Chapter 728: Reflection
I looked around the cavern, trying to remember which of the hundreds of tunnels we’d come from. Fyren nudged me, nodding toward the far wall.
"T-this way?" I asked.
He nodded, and we set off across the cavern. As before, the demons parted and closed around us, but there was something different about them. They no longer felt as hungry or menacing as before. Each of them bore my mark, and with it came an intrinsic sense of respect. When they lowered their heads, I got the feeling it wasn’t just in respect for the demon lord.
"With some direction, we reached the entrance room. The entrance crystal was glowing brightly, like the gate core had before it cracked.
"By stimulating the mana, you’ll initiate the break," Incinderus said. "At that point, every demon in the gate will have the ability to leave directly. They won’t need to touch the crystal, just will themselves out. The dimensional restrictions placed on the gate will vanish, allowing anyone of any origin to enter or leave. However, once it is broken, the gate will only persist for a day before collapsing."
"So I just touch it again?" I asked.
He nodded and stepped back. I reached out and touched it, feeling the same, chaotic swell as before. It seemed like all the mana that had escaped the core had collected here. I gave it an experimental nudge, which proved to be enough.
The mana left the crystal with a whoosh, vanishing out of the realm. I couldn’t tell exactly how it had left, or where it was going, but the gate started to quake again. This time, it only lasted a few seconds. A strange sensation pressed against my soul, like the moment I touched the portal to Heaven.
"Well done," Incinderus said. "Now, I think I’ve spent enough time here. It’s time I see Enusia for myself."
Taking his words as permission, I embraced the feeling, and the gate twisted around me. Swirls of red enveloped me as the ground fell away, and I was overcome by severe vertigo. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling out of the gate into Enusia. Fable was there, pressing his flank against my side, steadying me. He had returned to his small form, fortunately.
"Xiviyah! Are you alright?" Elise asked, running up to me.