# Seven Years Seven years. The hero Kai had finally reached that place after traversing seven long years. His companions had all died along the way. The first was swallowed by a horde of monsters, the second was consumed by a curse, and the third—he still could not speak that name aloud. There were no sentries at the castle gates. That was what unsettled him. For seven years, he had fought countless monsters and overcome countless traps. Yet only this final castle stood eerily silent, as if welcoming him. With each step along the stone-paved corridor, only the sound of his footsteps echoed back. Portraits lined the walls—the successive Demon Kings, perhaps. They all shared a similar expression. Exhausted eyes. Closed mouths. As if each had swallowed something impossibly heavy. The door to the throne room opened before he could touch it. "I have been waiting." The voice was younger than he expected. The figure seated on the throne appeared to be roughly Kai's own age. A black co