A Week Earlier
A week earlier, four demons stood before Bezubeel in his office.
Evening wind slipped through the open windows, causing Bezubeel's black hair to flutter around his face. Two polished horns curved proudly from his forehead. He rested his chin on one hand, golden eyes lazily examining the demons before him.
None dared meet his gaze for long.
The leader, Ravik, was a red-haired demon with crimson eyes, two short backward-curving horns, and a lean, athletic build. A black longsword hung from his waist.
Beside him stood Morthan, a towering, broad-shouldered demon with grey skin, thick arms, and two blunt horns resembling stumps. He carried a massive shield.
The third was Neris, a slender female demon with violet skin, long purple hair, and three small horns decorating her forehead. She was a skilled mage.
Finally stood Krail, a thin demon with messy black hair, narrow golden eyes, and short horns mostly hidden beneath his hair. He specialized in black flame magic and had the unfortunate habit of voicing every concern that entered his mind.
Bezubeel finally spoke. "You are to go to the Gorgoroth Ruins and retrieve the Eternal Worm."
Ravik's expression became serious.
"You have five days. Do not stall."His tone carried a hidden threat. "The hero and his comrades will be there. Do not engage them. Retrieve the Eternal Worm and return."
His voice became colder. "That is all."
The four demons bowed. "Yes, Lord Bezubeel."
They turned and left.
Outside, Ravik mounted his dark warhorse and drew his sword belt tighter.
"Move."
The four demons rode with speed toward the western border of the Demon Realm. Krail glanced at the road ahead.
"I would like to mention that missions involving the Gorgoroth Ruins usually end badly."
Ravik didn't look at him. "Then stop mentioning it."
Krail nodded. "Understood."A moment passed. "...Still, I feel this one might be worse."
"Ride."
They eventually reached the border.
A subterranean tunnel cut beneath the barrier separating the Demon Realm from the outside world. Nobody knew who had created it. Some believed it was older than the kingdoms themselves.
The demons dismounted and entered.
They walked for miles. The deeper they went, the colder the air became. Strange blue moss grew along the walls, providing their only source of light.
Eventually, they reached a colossal ebony gate.
It towered above them, covered in ancient symbols none of them recognized. But the gate was not what frightened them.
Darkness surrounded it. Not ordinary darkness. It moved. Ravik immediately drew his sword.
"Stay alert."
A crimson eye suddenly opened within the darkness. A shadow scythe materialized beside it. Then the guardian lunged. Ravik barely raised his sword.
CLANG!
The impact sent a shock through his arms and numbed his fingers. He staggered backward as the guardian swung again.
"Now!"
Neris and Krail began chanting. Purple magic circles appeared beneath the guardian.
Chains erupted from them and wrapped around its body, pinning it in place.
Ravik grinned."Got you." The circle cracked.
His grin disappeared. "...Of course."
The guardian shattered the chains and swung its scythe.
Ravik stepped aside, but the blade still cut across his side. "Krail!"
The thin demon raised his hand.
Black fire gathered around his fingers before forming a razor-sharp arrow. "Move!"
Ravik ducked.
The arrow shot past him, passed through the guardian, and struck the ebony gate with a metallic clang.
Krail stared. "...That was supposed to hit it."
"Clearly," Ravik replied.
Neris stepped forward. Three enormous mana circles appeared around her.
"Then I'll hit it."
The circles discharged simultaneously, releasing devastating waves of mana. The guardian vanished. Neris's eyes widened.
"Where—?"
It appeared behind her. The scythe flashed.
Neris was thrown across the tunnel and slammed into the wall.
"NERIS!"
Ravik's expression hardened.
Demonic energy surged from his core and wrapped around his body and sword.
He charged. The guardian turned.
Ravik swung downward. His mana-coated blade severed the guardian's arm.
The arm dissolved into shadow. Then flowed back into the creature. The limb regenerated.
Ravik stared. "...That's troublesome."
The guardian's crimson eye focused on him.
Morthan suddenly roared.
"HEY!"
The massive demon charged, slamming his shield into the guardian and driving it against the gate.
BOOM!
Morthan felt something solid beneath the creature.
His eyes narrowed. "It has a core!"
The guardian raised its scythe. Morthan lifted his shield. The blade struck.
CRACK!
It bit into his shoulder.
Morthan shouted through the pain. "A core inside its body! Aim for the center!"
Neris forced herself upright. "Hold it!"
Purple circles appeared around the guardian again.
Chains erupted. This time, they restrained it for only a moment. But a moment was enough.
Krail unleashed everything. Black-fire arrows streaked toward the guardian. It moved, dodging several.
Too late.
Ravik had already reached it. He poured every ounce of mana into his sword.
The blade descended. It cleaved cleanly through the guardian's core. The crimson eye flickered. The creature dissolved into countless fragments of shadow.
Silence returned. Morthan lowered his shield and immediately grabbed his injured shoulder.
Neris limped toward them, gritting her teeth.
Krail stared at the remains. "We have only just arrived."Nobody answered.
"And we nearly died fighting a gate guardian." Ravik sheathed his sword. "We push on." Morthan looked at him. "How are we supposed to get past the gate?"
Ravik turned toward Neris. "You can conjure teleportation spells, correct?"
Neris stared at him. "Yes."
"Teleport us."
She gave him a deadpan look. "All four of us?"
"Yes."
"Across an unknown magical barrier?"
"Yes."
"With no idea what is on the other side?"
"Yes."
Neris sighed. "You're asking me to perform a suicidal spell."
Krail nodded. "I knew I liked her."
Ravik ignored him. "Can you do it?"
Neris hesitated. "The mana required would be enormous."
Ravik glanced toward the remains of the guardian. Its core still contained faint traces of mana. "Use that."
Neris looked at the core. "That mana is corrupted."
"We don't have another option."
She sighed. "Fine."
Neris began chanting in an ancient language. A massive purple magic circle appeared beneath the four demons.
Krail stared at it. "I don't like this."
Morthan frowned. "You don't like anything."
"That's because everything keeps trying to kill us." Nobody responded.
Mana flowed from the guardian's core into the spell.
The circle brightened. Then— CRACK.
Neris's eyes widened. "Wait."
Another crack appeared. The magic circle shattered.
Before they could react, its fragments swallowed each demon separately.
Then everything went black.
Neris opened her eyes. She was lying on a cold stone floor. She slowly sat up. "Where am I?"
An ancient temple surrounded her.
Massive pillars disappeared into darkness above, while strange carvings covered the walls.
The air was unnaturally still.
Then Neris noticed someone sitting at the temple's threshold.
A figure with pale white skin and black hair.
An onyx bone mask covered his face.
The mask resembled a twisted skull, with jagged edges and two empty spaces where eyes should have been.
Neris froze.
The figure turned toward her. There was nothing behind the eye holes.
Only darkness.
Pure, bottomless darkness.
Neris's breath caught. The figure slowly stood. Two shadow daggers formed in his hands. He began walking toward her.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Neris backed away. "Get away from me."
The figure continued. His name was Bani. He tilted his head. "What do we have here?"
Neris crawled backward faster. Bani's presence sent chills through her body.
She kept retreating until her back struck something hard.
An obsidian altar. She turned. Then looked back at Bani. He stopped before her. The darkness within his mask seemed to deepen. "You know..." he said lightly, "I was just wondering where I could find a sacrifice."
He raised one dagger. "And then you appeared." His voice became amused. "The heavens have answered my prayers."
Neris's eyes widened. She tried to move.
Bani stepped closer. Her scream echoed throughout the ancient temple.
Then silence. A short while later, Bani stood beside the altar. He looked around the empty temple.
The ancient place was quiet once again.
Bani tilted his masked head."Well."He sighed."That was convenient."
Far away, the remaining three demons were scattered across the unknown depths of Gorgoroth.
They had five days to find the Eternal Worm.
And they had already lost one of their own.