The stone door hissed as it opened, revealing a hallway cloaked by the shadows with a soft light. The walls felt alive. Hell, the whole place felt like it was breathing. Kaito stood at the edge, his fingers twitching at his sides.
"This feels wrong already," he said.
Lyria stepped beside him, sword drawn. "Then we're in the right place."
Seren adjusted her staff and narrowed her eyes at the passage ahead. "This isn't natural. It's not even built. It's... grown."
Kaito blinked. "You mean like a living building?"
He hoped she had said no.
"No," she said. "Worse. Like it had a purpose before it became a dungeon."
"If course, it gets worse."
His Error System flared to life but only a single line appeared.
[Labyrinth Protocol Engaged. Memory Sync: In Progress.]
"Memory sync?" he said aloud. "What is it syncing with...?"
The floor moved below them. Just slightly, like the place had heard him. Then the lights dimmed.
"I don't like this," he whispered.
"You never do," Lyria said.
They walked deeper.
The air was thicker the deeper the went. Their footsteps echoed, but it did not feel right, each step bounced back with a delay. Kaito stopped and listened.
Step.
Step.
Then a third step.
But none of them had moved.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
"I did," Seren said.
They picked up the pace.
The hallway split. Two paths. One with light. The other was dark.
"Let's take the glowing one," Kaito offered.
"It's always a trap," Lyria replied, walking toward the dark one.
Kaito sighed and followed.
The tunnel narrowed. A low hum rose, crawling into their bones. Seren stopped and raised her hand.
"This spot. It's... it's reacting to him."
Kaito felt it, too. Buzzing under his skin. His Error System blipped again.
[Memory Flash Imminent. Warning: Non User Data Detected.]
"What the hell does that mean...?"
Suddenly, the tunnel disappeared around him.
Everywhere turned white.
There he was.....
He stood in the white void.
Alone.
But not alone.
In front of him was... Well himself. Older now. Taller. Eyes glowing. Covered in a dark robe, glowing.
"You're not ready," the other Kaito said. His voice shook the ground.
"Who are you?" Kaito asked, heart pounding.
"I'm who you were. Who you could be. But not if you keep playing human."
Kaito opened his mouth to answer—
Then.
He fell backward into his body. Gasping.
Seren was shaking him. "What did you see?"
"I don't know. Me. But... not me."
Lyria looked around, sword ready. "We need to move. This place is getting into our heads."
As if to answer her, the tunnel moved again. Walls shifted. A new path opened. Light came from it.
"Great," Kaito muttered. "The dungeon has opinions now."
"Then we better make sure it doesn't regret letting us in," Lyria said.
They stepped through the glowing passage.
And walked straight into a shrine.
Another f**king Shrine.**
Blue fire was lit in glass bowls, symbols spun slowly in the air. The room felt... sad. Like it had been waiting a long time for someone to come back.
Kaito reached out toward one of the floating flames.
Seren grabbed his wrist. "Don't. This room feels pain."
"How do you know?"
"Because I can feel it."
Lyria walked to the center of the room, where a mural was carved into the floor.
A being, maybe a god. Falling.
Kaito stared at it.
His Error System buzzed again.
[Warning: Memory Threshold Approaching. Emotional Instability Detected.]
He didn't know what any of this meant.
But something inside him was waking up.
Something old.
Something angry.
And the deeper they went, the more it wanted to break free.
---
The hallway past the shrine had a spiral staircase. It went down. Way down. No end in sight.
"This probably is a bad idea."
It definitely was.**
Halfway down, the lights cut out.
"Stay close," Lyria ordered.
But it was already too late.
The floor beneath them split.
Kaito hit the ground hard.
When he sat up, he was alone.
He called for Lyria. Then Seren. Nothing. Just the strange glow of the hallway, and the constant low ache in his head.
An Interface blinked. But it wasn't his error system, it came from the dungeon.
[ISOLATED USER DETECTED. INITIALIZING TRIAL OF SELF.]
The light in front of him bent, twisting until a door formed. Kaito, not seeing any better option, stepped through it.
It was.... Something.
The room inside was dim. Warm.
A bed sat in the center. Rose colored sheets. Candles lined the edges. Steam rose from a nearby tub.
"What the—?"
"This is kinda romantic." He smiled to himself.
Then the door behind him slammed shut.
"Of course, it's never just a beautiful girl in a romantic settings."
But he spoke too soon.
From the mist, a shape stepped forward.
Lyria. Dressed in barely anything. Or... a dream version of her?
"Maybe I spoke too soon." He whispered, still confused but also happy with the view.
She walked toward him with that hungry look in her eye, the one she only wore when her sword was down and her hands were free to do other things.
Hope you get the idea?**
"You've been holding back," she said softly. "Even when you want me."
Kaito backed up, his heart racing.
"This isn't real."
"Doesn't mean you don't want it."
Her hands slid across his chest. He felt every inch. Gods, it felt real.
She pushed him onto the bed, lips stretching over his ear.
"You're mine," she whispered. "Say it."
"I—"
His stuttered as she bit his neck, slow and teasing. Her hand moved lower.
The door suddenly banged open.
"Get off him, dungeon... Thingy," the real Lyria snapped, sword in hand.
The fake Lyria snarled, then burst into smoke.
Kaito gasped. "Okay. I don't like this dungeon anymore."
Lyria grabbed his arm and yanked him up. "It's feeding off you. Your thoughts. Your fears. Your wants."
He flushed. "I didn't mean to think that hard."
She rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I got the real you."
They hurried back through the halls. But the walls shifted again.
A new doorway opened in front of them.
From it, Seren stepped out distorted, breathing hard, cheeks flushed.
"I just wrestled my own sex guilt demon made....," she said. "Let's just not talk about it."
Kaito blinked. "Wait, what?"
Seren pointed at him. "Not a word."
Lyria smirked. "Told you this place played dirty."
And somewhere deeper in the labyrinth, something definitely laughed.
----
They didn't know how long they had walked, only that the air grew warmer, denser. And the Error System wouldn't stop buzzing.
[System Overclocked. User Limit Approaching.] [Warning: Divine Core Near.]
They stepped into a massive chamber. The ceiling was lost in shadows (It was that big). At the center was a crystal heart, floating in the air, glowing with red light.
"What is that?" Kaito began.
"A dungeon core," Seren said. "But... old. Really old. Possibly divine."
Lyria stepped forward. "Then we destroy it."
The core roared and something dropped from the ceiling.
A giant construct. All bone and black steel. With a face carved like a god's ass.
Use your imaginations.**
[FINAL TRIAL INITIATED.]
The golem charged.
Lyria leapt in, blades flashing. Seren unleashed a wave of ice magic. Kaito grew with light, his system reacting faster than ever.
He dashed forward, landing a strike that cracked the core's armor.
But the golem caught him mid air and tossed him into the wall.
"KAITO!"
His Error System lit up now.
[Memory Lock Shattered. Awakening Protocol: Phase 1.]
Kaito's eyes glowed.
He stood up. Body burning with power. The air bent around him.
He walked forward and the golem backed away.
"Mine," he said softly.
Then everything exploded in light.
Smoke covered everywhere...
They others had no idea what just happened. Not at all. They just stood there surrounded by smoke, shocked, or maybe surprised, couldn't really tell.
When the smoke cleared, the golem was gone. The core cracked and fading.
Kaito collapsed.
Lyria caught him.
"You idiot," she whispered. "You scared me."
Surprisingly this is the first time she had said that.
He smiled weakly. "Worth it."
Seren stared at the fading core. "This dungeon was a key. And now I think it's open."
The Error System blinked.
[New Fragment Detected: Authority.] [Divine Traces Rising.]