CORE

Chapter 29 - Beta

There standing tall before the entrance stairway of the 5th floor, the peak of The Castle was a large, decorative door of grey color, and beyond it a long hallway of unimaginable length, leading to many more all filled to the brim with divine lighting beaming from above and lavishing decoration, pillars lined up like a noble army and like the floors below, the ground that supported what it held above was made with a smooth silky marble etched deep into the castle's walls.

But straight at the end of that big but mentally narrow corridor, where any other hall was meaningless, was yet another door, equal to the size of the entryway, the gate that would lead two very special individuals to REDACTED.

For a moment the corridor stayed as quiet as it always had, a sense of peace overriding its harmonious barriers while ultimately, regardless of how so peaceful and quiet, it was, in the end, an empty frame, as vague dust splashed across the floor, unexplainable wind rushing and whispering through the halls in a circular motion, it could have been a despairful notion but it was at heart and in the end, the truth for what was to come, and what could have come.

Their silence would eventually come to a close, as the entryway doors slid open, slowly and thoroughly its irritable barren creaking filled the first hallway that led to the final gate, and stepping out of the entrance gate were two individuals, Justice and Hero, who both bravely trekked forth the door that was far in front of them, knowing of the danger that lied.

As they walked, it was mostly silent halfway, the footsteps crawling around and about the corridor, until that foolish sound was overshadowed by one of their voices.

"We've made it this far... Do you have anything to say, any self-acclamation perhaps?" Justice said, a slight grin appearing on his face, though while it was out of pride, it had a hint of slight nervousness behind it.

"...I suppose, though, early celebrations typically end up with a drastic consequence," Hero responded, in a tone equal to Justice's which was just that, tension.

"Precisely..." Justice spoke, quietly and fluently it was almost that of a whisper albeit a few decibels louder, with him looking over to the side for a moment, viewing the decoration before turning back, the final gate was just many a step closer.

"Hah... You know, I remember when you were once practically an emotionless robot when we first met, it was quite intimidating," Justice remarked as they took a few steps closer, their coats swaying along with the wind with each step that thumped.

"But look at you now, it's still you obviously, but you're at your best... No, what we believe is our best just ends up not being our best, eh? There's always something beyond that, it's cryptic really," Justice slightly bumped his shoulder into Hero's, in response he could notice a slight smirk on the man who he once thought to be emotionless, as the two finally faced the final gate directly.

The two outstretched their hands, hovering over the final door, but before they pushed it open, Justice spoke, for they had what he thought to be their last conversation.

"What do you bet if we fail or win?" Justice questioned, while it was one of curiosity, it was also sentimental as a small smile appeared on Justice's face.

For an instant, silence filled the corridors once again, before Hero abruptly responded.

"Our companionship to last for all eternity and beyond," Hero closed his eyes, both of them satisfied as they pushed open the large door as it burst open, insufferable sounds of creaking filling the halls once more, but once it stopped, there revealed the distorted 'battleground' that lied behind it as they both respectively took one sharp breath as in the center of it, they viewed The King sat on his gigantic throne, overlooking the duo like ants, and as if they had been waiting and expecting patiently for them, not the least bit of doubt was in their grey lifeless eyes.