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Otherwise known as the Gate to Hell. No one really knew what was behind the gate, why it was created, or where it went. It was strictly guarded, there were all kinds of rumors and stories about it. Two Gatekeepers always were on duty there, even though it was never opened. It was very different from the other gates, cut off from all society, and far away from civilization. There was no grand staircase leading up to it; only a narrow tunnel leading down. The gate itself was set into a stone wall and the path only continued down. It is the only one of the twelve gates that does not lead to the surface somewhere.
The gate is metal bars, but nothing can be seen beyond except darkness. The courtyard before the gate is kept continually lit by torches. For some reason the more modern lightning had never been installed here as is had on the other gates and it remained a place of mystery and dread where the Gatekeepers took their role very seriously. Their sole duty was to make sure that the gate remained closed and that nothing came out of it into Dylann. They reported immediately if anything unusual happened... but nothing ever did.
Until the betrayal, of course, when the gate was opened, and there was nothing that could be done to stop it then. Everything that is evil came sweeping out. Demons, monsters, and the like. The gates were sealed, but for some it was too late, and thousands were trapped inside the cavern. The gate remained open until the end of the first book, and thus you must suffer without knowing how it was eventually closed, or what sacrifice was made for that closing.
It must be said that the gate was more than just a gate of stone and metal, it was also a binding. A covenant between Twydion's people and the demons beyond. As long as that gate remained closed the binding was in place and they could not have passed, even if the tunnel was open. But an opening of the gate signified a denial of Twydion, inviting them all in. Once the gate was re-closed, the binding was reestablished and everything that rightfully belonged behind it was forced to return. Thus the closing of the gate was more than simply pulling the lever, but a statement on behalf of an entire race of a return to Twydion's plan.
If anyone's read The Elfstones of Shannara, they use a very similar sort of plot device. There's a tree that keeps the veil between Shannara and the void intact, and when the tree dies the veil gets torn and the demons slip through. Once the tree is restored the veil closes, and though the demons came out gradually, they're banished instantly. It also has some similarities to Ted Dekker's Black, in that the demons can't enter unless they're invited. (And who in their right mind would invite demons over, huh?)
_________________ Floyd was frozen where he stood. He struggled to breathe, but the air smelled of blood and death and guilt. He tried to formulate a name, to ask, but language was meaningless, and words would not come. He tried to scream but the sound got stuck in his heart, shattered into a million pieces, and scattered to the wind.
In a world without superheroes, who will stand against the forces of evil?
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