The moment the door opened, an unexpected silence fell.
What on earth was going on?
Inside, we were greeted by neither a sealing device nor a malevolent spirit. Instead, my eyes caught sight of a large, round hollow of ice. The only thing visible straight ahead was a small altar. Aside from that, there was nothing else. Pushing through the chill that seeped from every corner, I stepped inside, feeling a strange emptiness wash over me. Was this really the Shrine Maiden’s Valley?
“We should start searching. There might be some secret mechanism hidden somewhere…” Cha Sorim broke the heavy silence but trailed off before finishing her sentence.
I stared blankly around before moving forward. I had already scanned the area several times, but there was no suspicious presence. Not even a door was visible. This meant we were standing at the very heart of the Shrine Maiden’s Valley. Still, I had expected to find something—anything—but my assumptions were completely off. Now, all that remained was that altar. If we couldn’t find any clues there, as Cha Sorim said, we’d have to search for secret devices.
As I approached, I realized it wasn’t just an altar. Something coffin-shaped was resting atop it.
“Hyung, maybe we should be careful? What if we open it and something suddenly jumps out…”
Jin Suhyun’s voice stirred a brief moment of hesitation, but—
“It’s fine. Open it.”
With Hwajeong’s assurance, I grabbed one edge without hesitation. The ice felt hard and fused together from years of freezing, but as I applied force, a grinding sound echoed as the lid slowly lifted. Yet, once again, the outcome was the same. Despite prying open the coffin, it was empty. The cold air trapped inside hissed out in white mist, but there was nothing else.
“…”
A strange silence enveloped us. My companions looked like they wanted to say something but seemed hesitant, as if waiting for my lead. A creeping sense of despair began to settle in. I didn’t recall any rumors about secret passages here. I had hoped for some clue. What were we supposed to do now?
Could it be…
I was wrong?
“Praying for the world’s salvation and peace.”
At that moment, a cold voice came from ahead, and I instinctively looked up. The source was the inside of the ice lid I had just lifted. It gazed at me, then slowly traced the misty surface.
“There’s a lengthy inscription on the inside.”
“A lengthy inscription?”
“Yes. Some parts are damaged, but it’s mostly readable.”
“What…?”
I reached out reflexively and felt it—something sharp etched into the ice, tapping lightly under my fingertips.
“Shall I continue reading?”
“Y-yes, please.”
Nodding absentmindedly, I watched as the voice resumed quietly.
“The flower that bloomed in the Shrine Maiden’s Valley has withered and fallen.
Those who have come seeking the flower,
How is the world now?
Is it at peace?
That’s a relief.
Then, do you remember me?
If not, what brings you to this remote place?
Go back.
Honestly, I didn’t want to leave this behind.
But if, after many years,
The sky darkens once more,
Climb to the highest place and look out over the sea.
If it’s daytime, and the light has not yet faded.
If it’s night, and the dark shadows can be cast aside.
The place where good has vanished and evil lies dormant
Will appear before your eyes.
I will be waiting there,
So do not try to accomplish anything.
Simply awakening me will be enough.
Then,
I hope it’s not too late.”
The voice fell silent, as if finished. Some parts felt a bit disjointed—likely due to damage.
I didn’t fully grasp the meaning, but I sensed it wasn’t over yet. Some kind of possibility had opened. Standing still, I gently closed the coffin lid.
“Clan Lord?”
A voice called out, but I turned and hurried back the way we came. No—I ran.
“Dragon form.”
Breaking through the icy tunnel, I spread my wings. Cutting through the crimson sky, I scanned the surroundings but saw nothing suspicious. Outside the mountain ridge surrounding the snowy peak was only a calm sea, its surface rippling gently.
Still, I shook my head hard. Earlier, I’d felt a moment of weakness, but not anymore. Though nothing was visible, reading the inscription on the coffin had rekindled my certainty. Yes. I was beginning to understand. My first memory was wrong. Not wrong exactly, but the premise itself was flawed. The snowy mountain we had just entered was not the Shrine Maiden’s Valley. We hadn’t found it yet.
I couldn’t help but admire that woman called the White Night Dancer. Whatever her abilities, she had foreseen the distant future and left a contingency plan. Though it was only a record, it was enough for me now. At least it proved I hadn’t misread the situation.
“…”
Now, the key was how to interpret it. Let’s go over the important parts one by one.
“If the sky darkens once more, climb to the highest place and look out over the sea.”
The highest place. Around here, there was only one spot that fit that description. I spread my wings and flew straight to the summit of the snowy mountain. That must be where I was meant to look out over the sea.
“The place where good has vanished and evil lies dormant…”
That place must be the true Shrine Maiden’s Valley. I looked down. The sea shimmered with a red twilight glow, eerily calm. The water was so clear and pure that the mountain’s reflection was perfectly mirrored on the surface. But that was all. No matter how much I focused, nothing unusual caught my eye.
“I will be waiting there, so do not try to accomplish anything. Simply awakening me will be enough.”
Could that mean the woman was still alive? No, I’d set that thought aside for now. I’d know when I got there. Finding the Shrine Maiden’s Valley was the priority.
“Then, I hope it’s not too late.”
…Was that the end?
Swallowing the rising anxiety, I slowly mulled it over. Climb to the highest place and look out over the sea… the highest place… the highest place…
“If it’s daytime, and the light has not yet faded.”
The sea rippling with red hues.
“If it’s night, and the dark shadows can be cast aside.”
The clear surface reflecting the snowy mountain as if copied and pasted.
“…Will appear before your eyes.”
Then, suddenly—
“…!”
As I gazed at the mountain’s reflection in the sea, an involuntary, burning groan escaped me. A sudden, intense shock rattled my mind.
I looked around once more, then back at the sea. I was certain now. We were on the snowy mountain, but the lower part of the mountain was definitely surrounded by ridges. If that sea reflected the mountain, why couldn’t I see the ridges?
Only now did it dawn on me.
Yes. As Hwajeong said, it wasn’t complicated. The record was meant to be taken at face value.
Hwajeong urged me on. There was no reason to hesitate any longer.
With that, I leapt into the air with all my might. My wildly pounding heart was filled with tension—or perhaps the excitement of finally unraveling the Shrine Maiden’s Valley’s secret, which had eluded me even in my first memory. As the sea drew closer, the snowy mountain reflected beneath the surface grew clearer.
I plunged straight into the water.
—Splash!
A heavy sound echoed through the dark space, as if something had fallen into deep water.
The sound was indistinct, like a noisy, forced transmission. But it didn’t seem to matter. The young man cloaked in darkness watched the floating image with keen interest.
As the ripples slowly subsided—
“Ah, damn.”
He groaned, clutching the two horns sprouting from his crown.
“I thought I was safe, but I really got caught.”
The young man—no, Lucifer—wore a strange expression. His face showed deep frustration, but—
“Wow. What a mess. Shouldn’t have blamed Beelzebub or Asmodeus.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement as he muttered to himself, as if enjoying the situation.
“Oh, wait. This isn’t the time.”
Moments later, Lucifer stood up and hurried past the image toward a certain place. There, countless chains dangled in midair, binding a demon woman. He stopped and stared silently at her sorrowful face.
“Sorry, Proserpina.”
Proserpina. One of the Fourteen Lords, a high-ranking demon known as the “Queen of the Underworld.” She was also the wife of Pluto, whom Kim Suhyun had killed. Just knowing she was a demon, not a mere fiend, gave a sense of her status.
In other words, the woman suspended in those tangled chains was one of the Fourteen Lords.
“I wanted to grant your wish if I could. But now that things have come to this… I have no choice, do I?”
Suddenly, Lucifer’s voice faltered, and his body stiffened. But just as quickly, he regained his composure, slowly raising his right hand. He glanced at Proserpina, who remained silent, and gave a faint, knowing smile.
“Still, I promise you this. Even though I’m offering you up as a sacrifice, your wish will come true. No matter what… absolutely no matter what.”
With those words, Lucifer pressed the tips of his thumb and middle finger together, then hesitated for a moment. Even for him, was it too precious to simply use one of the fourteen demon lords as a mere offering? But as he briefly looked away, he caught sight of ripples spreading across the once-still surface of the vision. His lips curled into a grimace.
“Now then, Kim Suhyun…”
His teeth clenched tightly, a low, growling voice rumbled out like a beast’s.
“Let’s see how you handle the stage I’ve set for this mad god… Show me you can conquer it in style this time!”
Snap!
The moment Lucifer finished speaking, a sharp snap echoed powerfully through the space.
And then—
Clink, clink!
Clink, clink!
Suddenly, the chains that had bound Proserpina so tightly began to unravel all at once, loosening at a terrifying speed.
“Hahaha! Ahahaha!”
Clang, clang!
Lucifer’s laughter rang out, mingling with the metallic clatter of the chains.
And in that instant—
Woooooooaaaaaahhhhhhh—
A deep, resonant wail, as if rising from the very depths of the abyss, echoed long and haunting across the twilight sea.