50. The Chamber

They slowly walked into the chamber, trying to understand it. Richard got close to one of the walls and found a hole. Richard instinctively inserted his torch into it. Suddenly, the fire spread over the wall and started lighting torches on the right side of the room. Isabella saw that and did the same on the left side. In a minute, the entire room was illuminated. It was large, spacious, had lots of inscriptions on its wall. On its center lay an altar. The four slowly approached tit.

When Caoilainn set her focus on it, they all felt a chilling wind invading the room. Looking back, a shadowy figure wearing a dark cloak stood there with its head leaning down. The door of the chamber closed and the figure raised its head revealing its piercing red and yellow gaze, its horns and its distorted face.
- "Donisemon!" - screamed Isabella.
- "Demon Duke Donisemon!" - he said spreading his arms - "nice to see you again dreamers, it seems I've arrived just in time to take part in the final act."
- "What do you want, you fiend!?" - Caoilainn shouted. They went into their fighting stances.
- "Well, I want take part in this final stage of your journey." - the Duke smiled - "and put up a good fight here" - with that the Duke removed his cape. This revealed a strong body, wearing a dark blue steel armor and two big swords, one black as the night and the other of a yellowish hue.
- "Those two colored swords!" - said Mazanlold - "you demon, did you possess master Wazike!?"
- "I'm glad you noticed" - the Duke laughed loudly - "Noctis and Diei are mine, even though, I prefer to call them Noctis and Vespera." - Donisemon flaunted his swords - "This master Wazike sure fights well. You see, he is a dreamer too. He got everything but also got old. He wished dearly" - The Duke feasted on this memory - "for immortality. And I granted him, of course. And my price was really low, as the magnanimous Duke I am. From time to time I take his body on lease to fight just a little" - he smiled - "to teach a lesson on despair!"
- "That is disgraceful!" - replied Mazanlold.
- "No it's not, it is quite fun, actually" - Donisemon replied laughing - "I've had so much fun on this journey, since you sprang my trap on Boneenob." - he gesticulated, enjoying his show - "I've given you entertainment in Neggenegg, set you up in Delfinifled and even gave you prophecies and fights as Dacrina!" - the four travelers shook in anger - "I even enjoyed watching some fights like the apes." - Isabella intervened:
- "Why is that? Why so much evil?"
- "I's the two things I really like, you see" - Donisemon's smile was chilling - "dreamers and despair. I love to mix them together!"
- "We will destroy you!" - Caoilainn shouted. Her fingers moved rapidly on her staff.
- "Caoilainn, Caoilainn, Caoilainn. The great mage who is afraid of being alone in the dark. Such a dreamer!" - Isabella held Caoilainn's shoulder, trying to avoid a risky confrontation. - "and you Mazanlold? A warrior who is so fearful of his family's destiny that will most certainly fall into it." - Mazanlold was angry, but meditating and did not move - "and you, Isabella, the so called leader who cannot protect your friends even from four apes from another world" - he laughed - "just four apes, can you believe it?!" - Isabella's blood boiled, but she said nothing. Richard, however, stepped up and said:
- "That's enough Demon Duke Donisemon" - the demon loved hearing his name - "it's time we set this straight in a fight."
- "Oh Richard!" - the Duke shouted pretending a surprise - "the most pitiful of all! Is it you who is gonna challenge me!?" - he started laughing - "that's just absurd."
- "Why is that?" - Richard said, already in fighting stance.
- "It's just too funny. You call yourself dreamer and call those your friends. However, of all of your friends, you are the most similar to me." - the demon laughed again - "and this makes my day, really."
- "What do you mean, fiend?!" - Richard was getting angry.
- "I mean that" - Donisemon wore the most horrifying smile - "that just like me you are not a human."
- "Do not lie to me!" - Richard shouted.
- "You know that, don't you? Not feeling things, just acting your part, believing you don't have a heart?" - Richard gulped - "Do you know why you believe in all that?" - Donisemon gesticulated - "The explanation is so simple: because it is true. You are not a human, you are an artificial intelligence!" - Donisemon laughed screeching.
- "An AI? What do you mean?" - Richard was scared now. The others looked puzzled.
- "Yes, that is it. You are an artificial intelligence created on your world to act just like a human being. Ever wondered why you are so good what learning? But at the same time lacking motivation? Ever wondered why nothing ever feels real? Now it is clear" - Donisemon gesticulated - "You have no heart and no dreams, Richard. You are just a pretender, fooling everyone around you" - Donisemon smiled again - "and yourself."
- "That.. cannot... be... true" - Richard said that and knelt. Isabella intervened.
- "Don't listen to him, Richard! He is Demon Duke Donisemon, master of lies and illusion, he is just trying to fool us."
- "Well said, Isabella, for I am all of that" - the Duke said smiling - "and that's why this is so great. I said no lies this time, the truth is so paradoxical, so hurtful, so despair inducing that I couldn't invent a better lie!" - he burst into laughing. Isabella replied looking down:
- "We've listened to you way too much now." - she raised her head - "come on my comrades. Richard. Let us fight" - she looked at the Duke - "it's time to cut you down!"
- "I will go too" - said Richard, trying to get up.
- "Shut up faker!" - cried Donisemon - "You have no reason to fight, you have no dreams and no heart, why don't you let the authentic ones fight?"
- "That" - Richard hesitated - "is true." - he approached the corner and sat down. Isabella turned to him and said:
- "Don't believe him, Richard! Come, fight with us! You are human!"
- "No I am not" - Richard continued - "I will just wait here, I cannot rob you of your dreams and journey." - Isabella was going to continue when Mazanlold touched her shoulder and said:
- "Isabella, we must fight." - they turned and Donisemon went into his dual wielding fighting stance. He continued whispering - "we will need to believe that our peuco will wake up and if not" - he hesitated - "that we will handle Donisemon by ourselves."
- "You are correct" - said Isabella. She raised her sword, pointed it a Donisemon and said - "I, lady Isabella of Kitatik will now destroy you with my comrades."
- "That's all I wanted to hear" - Donisemon said in a low voice and leaped into their direction.