Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

86. A Hidden Entrance (2)

Erebus sighed and reined in his nerves. He couldn't speculate too much without more information. If anything, Aboros' empty throne room was good news for Shadowbane. They had a way in. 

He was about to move on but hesitated. He stood on the edge of a crater in the middle of the room. It was where he executed his final blow on Aboros, and Aboros spoke his last words, lamenting that they could not be friends.

Cursed hells. He almost missed the Devil.

Erebus shook his head and moved on. His feet carried him to a side door—a servant's entrance tucked away. He was aware of many of the servant's entrances and passageways because he scoured the Kurat's Hall countless times in his last life before he launched his attack. He ensured to find the best passages that were hidden.

This particular passage was one he had walked down before. He knew he would enter Mad Blasphemy's basement if he followed its twists and turns. In his last life, he could hear the cries of prisoners, but now there was eerie silence. 

He moved through the narrow hall; the lights had long burned out, so he was bathed in darkness. He moved using his senses and memories. He reached an old bookshelf but knew it was another hidden door. This would lead him further into Kurat Hall, almost to the center of the mountain. Once he passed this area, he would need to follow the corridors down to the basement if any remnants were left. He watched it burn and collapse upon itself. Hells, he burned this entire mountain except for the throne room.

Unfortunately, he felt the Devils had hidden something there once more. 

He placed his hand on the bookshelf, his fingers brushing on ancient wood, nearly crumbling under his touch. Before he moved it, he used his mana to find out if there were any threats. He sensed many people on the other side of the door. None were Devils, and they were all restrained somehow. 

He pushed the door and slid it to the side just enough to allow him to squeeze through. He emerged in a place that was an old dining hall in his past life. He remembered that many Devils would gather in this area, celebrating and eating. But now, the room was cold and void of anything resembling happiness. The crystal lights flicked ominously, creating a spine-chilling glow. Instead of tables, the room had rows of large glass cylinders filled with a strange transparent yellow liquid. Numerous tubes were plugged into the cylinders and connected to something unknown in the ground.

Erebus approached one of the cylinders and felt a chill run up his body as he saw a disfigured mutated beast inside. It was humanoid shaped, but the legs and the arms were like a lizard's with a long, powerful tail. Green scales ran up its body and exposed its chest. The scales started to disperse as they reached the creature's face. Erebus felt sick as he realized it had a human's face.

The creature looked at Erebus with confusion, but it stirred when they made eye contact. It lifted a heavy claw and pressed it against the glass with a thump. It opened its mouth, letting out a bone-rattling screech.

Erebus jolted and cursed when the screech woke up every creature in the cylinders. It sounded like it was crying out for something, echoing the first creature's scream. Erebus retreated into the shadows when several Devils entered the room.

The Devils banged on the cylinders out of annoyance.

"What are they freaking out about?"

"Who knows."

"Sometimes they remember they were once human or Elf and will throw a tantrum. Let them scream it out. They'll sleep soon."

As the Devil said, the creatures soon fell silent. They looked over the room and the machinery before leaving, the heavy steel doors slamming behind them.