The moment the last of our breathing steadied, the system decided it hadn't emotionally assaulted us enough.
A window bloomed in the air.
[WELCOME TO THE THRONE ROOM. THE DEMON EMPEROR AWAKENING IN PROGRESS]
I stared at it.
"…You have got to be kidding me."
The throne room was vast. Too vast. It felt wrong in the way empty rooms sometimes feel wrong, like the space itself was holding its breath.
The throne sat at the far end, carved from something blacker than shadow, its surface swallowing the light instead of reflecting it. No skulls. No bones. No excessive decorations.
Which somehow made it worse.
Another window slid down.
[COUNTDOWN TILL AWAKENING: 00:10:00]
Ten minutes.
Ten. Whole. Minutes.
"What the hell?" I blurted out, panic snapping straight through my ribs. "Ten minutes only? Can they not be merciful? We just survived emotional warfare."
No one laughed.
That was the problem.
