The Lazy Chronicles: Apartment of the Apocalypse
Chapter 124 - 125

Chapter 124: Chapter 125

Visions of the Past and Future

A wave of energy pulsed through the chamber. Greg yelped as the walls warped, twisting into a swirling void of memories. The air grew thick, charged with something beyond magic—a power older than the world itself.

The Oracle’s voice echoed, layered with countless others.

"The Forgotten Gate is not merely a door. It is a boundary between sacrifice and salvation."

Images flooded their minds.

Mallory saw a city falling, fire consuming towering structures as shadowy figures clashed in a war long past. A warrior, clad in silver armor, stood before a massive stone gateway—the Forgotten Gate. His eyes burned with determination... and resignation.

The vision shifted.

Now, the warrior lay broken before the gate, his lifeblood pooling beneath him. The gate, once pulsing with power, shut itself with a final, resounding clang. The price had been paid. The world was saved... but at what cost?

The Oracle spoke again.

"Each era, the gate seeks another sacrifice. A soul strong enough to seal the cycle."

Mallory’s breath hitched.

Greg, still clutching his head, groaned. "Let me guess—this is the part where we find out someone has to die, right?"

The Oracle’s head snapped toward him unnaturally fast.

"A hero must fall, so the world may rise."

Silence fell over them.

Alex frowned. "So... you’re saying in order to use the gate, someone has to die?"

The Oracle’s gaze locked onto Mallory.

"No. Not just anyone. The one who carries the key."

The weight of the revelation crushed the air from Mallory’s lungs.

Her.

If they wanted to open the Forgotten Gate, if they wanted to claim whatever power or salvation lay beyond it—Mallory had to die.

---

Doubt and Decision

"No," Greg said immediately, stepping between Mallory and the Oracle. "Screw that. We are NOT trading Mallory’s life for some magic door."

Elara’s hands clenched at her sides. "There has to be another way."

The Oracle didn’t waver. "The cycle demands balance. The gate does not open for free."

Quinn exhaled slowly. "So, what, we just accept this? March Mallory to her doom because ’fate says so’?"

Mallory was quiet, her mind racing.

This wasn’t what she had expected. She had braced for danger, for the usual high-stakes risks that came with their journey, but this? This was a certainty. A fixed price.

And the worst part?

Somewhere deep down... she had always known.

From the moment she first touched the key, from the first time she glimpsed the Forgotten Gate in her dreams, she had felt it pulling her toward something inevitable.

A choice.

Sacrifice... or selfishness.

Mallory met the Oracle’s gaze. "If I die, what happens to the gate?"

The Oracle’s voice was barely a whisper now. "It opens. And through it... a force beyond your understanding is unleashed."

That wasn’t an answer. Not really.

Alex narrowed his eyes. "Unleashed? That could mean anything. Something good, something bad—"

Greg scoffed. "Gee, considering every single thing in this world tries to kill us, I wonder which it is."

Mallory remained silent.

Then, she turned on her heel. "We’re leaving."

The Oracle watched as Mallory strode back toward the tunnel. The others hesitated before following.

"The price will come due," the Oracle called after them. "Whether you choose it... or it chooses you."

Mallory didn’t look back.

---

The Path Forward

They walked in tense silence. The cultists didn’t stop them.

Once they reached the tunnel leading back to the surface, Greg finally broke the silence.

"So, uh... what’s the plan?"

Mallory didn’t stop walking. "We keep moving."

Elara frowned. "You’re not... actually considering it, are you?"

Mallory’s footsteps slowed.

"What if I am?"

The group stopped.

Greg threw his hands in the air. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

Quinn crossed his arms. "I think what Greg is trying to say—very loudly—is that we’re not letting you throw yourself on a magical altar just because some skeleton oracle said so."

Mallory turned, her expression unreadable. "And what if she’s right? What if this is what I was meant to do?"

Alex met her gaze. "Then we find a way to break ’fate.’"

The words settled between them.

Mallory wanted to argue. Wanted to say it wasn’t that simple. But looking at her friends—the people who had fought, bled, and survived beside her—she realized something else.

She wasn’t alone.

And if she wasn’t alone... then maybe fate wasn’t as unbreakable as the Oracle claimed.

Mallory exhaled.

"Alright. Then let’s figure out how to do the impossible."

Greg grinned. "Now THAT is more like it."

With renewed purpose, they ascended from the ruins, determined to defy whatever destiny had in store.

---

The moment Mallory and her team emerged from the underground ruins, the night air hit them like a welcome slap to the face. The damp, ancient scent of the tunnels was replaced by the crisp coolness of the mountains.

For a few moments, no one spoke. They stood at the mouth of the cavern, gazing out at the moonlit valley below, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Greg huffed and turned to Mallory. "So. Are we actually going to talk about how you almost let a walking skeleton tell you to die?"

Mallory sighed, rubbing her temples. "I didn’t say I was going to do it. I just—"

"You considered it." Greg jabbed a finger at her. "That’s already a problem!"

Elara crossed her arms. "To be fair, it’s not like we have a solid alternative yet."

Quinn, who had been scanning the landscape, finally spoke. "Then we need to find one. Fast."

Alex exhaled sharply. "Let’s be real—this isn’t just about some prophecy. We know the Forgotten Gate is dangerous. If the Oracle is right, opening it without paying the ’price’ could backfire in a way we’re not ready for."

Mallory nodded. "Exactly. Which means we need to learn more before making a decision."

She pulled out the Forgotten Gate Key and turned it over in her palm. Despite its ancient appearance, it radiated a warmth—as if it was alive.

"The Oracle’s prophecy isn’t law," Mallory continued. "It’s an expectation. Someone died last time to close the gate. That doesn’t mean someone has to die this time to open it."

Greg pointed at her. "Good. That’s the kind of thinking I like."

Elara, however, was frowning. "You’re sure? Because if you’re wrong..."

Mallory’s grip on the key tightened. "Then we figure it out along the way."

Silence stretched before Quinn finally nodded. "Alright. First step?"

Mallory glanced toward the distant horizon.

"The Sunken Library."

---

---

A Forgotten Archive

The Sunken Library was nestled within the remnants of an ancient city swallowed by time. Centuries ago, an earthquake had shattered the land, causing part of the city to sink into a deep valley. What remained above ground was a collection of crumbling towers, tilted streets, and bridges leading to nowhere.

And in the heart of it all? The last known archive of pre-cataclysm knowledge.

"We should approach carefully," Elara whispered as they reached the outskirts. "This place has been abandoned for centuries, but that doesn’t mean it’s empty."

Quinn took the lead, moving with the practiced caution of a seasoned fighter. His eyes swept the ruins, scanning for movement.

Mallory, meanwhile, was focused on something else entirely. The Forgotten Gate Key was reacting—faintly pulsing, like a heartbeat.

Something in this place was connected to it.

They moved deeper into the ruins, passing beneath cracked archways and stepping over shattered stone.

Then, as they rounded a corner, they found it.

The Sunken Library’s entrance lay before them, half-buried in debris. A grand, circular doorway stood open, leading into darkness. Strange glyphs were carved into the stone, flickering with faint blue light.

Greg whistled. "Well, that’s inviting."

Alex unsheathed his weapon. "Let’s go."

---

Secrets in the Dark

The interior of the library was massive—a cavernous space lined with towering bookshelves, stretching beyond sight. Water dripped from the ceiling, pooling on the marble floor. The air smelled of mildew and forgotten knowledge.

"This place shouldn’t still be intact," Elara muttered.

Mallory agreed. There was something unnatural preserving it.

They moved cautiously, the sound of their footsteps swallowed by the vastness.

Then, something stirred in the distance.

A faint scraping sound.

Quinn tensed, his blade flashing in the dim light. "We’re not alone."

A shadow moved between the shelves. A figure—tall, draped in tattered robes, its face obscured by an iron mask.

Mallory’s breath caught.

A Guardian.

It turned toward them, hollow eye sockets glowing. Then, with unnatural speed, it lunged.

---The Guardian’s Trial

Quinn barely had time to raise his weapon before the Guardian’s blade crashed against his. Sparks flew as the force of the blow sent him staggering back.

Alex was next, striking with precision, but his sword merely glanced off the Guardian’s armor.

Greg, ever the reckless one, launched himself forward—only to be backhanded across the room.

"OW—Okay, that was a mistake."

Mallory’s mind raced. This wasn’t just a random guardian. It was testing them.

She stepped forward, gripping the Forgotten Gate Key.

The Guardian froze, its hollow gaze locking onto the key.

Then, in a voice like grinding stone, it spoke.

"Only the worthy may claim the knowledge."