Photographic Memory

Staircase (1)

As I gradually blinked my eyes open, the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling greeted me. The room was dimly lit, with flickering torchlight casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. A strange lion-like sculpture adorned one corner, its presence surreal and out of place in this subterranean chamber.

"You up yet?" came a soft, melodic voice from the opposite corner, both beautiful and tinged with sorrow.

Tilting my head, I caught sight of her—a striking figure unlike any I'd ever seen. Her skin was a mesmerizing shade of gray, smooth and flawless. Her eyes were elongated and almond-shaped, like those of an elf, with pupils that seemed to glimmer with an otherworldly light. A small purple horn graced her forehead, protruding from her silver hair that framed her delicate features. I couldn't help but stare in awe, transfixed by her ethereal beauty.

"Did I die? Are you an angel?" I began to mumble, my voice hoarse and disoriented, only to be abruptly cut off as she moved with blinding speed. In a swift motion, she reached out and clasped her hand around my throat, her touch paradoxically firm yet gentle.

"Shut up, you disgrace of a creature," she murmured, her words holding a strange juxtaposition of warmth and severity that sent a shiver down my spine.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my right hand, eliciting a cry that was muffled by her grip on my throat. I glanced down to see my hand twisted at an unnatural angle, the bones clearly broken.

"Consider yourself lucky," she murmured, her face inches from mine, "I would have severed all your limbs if it weren't for the mess it would make in his room."

As she lowered me to the ground, my mind raced with confusion and questions. Who was this strange being? And whose room were we in? Her actions seemed divine as she cast a mending spell, and I watched in awe as my hand began to heal, the bones realigning and the pain subsiding.

I thought to myself, 'Hmm, she is an angel indeed,' a grin slowly escaping my lips as I was captivated by her ethereal presence and apparent mastery of magic.

"Hm, you've finally lost it," she remarked, her tone shifting from severity to something akin to amusement, "so much for the future dem—ahem. Anyway, now that you're up, let's get going. Father wants to see you."

"Your father?" I inquired, sensing a change in the atmosphere, a weight settling over the room.

Her lips twitched into a slight smile as she replied, "My father, the demon lord, wants to continue his conversation with you. He's been waiting for you to wake up."

A surge of realization washed over me as I remembered the odd sense of displacement upon awakening in this strange place. My perspective seemed elevated, and a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. "How long was I asleep for?" I asked urgently, fearing the answer.

"Five years," she answered matter-of-factly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Panic coursed through me. Five years! I am already twenty-one. What about my youth, my life at the academy, my mother? She must be worried sick. I have to return to the surface as soon as possible.

"Hurry up and think on the way," she urged, her tone taking on a sense of urgency, "the king is waiting."

As I stepped into the throne room, my eyes fell upon him once more – the demon lord himself, seated upon an imposing throne carved from obsidian. He appeared to be asleep, yet his presence filled the cavernous chamber with an undeniable aura of power and ancient wisdom.

"I brought him, my lord," his daughter declared, kneeling before him with her arms clasped behind her back, the picture of reverence.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, fixing his gaze upon me with a piercing stare that seemed to penetrate my very soul. His lips parted, but no words escaped – instead, a deep, resonant voice echoed in my mind.

"How did you find my tale? Did it captivate you?"

Confusion clouded my thoughts as I struggled to comprehend the surreal encounter and the demon lord's cryptic words. He awaited my response, his daughter still kneeling beside me, her head bowed.

"Who were they?" I inquired, gesturing towards the fading memories of the fallen beings I had witnessed in his tale.

"Those were part of my story, as you witnessed," he replied cryptically, his mental voice reverberating through my consciousness.

"But how can you be alive—" I began, only to be interrupted by his booming mental presence.

"Human brains are limited. Even with my impeccable memory, old memories are bound to fade, but you've helped me remember one long sealed away."

"You're not human!" I exclaimed, stunned by the revelation that this ancient being was something far beyond mortal comprehension.

"Think of it this way: all intelligent beings in this world were once human. I may live long due to magic, but fundamentally, our minds are alike," he explained, his words carrying the weight of untold ages.

"And the others...why do you demons kill and consume them?" I pressed, trying to make sense of the violent acts I had witnessed.

"Those who kill are lesser demons, driven to wreak havoc, their minds lost to the overwhelming magical energy within. They've devolved into monsters," he clarified, a hint of sadness tingeing his mental voice.

"But why reveal all this to me?" I questioned, bewildered by his candor in sharing such profound truths with a mere human.

"I wanted you to understand the truth of our world," he said, his voice carrying a weight of resignation. "Humanity's nature is to seek understanding, even in futility. My own existence is testament to that. Despite knowing the futility, we often find ourselves compelled to pursue it anyway."

"Return to the surface. Lesly, my daughter, will guide you to the 50th floor, and from there you must ascend alone."

"Wait, you haven't explained—" I protested, desperate for more answers, but before I could finish, a sudden blow struck the back of my neck. Everything went dark.

When I awoke, I found myself in a strange cavern, the dim light filtering in from a distant opening high above. By my side stood Lesly, her expression unreadable as she gestured towards the path ahead...