Beyond the Eternity

Luxuzia stormed into the room, and began to scan every corner with her bloodshot eyes. She wasn't searching for something, she was hunting someone.

Her prey.

The twelve-year-old girl who had become the embodiment of her suffering.

The source of her pain, humiliation and misfortune.

Her hatred and resentment had festered into something monstrous, and they demanded satisfaction.

What she would do to the girl once she captured her needed no explanation. But a swift death? No, that would be far too merciful.

Even if she killed her a hundred times over, it wouldn't quench the inferno of rage consuming her heart.

Glancing around, she saw nothing but cold, metal walls and dim, flickering lights. The room felt suffocatingly tight, and the air was heavy with an almost metallic smell, like rust and dust clung to every surface. In one corner stood an old, creaking heater, its iron frame worn and chipped with years of use. Sounding of the heater almost drowned out by the pounding of Luxuzia's furious, chaotic heart.

It was a small, utilitarian room, bare except for the heater, which gave off only a faint warmth, struggling against the chill that permeated the space. There was a sense of abandonment in the air like the room had not been visited in ages.

This was the Heater Room.

What was the purpose of such a room in the House?

Of course, the room was used to house the heart of the building's heating system. It was where warmth for the entire structure originated, generated by the aged, humming machine in the corner.

Luxuzia's breathing was clouded by the frigid air.

The small, suffocating room was never meant to be occupied for long; it was a space purely functional, devoid of comfort or human touch.

Pipes snaked along the walls, covered in layers of grime and rust. Occasionally, a faint clanging echoed through them, the sound of water or steam forced through the ancient system. The faint glow of the heater cast long, eerie shadows on the walls, distorting the room's features and lending an unsettling atmosphere.

Luxuzia's bloodshot eyes swept the room again. Her prey couldn't have escaped. This room had no windows and only one door which she'd entered through.

The girl had to be here.

Luxuzia began moving inside and searching every corner thoroughly for the escaped rabbit.

Creak—!

Then the heater groaned suddenly, and a sharp metallic screech that made Luxuzia's heart jolt.

She froze for a moment, and snapped her head toward the source.

Was it just the machinery… or something else?

A faint sound.

A shuffle, barely audible, came from the far side of the room, where the shadows deepened into near-blackness.

Luxuzia's lips twisted into a vicious snarl.

There!

She leaped towards that spot where the sound came from, ready to pounce on the little girl.

But—

She grasped at nothing. Her hands sliced through empty space, meeting only cold air.

Nobody was there.

At that moment, Luxuria frowned and wondered if the girl wasn't hiding there, then where could she possibly be?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she took a step back—

"...?!"

A slick, unfamiliar sensation spread beneath her boot. Luxuzia glanced down, and her eyes narrowed as she spotted a colored liquid pooling beneath her feet.

Its thickness was different from water. It was oily, viscous, and unsettling. The pungent smell rising from it was sharp and unpleasant which made her hold her nose in discomfort.

Wh-What is this? Luxuzia thought in confusion

Her gaze followed the trail of the liquid, and her eyes landed on the source, which was a broken pipe on the far wall.

No, closer inspection revealed it wasn't just broken.

It had been pierced.

An arrow had punctured the pipe, and liquid gushed rapidly from the wound.

The substance had been leaking unnoticed for quite some time, spreading across the floor and saturating the air with a suffocating, greasy smell that clung to her nostrils.

Wait... Isn't this...?

A chilling realisation slowly crept up Luxuzia's mind.

A substance thicker than water, and reeked with a greasy, acrid scent—

Oil!

The liquid flooding the entire room was oil.

Her blood ran cold as the horrifying implications hit her.

If someone were to strike a match or light a cigarette here… the room would ignite in an instant, erupting into a hellish inferno with her in the middle!

Luxuzia felt as though she'd been slapped by a cold hand.

Panic surged through her veins, but it was quickly swallowed by dread.

She wanted to curse aloud, but no sound escaped her lips. Instead, she cursed inwardly, spinning on her heels and bolting for the exit.

But the sight that greeted her at the doorway stopped her dead in her tracks.

Her eyes widened.

Outside the door to the Heater Room, a black silhouette stood there and looked at her with cold eyes.

It was a human.

A girl who looked no older than twelve. No taller than 145 cm.

Miyuki Kuroi.

She truly stood there.

There was shock in seeing the girl that was supposed to be inside the room.

But that wasn't what made Luxuzia's breath catch in her throat.

It was what the girl held in her hand.

A flame.

Small, flickering, and bright as a candle, it hovered just above Miyuki's palm.

Magic.

Luxuzia's heart thundered. This girl… was a flame magic user.

When? How? Your adventure continues at empire

Questions assaulted her mind in a whirlwind. Had this child always possessed magic? Or had she recently acquired it?

No, that couldn't be right. Magic wasn't something one could master in a matter of days. Yet, at no point during their encounters had Miyuki shown any sign of using the power of Mysteries! She had played her petty tricks, but nothing more. There had been no hint of her ability to wield magic whatsoever. If she had this power all along, then why hadn't she used it?

Luxuzia's seething anger and deep-rooted resentment were consumed by something else: confusion.

Her heart and mind were simultaneously consumed by the greater mystery standing before her, yet she couldn't solve it!

She stared at Miyuki, who returned the gaze with chilling indifference.

No anger. No hatred.

No fear.

Just cold, unshakable apathy.

Then, without a word, Miyuki snapped her fingers.

It all happened in an instant.

The small flame leaped from her hand and tumbled lazily toward the ground.

Toward the oil-soaked floor of the heater room.

Time seemed to freeze as the spark hit the ground.

And the world ignited.

Still trapped inside, Luxuria was instantly engulfed by the inferno that erupted from all directions.

Her body was burned, scorched, boiled, and cooked beyond recognition, consumed by the flames that had been ignited by the very opponent she had so carelessly underestimated.

Her body was burned all over and she opened her mouth, but she could not scream.

In the end, she was swallowed whole by the merciless flames, and lost her voice forever in the sea of purgatory.

†

†

Miyuki opened the door to the heater room, and swept her gaze over the scorched emptiness within.

She had sealed the door immediately after setting the room ablaze, ensuring she wouldn't be caught in the inferno of her own making. And now, as she peered inside, it seemed everything had unfolded exactly as she had intended.

Nothing was left untouched.

The flames had ravaged everything, burning indiscriminately, especially the enemy who had no chance to escape.

Miyuki paused with an unreasonable expression.

"That woman... not very smart after all, huh?"

She tilted her head, unsure whether to laugh or feel pity.

When she devised the plan with the shadow, she hadn't anticipated everything going so smoothly. Perhaps it was the deep-rooted resentment Luxuria harbored. After all, she had stolen her voice with a <Hex> and subjected her to countless failed healing cards.

Surely, anyone would lost their sanity in such a scenario.

Of course, this outcome was only possible because Luxuria had let down her guard and allowed the Purple Arrow to strike her in the first place.

Had that not happened, the battle would have unfolded quite differently.

Miyuki turned and said. "I think she's dead. You can come out now."

In response, the darkness surrounding them condensed and took shape, forming a small human figure.

The little shadow.

It was a name Miyuki had given her.

Her true name was Viola.

Viola's white, glowing eyes peered into the room, scanning the destruction. She nodded in acknowledgment.

Without a doubt, it was complete annihilation.

The enemy was defeated.

[Good. You should be able to leave this artificial space and meet with your companions.]

"Well, I suppose you're right. But what are you going to do now?" Miyuki asked.

[I don't... know...]

"So you can't come with me?"

[...Don't think I can...]

Miyuki frowned.

She already knew that the being before her, her friend, was not human.

In truth, Viola had long passed away. What Miyuki saw now was the remnants of her Soul Form.

Her physical body (容器) had been destroyed long ago, leaving her trapped in this spiritual form.

Viola was, by all accounts, a Lost Soul.

Having died and been reborn in this house as a ghost, she could not leave. Perhaps it was the weight of some lingering regret from her past life that kept her from passing on to the afterlife.

Miyuki became more depressed than the actual victim.

"I see. So there's no other way?"

Viola shook her head. [No. This is fine.]

"Are you sure you're not lying?"

[Ah, aren't you a silly fellow? Why would I lie?] Viola looked around the room and added, [This is my family's house. As long as I stay here, I won't be alone.]

"But won't you be lonely? I can't imagine staying in such a big house by myself."

[Maybe. Maybe not.]

"Hey, why aren't you answering directly?"

[Hehehe!]

For some reason, Viola started giggling, and Miyuki couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

Truly, Viola was like a child, younger than herself. Miyuki could only wonder why she had to experience such misfortune.

But then, something felt off. Miyuki's gaze sharpened, and she noticed it.

"Huh? Why haven't I received a message?"

[Eh? What are you talking about?]

Miyuki pointed at the empty space in front of her, as though expecting something to be there.

"I started a message to defeat the enemy a while ago."

[A message? Is that something only you can see?]

"Yes."

[Ah, isn't that interesting?]

"No, listen. The enemy I was supposed to defeat was that woman. But she's dead, isn't she? I'm supposed to receive the reward messages."

[....]

Viola froze up.

Even though she did not fully understand, she instinctively knew that something was wrong somewhere.

After the Seven Flames began to perish one by one, she could feel herself getting stronger and her influence over the house also grew.

When all of them were gone, she would regain full control.

But there was a problem. Her influence wasn't complete. One of the Sisters was still alive.

"Ku ku!"

A sudden sound echoed.

Both Viola and Miyuki froze. Then, in unison, they hesitantly turned their heads toward the source of the noise.

In the burned remains of the room, a strange, guttural "Ku" echoed again, growing louder as something began to stir. The ashes shifted violently as a form began to rise from the charred remains of the Lustful Flame's corpse. It was as though a monster was reborn from the very ashes, dragging itself from the remains of its former vessel.

Two massive hands emerged first, gripping the edges of the scorched floor. Then another, and another.

Six long and twisted hands now clutched the edges, as the disgusting entity slowly pulled itself out of the wreckage that had once been the <Heater Room>.

The creature's form was shifting, amorphous and ever-changing. It didn't look anything like the woman known as Luxuria.

Instead, the creature had become something far worse.

A deep, guttural laugh echoed through the room as it crawled toward them.

A chilling sensation crept up Miyuki's and Viola's spines. Both of them felt immense fear, despite one of them already being dead.

Viola's voice trembled. [No... how could this be? She shouldn't be able to come back! What is that form... I've never seen such a disgusting creature...! Was she always like this...?!]

And then, the creature attacked.

It lunged forward, opening its three gaping, monstrous maws filled with countless rows of sharp teeth.

It was fast.

Even if they ran, they wouldn't escape. Both Miyuki hurriedly summoned her Flame Magic while Viola revoked some of her own power, preparing for the inevitable confrontation.

However—

"!!"

With a sound like breaking glass, the ceiling above shattered. A brilliant light poured through the jagged opening, slamming into the monstrous creature that had once been Luxuria.

The light cut through the air like a laser and delivered divine retribution. The creature screeched as it was struck and writhed in agony.

A few moments later, the horrifying monstrosity swayed and finally stopped moving.

Just like that, the monster was dead.

They could not understand what just happened. Someone dropped from the opening above and landed on the dead monstrosity with a sword covered in a white aura.

The sword that had delivered the killing blow radiated with ghostly energy.

"Hmm. I thought if I sliced up the «Errors», I would be able to break out of that dimension. But I didn't expect to end up in this one."

Says the unknown hunter, dressed in all black.

As the figure stepped closer, Miyuki's fears and worries disappeared in an instant, as if they had never existed at all.

Only one person could have killed such a creature with a single strike.

Miyuki exclaimed excitedly,

"Su Jinyoung-nim!"