Beyond the Gate

Carlos reached out to the crystal door, touching it with his bare fingers. "Where do we go once we enter?" he asked. Priscilla then replies with an annoyed tone in her voice, "Just open it already!"

He advertently pushes it forward. As the opening widens, the three entered into the shadows. Once they were all inside, the door closes by itself. 

The darkness was blinding, but with just a snap of Ruby's fingers, hundreds of torches lit up the red hallways. A long staircase awaited for them to descend. Frightened by the sight, Carlos wasn't sure if he'd be willing climb down the stairs, especially without the insignia. "Uhm... Should we go back now? We already found it after all." Hearing this from the prince, Priscilla simply rolled her eyes and looked at Ruby.

Ruby sensed how nervous Carlos was. To help him ease his tension, she ended up returning the insignia to the prince. "Here, you can take it with you if it makes you feel better."

Carlos got his insignia back, confused. "Wait, how did you..."

"The gates already know me well, even if I brought that with me, the gates would still let me in without question." Ruby explains.

"Ugh, please, are we going down or not?" Priscilla impatiently says.

"Wait, can I ask why we're going down there?" Carlos was still nervous. "I thought we were only going to find the gate?"

Ruby gently places her hand on the prince's shoulders. She spoke with a comforting tone. "Your Majesty, the Cardinal Manors will not be satisfied by simply allowing them to know the location of it. The Red Courtyard is an underground civilization that thrives under the kingdom. If you truly want to help them, we have to clear the path, otherwise, they'd be easily found by Lucius and thrown away. After all, this is demonic territory, it's different up there where it is ruled by the Cardinal Manors. Down here, the Asperity dominates."

"What do you mean? I thought there were only 666 asperities? Who would they possibly dominate when the humans are on the surface?" The prince rebukes Ruby's explanation. He long believed that the Red Courtyard was a laboratory found under the palace and was the size of a village. From what he had heard, it was clearly not the case. To his understanding based on what Ruby said, if it truly is a civilization, the Red Courtyard would be another kingdom lying right under the Kingdom of Liberta. But that does not make sense as there are only 666 known Asperities, making it impossible to fill an entire underground labyrinth with just them. 

"Your Majesty, you have to come down with us for you to know what the Red Courtyard truly is." Ruby insisted.

"Alright, I trust you." Carlos follows as they started walking before him.

It was a long way down. While the ladies led him quietly, all he could do was delve deep into his thoughts as he descends. Walking down, he remembers what Priscilla said at the dining table. "Hey, Priscilla? Since you said the gate changes location. Does that mean-" But before the prince could finish, Priscilla stops him. "Seriously?" She scoffed. "You believed that? Gosh, you're so clueless. It was a lie I made up so I can have an excuse to get out of that goddamn safehouse. Where the hell is your common sense?"

"Oh." Carlos was relieved. "Then when we go back to the surface, we'll be using the same gate?"

"Yes, Carlos! Can you stop with the questions now?" Priscilla shouts at him. Immediately, Ruby scolds the fiend again. "Priscilla cut it out. Don't talk to the prince like that." Priscilla only simply rolled her eyes after.

At last, after the long walk down, they arrived at a rope bridge. As they walked out of the stairs, the atmosphere drastically changed. The air was different from the one that embraces them on the surface, the breeze was red poison that cuts the skin. Crimson red was everywhere no matter where you look. The sky underground were shards of red crystal that hang on the ceiling, there was no night nor day, as the light were only red flame torches that keep the darkness at bay. "Behold." Priscilla leads Carlos to the center of the bridge, pointing her hand downwards. "The Red Courtyard."

Carlos' eyes widened at the sight. A completely hidden hell was silently burning beneath the kingdom. Right under where they stood was a vile, filthy demesne of devilish beings with violent laughs heard all over. Their abodes were painted red, possibly blood, chimneys bled crimson smoke, broken weapons found all over the roofs and grounds, and chaos scattered across the streets. The air reeks of rotting corpses and unhealed wounds from violent fights. Carlos covered his mouth and nose, not only because he felt horrified by what he sees, but also because it reminded him of a memory from the past.

Priscilla was pleased after seeing Carlos' face express absolute horror. She grinned, "You know, demons aren't the only ones living in here." Once her words reached the prince's troubled mind, he looked closer at the streets. "Those are..." Carlos notices a group of devils chasing a young woman carrying a child in her arms. "Exactly." Priscilla continues to provoke him. "Humans live here too."

Completely fueled by anger, Carlos stepped out of the bridge carelessly. "Your Majesty!" Ruby almost pulled the prince back, but was too late to do so. He leapt from the heights of the red bridge and unsheathed the cane that hanged from his waist.

"Help! Somebody! Please help!" The woman screamed while running away from the demons that tirelessly chased her. Her child cried uncontrollably while he was tightly held in his mother's arms. Suddenly, a white light from above flashed, striking down like thunder. Dust scattered all over the place from the impact of the fall, pausing the chasers from their tracks. They violently shook away the smoke, trying to clear their sight and see who dared to try and stop them. "Who the fuck tries to mess with me? Huh? Show your fucking self!" The large brute yelled.

The smoke clears, revealing the prince pointing his thin white blade at the demon. His other hand protected the woman and her child who hid behind him. His face was determined and unafraid, staring straight into the eyes of the demons before him.

"You little shit, who the hell are you? Get out of here before you get fucked." The brute threatened the prince, unaware of his identity. However, the prince felt nothing but anger. He couldn't even properly process what the brute had just said. "Back. Off." He angrily uttered. "Look at this kid." The brute incited laughter among his men, mocking the prince. "And what are you gonna do? Play with your little stick?" He cackled.

Grinding his teeth and tightening his grip on the sword's handle, his fury burned stronger. Power surged through his blade, and with this, he charged forward like thunder strike. Purple thunder struck the brute as the blade pierced through his skin, electrocuting and wounding him at the same time. "GRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" He screamed out of pain. He fell to ground, paralyzed from the excruciating wound which bled endlessly. The men behind him backed away, recognizing the insignia that shone from the prince's waist. They then realized that the sword came from the Cardinal Manors, which meant that he was acquainted with the Superior Leader. Fearful of the color that flashed before their eyes, they left their bleeding boss and ran away.

"You... wretched Superior Manor bastards." The brute spoke. 

Carlos sheathed his blade. Even if he were to attack once more, it would now be pointless. He towered over the groveling demon. "You can still be redeemed, therefore I'll give you a chance to atone. However, if you choose the path of evil, you must face the inevitable punishment I'll bestow upon the likes of you."