The Lazy Chronicles: Apartment of the Apocalypse-Chapter 113 - 114 – The Echoes of Battle

The chamber still crackled with fading magic. The sigils sealing the ancient horror pulsed softly, like embers in a dying fire. The battle was over—for now.

Mallory forced herself upright, rolling her sore shoulders. Every part of her body ached, and she could still feel the lingering pressure of that thing’s presence, like an invisible weight pressing on her skull.

Quinn rubbed his temples. "That was... significantly worse than I expected."

Greg was still lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. "I need a vacation. A long one. Preferably somewhere without screaming horrors from beyond time."

Alex sat cross-legged, inspecting his blade. "We were lucky. If Blinky hadn’t..." He trailed off, glancing at the little slime, which was happily wiggling in Mallory’s lap.

Elara, ever composed, studied the sealed prison. "The runes are stable, but they won’t last forever. If that thing starts to break free again, we might not be able to stop it next time."

Mallory exhaled slowly. "Then we find out what it was and how to destroy it permanently."

Greg groaned. "Do we have to?"

Quinn smirked. "You can always stay behind. I’m sure the cultists will take good care of you."

Greg shot up immediately. "Nope. I’m coming. Don’t trust underground mushroom people."

At the mention of the cultists, they all turned toward the passage they’d come through.

And froze.

Because standing in the entrance—silent, unmoving—was the entire group of robed figures. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

The Keepers’ Judgment

The cultists hadn’t interfered during the battle. They had simply watched.

Now, their leader—his skeletal mask catching the dim glow of the sealing runes—stepped forward.

"You have done what we could not," the leader intoned. His voice echoed in the cavern, reverent and solemn. "The Devourer has chosen you."

Greg whispered, "I really don’t like where this is going."

Mallory crossed her arms. "We didn’t do this for you. We did it to stop that thing from getting loose."

The leader tilted his head slightly. "And yet, it was your companion that sealed it." His gaze shifted to Blinky.

Blinky burbled happily.

A wave of murmurs spread through the cultists. Some of them knelt.

Greg’s eye twitched. "Oh, come on."

The leader gestured toward Blinky. "The Great Devourer has chosen its vessels. You must follow the path laid before you."

Mallory sighed. "And that path is...?"

"The Oracle of Rust."

Quinn exhaled. "Of course it is."

Elara nodded. "We were going there anyway."

The cult leader continued. "The Oracle will reveal what comes next. You are bound to this fate now."

Greg looked deeply unenthused. "I feel like I should have had a say in that."

Mallory ignored him. "How do we find the Oracle?"

The cultists parted, revealing a stone doorway that hadn’t been there before.

Beyond it, a dark passage stretched forward, its walls pulsing faintly, as if alive.

"The path awaits," the leader said. "May the Devourer guide you."

Blinky gurgled in agreement.

Greg buried his face in his hands. "This is my nightmare."

Through the Veil

They stepped into the passage, the air growing colder with each step.

The walls weren’t just pulsing—they were whispering.

Greg flinched. "Are we just going to ignore the walls talking?"

Quinn ran a hand over the stone. "Not talking. Echoing."

Mallory frowned. "Echoing what?"

Elara closed her eyes, concentrating.

Then she whispered, "The past."

The whispers grew louder, words blurring together, snippets of lost conversations bleeding into one another.

"...the gate must not be opened..."

"...we were wrong... it is not a god..."

"...seal it before the price is paid..."

"...the hero’s price..."

Mallory tensed. "The Price of a Hero."

Alex nodded grimly. "We’re on the right path."

Greg groaned. "I hate that that’s never a good thing."

The tunnel finally ended at a rusted metal door, covered in ancient engravings.

Quinn studied the markings. "This is it. The Oracle is behind this door."

Mallory hesitated, then placed a hand against the cold metal.

The moment she did—

The door swung open.

And they stepped into the Oracle’s chamber.

The Oracle of Rust

The chamber was massive, its ceiling lost to darkness. Rusted machinery jutted from the walls—gears half-buried in debris, ancient pipes hissing faintly.

At the center of it all, seated on a throne of corroded iron, was the Oracle.

They were not what Mallory expected.

Not some old sage. Not some ethereal being.

But a machine.

A humanoid figure of rusted metal and wires, eyes glowing a deep, flickering orange.

The Oracle tilted its head as they approached, gears grinding softly.

"...Travelers..." Its voice was old, cracked, filled with static. "...you come seeking knowledge..."

Greg leaned toward Mallory. "I think we found the world’s oldest toaster."

The Oracle’s gaze snapped toward him. "Correction. I am the record of history’s failures."

Greg gulped. "Right. Carry on."

Mallory stepped forward. "We need to know about the Forgotten Gate."

The Oracle was silent for a long moment.

Then it spoke.

"...The Forgotten Gate was never meant to be found."

The rusted gears around them shifted, as if reacting to the Oracle’s words.

Elara narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

The Oracle’s head twitched.

"...Because it is not a door for you. It is a door for them."

A chill ran through Mallory. "Who?"

The Oracle’s flickering eyes met hers.

"The ones who tried to break the world."

Greg put his hands on his head. "WHY IS IT ALWAYS WORLD-ENDING STUFF? WHY CAN’T IT JUST BE A NICE SECRET TREASURE?"

The Oracle ignored him.

"...The key you carry... it is not an invitation. It is a warning."

Mallory clenched the key in her fist. "Then what happens if we open the gate?"

The Oracle paused.

And then it said, in a voice that was no longer just rust and static, but something far older—

"Then you will learn what it means to pay the price."

The chamber shook.

The gears grinded violently.

The Oracle’s head twitched again, sparks flickering from its joints.

"...Time runs short... the seal weakens..."

Its glowing eyes locked onto Mallory’s.

"...Choose wisely... Hero..."

And then, with a final burst of static—

The Oracle shut down.

The chamber fell silent.

Mallory exhaled slowly.

Elara spoke first. "So. That wasn’t ominous at all."

Greg threw up his hands. "I’m calling it now! We should not open that gate! Horrible things will come out! We will probably die! I vote NO."

Quinn crossed his arms. "We don’t even know what’s behind it."

Alex nodded. "We need more answers. And if this thing is right, time is running out."

Mallory clenched the key tighter.

The Price of a Hero.

What the hell did it mean?

And was she ready to find out?

Blinky gurgled softly.

Mallory took a breath, steadying herself.

Then she turned to the others.

"We’re opening the gate."

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