Lyra pov
The faint light of dawn was barely creeping through the windows when I opened my eyes.
Still early. Probably around five. The kind of hour where normal people are still asleep and only crazy people are awake.
Guess I was the crazy one today.
I slipped out of bed, careful not to make a sound. The castle was too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you feel like the walls are listening.
"Cathy," I whispered, tapping her shoulder.
She woke up instantly, her eyes wide and alert, like she'd been waiting for this.
"Don't make a sound," I murmured. "We're leaving."
We'd only known each other for one night, and somehow we were already partners in crime. That's how it works when two unlucky girls get trapped in a demon world together, I guess. You bond fast.
She nodded, grabbing the cloak she'd hidden under her bed.
We slipped through the corridors of the eastern castle, step by careful step. Torches flickered along the walls, throwing long shadows that moved with us like they were watching. The whole place felt like it was holding its breath.
After walking for a while, I stopped and put my hands on my hips.
"These robes are going to kill me before the Demon King even gets a chance," I muttered.
The dress was ridiculously long and heavy. Every step felt like I was dragging a whole curtain behind me. Who designs clothes like this? Actually, don't answer that.
I grabbed a handful of fabric and took another step—
Crack.
A dry twig snapped under my foot.
My heart stopped.
Two guards appeared out of nowhere, their eyes sharp and suspicious.
I straightened up and slapped on my best innocent smile.
"Good morning," I said sweetly. "Just taking a walk. Fresh air, you know? Good for the health."
They didn't look convinced.
Their hands moved toward their swords.
I didn't wait for them to draw.
One strike. Fast. Clean.
The first guard hit the ground before he even knew what happened.
And then Cathy surprised me.
She stepped forward—nervous, but steady—and blew a small puff of powder into the second guard's face. He went down like a sack of rice.
I blinked, then grinned.
"Not bad, Cathy. You've got some tricks up your sleeve."
Her hands were trembling a little. She wasn't used to this. But she'd done it anyway.
I grabbed her wrist and started walking again. Not running. Running attracts attention. Walking like you belong here? That's the real escape skill.
After about an hour of dodging patrol routes, we finally made it past the castle gates.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
Freedom.
Okay, now what? How do we actually leave this place?
We kept walking, putting distance between us and the castle. The road wound through sparse woods, morning mist clinging to the ground like fog in a horror movie.
Then we both stopped at the same time.
A town.
It spread out in front of us, glowing soft gold in the early light. Elegant buildings with curved roofs. Lanterns in red and gold swinging in the breeze. Shopkeepers setting up their stalls, calling out to each other. The smell of incense and fresh bread and something frying that made my stomach growl.
"Wow," Cathy breathed.
"Yeah," I said. "Wow."
I'd expected the demon world to be... I don't know. Dark. Creepy. Full of skulls and bad lighting. Like a metal album cover.
This looked like something out of a painting.
"It's almost peaceful," I said. "More peaceful than..."
I stopped.
More peaceful than home.
I didn't finish that thought.
I started walking toward the town, drawn by the noise and the light and the smell of food. Cathy grabbed my sleeve.
"Wait," she said quietly. "We can't go like this."
She pulled out two cloaks and a small pouch of powder from somewhere in her robes.
"If we don't disguise ourselves, they might notice we're not from the demon clans."
I stared at her.
"Cathy. You're beautiful and you're smart. That's an unfair combination."
She turned red and looked at the ground.
"I found these while cleaning a room in the eastern castle," she mumbled. "I thought... maybe they'd be useful someday."
We put on the cloaks and dusted ourselves with the powder. I didn't feel any different, but Cathy nodded like it worked, so I trusted her.
We walked into town as the morning fully woke up.
Shopkeepers were yelling about their goods. Kids were running through the streets, laughing. Sunlight was hitting the rooftops just right. For a minute, I almost forgot I was trapped in another world.
Then I smelled it.
Chicken. Stir-fried chicken. The good kind. The kind with garlic and ginger and oil so hot it sizzles.
My feet moved before my brain could catch up.
Cathy hurried after me, looking somewhere between amused and worried.
I plopped down at a food stall and waved at the owner. "Boss! Give me your best chicken and noodles!"
He was a round, friendly-looking guy. He smiled.
"Coming right up, miss."
Two bowls appeared in front of us. Steam rising. Smell hitting my nose. I almost teared up.
"Food first," I announced. "Plans later."
Cathy hesitated for half a second, then picked up her chopsticks.
One bite. Then another. Then another.
I finished my first bowl and went for a second. Then a third.
I leaned back, patting my stomach, completely satisfied with my life choices.
"This," I said, "is the best decision I've made since getting stuck here."
Cathy laughed. A real laugh. It was nice.
We stood up to leave.
"Little miss," the owner called. "You forgot something."
I blinked. "What?"
"The payment."
Ah.
Right.
Money.
Even demon worlds have bills to pay.
"How much?" I asked carefully.
"One hundred taels."
I choked. "ONE HUNDRED?!"
Was this chicken raised by royalty? Did it get massages every morning?
I forced a smile. "Boss... what if... hypothetically... someone forgot their money at home?"
His smile didn't change, but something in his eyes got sharp.
"Then that someone could stay here and work until the debt is paid."
Work?!
In a food stall?!
While a Demon King's guards are probably looking for me?!
"Haha, just joking!" I laughed, patting my robes like I was looking for coins. "Let me just find my wallet..."
I turned around, pretending to search.
Then I grabbed Cathy's wrist.
And ran.
We ducked through alleys, around corners, past stalls and carts, until we collapsed behind a wall somewhere, gasping for air.
"That," Cathy panted, "was terrifying."
I nodded seriously.
"Running from demon guards? Fine. Running from a food stall owner you just cheated? That's a whole different level of danger."
We walked through the town as the morning turned into afternoon.
The streets were full now. Kids everywhere. Little demon kids with tiny horns poking through their hair. Some had eyes that glowed faintly, like embers. Some had little tails that swished behind them as they ran.
They weren't scary. They were adorable.
A little girl walked up to me, shy, holding out a piece of candy wrapped in bright paper.
"For you," she said.
I crouched down and took it. "Thank you."
She smiled and ran back to her friends.
Other kids gathered around, curious, staring at me and Cathy like we were something interesting. Some offered sweets. Some just stared with big eyes.
Their friendliness caught me off guard.
So this was the demon world. Not the nightmare I'd imagined.
Beside me, Cathy was quiet.
Too quiet.
She kept looking around, scanning the streets, the rooftops, the faces of people passing by. Her shoulders were tense under her cloak. Even when she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes.
"Cathy," I said softly.
She looked at me.
"We've seen enough," I said. "It's time to think about going back."
Hope flickered in her eyes. Then fear. Then something else I couldn't name.
"If we stay too long," I added, "it might get harder to leave."
She nodded slowly.
For all her quietness, Cathy had been paying attention. Asking questions. Learning. Now she finally spoke.
"There's a place," she said, voice low. "About ten kilometers from here. A hidden border. No one's allowed to enter it..."
She paused.
"Except the Demon King."
I raised my eyebrows. "So it exists."
She nodded. "We might be able to use it."
Hope lit up in my chest. "Then let's go."
The road got quieter the further we walked. The sounds of the town faded. Just wind in the grass and leaves rustling.
After about forty minutes, we reached it.
A clearing. Empty. No guards, no gates, no magic glow. Just an open patch of grass.
"This is it?" I asked.
Cathy stepped forward. She closed her eyes. Her lips moved silently.
The air shifted.
A vibration ran through the ground, soft at first, then stronger.
And then—
A portal opened.
It shimmered, like water with moonlight trapped inside. Big. Wide. Alive.
"So it was real," I breathed.
Cathy smiled, small and reassuring.
"First, we go to my clan," she said. "From there, I'll help you find your way home."
Home.
I nodded.
She stepped aside and gestured for me to go first.
"Go," she said softly.
I took a breath. I stepped forward.
And then—
Something stopped me.
I turned.
"Cathy, you're coming—"
A second portal ripped open behind her. Violent. Sudden.
She was pulled backward before I could even finish the word.
"CATHY!"
I lunged. My hand shot out. My fingers touched nothing.
The portal swallowed her.
And vanished.
The first portal flickered, trembled, and closed.
Silence.
Where the portal had been—
A door stood.
It came from nowhere. Solid. Dark. Waiting. No handle. No markings. Just... a door.
Cold. Silent. Unmoving.
My heart pounded in my chest.
Something was wrong.
Something was very, very wrong.
And somehow—
I knew this door was never meant for escape.