Inside the Golden Palace, the light was unusually dim, but that posed no problem for Sifa.
He snapped his fingers, and torches and wind lamps throughout the palace lit up one after another.
The space immediately brightened.
Thin mist drifted through the hall, pale white fog spreading everywhere and giving every scene an unreal quality.
The first thing Sifa saw inside the palace was the throne piled from skulls.
The throne was made of countless skulls, most of them human, though some belonged to beasts or other races.
The skulls at the front of the armrests appeared human, but were enormous, like the heads of Giants.
Beneath the skull throne, skeletons knelt in rows.
They all worshipped the throne, as if paying homage to a nonexistent Death.
All the skeletons wore ancient Balam clothing. The closer they were to the throne, the more splendid their clothes were and the more ornaments they wore.
"Those are nobles."
Freeman explained beside Sifa, "They were nobles of the empire, possessing distinguished status, and they willingly died here."
"They believed that when the Underworld Emperor returned, their souls would be redeemed and they would live forever in peace within the Underworld Emperor's Divine Kingdom."
Sifa walked between the skeletons and, guided by Freeman, arrived near the throne.
Freeman pointed at the throne. "The entrance to the underground area is below it."
"I can only go this far. I can't go any farther down."
Sifa nodded. "Wait here for me."
After saying that, his figure became invisible wind and slipped through the gaps into the underground area.
Entering the underground area, Sifa immediately sensed an invisible, oppressive aura.
In the darkness, he could hear panting, as though someone were breathing heavily.
Sifa reassembled his body in the darkness and released deep crimson Fire Crows, letting