Silence settled over the platform.
Not the normal kind.
This silence carried weight.
The demon soldiers remained kneeling, their heads lowered toward the ground as if even looking up would be considered disrespectful.
Liora slowly turned her head toward the man standing before them.
The Demon King.
So this was Cairis's father.
She studied him carefully.
He didn't look monstrous.
If anything, he looked… elegant.
Tall. Composed. Dressed in dark royal robes embroidered with faint silver symbols that shifted slightly when the light touched them.
But the power around him was unmistakable.
It pressed against the air like gravity.
Liora had seen monsters before.
But this presence was something else entirely.
He looked ancient .
Controlled.
Dangerous.
His crimson eyes remained on her.
Observing her.
Analyzing.
"…You awakened it," he said calmly.
Liora blinked.
"I literally just got here."
Her answer was immediate.
Cairis stepped slightly closer to her.
A subtle movement.
But a protective one.
"I brought her through the Spirit Realm portal," Cairis said. "If the Crimson Gate reacted, it wasn't intentional."
The Demon King's gaze shifted to his son.
For a moment the two simply stared at each other.
There was no hostility.
But there was tension.
Father and son kind of tension.
The kind only powerful families could carry.
Finally, the Demon King spoke again.
"…You always bring trouble home, Cairis."
Liora snorted softly.
"Glad it's not just me noticing."
Cairis ignored her completely.
The Demon King looked back toward the distant palace.
Far across the capital, the massive structure stood against the crimson sky like a dark crown over the city.
But even from here, the tremors beneath the ground were still faintly noticeable.
Another low vibration passed through the platform.
The Demon King's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…It truly has begun."
The commander of the witch hunters stepped forward cautiously.
"Your Majesty," she said carefully.
Every demon soldier instantly tensed.
The Demon King slowly turned his gaze toward her.
The commander straightened instinctively under that stare.
"…You brought humans into my kingdom," the Demon King said quietly.
The statement wasn't angry.
But it wasn't welcoming either.
Cairis answered immediately.
"They are under my protection."
A few of the soldiers shifted slightly.
That statement carried enormous meaning in demon law.
Anyone under a royal demon's protection could not be harmed without directly challenging the royal family.
The Demon King seemed mildly amused.
"…You grant protection easily these days."
His eyes shifted briefly to Liora again.
"…Especially to witches."
Liora folded her arms.
"Look, I didn't exactly request a tour of your kingdom either."
The demon soldiers stiffened.
One of them actually inhaled sharply.
No one spoke to the Demon King like that.
Ever.
But the Demon King simply studied her.
Then something surprising happened.
He smiled.
Not warmly.
But with clear interest.
"…You have courage."
Liora shrugged.
"I have survival instincts."
Cairis muttered quietly beside her.
"Barely."
Another rumble echoed beneath the city.
This one stronger.
The Demon King's expression changed slightly.
Now it looked more thoughtful.
"…It has been centuries since the Crimson Gate responded to anyone."
He looked at Liora again.
"…And yet the moment you entered my kingdom, it awakened."
Liora raised one eyebrow.
"That sounds like a coincidence."
The Demon King didn't respond immediately.
Instead he slowly raised his hand.
The air in front of him shifted.
Dark magic gathered into a small floating symbol.
An ancient rune.
It rotated slowly.
Then drifted toward Liora.
The moment the rune came close to her—
Her body reacted instantly.
The magic inside her flared violently.
The rune shattered into sparks of crimson light.
The soldiers gasped.
Even Cairis's expression darkened slightly.
The Demon King watched everything carefully.
"…I see."
Liora stared at the fading sparks around her hand.
"Okay. That was weird."
But the Demon King now looked certain.
"…You carry ancient magic."
Liora frowned.
"I'm a witch."
"Yes."
The Demon King's voice remained calm.
"But not an ordinary one."
Another rumble rolled through the ground.
This time the tremor was strong enough that small cracks formed across the platform.
The soldiers immediately looked toward the palace again.
Far away, dark crimson light was beginning to rise from the base of the mountain.
Something was happening beneath it.
Something enormous.
The Demon King sighed quietly.
"…It seems we will not have time for a longer conversation."
He turned slightly toward Cairis.
"You will bring the witch to the palace."
Cairis didn't hesitate.
"I was planning to."
The Demon King's gaze shifted once more to Liora.
His expression was unreadable.
"…You have awakened something that should have remained silent."
Liora tilted her head.
"That seems like a recurring theme in my life."
The Demon King almost smiled again.
"…Indeed."
Then he disappeared.
Not walking.
Not teleporting.
Simply gone.
The soldiers slowly stood again.
Their leader looked at Cairis cautiously.
"Your Highness… the Crimson Gate…"
Cairis's voice was cold.
"Prepare the city."
The soldier bowed instantly.
"At once."
Within seconds the entire platform erupted into activity.
Messengers ran.
Guards moved to their positions.
Demonic signal lights ignited across nearby towers.
Liora watched everything.
"…Your kingdom really looks strange but weirdly beautiful ."
Cairis just smiled then looked
toward the distant palace.
His expression had changed to look serious now.
"Whatever is waking beneath the palace…"
He glanced at her.
"…it woke because of you."
Liora rubbed her temples.
"Great."
Another tremor shook the ground.
This one stronger.
Somewhere beneath the mountain—
Ancient stone cracked open.
And something sealed for a thousand years began to move.
Cairis looked toward the palace again.
"…We need to get there."
Liora exhaled slowly.
"Of course we do."
Far below the Demon Kingdom—
Beyond ancient gates and forgotten chambers—
Something stirred in the darkness.
And it had been waiting for her.