The palace corridors felt colder than the city outside.
Not physically.
But in a way Liora couldn't quite explain.
The deeper they walked into the Abyssal Palace, the quieter everything became. The towering halls were built from polished black stone that reflected the dim crimson light drifting through tall windows.
Guards stood along the walls every few meters.
Silent.
Watching.
Their glowing eyes always lingered on her.
Liora kept her arms folded across her chest as she walked beside Cairis.
She hated the way the palace made her feel small.
Not because of its size.
But because of the weight in the air.
Something beneath this place was awake.
And it knew she was here.
"You're walking slower," Cairis said quietly.
She glanced at him.
"You're noticing?"
"You always walk like you're about to start an argument with someone."
"That's because I usually am."
Despite the tension hanging over everything, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Cairis's mouth.
It disappeared quickly.
The corridor ended at a massive pair of iron doors.
Ancient symbols were carved across their surface. Some of them were faded with age, while others glowed faintly with old magic.
Liora stopped.
The pull inside her chest surged violently.
It almost made her stagger.
"…That's it."
Cairis studied her face carefully.
"You're certain?"
She nodded slowly.
"It's behind those doors."
The Demon King approached them from behind.
Even without looking, Liora could feel his presence.
Heavy.
Very old.
Watching everything.
"Open it," he said.
The guards obeyed immediately.
The doors opened with agroan as they slowly pushed them apart.
A wave of cold air rushed out from the chamber beyond.
Liora stepped forward instinctively.
Then she froze.
The chamber was enormous.
It looked older than the rest of the palace—like the palace itself had been built around it.
The ceiling disappeared into darkness high above.
Stone pillars surrounded the room in a wide circle, each covered in glowing runes.
And in the center—
Was the gate.
It was taller than a cathedral.
A massive arch of black stone carved with ancient symbols that seemed to shift when she tried to focus on them.
But the center of the gate wasn't solid.
It was filled with swirling crimson light.
The light moved like liquid.
Like something breathing slowly behind the surface.
Chains wrapped around the gate in thick layers of enchanted metal.
Some of them were cracked.
Others had already fallen to the floor.
Liora felt her heartbeat quicken.
"…It's beautiful."
The word slipped out before she could stop it.
Cairis stared at her.
"Beautiful?"
"You don't see it?"
She stepped forward slowly.
The light from the gate painted her face crimson.
"It's not just a prison."
Her voice softened.
"…It's waiting."
The Demon King stepped closer as well.
His gaze remained fixed on the gate.
"It has not reacted like this since the age of the Witch Empire."
The name echoed strangely in the chamber.
Something in Liora's chest tightened.
Fragments of something unfamiliar flickered at the edge of her thoughts.
Old stone towers.
A sky filled with stars.
A voice calling her name.
She pressed her hand to her temple.
"Why does that sound familiar…"
Cairis noticed immediately.
"What did you remember?"
"I don't know."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"…Just flashes."
She turned back toward the gate.
The crimson light had grown brighter.
It pulsed slowly now.
Like a heartbeat.
One of the remaining chains snapped.
The sound cracked through the chamber like thunder.
Several guards stepped backward instinctively.
The commander whispered under his breath.
"…The seal is breaking."
Cairis's expression hardened.
"This shouldn't be possible."
Liora walked closer.
Each step made the air feel heavier.
The pull inside her chest had become unbearable now.
Like invisible hands guiding her forward.
"Liora," Cairis said sharply.
She didn't stop.
"…I think it wants me here."
Another chain snapped.
Then another.
The gate pulsed brighter.
Crimson light flooded the chamber.
The guards shouted in alarm.
"Your Highness—!"
Cairis moved instantly.
He grabbed Liora's wrist and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?"
She looked up at him.
And for the first time since entering the chamber—
He saw fear in her eyes.
"I'm not controlling it."
Her voice shook slightly.
"…It's controlling me."
Stronger.
The crimson light surged outward.
Then suddenly—
Everything went silent.
The light stopped moving.
The remaining chains went still.
Even the air felt frozen.
The entire chamber waited.
Liora felt something brush against her mind.
Not violently.
Not aggressively.
Just… searching.
Like someone opening an old book and slowly turning the pages.
A voice echoed inside her thoughts.
Soft.
Ancient.
And impossibly familiar.
"You returned."
Her breath caught.
"…Who are you?"
The voice did not answer immediately.
Instead, the crimson light inside the gate shifted slowly.
A shape formed within it.
Tall.
Shadowed.
Watching her.
The voice spoke again.
"You sealed me here."
Liora's heart stopped.
"What?"
Another chain broke.
The gate flared violently.
The figure inside became clearer.
Not fully visible.
But unmistakably powerful.
Cairis stepped in front of her immediately.
His demonic aura exploded outward, filling the chamber with crushing pressure.
"You will not approach her."
The figure behind the gate laughed softly.
A dark, ancient sound.
"Demon prince."
The voice echoed across the chamber.
"Do you know who stands behind you?"
Cairis's eyes narrowed.
"Yes."
The figure seemed amused.
"No."
The crimson light surged again.
The entire gate shook violently.
"You truly don't."
Liora felt her knees weaken.
Fragments of something old stirred deep inside her mind.
Memories that weren't hers.
Battles.
Magic.
A throne made of starlight.
And a title whispered across forgotten kingdoms.
Star Witch Queen.
The chamber trembled again.
And this time—
The gate began to open.