Seo : " Ah, yes...this ain't a dream."
His chair (again an understatement to call it a chair) was made of gold and was lined with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, ultramarines, diamonds and gemstones of colours he'd never seen. The red cushion was made from extremely high-quality cloth and silk.
It was much more majestic and regal even than the ones he saw in T.V dramas.
It was nothing short of a Throne.
In fact, it did feel like the centre of the world.
Hari decided to distract himself from the things beyond comprehension.
Hari : ' Well, let's start with an assessment of the situation. '
"Well, how did you two get here?"
Seo was the first to take initiative.
" I saw a woman who was being stalked as my shift ended, I helped her. Then she asked me if I could walk her home as she was scared. I agreed then 'boom', everything went black. When I opened my eyes I was here."
Eliana followed suit.
" I met a fellow regular of the cafe I liked on my way home
He offered to grab dinner together before it got too late.
Last thing I remember was tripping over nothing as I walked beside him. When I opened my eyes next, I saw Seo muttering something weird in the air."
Hari: " Huh? You two knew each other?"
Seo : " Nope. We just hit off talking about you."
Hari : " You look like you've gotten pretty close. How long were you chatting?"
Eliana: " About 2 hours or so?"
Hari : ' I was out for more than two hours.'
Seo : " I was pretty bored alone."
Eliana : "Right?"
Hari: " Aren't you guys a little too lax? We seemingly got kidnapped."
Seo : " I was scared at first but got relieved when I saw you."
Eliana: " I was panicking but having a familiar face calmed me down. Also, Seo was also cheering me up."
Hari : "Well, Eliana-chan, I thought Seo had those life skills. It was me who made that noisy weirdo into a decent adult.
So, all I mean is--"
Seo: " I was wondering what you were trying to say with that smug face but it was all bullshit.
And just so you know, I was just trying to talk to these guys here."
He said pointing ahead.
There were quite a few figures kneeling down facing them.
It seemed like a courtroom.
A glass dome above the throne he was sitting on and moonlight shone. While the high arch and intricately carved pillars made it seem like a palace hall.
All of those mysterious figures kneeling down to him were covered in a black cloaks. The ones in the front line with gold, then silver and bronze.
Hari : 'Who the fuck are these guys now?'
Seo : "Eliana-san, I'm telling you they are statues.
They haven't moved a millimetre in hours."
Eliana: " But... Aren't they a bit too realistic for being artworks?"
Hari : " This makes things too complicated..."
He mumbled.
Eliana was about to speak...
" Quiet."
Hari ordered.
He observed each of them in silence very carefully.
Somehow, his aura felt very different from what Eliana is used to.
The look in his eyes was scary yet reliable.
Eliana:' Air is too heavy for me to speak.'
Seo : 'Last time I saw him like this was when he was trashing the bastards who ganged up on me.'
Hari could feel that they were alive. However, he still chose to observe them in silence.
Seo tapped Hari's wrist.
Hari saw his eyes which were faltering a little.
Hari: ' He might be smiling but this is a situation anyone would be scared of. I'll praise him later for keeping Eliana from panicking."
He smiled.
" Do you want to ask anything?"
Seo was relieved by that smile.
"Uh...oh nothing, I...I just wanted to know how did you end up here?
Weren't you on a date?"
Hari's head throbbed.
Suddenly, the memories of his unfortunate encounter gushed in.
"Ugh.."
The pain in his head was flowing throughout his body.
'Ah... that's right! I have to kill that bitch. She knows...'
Blood lust emanated from his body. His eyes were tired and seething.
Eliana found it hard to breathe.
"Senpai?"
Hari snapped back the moment he heard her voice.
'Uh...that's right. I'm not alone right now. I need to ensure their safety first.'
Hari smiled again.
Even a child could tell it was forced.
"Don't worry. It was the worst date I had in my life. Remembering it puts me in a foul mood.
Well, anyway let's focus on getting out of here first."
Seo : " How ?"
Hari smirked.
"We'll ask our masked friends here."
He said pointing to the kneeling figures.
"Hey pals, it's no use playing dead anymore. I know you ain't dead.
So, Speak..."
He said with a glare.
They all bowed their heads deeper.
" We greet the Lord of Demons and Darkness.
Ruler of night.
May your name be feared beyond the Heavens."
Three men stepped ahead.
" Our humble greetings to Lord Hari, Lady Eliana and Lord Seo."
The ones at the back said in chorus.
" Please accept our humble greetings."
Seo and Eliana were getting edgy, confusion loomed on their faces and their lips were curling down.
However, they realized Hari was completely unfazed. He looked confused but he was more focused on getting everyone out safely.
Thus, he smiled.
" Don't you think it's a little too late for greetings?"
Hari asked nonchalantly.
The man standing in the middle stepped forward.
" We apologize for our tardiness.
However, we cannot speak until the Lord of the castle with the highest rank allows us to speak."
Hari : " And who is this Lord that you speak of?"
Man : "That you would be you, My Lord."
Hari 's smile froze.
"Excuse me?"
Man continued.
" Yes, My Lord.
You are the Demon Lord whereas your Imperial blood relatives Lady Eliana and Lord Seo will be assisting you with the Royal duties."