7: CHAPTER 5: The Secret Of The Rings: Part 02.
7: CHAPTER 5: The Secret Of The Rings: Part 02.
The white portal shimmered quietly.
Its light pierced the endless golden world like the first ray of dawn after an eternal night.
KING and Shadow stared at it from their separate realms.
Neither hesitated.
For two years…
They had searched endlessly.
For two years…
They had found nothing except limitless gold.
Without a second thought…
Both stepped into the portal.
…
The light disappeared.
When they opened their eyes once more…
They were no longer standing among mountains of gold.
Instead…
An entirely different world unfolded before them.
“Not every secret lies beneath treasure…
Some treasures exist only to hide an even greater secret.” This place was silent.
Yet unlike before…
It wasn’t empty.
Countless weapons stretched beyond the horizon.
Rows upon rows of swords.
Spears.
Halberds.
Axes.
Bows.
Shields.
Armor.
Every weapon imaginable rested there as if waiting for its rightful owner.
None of them showed signs of rust.
None carried dust.
It was as though time itself had never touched this place.
Even KING, who rarely showed interest in anything, stopped walking for a brief moment.
“So…” “There was another world hidden beyond the gold.” Meanwhile…
Shadow calmly observed the endless arsenal.
“There are enough weapons here…” “…to equip entire worlds.” Neither brother reached for any of them.
Instead…
Their attention was drawn elsewhere.
Far ahead…
Standing alone in the center of the endless armory…
Was a majestic mansion.
It stood proudly amidst the countless weapons.
Its walls were pure white.
Its roof was covered in black tiles.
Ancient symbols glowed faintly across its pillars.
An invisible aura surrounded it.
It was ancient.
Silent.
Untouched.
Without exchanging a single word…
Both brothers made the same decision.
They walked toward it.
“Some paths are chosen with words.
Others are chosen by instinct alone.” The massive doors slowly opened.
Neither KING nor Shadow had touched them.
Inside…
The mansion was surprisingly simple.
There was no furniture.
No decorations.
Only a spacious hall.
And at its center…
Two objects.
For Shadow…
A black battle suit woven with deep crimson patterns.
Beside it rested a completely black sword.
Its blade reflected no light.
Instead…
It seemed to absorb the surrounding darkness.
For KING…
A crimson battle suit marked by black patterns.
Beside it rested another entirely black sword.
Although the swords were identical in color…
Each carried a different presence.
A strange black-and-white energy flowed around the suits and swords like living mist.
The energy neither attacked nor welcomed them.
It merely existed.
Watching.
Waiting.
Shadow quietly looked at the suit before him.
“…So this…” “…is why Rin remained silent.” His gaze shifted toward the sword.
“She wasn’t trapping me.” “She was leading me here.” Far away…
KING arrived at the same conclusion.
“So Ray knew.” “He simply chose not to tell me.” Neither brother complained.
If the rings had brought them here…
Then there had to be a reason.
Shadow carefully reached toward the black suit.
The moment his fingertips touched the fabric…
The strange energy surrounding it instantly entered his body.
His vision blurred.
For a brief moment…
He saw fragments of unfamiliar battlefields.
Unknown warriors.
Collapsed stars.
Worlds burning beneath black flames.
Then…
Everything vanished.
KING experienced the same phenomenon.
Yet neither of them understood what they had seen.
The visions lasted only a heartbeat.
Silence returned once more.
Both brothers stored the suits and swords within their respective rings.
Shadow looked around the mansion one final time.
“There are more secrets here.” “I’ll return later.” At that exact moment…
A familiar sensation spread throughout both worlds.
The exit.
Without saying anything…
The twins accepted it.
Their consciousness slowly drifted away.
…
The hotel room.
Night still lingered outside the window.
Shadow slowly opened his eyes.
Across from him…
KING opened his at almost the same time.
For a brief moment…
Neither spoke.
Although two years had passed inside the rings…
Outside…
Only a few hours had gone by.
The candles in the room were still burning.
Shadow broke the silence.
“Are you alright?” KING answered calmly.
“I’m fine.” He looked directly at Shadow.
“You?” “I’m fine.” Another moment of silence followed.
Then Shadow asked, “Did you find…” “…a suit and a sword?” KING nodded once.
“Yes.” “I assume you found the same.” Shadow answered.
“I did.” Neither explained further.
They already understood.
There would be time to investigate the mysterious mansion later.
Suddenly…
Both froze.
A terrifying presence spread across the hotel.
Heavy.
Calm.
Overwhelming.
The pressure was directed toward only one place.
Their room.
KING slowly stood.
“So…” “They’ve found us.” Shadow also rose to his feet.
“We should meet them.” The twins walked toward the door.
Without panic.
Without fear.
Shadow opened it.
Both stepped into the corridor before making their way outside the hotel.
The bustling streets had become strangely quiet.
Standing in the middle of the road…
Was a man dressed in spotless white robes.
His long black hair swayed gently in the night breeze.
His face was long and sharp.
His narrow eyes quietly observed the two masked brothers.
The moment their eyes met…
Silence consumed the street.
The man folded his hands behind his back.
His voice was calm.
Yet carried unquestionable authority.
“So…” “Will you tell me who you are?” He paused.
His gaze sharpened.
“Or…” “Shall I discover the answer…” “…the hard way?” The wind howled through the empty street.
Neither KING…
Nor Shadow…
Answered.
End of Chapter 5 “Some encounters are destined.
The question is not whether they happen…
…but whether you are ready when they do.”