Soon, they arrived before a colossal portal embedded deep within the cavern. The entire chamber pulsed with dark energy, the air trembling as streams of crimson light coiled around the swirling core.
"It will be activated soon," Leimin said, her calm voice echoing through the vast underground hall.
Alice lifted her gaze to the massive gateway. The power radiating from it was overwhelming—each surge of energy carried the weight of countless lives and the greed of those who built it. The Great Demon Emperor had sacrificed vast resources to forge this passage to the Demon's Land.
Her chest tightened.
'So much effort… just to bring me back.'
Her thoughts drifted to Souta—the memory of his back, the fierce look in his eyes as he faced the demons alone. She could still feel the pulse of his power before she was taken away, that blazing, familiar energy trying to reach her even through the chaos.
"I hope you're still alive…" she whispered in her heart.
