The dungeon was silent except for Haruto's breathing — quick, shaky, desperate.
He placed the Book on the cold stone floor.
Nova, Lira, and Ren watched from their cells, terrified.
Sataro's lifeless body lay beside Haruto, pale and cold.
Nova whispered,
"Haruto… you don't have to do this."
Haruto didn't look up.
"I'm not letting him stay dead," he said, voice shaking.
"Not him."
He lifted the jagged shard of metal he found on the floor…
and dragged it across his right palm.
Blood spilled instantly.
Lira gasped.
Ren cursed under his breath.
Haruto let the blood drip onto the Book.
The pages absorbed it like sand drinking water.
Then—
FWOOM.
A glowing blue pentagon symbol spread across the Book and onto Haruto's hand, burning into his skin.
Haruto screamed as the mark carved itself into him.
The Book flipped open on its own.
A spell appeared, written in a language older than the world.
Haruto read it aloud — even though he didn't understand the words.
He spoke them anyway.
The Room Turns Red
The torches flickered.
The air thickened.
Every stone vibrated.
Then—
BAAAAAAAAAAAM!!
A shockwave rocked the entire dungeon.
The walls glowed blood-red.
Lost wails echoed through the halls.
Ren grabbed the bars.
"What the hell did he do?!"
Lira screamed, backing away.
Nova fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the aura.
Up in the castle, King Sable shot to his feet.
"What was that?!"
Guards ran in panic.
"Your Majesty — the dungeon — something is opening—"
Sable's eyes widened.
"No… it couldn't be…"
He sprinted toward the jails.
The Gate of Hell Opens
The ground cracked beneath Haruto.
A circle of burning symbols spread out like wildfire.
Then—
CRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAACK—
A massive gate tore itself from the stone.
Black iron.
Chains dripping with fire.
Screaming souls clawing from the seams.
Arms, faces, voices — crying, begging, shrieking.
Haruto staggered backward, eyes wide.
Lira covered her ears, sobbing.
Ren shielded her.
Nova screamed,
"HARUTO, STOP!!"
But it was too late.
The gate opened.
And he stepped out.
Arkhamis, King of Demons
He towered over them — tall, slender, elegant, terrifying.
Long black horns spiraled upward.
Eyes like twin galaxies of fire.
Skin of ash-black, traced with molten cracks.
His shadow filled every corner of the dungeon.
He looked around slowly…
Then smiled.
"Ahhh… freedom.
How long it has been."
Haruto fell to his knees, clutching his burning hand.
The pentagon glowed brighter.
Arkhamis knelt in front of him.
"So you are the one who called me…
You who bears my mark."
Haruto stuttered,
"S-Sataro… please… bring him back…"
Arkhamis smiled wide — too wide.
"As you wish…
my chosen vessel."
He placed a claw gently on Sataro's chest.
Sataro's body jerked—
Eyes fluttered—
Breath returned.
Color flooded back into his skin.
Haruto sobbed.
"SATARO!!"
But Sataro didn't wake fully yet — he slipped into a deep unconscious state.
Arkhamis stood.
"Payment accepted," he said calmly.
"You wanted life. I gave it."
Haruto's hand burned violently, glowing pentagon blazing neon blue.
Nova whispered,
"What… did he trade…?"
Arkhamis chuckled.
"Oh, something precious.
But he will learn soon enough."
King Sable Arrives
Sable burst into the dungeon with his guards—
Then stopped dead.
The Demon King stared at him.
And smiled knowingly.
"Ah.
We meet again, old friend."
Haruto looked up in shock.
Nova froze.
Ren's jaw dropped.
Sable's eyes widened with genuine fear.
"YOU—"
Arkhamis raised a finger.
"Shhh."
The King and the Demon King stared at each other—
an unspoken history between them.
Arkhamis turned his back on him.
"You have grown weak, Sable."
The king trembled with rage.
"GUARDS! Seize—"
Arkhamis flicked his wrist.
BOOM.
Every guard was blasted against the walls like insects.
Sable staggered backward.
Arkhamis chuckled darkly.
"Another time, perhaps."
Haruto Falls
The gate behind Arkhamis began to close.
Souls screamed as they were sucked back inside.
Arkhamis placed a hand on Haruto's head.
"You will awaken soon, my vessel…
And when you do, our contract will begin."
Haruto's eyes rolled back.
He collapsed.
The glowing pentagon carved onto his hand pulsed once—
then dimmed.
Arkhamis walked backward into the Gate, smiling at Sable the entire time.
"Do not disappoint me, King…
We both know how this ends."
The gate slammed shut.
Silence.
Smoke drifted in the air.
The Escape
The shockwave from the Gate exploding outward cracked every cell door off its hinges.
Nova immediately rushed into Sataro's cell.
"Sataro—!! Come on, get up!"
She pulled his unconscious body over her shoulder.
Lira and Ren crawled into Haruto's cell.
"Haruto! Haruto wake up!"
But he was completely unconscious.
Ren lifted him up with Lira's help.
"We gotta move NOW!" Ren yelled.
Nova nodded.
"The guards will regroup any second!"
They ran up the stone stairs, carrying the brothers:
Nova carrying Sataro
Ren and Lira carrying Haruto
The dungeon shook behind them.
King Sable stood alone in the smoke-filled corridor, trembling with fury and fear.
"The Demon King…
has returned…"