Parallel Memory

Chapter 706: The Path Out of Ruin

Stone screamed overhead.

A final thunderous groan rippled through the collapsing palace as Mia, Amelia, and Lilith staggered toward the distant light of an exit—each step a war against Zero's unstable mana, the crumbling ground, and their own injuries.

Dust fell like rain.

Walls split open.

The corridors that once belonged to the Devil King's palace were now nothing more than a dying labyrinth.

Amelia's breathing was shallow—thin, trembling, almost hollow. She was pale, her legs shaking from exhaustion, and the moment they crossed a particularly unstable stretch of broken marble, she collapsed to one knee.

Mia caught her instantly, still holding Zero with the other arm.

"Amelia! Stay with us!"

"I—I'm fine," Amelia whispered, though she clearly wasn't. Her hands were trembling violently. "I just… need a moment—"

Zero convulsed again, a violent pulse of dark energy surging outward from his chest.

Lilith winced as her wings wrapped around him in a protective arc, suppressing the backlash.

"No time," she hissed. "If he releases another wave at full force, this whole hallway will bury us alive."

Mia clenched her jaw, helping Amelia stand again, though her own arms were raw from burns where Zero's mana ate through her frost armor.

Their trio resumed the slow, desperate march.

Every few seconds, Zero's power surged—shadow and ice clashing inside his veins, burning through his skin with a flickering, unstable light. And every time, Mia reinforced a protective frost over him—thin, fragile layers that cracked instantly but bought them fragments of seconds.

It was all she could manage.

Amelia, who would normally heal herself or bolster the group, could barely walk. Her mana circuits were strained far beyond their limits after the large-scale support skill she had activated earlier. She pressed her palm against the wall for balance, teeth clenched in pain.

"I'm… sorry. I can't heal him. I can't even heal myself…"

Mia's voice softened slightly.

"It's okay. You kept an entire army alive today. Let us handle this."

The corridor finally opened into a wider hall—half roofless, sunlight from the devil realm's crimson sky bleeding into the ruins. Fresh air hit them like a blessing.

Lilith exhaled shakily and adjusted Zero's weight in her arms, guiding them toward a section of the palace where the walls had crumbled completely, forming a makeshift exit.

"We're almost there," she murmured. "Just a little more."

As they crossed the broken archway, the air shifted—still heavy with dust, but free of the crushing pressure inside the palace.

For the first time since the collapse began, they could breathe.

Zero's body burned hotter, however—his shadow spreading like liquid ink across the ground, then snapping back into him violently.

Lilith gritted her teeth.

"He's fighting himself. If he doesn't stabilize soon—"

Mia cut her off sharply.

"Don't say it."

A moment of tense silence settled, broken only by Zero's ragged breaths and Amelia's strained wheezing.

But as they continued walking through the shattered courtyard, Lilith spoke again—her voice quieter, calmer this time.

"You said… you didn't know who I was before," she began slowly, her eyes fixed forward.

Mia narrowed her gaze.

"Right now doesn't feel like the time for introductions."

Lilith ignored the jab.

"My name is Lilith—daughter of the last Devil King. I am the rightful heir to this palace, to this domain… and to a legacy that was broken long before you humans ever entered our realm."

Amelia looked up, surprised despite her exhaustion.

Lilith continued, gaze unfocused as if reliving memories.

"My father… he didn't want war."

Her voice trembled—anger and sorrow twined together.

"He believed the devils had lived in isolation long enough. He wanted peace. Trade. Cooperation. A future where humans and devils could coexist."

Mia tightened her grip around Zero.

"That sounds unbelievable. Devils haven't shown that kind of diplomacy in centuries."

Lilith responded without hesitation.

"Because those who wished for peace were slaughtered first."

Silence fell over them again—heavy, suffocating.

She swallowed, wings folding tighter around Zero as if shielding him from her own story.

"Aamon didn't oppose my father openly—not at first. But the moment he spoke of treaty lines—of removing the portals, of ending raids—half the royal court revolted. They called it betrayal. Weakness. A risk to our sovereignty."

Lilith's eyes darkened.

"Aamon led that rebellion. He and his followers executed my father's supporters. My father died protecting me."

Amelia gasped softly.

Mia slowed her steps, taken aback before her expression hardened again.

"And Aamon crowned himself Devil King afterward."

Lilith nodded.

"And he tore open the arena portals you humans used. He strengthened the barrier. He built armies for war, not unity."

She looked down at Zero—her expression softening with something that made both girls briefly look away.

"When I met him… Zero didn't treat me like a devil. He didn't even treat me like royalty. He just… saw me."

Mia's heart lurched painfully.

Amelia clenched her hands quietly.

Lilith continued, unaware of the storm she caused in their chests.

"For the first time since my father's death… someone believed in me without questioning my bloodline."

The courtyard ended ahead—leading toward the outer gate where the sky opened wide.

They were almost free.

Almost safe.

But Lilith suddenly stopped.

Mia halted beside her.

"What are you doing? We need to get him farther away before he—"

"I can't go with you."

The words hit harder than any collapsing wall.

Amelia blinked.

"…What?"

Lilith gently lowered Zero into Mia's waiting arms—though the moment she let go, his mana surged again, forcing Mia to strengthen her frost barrier.

Lilith rose slowly, wings spreading behind her—dark, regal, unmistakably royal.

"This is my home. My father's legacy. My people's burden."

Her voice was steady but filled with emotion.

"I am the last surviving heir. This palace… this kingdom… these ruins… whether I want them or not, they belong to me."

Amelia stepped forward, reaching out as if to pull her along.

"You can't stay here alone! The rebels—"

Lilith smiled sadly.

"The rebels follow corpses. They follow power.

Aamon is gone.

His commanders are gone.

And his armies are scattered."

She lifted her chin with a strength that surprised even Mia.

"If someone does not take up the throne now, thousands of frightened devils will fall into chaos. More rebellions will rise. More blood will be spilled."

She looked down at Zero one last time.

"And I refuse to let his fight… become meaningless."

Mia's grip tightened around Zero's unconscious body, her heart heavy despite the pragmatism she always held.

"So you're just… giving him up?"

Lilith shook her head gently.

"I'm entrusting him to you."

That hit harder than a sword.

Amelia's throat tightened.

"You're not coming with us at all?"

Lilith stepped backward toward the ruins.

"I can't. But…"

Her eyes softened—filled with longing she couldn't hide.

"When he wakes… tell him I will come find him.

Tell him…

I'm proud of him."

A gust of wind swept across the courtyard.

Dust swirled.

The ruins crackled.

The crimson sky cast Lilith's silhouette in a haunting glow.

Mia stared at her—frustration, respect, and jealousy clashing inside her like warring storms.

"…Fine," Mia said quietly. "But don't die here. Zero would hate that."

Lilith smiled faintly.

"I won't."

Amelia wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeve.

"Take care, Lilith."

The devil princess turned, spreading her wings. Her voice drifted back to them—soft but unbreakable.

"And you take care of him."

Then she stepped through the fallen archway, back into the ruins of her shattered kingdom.

Mia adjusted her hold around the unconscious Zero and exhaled shakily.

"Come on. Let's get him back to the others."

Amelia nodded, leaning on Mia's shoulder as they began the long walk toward the battlefield—carrying the only boy who had ever made all three of them feel alive, frightened, and hopeful all at once.

Behind them, the ruins crackled under Lilith's footsteps as she disappeared into the heart of the broken palace.