Parallel Memory

Chapter 645: The Path to the Throne

The echo of their footsteps lingered long after they had stopped walking. The Hall of Records was unlike any other place within the Devil King’s dominion—a realm within a realm, where light could still exist without being devoured by darkness. Its towering spires were made of obsidian streaked with silver veins, pulsing faintly with the residue of ancient mana. Each wall was etched with living memories: flickering visions of wars, betrayals, and the countless reigns that had shaped the devils’ lineage.

Zero stood in the center of that vast hall, silent, his gaze fixed on the fading murals depicting the Devil King’s rise. He had been quiet for a long time now. The air was thick, not with danger, but with meaning—and that was far heavier.

Lilith stood beside him, her eyes tracing the same murals. The faint glow of her irises made the inscriptions come alive; the runes responded to her bloodline. The records were opening to her will, revealing more of the truth the world had buried beneath centuries of war.

Zero finally broke the silence. "So this is where your father wrote his legacy."

Lilith nodded softly, the corners of her lips barely moving. "And his sin."

Zero turned to her. "Sin?"

Her voice was steady, but her hands trembled. "Father... wasn’t always the Devil King the world remembers. Back then, he wanted peace. The Domain wasn’t always filled with screams and fire. It was... balanced. Humans and devils had a fragile truce, something he believed could be real. But then Aamon came."

Zero’s expression darkened at the mention of that name—the Devil King who had brought ruin to both their worlds, the being responsible for Lilith’s suffering, and the cause of their countless sleepless nights.

Lilith continued, walking toward a mural that shimmered faintly as she approached. "He was a scholar at first. He wanted to learn about the boundaries of mana, the limits of life itself. But when he looked too deep, the world changed him. The first time he touched the essence of destruction, he said he heard a voice. It told him he could rewrite fate."

She stopped, her gaze hollow. "And he believed it."

Zero clenched his fists. "And that’s when he became what he is now."

"Yes." Lilith turned to him, her eyes soft yet unwavering. "But the records say something else, something even the devils never learned. Aamon’s downfall wasn’t just predicted by the fortune teller—it was recorded long before she ever spoke. This hall was built to preserve the flow of history, not to change it. Every ruler who tried to defy fate ended up here, carved into these walls."

Zero stepped closer, his shadow overlapping hers under the dim silver light. "You knew I’d find this, didn’t you?"

"I hoped you would," Lilith said. Her voice carried both sadness and resolve. "You’ve always been the one who sees through illusions. Even when you don’t want to."

She faced him now fully, her tone shifting—stronger, more decisive than he had ever heard it. "Zero... I want you to end this."

He blinked. "You mean—"

"Yes." She nodded, stepping closer. "The throne room lies ahead. My father’s last command sealed it behind the cursed gates. I can open it for you."

Zero stared at her for a long moment. His heart felt heavier than before. "And you?"

"I’ll stay here," Lilith said quietly. "The Hall of Records is the safest place left in the domain. The mana density is too unstable for devils to enter without being repelled. Even Aaron’s energy cannot reach this place easily."

Zero frowned. "You expect me to go alone?"

Lilith smiled faintly, though there was pain in it. "You’ve always been alone when it mattered the most, haven’t you?"

That silence between them—familiar yet unbearable—hung thick in the air.

Zero turned away first, staring toward the massive corridor that stretched ahead. The blackened archway pulsed faintly with crimson seals that formed a labyrinth of symbols—each one humming in sync with Aamon’s mana. The throne room wasn’t just a chamber; it was the very heart of the Devil King’s dominion. Entering it meant stepping into the eye of the storm.

Still, he didn’t hesitate for long.

"Once I go," Zero said, his voice low, "there’s no turning back."

Lilith nodded. "I know."

He took one step forward. Then another.

But her voice stopped him.

"Zero."

He turned slightly.

Lilith was standing there, her silver hair catching the faint glow of the walls. Her expression was calm—but her eyes were trembling with emotion.

"I’m sorry," she said softly. "For everything. For dragging you into this, for making you fight my battles."

Zero exhaled, his tone caught between gentleness and exhaustion. "Don’t."

"I have to." She shook her head. "You don’t know how long I’ve lived with that guilt. Every life lost, every war fought, every tear shed—it all came from what my bloodline started. But now... I want to make it right."

Her voice trembled as she continued. "I want to stay alive—not to run from it, but to rebuild what was lost. To see the Domain the way it was before. To make peace possible again."

Zero froze. For the first time in a long while, he couldn’t find words.

The Lilith standing before him wasn’t the broken, emotionless girl who had once followed him through the Tower of Obelisk. Nor the silent figure who hid her guilt behind forced smiles. This was Lilith—the daughter of the Devil King—who had finally found her will again.

And she was looking straight at him.

"Zero," she whispered. "You once said fate is only as strong as the person who lets it control them. You were right. My father believed in fate. I won’t."

Zero stared at her, speechless.

A faint smile touched her lips. "Now go. Before he senses our presence."

The air shimmered as Lilith raised her hand, tracing a sigil of blood across her palm. The walls of the hall responded instantly, opening a narrow path at the far end. The light that spilled out from the passage was crimson and violet—alive, pulsing with destructive mana.

"The way to the throne," she said quietly. "It’ll only remain open for a short time."

Zero nodded slowly. He could feel the pull—the calling of Aamon’s power from beyond that door. The same aura that had haunted his dreams and his past alike.

He turned to Lilith one last time. "You stay safe. I’ll finish this."

She smiled faintly. "I trust you will."

Zero stepped toward the threshold, the crimson light painting his silhouette in flame.

The last thing he saw before entering the passage was Lilith standing beneath the living murals—her figure framed by the shifting memories of devils and heroes, her presence glowing faintly amidst the darkness.

And then he was gone.

The portal sealed behind him with a low, echoing thrum, leaving Lilith alone in the vastness of the Hall of Records.

For a long time, she just stood there, listening to the faint hum of mana in the walls. Then she whispered softly to the empty air—words that carried the weight of her bloodline, her loss, and her hope.