Rui hit the cold stone hard, losing her breath from the impact. She lay on a round platform made of shiny black stone, her whole body aching after the fall.
Feeling confused, Rui blinked to clear her vision, her nostrils filled with the pungent smell of burning.
"Kee Kee?" she called in a rough voice.
A little whimper answered back, and the tiny demon dog crawled onto her stomach, looking as confused as she felt.
His fur was slightly burnt at the tips, but he seemed fine otherwise.
Rui pushed herself up on her elbows to take in where she was.
The platform floated in a huge, dark space with nothing but distant gold spots resembling stars.
The air seemed to shimmer with heat, although she couldn't see any flames.
As she tried to stand up, strange chains appeared around her wrists with a soft ringing sound.
They gave off a gentle glow and seemed made of energy instead of metal. When she pulled at them, they didn't hold her back but stayed fixed around her wrists.
"What is happening?" Rui wondered aloud as she examined the unusual chains.
Then, a strange feeling crawled over her as her fancy dress began to break apart, turning into tiny bits of light.
The change spread from her shoulders down to her feet, and soon, the dress was gone, replaced by simple black robes.
"No, no, no!" Rui cried out, trying to save the dissolving fabric.
"Do you know how many spirit stones this gown cost? It was tailored by—"
She stopped mid-sentence when a deep voice filled the space, coming from nowhere and everywhere.
"TO WALK THE TRIAL OF GREED, ALL ATTACHMENTS MUST BE BURNED."
The powerful voice shook through her bones, causing Kee Kee to hide in the folds of her new robes with a frightened squeak.
The chains on her wrists started glowing brighter, and Rui felt them tug at something deep inside her as if they were connected to her essence.
A loud rumble echoed as a massive gate appeared in front of Rui.
Liquid gold flowed through designs carved into the black stone, forming scenes of power and wealth.
This golden metal defied gravity and moved in all directions, creating a grand doorway at least thirty feet high.
"The Gilded Vault," Rui whispered, recognizing it from ancient books.
"The first trial."
The golden gates swung open quietly, revealing a corridor filled with warm, golden light.
Rui looked down at her new robes, smoothing the rough fabric with a displeased look.
"At least you're here, Kee Kee. We'll figure this out—"
She patted where the little demon should be hiding in her robe but found he was gone.
"Kee Kee?" Panic set in as she quickly searched around.
"Kee Kee! This isn't funny!"
"FAMILIARS ARE FORBIDDEN IN THE TRIAL OF GREED," the voice boomed again.
"YOU ENTER ALONE, PRINCESS XIAO RUI."
Rui felt her shoulders slump. Without her little companion, she felt very exposed and vulnerable.
Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and approached the entrance.
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
As Rui stepped through the gateway, everything changed suddenly. The air turned thick and warm like silk wrapping around her.
Golden mist twisted around her feet, swirling with each step. The edges of the reality around her softened, creating a dream-like atmosphere.
The gate closed behind her with a deep, resonant boom.
The mist moved aside to reveal a grand hall, unlike anything Rui had seen. Walls made of polished mirrors stretched endlessly in all directions, each reflecting not her current self but visions of what she could become.
In one reflection, she wore the Demon King's crown, powerful and feared by everyone.
In another, she danced in a splendid gown, admired by all who watched.
Between the mirrors, heaps of treasure kept shifting and transforming—spirit stones turned into ancient scrolls, glittering jewelry, and powerful artifacts.
Each item seemed to quietly promise something directly to Rui's mind.
Rui slowly understood the significance of what she was seeing. These were not just random treasures; they were the physical forms of her deepest, most secret desires.
The mirrors rippled like disturbed water, and shimmering figures stepped out from their silvery surfaces.
Right before her, a vision showed Rui seated on the Infernal Throne. This phantom princess wore the royal attire with effortless grace, her posture perfect, her expression serene yet commanding.
The people around her bowed deeply, their faces full of admiration, not the hidden contempt Rui usually dealt with.
"They love you here," a voice uttered softly from the vision.
"No more whispers behind your back. No more disappointing looks from your father."
Rui found herself moving forward without even thinking. The ethereal chains on her wrists pulsed gently.
Another illusion took shape to her right, revealing Rui standing victorious while nobles who had mocked her now prostrated themselves at her feet.
"They'll never underestimate you again," the mirage assured her.
She reached for the illusion, but it disappeared upon her touch, reappearing a few steps away.
A third mirror rippled, producing an image of the most perfect version of herself—a Rui without flaws or weaknesses.
This double moved with deliberate grace, every gesture planned and refined. Her smile was never too broad, and her laugh was never too loud.
She was everything the real Rui tried to be in public—controlled, poised, the perfect princess. "This is who you could become," the illusion whispered.
"No more embarrassing mistakes. No more failures. Just perfection." The phantom offered her hand, and Rui was drawn toward it, mesmerized by this ideal version of herself.
The chains on her wrists grew warmer, almost burning her skin.
The visions swirled around Rui, each one more tempting than the last.
She wavered, unsure which path to choose, which desire to follow. The ethereal chains felt heavier, almost weighing down her uncertainty.
Through the golden light and shimmering illusions, she spotted a silhouette at the far end of the hall.
A tall, authoritative figure stood amid piles of treasure, his familiar figure unmistakable even from afar.
The broad shoulders, the curved horns, the regal bearing—it was her father, the Demon King.
Rui was taken aback. Unlike the other visions, this one felt solid and real.
The Demon King's golden eyes were warm as they locked onto hers. His usual stern expression was replaced with a tender smile, one she had seen only in rare, private moments.
"Father?" Rui whispered, her voice tinged with doubt.
The treasures around her instantly seemed insignificant. The mirror reflections of power, revenge, and perfection faded compared to the sight before her.
The Demon King extended his hand, his expression softening further.
"Rui... you've done well. Let's go home," he said, his deep voice resonating warmly across the chamber, a sound that had comforted her throughout her childhood.
Tears filled her eyes, turning the golden hall into a blur of light. She took a hesitant step forward, then another.
The chains on her wrists grew hot, almost burning, but she barely noticed the pain.
"Father," she whispered again, reaching out with one trembling hand.
As she moved toward him, her Chaos Core pulsed within her chest.
A crimson light emanated deep within, casting unsettling shadows across the treasure hall.
The red glow grew stronger with each step, reacting to her emotions—
Her fingers reached toward his hand, trembling with hope she couldn't contain.
The Demon King's smile grew wider, his golden eyes reflecting the vast treasures piled around them.
Just a little more, she would touch him, feel the comforting presence she longed for.
Yet, something felt off. The air around her father shimmered oddly like heat waves rising off hot summer stones.
His eyes were golden and recognizable but lacked the deep, fiery intensity she was used to. And that smile—her father rarely displayed such open smiles, even when they were alone.
A faint whisper echoed through the chamber, so subtle that she almost missed it:
"True power isn't about what you gain... but what you let go."
The voice wasn't the commanding one she had heard before; it was softer, somewhat familiar.
It seemed to emerge from within her own thoughts—or perhaps from her Chaos Core, which now shone brightly enough to cast her shadow long and dark across the treasure-covered floor.
Rui stopped, her fingertips hovering just inches from his hand.
The chains on her wrists suddenly became cool, no longer burning but instead giving a gentle warning pulse.
She examined the Demon King's face more intently.
An eagerness was there—an emotion her father would never openly show.
The King she knew was always composed and in control, even in those rare affectionate moments.
"You wouldn't say that," Rui whispered softly, pulling her hand back.
"My father would never tell me I've 'done well' so easily."
The Demon King's smile faltered, twisting into something unnatural. His golden eyes hardened, the pupils narrowing into thin vertical slits.
"Foolish girl," he hissed, his voice transforming from her father's deep tone into something ancient and ravenous.
"You were so close to getting everything you wished for."
The illusion crumbled violently, fragments of the false Demon King scattering like shards of shattered glass.
The mirrors lining the walls cracked all at once, creating a deafening noise that made Rui stagger backward.
The heaps of treasure turned into pools of molten gold, beginning to eat through the floor. The entire vault trembled and groaned, and massive ceiling pieces broke loose and crashed.
Rui dodged a falling column, her heart racing as the grand hall collapsed inward. From beneath the wreckage, something began to move.
The liquid gold pools combined, forming a growing mass rising from the destruction.
Enormous limbs emerged from the precious metal—gigantic, clawed appendages gripping the broken stone.
A monstrous head surfaced its features in constant flux, adorned with twisted golden horns.