra's fire and Eira's wind struck it together — light and ice and fire blending into a blinding flash.
For a heartbeat, the creature stumbled back.
"Go!" Ardelle ordered. "Run!"
They turned and sprinted toward the second door. The creature tore free, shrieking, slamming its claws across the walls as it chased them. The floor shook violently — one wrong step and they would all fall.
"Ardelle, come!" Saehwa screamed.
Ardelle stayed. Her light was flaring brighter now, almost unbearable to look at. "Not yet. I need to hold it."
"NO!" Saehwa shouted, tears spilling down her cheeks. "We can fight it together!"
Ardelle smiled — that same warm, motherly smile. "You already are"
She turned, facing the monster as it lunged again.
Light exploded — gold and white filling every corner of the hall. The blast shook the ground like thunder, fire and frost colliding with holy light. For one beautiful second, it looked as though Ardelle might actually win.
Then the light cracked.
The beast roared — impossibly loud — and in a single, horrible motion, its claws pierced through the light and into her chest.
"ARDELLE!" Saehwa's scream tore through the air.
Ardelle gasped, blood glimmering like molten gold. She reached out a trembling hand toward her sister. "Don't stop, Saehwa… promise me…"
"ARDELLE!" Eira screamed.
"NO!" Saehwa ran forward, trying to rip it open, ice forming around her hands. "Let me go! I can still—!"
The creature pulled her backward through the door.
It slammed shut.
Silence.
Saehwa collapsed, screaming, pounding the wood with both fists. Ice spread beneath her hands, crawling across the floor. "LET HER GO! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL—"
Lyra and Ethan grabbed her, dragging her back. "Saehwa, stop! She's gone!"
"She's gone!" Noah shouted, voice cracking.
"Let me go, please!" Saehwa's voice broke. "I won't leave her—"
But they pulled her away, running toward the last door. Jimin pushed it open — and stairs appeared, glowing faintly, leading upward toward the inside of castle.
"This is it!" Noah shouted. "We have to go — NOW!"
Eira and Naya pulled Saehwa to her feet as she thrashed, crying uncontrollably. The shadows were coming closer again — the creature's echo shaking the hall.
"Close it! Close it!" Lyra screamed as the last of them crossed through.
They stumbled in, slamming the door shut behind them as shadows slammed against the other side.
The heavy door slammed shut — sealing away the darkness and Ardelle's light forever.
For a long time, none of them spoke.
Saehwa fell to her knees, her fingers still reaching for the door that would never open again, trembling. "She… she's gone." The silence was unbearable — heavier than the stone around them.
Naya knelt beside her, tears streaming silently. Lyra punched the wall, whispering, "Damn it, Ardelle…"
Eira wiped her face and whispered shakily, "She saved us."
Saehwa's voice was hollow but steady. "She always does." she whispered, her voice cracked and trembling, "She always knew how to keep me human…" She looked up toward the dim light above the stairs and think how she was doing all this because of ardelle and now she have to complete it without her..... but for her.