Parallel Memory

Chapter 733: The Building That Swallowed People

The moment the elevator doors opened onto the upper floors of Tech Genesis, Lilith finally let out the breath she had been holding.

For nearly twenty seconds, she had been convinced that the metal box was some kind of ancient human artifact designed to imprison people between dimensions. Even now, as she stepped onto the polished floor, she glanced suspiciously at the elevator behind her, half-expecting it to suddenly shut its doors and devour the guards standing nearby.

One of the S-rank guards noticed her expression and struggled to suppress a laugh.

”Miss Lily, are you... afraid of elevators?”

Lilith immediately straightened her posture.

”Of course not.”

”Then why were you holding the Managing Director’s sleeve the entire time?”

Aiden coughed awkwardly and adjusted his suit.

”I think the more important question is why you nearly crushed my hand.”

Lilith looked away.

”The box moved unexpectedly.”

The four guards exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

Lilith’s cheeks flushed slightly.

For the first time in weeks, perhaps even months, she found herself in an ordinary conversation that had nothing to do with politics, war, or royal duties.

Unfortunately, the peaceful moment didn’t last.

As they walked down the hallway, Lilith’s eyes wandered around the floor in amazement.

Every few meters, people sat behind strange desks staring at glowing screens. Some tapped furiously on small boards covered with symbols, while others spoke into peculiar devices connected by wires.

She slowed her pace.

”What exactly are they doing?”

Aiden looked up from the papers in his hand.

”Working.”

Lilith blinked.

”On what?”

”Applications. Games. Financial reports. New projects.”

She nodded slowly, pretending she understood.

In reality, she understood absolutely nothing.

One young employee hurried past them carrying several folders. He stopped abruptly after recognizing Aiden.

”Good afternoon, sir!”

Aiden nodded politely.

Then the employee’s eyes landed on Lilith.

For several seconds, he simply stared.

Lilith was wearing clothes that belonged to one of the older maids from the palace. Compared to the elegant outfits worn by the employees of Tech Genesis, she looked as if she had accidentally wandered in from a farming village.

The young man whispered to one of his coworkers.

”Who’s that?”

”No idea.”

”Relative?”

”Maybe.”

Lilith pretended not to hear them.

Truthfully, she was beginning to understand why everyone in the lobby had looked at her strangely.

Even in the Devil Kingdom, she had never cared much about fashion. Most of her life had been spent inside the palace, surrounded by servants who simply handed her clothes every morning.

Now, standing among hundreds of well-dressed office workers, she suddenly felt like an outsider.

One of the guards noticed her expression and tried to reassure her.

”Don’t mind them. Most people here come from the city.”

Lilith looked at him.

”And?”

The guard smiled.

”They think you’re from the countryside.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow.

”Because of my clothes?”

”...Mostly because of your clothes.”

The second guard nodded seriously.

”And because you looked ready to attack the elevator.”

”I was observing it.”

”Of course.”

Lilith crossed her arms.

Humans were surprisingly disrespectful.

As they continued walking, they passed a large room enclosed by glass walls. Inside, dozens of people sat around a table discussing something while strange images floated on a giant screen at the front.

Lilith stopped once again.

”What kind of magic is that?”

Aiden followed her gaze.

”Oh, that’s just the meeting room.”

Lilith stared at the glowing screen.

”That doesn’t answer my question.”

One of the guards chuckled.

”It’s called a projector.”

”A projector?”

”It shows images.”

Lilith frowned.

”You humans have artifacts for everything.”

Aiden laughed.

”They aren’t artifacts.”

”Then what are they?”

”Technology.”

She remained silent for several seconds.

”Human technology is terrifying.”

The guards laughed again.

As they approached another elevator, Lilith instinctively slowed down.

Aiden immediately noticed.

”We still have five more floors.”

Lilith looked horrified.

”Five?”

”Yes.”

”We’re taking the stairs.”

The guards burst into laughter once more.

”Miss Lily, the stairs are on the other side of the building.”

”Good.”

”It’ll take fifteen minutes.”

Lilith looked at the elevator doors opening and closing in front of her.

”...Maybe technology isn’t so terrifying.”

The guard beside her grinned.

”I thought so.”

They stepped inside once more.

This time, Lilith stood in the corner as far away from the doors as possible.

A young employee entered at the last moment and froze after noticing Aiden.

”Managing Director!”

Aiden nodded.

The employee quickly bowed before glancing curiously at Lilith.

For the next twenty seconds, complete silence filled the elevator.

Lilith stared at the ceiling.

The employee stared at Lilith.

The guards struggled not to laugh.

When the doors finally opened, the employee practically sprinted outside.

Lilith exhaled.

”I survived.”

One of the guards couldn’t hold back anymore.

”You really thought you wouldn’t?”

”I wasn’t taking chances.”

Even Aiden laughed at that.

The upper floors of Tech Genesis were much quieter than the lower ones.

Gone were the crowds of employees rushing from office to office.

Instead, luxurious carpets covered the floors, and enormous windows overlooked the entire city.

Lilith slowly approached the glass and froze.

From this height, the human capital looked endless.

Rows of houses stretched toward the horizon while tiny figures moved through the streets below.

For a moment, she forgot about the meeting, the peace treaty, and the burden she carried.

She simply stared.

”It’s beautiful.”

Aiden stopped beside her.

”It is.”

Lilith looked down at the people below.

”They all look so small.”

”That’s usually what happens when you’re eleven stories above the ground.”

She ignored his sarcasm.

”Do humans always live like this?”

Aiden smiled.

”No.”

He pointed toward the poorer districts visible in the distance.

”Most people struggle to survive, just like anywhere else.”

Lilith’s expression softened.

Even after crossing the border, even after entering the capital itself, the similarities between humans and devils continued to surprise her.

People worked.

People worried.

People dreamed.

The differences that had fueled centuries of hatred suddenly felt insignificant.

One of the guards interrupted her thoughts.

”Miss Lily, if you don’t mind me asking...”

Lilith turned around.

”What is it?”

”How exactly are you related to Mr. Zero?”

The other guards immediately looked interested.

Aiden quietly rubbed his forehead.

Lilith panicked internally.

She had forgotten that she was supposed to be Zero’s relative.

Thinking as quickly as possible, she replied,

”We grew up together.”

The guards nodded.

”Childhood friends?”

”...Something like that.”

One of them grinned.

”So that’s why the Managing Director came down personally.”

Lilith tilted her head.

”What do you mean?”

The guard laughed.

”Mr. Zero never receives visitors.”

”Never?”

Aiden shook his head.

”Almost never.”

Lilith blinked.

”He has friends, right?”

The four guards exchanged awkward looks.

Aiden answered honestly.

”He disappears for months at a time, comes back injured, refuses rewards, hides from celebrations, and somehow ends up causing trouble everywhere he goes.”

Lilith stared blankly.

”...That does sound like him.”

The guards laughed.

”You’re definitely related.”

They finally stopped in front of a pair of large black doors at the end of the hallway.

The laughter gradually faded.

For the first time since entering Tech Genesis, Lilith felt nervous.

Behind those doors was the person she had crossed kingdoms to find.

The person carrying the fate of humans and devils without anyone realizing it.

Aiden placed his hand on the door handle.

”He’s inside.”

For some reason, Lilith suddenly forgot all the words she had prepared during the journey.

The arguments in the palace.

The deadlock in the human capital.

The fear of civil war.

Everything vanished.

All that remained was uncertainty.

Aiden noticed her hesitation.

”Are you alright?”

Lilith looked away from the door and nodded.

”...I’m fine.”

One of the guards smiled.

”You traveled all the way here. It would be a shame to turn back now.”

Lilith took a deep breath.

”You’re right.”

Aiden slowly pushed open the doors.

Warm sunlight streamed into the hallway from the massive windows inside the room.

And standing beyond them—

Was the familiar figure she had missed.............