The Lazy Chronicles: Apartment of the Apocalypse-Chapter 126 - 127

The Gate of Eternity

The gate was massive, carved from ancient stone and covered in runes that shimmered with a faint, otherworldly glow.

It pulsed with raw power, its presence alone enough to make the air hum with energy.

Greg let out a low whistle. "That’s... definitely a gate."

Mallory stepped forward, the key in her hand reacting instantly. The runes on the gate flared to life, recognizing the presence of the one meant to open it.

Quinn watched her carefully. "Are you ready for this?"

Mallory didn’t hesitate. "We came all this way. There’s no turning back now."

She raised the Forgotten Gate Key and pressed it against the stone.

The world shifted.

A pulse of energy surged outward, a deep resonance shaking the very fabric of reality.

The gate shuddered, its massive stone doors beginning to part.

A gust of wind roared from within, carrying whispers of ancient power and a glimpse of what lay beyond.

Mallory’s heart pounded.

This was it.

The final step.

And whatever was on the other side...

It would change everything.

---

The Forgotten Gate trembled as its massive stone doors groaned open, revealing a shimmering void beyond. Golden light pulsed at the threshold, twisting and shifting like a living thing.

Mallory held her breath. This was it.

Greg gripped his warhammer. "I don’t like this."

Elara ran her fingers along the edge of an ancient rune. "The energy here... it’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt."

Quinn’s eyes narrowed. "What’s waiting for us on the other side?"

Mallory stepped forward, the Forgotten Gate Key still pulsing in her grasp.

"There’s only one way to find out."

She crossed the threshold.

---

The Realm Between Worlds

The moment Mallory passed through the gate, the world shifted.

A crushing weight pressed down on her, a force unlike anything she had experienced. It was as if time itself bent and twisted, trying to unravel her existence.

Then—

It released her.

She stumbled forward, catching herself just before she hit the ground.

The others appeared behind her one by one, all of them struggling against the disorienting effect of the transition.

Greg cursed. "That was... unpleasant."

Elara steadied herself. "Where are we?"

They stood on a vast floating platform, made of ancient stone and suspended in what seemed like an endless cosmic expanse.

Above them, the sky was not a sky—it was an endless abyss filled with shifting stars, swirling nebulae, and distant worlds locked in motion.

At the center of the platform stood an altar, carved with the same intricate runes as the gate. A pedestal rested upon it, empty—waiting.

Mallory instinctively raised the Forgotten Gate Key.

The pedestal reacted instantly, golden light flaring to life. The very air vibrated as unseen mechanisms deep within the realm awakened.

Then, a voice echoed through the void.

"Who seeks passage beyond the veil?"

The words resonated in their bones, as if the realm itself had spoken.

Quinn’s hand went to his sword. "Who... or what was that?"

Mallory exhaled. "The Guardian of this place."

A figure emerged from the air itself.

It was humanoid, but featureless, its form shifting like a shadow caught between realities. Its eyes burned with celestial fire, its presence commanding.

"Only those deemed worthy may proceed."

Mallory stepped forward. "We came to unlock the gate. We have the key."

The Guardian’s gaze flickered to the artifact in her hand.

"Possession of the key does not grant you passage."

The platform rumbled.

Rings of glowing sigils appeared beneath their feet.

Mallory’s pulse quickened.

"A trial."

The Guardian’s eyes blazed. fгeewebnovёl.com

"Prove your worth... or be cast into the void."

---

The Trial of the Forgotten

The sigils flared, and the world fractured.

Mallory’s vision blurred, her mind pulled into a swirl of memories—not her own.

She saw flashes of ancient battles, warriors clashing beneath shattered skies, powerful beings wielding artifacts of immense power.

Then—

Darkness.

When her vision cleared, she found herself alone.

The others were gone.

She stood in an endless hall of mirrors, each reflection showing a different version of herself.

Some were familiar.

Some were not.

One version of her wore regal robes, a crown resting on her head. A queen.

Another stood in battle armor, drenched in blood, eyes hardened by war.

A third version sat upon a throne of shadows, her gaze cold and unfeeling. A tyrant.

The mirrors whispered.

"Which one is the real you?"

Mallory clenched her fists.

"This is an illusion."

The voices laughed.

"Is it?"

The mirrors shattered, and the world twisted once more.

---

The Trial of the Others

Quinn gasped as he landed hard on the ground. His surroundings were different—a battlefield frozen in time.

He recognized the armor. The weapons.

His past.

Soldiers lay motionless, locked in their final moments of battle. Some faces he knew. Men he had fought beside.

Then—

A figure appeared.

It was him—but not.

This version wore a darker, heavier armor, his sword dripping with blackened blood.

The reflection smirked. "You know what must be done."

Quinn’s jaw tightened. "No."

"You were strong once. Uncompromising. Ruthless. That’s why you survived."

The reflection stepped forward, blade raised.

"Have you grown weak?"

---

Elara stood in a library with no end, bookshelves stretching into infinity.

The knowledge here was limitless. Ancient tomes whispered secrets long forgotten.

She reached for one—

A hand stopped her.

She turned—

A woman stood there, dressed in familiar robes. Her mother.

Elara’s heart clenched. "You’re not real."

Her mother smiled. "Does it matter?"

A book floated between them, its pages glowing.

"Take it, Elara. All the knowledge you’ve ever wanted. The power to rewrite fate itself."

Elara hesitated.

"No more uncertainty. No more limits."

Her hands trembled.

---

Greg found himself in a throne room, a massive warhammer resting beside a golden seat.

His own voice echoed through the chamber.

"It could have been yours."

A figure stepped forward—himself, but grander. Stronger. Unstoppable.

The reflection gestured to the throne.

"Take it. Rule as you were meant to."

Greg’s grip tightened around his hammer.

"Or walk away... and remain nothing."

---

The Breaking of the Illusions

The trials tested them, whispered temptations into their souls.

Power. Dominion. Knowledge. Strength.

But each of them, in their own way, refused.

Mallory shattered the illusion with a single truth: "I decide who I am."

Quinn cut down his reflection, proving that his strength did not come from cruelty.

Elara closed the book, whispering "Knowledge without wisdom is a curse."

Greg turned his back on the throne, declaring "A true ruler does not take power for himself."

And with that—

The trials ended.

The illusions crumbled.

And they stood once more before the Guardian.

---

The Gate Opens

The Guardian studied them.

Then, for the first time, it bowed.

"You have proven your worth."

The platform trembled.

The altar glowed.

The air cracked and split apart, revealing a portal of pure golden light.

Mallory stepped forward, heart pounding.

Beyond this portal lay their true destination.

Beyond this portal lay the final Chapter of their journey.

She turned to the others.

"No turning back now."

Quinn smirked. "Was there ever?"

Greg cracked his knuckles. "Let’s finish this."

Elara exhaled. "We’re ready."

Together, they stepped into the unknown.

And the Forgotten Gate closed behind them.

---

The golden light engulfed them as they stepped through the portal, weightless for a moment before reality snapped back into place. The sensation was not unlike falling, yet when their feet touched solid ground, they found themselves in a world utterly foreign and breathtaking.

The sky above them was an eternal twilight, neither day nor night, painted in hues of violet and deep indigo. Strange celestial bodies hung motionless, glowing faintly, their presence both comforting and ominous. The air was thick with latent energy, charged like an approaching storm.

Mallory’s boots sank slightly into the ashen ground, fine black dust swirling around her ankles. Behind her, the Forgotten Gate had disappeared. There was no turning back.

Greg exhaled, gripping his warhammer. "Well... this is new."

Elara’s eyes flickered gold as she activated her sight, scanning their surroundings. "I can’t see beyond the mist."

Quinn unsheathed his sword. "No signs of enemies. Yet."

Mallory lifted her gaze to the distance, where a structure stood amidst the swirling haze—a monolithic tower, stretching into infinity. It pulsed with a rhythm, as if alive.

"The final trial lies ahead," she murmured.

The moment she spoke, a presence stirred.

The air shuddered. The ground shifted, revealing shattered bones buried beneath the ash. A deep, resonant voice echoed across the land.

"You have come."

From the mist, a figure emerged.

---

The Last Guardian

At first, it was a silhouette, massive and formless, but as it stepped closer, it took shape—a towering entity clad in midnight armor, its surface etched with shifting constellations. A burning crown hovered above its featureless head, and in its hand, it held a blade that devoured light.

Mallory felt the pressure in her bones. This was different from the previous Guardian.

This was something older. Stronger.

The entity spoke, its voice woven with countless others.

"You seek the heart of creation. The truth that has been forgotten."

Quinn squared his shoulders. "And what? You’re the last thing standing in our way?"

The Guardian tilted its head. "I am the final threshold. The last question."

Elara frowned. "Question?"

The Guardian raised its sword.

"Will you pay the price?"

The moment the words were spoken, space folded—

And the battle began.

---

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