The towering stone pillar behind them felt oddly comforting as Aiden and Ashiq leaned against it, finally settling their racing minds. The immense cathedral was silent now, save for the soft echoes of distant stone settling.
Ashiq let out a slow breath, breaking the stillness. "So... where exactly are we?"
Aiden looked up, the high ceiling reminding him just how out of place they were. "If I'm right—and I hope I am—this should be the Demon King's castle."
Ashiq raised an eyebrow. "You sound pretty unsure for someone who made this world."
Aiden's silver eyes narrowed. "That's the thing. If this isn't the world I created... then we're in serious trouble."
He trailed off, his thoughts spiraling. If they had been reincarnated as characters he designed, then logic dictated they were inside his own game world. But the stakes had never felt so real.
Ashiq glanced toward the rows of cracked statues that lined the walls. "Do you think the others were isekai'd too?"
"I don't know," Aiden said, folding his arms. "But we're about to find out."
Creak...
The unmistakable sound of cracking stone echoed through the cathedral. Both boys snapped to attention.
Creak... Creak...
The noise was no longer isolated—it was moving, flowing from statue to statue. One by one, the stone shells began to fissure.
CRACK!
With one loud snap, six statues shattered in near unison. Stone dust burst into the air as six figures tumbled forward, groaning and hitting the ground hard.
"Gah—!"
"Ugh!"
Ashiq couldn't hide his grin. "Looks like we're not alone after all."
Aiden nodded. "Let's see if we recognize them."
The two approached cautiously. The six men who had just fallen were struggling to regain their footing, confused and groggy.
"Where... where the hell are we?" one of them muttered—a tall, black-haired man with one eye closed.
Another figure—a dark elf with slick blond hair and pointed ears—stepped forward, eyes scanning the cathedral before settling on Aiden and Ashiq. "You two... look like you know what's going on."
Aiden raised his hands. "Okay, I know this is weird, but I think I can help. I'm going to call out some names. If you hear yours, respond."
He looked around. The room fell silent.
"Adrian?"
"That's me," the black-haired man with the closed eye replied, still rubbing his temple.
"Cornê?"
A man with pitch-black hair and bandages wrapped around his face—leaving only glowing white eyes exposed—nodded. "Here."
"Kleano?"
A timid silver-haired man with soft crimson eyes raised his hand. "Yeah."
"Lerenso?"
A muscular man with short black hair and stubby horns glared. "What do you want?"
"Mans?"
"Yo." The reply came from a broad-shouldered man with an easy smirk.
"Ishipho?"
"Present," the dark elf said confidently. "Though I'd like to know what the hell's going on."
Ashiq clapped his hands. "Well, looks like the gang's all here."
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "You know our names. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Aiden. This is Ashiq. Long story short: we were all reincarnated into the world of a game I created."
Lerenso frowned. "A game?"
Kleano stepped forward. "Where's Byron? If this is the castle, shouldn't he be here?"
Aiden turned toward the colossal stone wall at the far end of the room. "If he's anywhere, it's behind that."
Ishipho looked up and whistled. "There's no way we're getting past that."
Aiden furrowed his brow. "Not unless... we figure out how to use magic."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Cornê said. "We don't even know how this place works."
Nearby, Adrian and Lerenso stood apart from the group.
"Hey Adrian," Lerenso said, squinting at him. "You've got one eye closed."
Adrian blinked, confused. "Huh. You're right."
Lerenso leaned closer. "And there's... some kind of mark around it."
Hearing that, Aiden spun around, eyes wide. "Wait... markings? Closed eye?"
Adrian shrugged. "Guess I'll just open it—"
"NO—!"
But it was too late.
SHRRRAAAAKK!!
A beam of searing light exploded from Adrian's eye, slicing across the cathedral like a raging sunbeam. Everyone dove for cover, the floor erupting in molten flashes wherever the light touched.
"DOWN!" Aiden screamed.
The beam scorched through the air, carving a massive hole through the top half of the stone wall. Then, just as suddenly, it vanished.
Everyone slowly stood, eyes wide.
"Holy shit," Lerenso gasped, heart pounding. "I almost died!"
"What the fuck was that?!" Ishipho yelled.
"Just... keep that eye closed," Aiden muttered, still shaken.
Ashiq clapped Adrian on the back. "On the bright side... you helped us."
They all looked toward the now half-destroyed wall.
Kleano groaned. "Too bad it's still twenty feet above ground. We can't exactly float up there."
"Maybe if we figure out how to use aura or magic," Ashiq suggested. "It might—"
BOOM.
An overwhelming wave of pressure slammed into them. Everyone dropped to their knees, gasping under the weight of the aura. The air turned heavy, thick with raw power.
"What... the hell... is this?!" Cornê growled, fighting to stay upright.
CRACK!
The rest of the wall exploded outward in a thunderous blast, revealing a massive throne atop a staircase. A figure sat upon it, cloaked in shadow.
Then, a voice—low, ancient, and cold—shook the walls.
"Who dares awaken me...?"
Everyone froze.
The pressure lifted suddenly, like a switch had flipped. The aura faded. The silence was deafening.
Aiden stood, brushing off his clothes. Then he pointed at the figure on the throne. "Hey, jackass! You scared the hell out of us!"
Mans blinked. "Who are you yelling at?"
"That's Byron."
Gasps rippled through the group. Byron—long silver hair, curled horns, crimson eyes—sat confused, slowly rising to his feet.
After some explaining, he blinked. "So... all of you idiots are here too."
He looked around. "Okay, but seriously—how do we get out of here?"
As they debated, Lerenso suddenly yelped. "Wha—what the hell?!"
Everyone turned.
High above, nestled among the cathedral pillars, a pair of gleaming silver eyes stared down.
A massive dragon, scales shimmering like moonlight, loomed above them.
"Holy shit," Ishipho whispered.
"IT'S A FREAKING DRAGON!" they all screamed in unison.
ROOOOAAAAARRRR!!
The beast spread its wings and flew in circles around the cathedral. Dust and wind kicked up in all directions.
Kleano panicked. "We're gonna die, aren't we?!"
Next to him, Aiden, Ashiq, and Byron stood... oddly calm.
"Well, we had a good run," Aiden muttered.
"Not the worst way to go out," Ashiq added.
"Shame. I kinda liked being alive," Byron said.
Kleano stared at them in disbelief. "STOP JOKING AND DO SOMETHING!"
The trio sighed. Then, without a word, dark auras surged around them—red, white, and black energy spiraling into the air.
But the dragon didn't stop.
The auras fizzled out.
Aiden coughed. "Okay. That didn't work."
"You suck, Byron," Ashiq said flatly.
Then, without warning, the dragon transformed mid-air. Its body shimmered with radiant light, reshaping...
When the glow faded, a tall, graceful woman with long silver hair floated down—dressed in a sleek maid outfit. A giant tail swayed behind her.
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
The woman landed gently on the floor and knelt.
"I, Aisha Drakonia, greet the Demon King and his dukes... as your most loyal servant."
The nine men stood there, speechless.