Chapter 95: The Eyes in the Dark

Rin froze.

Something had opened its eyes behind Lucien. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

The underground chamber was completely silent. Lucien stared at him.

"Rin."

Rin slowly turned his head. Nothing. Only darkness.

"...I don’t see anything."

Lucien’s expression remained tense.

"That’s because it doesn’t want you to."

Rin swallowed.

"That is somehow worse."

[HOST.]

The System flickered beside him.

[DO NOT MOVE.]

Rin immediately whispered:

"That’s usually what people say right before something terrible happens."

[CORRECT.]

"System!"

Lucien suddenly pulled against his chains. The metal rang through the chamber.

"Rin, get away from the cell."

"I can’t just leave you here!"

"You have to."

"No."

Lucien stared at him.

"You don’t understand what this place is."

"I know enough."

Rin pointed at the chains.

"You’re imprisoned by the fallen god, you’re apparently a person who shouldn’t still exist, and something behind you just opened its eyes."

Lucien was silent. Rin crossed his arms.

"So, yes. I’m staying."

For the first time, Lucien looked almost amused.

"You really are him."

Rin blinked.

"Who?"

Lucien didn’t answer. A distant explosion shook the ceiling.

BOOM!

Dust fell from above. Rin looked upward. Kaelith. The battle was still raging.

He could feel the pressure of Kaelith’s magic even from this far underground. Sol’s wind followed moments later, rushing through cracks in the stone like a distant roar.

"They’re still fighting," Rin whispered.

Lucien nodded.

"They won’t stop."

"I know."

Rin looked back at him.

"That’s why I need to get you out before they come down here."

Lucien’s expression changed.

"Don’t."

"Why?"

"Because if Kaelith sees these chains—"

Lucien stopped. Rin frowned.

"What?"

Lucien looked away.

"He’ll destroy the entire castle."

Rin stared at him.

"...He might."

Another explosion shook the walls. Rin sighed.

"Actually, he definitely might."

Lucien almost smiled. Then the darkness behind him moved. Rin’s smile disappeared. A faint sound echoed through the chamber.

Clink.

Then another.

Clink.

Rin slowly stepped backward. The System appeared.

[UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED.]

Rin whispered:

"What is it?"

[I DON’T KNOW.]

That answer terrified him more than anything else. The System always knew something.

Even when it refused to explain. This time... It genuinely didn’t know.

Lucien looked toward the darkness.

"It’s awake."

Rin’s heart tightened.

"What is it?"

Lucien lowered his voice.

"Something that was here before the prison, and this castle."

"Before the fallen god?"

"Yes."

Rin stared into the darkness.

"Then why hasn’t it escaped?"

Lucien’s eyes lowered toward his chains.

"Because it needs a vessel."

Silence. Rin slowly looked at himself.

"No."

Lucien didn’t answer.

"Lucien."

The Divine Knight commander finally looked at him.

"Run."

Rin took one step back.

"I’m not leaving you."

"You’re not listening."

"I never do."

Lucien sighed.

Then—

The chains around his wrists suddenly glowed. Rin’s eyes widened.

The symbols carved into the metal began changing. One after another.

DING.

The System appeared.

[DIVINE BINDING DESTABILIZING.]

Another message.

[CAUSE: UNKNOWN.]

Then—

[HOST PRESENCE DETECTED.]

Rin froze.

"Me?"

The chains trembled. Lucien’s expression became alarmed.

"Rin!"

The darkness behind him moved again. This time, Rin saw it.

Two pale eyes.

Watching. Waiting. Rin’s blood ran cold.

"What does it want?"

Lucien answered quietly.

"You."

The chamber suddenly shook. Far above them—

BOOM!

A powerful wave of dark magic tore through the castle. Kaelith. His voice echoed faintly through the stone.

"RIN!"

Rin’s heart clenched.

"Kaelith..."

Lucien looked toward the ceiling.

"He’s close."

"Then I just need to wait."

"No."

Lucien pulled against the chains again.

"Because if he comes down here before you leave..."

His voice became serious.

"...the thing behind me will sense him too."

Rin stared.

"And?"

Lucien looked directly into his eyes.

"It won’t choose you anymore."

Rin understood.

"It’ll choose him."

Silence.

Rin slowly turned toward the darkness. The pale eyes were still there.

Watching him. Waiting. Rin clenched his fists.

"Then we have a problem."

The System flickered.

[HOST.]

"Yes?"

[I HAVE AN IDEA.]

Rin raised an eyebrow.

"Is it a good one?"

A pause.

[...NO.]

Rin sighed.

"Of course not."

The darkness suddenly moved. The entire prison went black.

And from somewhere inside the darkness— a voice whispered Rin’s name.

"...Ael."

Rin froze.

Lucien’s eyes widened. And for the first time— the System disappeared completely.

The voice whispered again.

"...Ael."

Rin’s body went completely still. Lucien stared at him.

"You heard it too," Rin whispered.

Lucien nodded.

"That name should not exist here."

The darkness shifted. Rin couldn’t see the creature anymore, but he could feel its presence getting closer.

Then, suddenly—

BOOM!

A powerful blast shook the prison. The ceiling cracked. Kaelith’s voice echoed from above.

"RIN!"

Rin looked upward.

"He’s here."

Lucien’s expression tightened.

"No. He’s getting closer."

The chains around Lucien began glowing brighter. Rin stepped toward him.

"Then let’s make sure he reaches us before whatever that thing is."

Lucien stared at him.

"You really are impossible."

Rin smiled.

"I’ve heard that before."

And somewhere in the darkness, the pale eyes slowly disappeared.

The pale eyes vanished.

Rin stood frozen for a moment, listening to the silence.

Then—

Clink.

One of Lucien’s chains fell slightly loose. Lucien looked down in surprise.

"What...?"

Rin stepped closer.

"The chain. I didn’t touch it."

"I know."

A faint golden glow spread across the symbols. The System suddenly returned.

[UNEXPECTED EVENT DETECTED.]

Rin frowned.

"What happened?"

[THE BINDING IS RESPONDING TO HOST.]

"To me?"

[YES.]

Rin looked at Lucien. Lucien’s expression had become serious.

"Then we don’t have much time."

Rin nodded.

"Good."

He reached for the chain.

"Let’s get you out."

The chain trembled beneath Rin’s fingers. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the golden symbols suddenly changed.

One by one, they turned black. Lucien’s eyes widened.

"Rin, move!"

Rin jumped back just as the chain snapped apart.

CLANG!

The sound echoed through the entire underground prison. Lucien stared at his freed wrist.

"I don’t understand."

Rin looked at the broken chain.

"Neither do I."

The System appeared between them.

[NEW CONDITION DETECTED.]

Rin frowned.

"What condition?"

[THE SEAL RECOGNIZES HOST AS AN AUTHORIZED EXISTENCE.]

Lucien went completely silent.

"Authorized...?"

Before Rin could ask what that meant, a violent tremor shook the prison.

BOOM!

A section of the ceiling collapsed nearby. Rin looked upward.

"Kaelith!"

A second explosion followed. This time, the entire corridor lit up with golden and black flashes.

Kaelith and Sol were still fighting above them. Lucien slowly stood. His legs trembled from years of confinement, but he remained upright.

Rin immediately moved closer.

"Can you walk?"

Lucien nodded.

"I can."

Another crack echoed through the prison. Then a voice came from above.

"RIN!"

Rin smiled.

"That definitely sounds like him."

Lucien looked toward the ceiling.

"And that..."

He paused.

"...sounds like someone who is about to destroy this entire castle."

Rin sighed.

"Yeah."

He looked at the remaining chains.

"Then we’d better hurry."

Behind them, deep within the darkness, two pale eyes appeared once again.

This time, they were much closer and they were watching Lucien.