Parallel Memory

Chapter 643: Shadows of Resolve

Zero stood in the Hall of Records, a place where silence held more weight than words, where time itself seemed to hesitate among the endless walls of carved stone and bound parchment. The air smelled of old ink and dust, but beneath it lingered something else—an oppressive weight, as if the memories stored here carried the residue of centuries of blood and sorrow.

He trailed a finger along the spine of a cracked tome, its lettering barely legible after ages of wear. The flames flickering in the sconces threw long shadows across the marble floor, shadows that seemed to stretch endlessly, like the doubts in his mind.

The words carved into the record he’d just read echoed inside him:

"The Devil King rises not by chance, but by prophecy. And prophecy foretells his end, by human hands."

Zero clenched his jaw, shutting the book with a dull thud.

Should he join them?

The human army fought and bled at the Devil King’s palace gates, while deep inside, another squad battled Aaron, the so-called younger brother. Zero could almost feel the vibrations in the air—the resonance of battles being fought on all fronts, like a drumbeat of destiny that demanded his decision.

Joining them might mean ending it all. Cutting down the Devil King once and for all, perhaps even striking a blow of revenge for every scar Lilith bore, for every sleepless night of guilt that haunted him. He could picture it—his blade finding its mark, the tyrant falling, the cycle of suffering broken.

And yet—

His hand trembled against the book.

Lilith.

Her face flashed in his mind, pale in moonlight, her eyes hollow from all she had endured. The Devil King’s shadow had poisoned her childhood, had robbed her of joy, of friends, of her own sense of worth. Every time Zero thought of vengeance, he saw not the Devil King’s sneer but Lilith’s fragile smile—how much more risk could she bear? Could he drag her into the storm again, even if this time promised liberation?

He pressed his forehead against the cool stone wall, shutting his eyes.

He hated himself for hesitating. For wavering between his rage and his fear. He, who had survived so much, who had endured alone, could not decide whether to strike at fate or protect the only bond he had left.

"Zero..."

Her voice was soft, fragile, almost uncertain—but it pierced him deeper than any blade.

Zero opened his eyes and turned. Lilith stood at the entrance of the hall, her slender form illuminated by the torchlight. She was cradling one of the records in her hands, the parchment trembling ever so slightly as she clutched it. Her eyes, once dim with numbness, glowed with something new—something he hadn’t seen in years.

Determination.

She stepped closer, her steps hesitant at first but firming with each pace. Finally, she stopped before him, lowering her head as if unable to meet his gaze.

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

Zero blinked. "...For what?"

"For causing you trouble." Her grip on the parchment tightened. "For... being weak. For making you carry everything by yourself all this time. For being the reason you’re torn between revenge and fear."

Zero’s lips parted, but no words came. He had expected anything from her—guilt, despair, silence—but not this.

Lilith finally raised her eyes to his, and the weight behind them stole his breath. "I don’t want to run anymore, Zero. I don’t want to just survive while others bleed and die. I want to live. To stay alive long enough to see the devils’ domain restored to what it was before... when my father ruled. When there was peace."

Her voice wavered only slightly, but her conviction sharpened with each word. "I’ve read the records. I’ve seen the truth. Aamon—this Devil King—he isn’t eternal. He’s bound to fall one day. The fortune tellers, the prophecies—they all say the same thing. His reign will end, just as others before him ended. I want to be there to see it. Not as someone broken, not as someone who hides, but as myself."

Zero stared at her, utterly speechless. The Lilith he had known for so long had been distant, hollow, her spirit crushed under grief and loss. She had walked through life like a shadow, her words muted, her heart locked away. And now—here she was, standing before him, her eyes burning with a fire he had thought extinguished forever.

For the first time in years, he felt as though he was seeing her

"You..." His voice cracked, surprising him. He cleared his throat, but the words still came out rough. "You’re serious."

Lilith nodded. "I don’t want to be a burden to you anymore. I want to fight for the peace my father believed in. Even if I can’t fight with a blade like you, even if my strength is small, I want to live long enough to see the world change. That’s why I can’t allow myself to break again."

Her words struck him like lightning. Zero had expected to be her shield forever, to carry her pain as his own. But now—she was saying she wanted to carry herself.

The silence between them stretched, filled only by the crackle of torches. Zero’s throat tightened, his mind reeling with everything unsaid. He had wanted vengeance for himself—for the scars Aamon had carved into his soul. But seeing her like this, he realized: vengeance wasn’t enough. Not anymore.

He wanted her to live. To see her smile for real, to walk in a world where she didn’t flinch at every shadow. He wanted to protect not just her life, but her newfound will.

But could he?

The thought of her stepping into danger, into the storm that awaited, tore at him worse than any wound.

Zero reached out, his hand trembling slightly, and touched her shoulder. "Lilith..."

She looked up, her eyes wide.

He exhaled slowly, as though releasing a weight that had sat on his chest for years. "If this is what you want... then I’ll see it through with you. But understand this." His voice hardened. "If there’s ever a risk too great—if it ever comes down to you or the mission—I’ll choose you. Every time."

Lilith’s lips parted, her breath catching. For a moment, she seemed on the verge of protest. But then, slowly, she smiled. A real smile—faint, fragile, but real.

"...Thank you."

Zero froze, stunned by the warmth in her expression.

For once, he had no words.

The torches crackled, casting their shadows long across the stone. And within the Hall of Records, surrounded by the truths of the past, two broken souls found something new—not despair, not vengeance, but a fragile, flickering resolve.

For Zero, the choice was no longer vengeance or protection. It was both. He would strike at the Devil King not only for his own pain, but to carve a future where Lilith’s determination could thrive.

And for Lilith, the path was no longer survival alone. It was life, fragile but burning, against the dark.

The war raged outside. Prophecies loomed. Fate’s hand moved unseen.

But here, in the stillness of the Hall, the first stone of their defiance was set.