"The Hidden Gate of the Old King"
Dawn never truly reached the underground.
The transit ruins where Null and the others rested remained locked in dim, metallic silence. Rusted rails stretched endlessly into the dark like veins of a dead machine.
Null had not slept.
He stood alone near the collapsed platform edge, staring into the tunnel where the tracks disappeared.
Behind him, Hyung leaned against a concrete column sharpening his blade slowly, the metal-on-metal sound echoing softly.
D U remained seated against the wall, recovering. The wound that nearly ended him in the previous battle had stabilized, but his energy still fluctuated violently.
Caelum watched all of them quietly.
Finally, he spoke.
"We leave now."
Null turned.
"You know where we're going."
Caelum nodded.
"There is a place your father built before the Old Gen fell apart. A vault hidden beneath the old capital sector. The structure exists outside normal detection fields."
Hyung frowned.
"A vault?"
Caelum shook his head.
"Not exactly. Think of it more as a memory gate."
D U chuckled faintly.
"That sounds exactly like something the Old King would do."
Null stepped closer.
"You said my father left contingencies."
"Yes," Caelum replied. "Three locations. Each one contains something he believed the future might need."
Hyung asked the obvious question.
"And Aizeno?"
Caelum's expression darkened slightly.
"He knows one location exists. But he never found it."
Null narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
Caelum answered simply.
"Because the gate won't open for power."
A pause followed.
"It opens for blood."
The words settled heavily.
Null clenched his fist slowly.
"My father designed this so only I could access it."
D U laughed quietly.
"Yeah. No pressure."
Hyung pushed away from the wall.
"Then we should move before Aizeno figures it out."
But Caelum raised a hand.
"There's something else."
Everyone looked at him.
"The gate isn't just a vault. It's a test."
Null felt the air grow heavier.
"What kind of test?"
Caelum stepped closer.
"A test of inheritance."
He looked directly at Null.
"Your father believed power alone creates tyrants. So the gate measures something else."
Hyung crossed his arms.
"And that is?"
Caelum answered without hesitation.
"Intent."
Silence returned.
Then suddenly—
D U stiffened.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Wait."
Hyung noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
D U looked toward the tunnel entrance.
"Someone's coming."
A second later the air changed.
Pressure spread through the underground station like a rising storm.
Heavy.
Controlled.
Familiar.
Null's eyes narrowed.
Footsteps echoed slowly from the darkness.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then a figure emerged from the tunnel.
Tall.
Black coat.
Long silver hair flowing behind him.
Luxion.
The former Angel of Aizeno stepped into the faint station light with calm confidence.
Hyung immediately drew his blade.
"I thought you died."
Luxion smiled faintly.
"Disappointing, I know."
D U groaned.
"Oh great. The angel with nine lives."
Luxion looked at Null carefully.
"So you really are the Old King's son."
Null didn't respond.
Luxion continued.
"Aizeno was right. The energy you released during the last battle confirmed it."
Caelum stepped forward slightly.
"You shouldn't be here."
Luxion glanced at him.
"Ah… Caelum. The survivor."
His smile widened.
"Aizeno predicted you might guide the boy."
Hyung tightened his stance.
"So this is an ambush."
Luxion shook his head slowly.
"No."
He lifted a hand casually.
"I came alone."
D U laughed.
"Yeah. Because that worked out great last time."
Luxion ignored the comment and looked at Null.
"Aizeno asked me to deliver a message."
Null remained still.
Luxion's voice lowered slightly.
"He says the Gate of the Old King will open soon."
Hyung froze.
Caelum's eyes sharpened.
Luxion continued.
"And when it does… he'll be waiting on the other side."
The station fell silent.
Then Luxion turned around.
"You have three days."
He began walking back into the darkness.
Null finally spoke.
"Why tell us?"
Luxion stopped but didn't turn.
"Because Aizeno wants you there."
His voice echoed down the tunnel.
"He doesn't want the key forced open."
Another pause.
"He wants the heir to unlock it himself."
Luxion disappeared into the darkness.
The pressure vanished with him.
D U exhaled slowly.
"Well… that's terrifying."
Hyung looked at Null.
"So what now?"
Null stared into the tunnel where Luxion vanished.
Then he turned toward Caelum.
"Take us to the gate."
Caelum studied him carefully.
"You're certain?"
Null nodded.
"If Aizeno wants me to open it…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Then I'll open it first."
Deep underground, far beyond the tunnels—
something ancient began to stir.
The first lock of the Old King's Gate had just recognized its heir.