Chapter 387: Growing Older
[It’s truly a simple game, you know! All you need to do is choose between two paths before you….]
The white letters glowed ominously in the pitch-black void, casting an eerie light that seemed to pulse with life.
As the words lingered, two white doors materialized on opposite sides of the void, their surfaces gleaming like polished ivory.
The group dusting their butt, stared at the two doors, their eyes flickering with uncertainty and dread. The words lingered, urging them to make a choice, but the tension in the air was palpable.
[Whatever path you choose… you alone will face it!]
“…” A heavy, suffocating silence followed.
They understood now…. they would have to face the test alone, isolated from one another. The thought sent a shiver of fear through the group, and more than one person found themselves involuntarily clenching their fists.
[Fu~Fu~ Don’t worry, guys… there’s no need to fear the game. It’s nothing more than a simple, easy challenge]
The mocking tone in the words did little to soothe their nerves. They had already seen the peak, a place where lives were extinguished without mercy, and they knew better than to trust these assurances.
As if sensing their disbelief, the words shifted, adopting a more taunting and condescending tone:
[Haha… At least you’re a bit more cautious than the last dragon.]
Kai’s heart skipped a beat, his eyes widening in shock. He stepped forward, his voice trembling as he blurted out, “L-Leon? What happened to him? Where is he?”
There was a pause, a silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity before the words responded with a casual indifference that sent chills down Kai’s spine:
[Hmm… Well… you’ll find out eventually. Don’t worry~]
Something in the tone… an underlying threat, a promise of something terrible… caused a collective shudder to run through the group.
Some even wanted to leave but there was no path to exit from here!
[Anyhow, let’s begin the game.]
Suddenly, in the corner of everyone’s vision, a vertical level bar appeared.
At the top of the bar was a ‘😈’ symbol, and at the bottom, a ‘😇’ symbol glowed faintly. In the centre of the bar, their own faces stared back at them, distorted and unnervingly lifelike.
[You see the two symbols, right? The top one represents your inner demon, the darkness within you, while the lower one symbolizes your purity and goodness, the light that still remains… And in the middle, you’ll see your own face…. Do you see it?]
They all nodded slowly, unease tightening their chests. Their reflections on the bar seemed twisted, their features exaggerated in ways that made them almost unrecognizable.
[As you can see, once you enter the door, you’ll confront your true heart… Your face will shift and change according to your thoughts and choices! The bar will reflect your inner turmoil and the battle between the demon and the angel within you.]
“I-is that all?” Ashara asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
[😏… Lady Ashara Nightfire, you of all people… you ask that? Don’t you understand what it means to have two hearts? And how painful it is?… Pain, fear, hiding, being lost… GUILT!!]
The words struck like a dagger, and Ashara’s entire body trembled violently. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she felt as though the air had been sucked out of her lungs.
[I know…. I know everything about each and every one of you….]
Even though those were words…. they literally felt the words echoed in their minds, filling them with a sense of dread that they couldn’t shake. It was as if someone—or something—was burrowing into their thoughts.
[Sigh, anyhow~ Let’s begi–]
“You still haven’t explained the conditions for this game. And what happens to those who fail?” Aqualina suddenly spoke up, her voice cold and emotionless. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the floating words, refusing to be intimidated.
[Good! Yay!! Just as sharp as always… Well, there are no strict conditions. You can play however you want. But as for failures… that’s something crucial… By the time you complete the test, your face should either be at the top or the bottom of the bar…. but never, ever in the middle.]
The group frowned in confusion. “What do you mean by that?” they asked in unison, their voices laced with tension.
[Fu~Fu~ There is always good in the bad~
There is always bad in the good~
But there is no good and bad at the same time!]
The words were cryptic, leaving them more confused than before. Before anyone could ask for clarification, the glowing text faded into nothingness, leaving only the void and the two stark white doors standing before them.
The silence was suffocating. They exchanged uneasy glances, each trying to decipher the meaning behind the cryptic message.
“I think we should come up with a plan to—” Aqualina began, her voice steady, but before she could finish, there was a sudden commotion.
“W-What the….?!” someone shouted.
All heads turned as Finnian’s legs began moving on their own, dragging him towards the left door as if some invisible force was controlling him.
“Finnian?” Helena exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm. She reached out to grab him, but before her hand could touch him, her own legs flinched and began marching her toward the right door, completely against her will.
Helena’s heart raced as she fought against the force pulling her, but it was no use. Whatever it was, it was far stronger than she was, and it dragged her, step by step, closer to the door.
It wasn’t just her…. one by one, each of them found themselves compelled to move, their bodies no longer under their own control. It was as if they were puppets, strings pulled by some unseen hand.
In no time, the group was scattered, each of them moving toward different doors… except;
The void seemed to grow darker as the words reappeared:
[I never thought you’d show up here, Lady–]
“Shhhh” Kyra’s voice cut through the darkness like a blade. Her eyes, cold, were fixed on the glowing words, her expression unreadable.
[I see…. Then what kind of pleasure do I owe you for your generous visit to my old tomb?]
A slow, enigmatic smile spread across Kyra’s lips as she responded, “Nothing much… just a routine check-up,” as she moved toward the door without hesitation.
[Routine check-up? That’s the last thing I heard when I died by your fateful hand… Fu~Fu~ I wonder who it will be this time… Haha…]
…
….
“I am… alone?” Victor muttered, his voice echoing off the pure black walls that enclosed the narrow path ahead.
The walls, though dark, seemed to pulse with a faint, eerie light, barely illuminating the corridor he stood in.
Behind him, there was nothing but an impenetrable black wall.
Suddenly,
!~Ding~!
[(Paused)Remaining Time: 279 days 23 hours 60 minutes 02 seconds]
Victor’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Paused? Why would it be paused?” he wondered aloud, but after a moment’s thought, he shrugged it off. His mind shifted to more immediate concerns as he reached out, establishing a Telepathy connection.
/Sel? Are you okay?/
/Yes, I’m fine… just dealing with some goblins or whatever these ugly creatures are…/
/Goblins, huh? Be careful. Those little bastards can be tricky/ Victor advised, a hint of amusement in his voice as he imagined her easily cutting through them.
Next, he reached out to…
/Aria? How are things on your end?/
/Don’t worry Aether! I’m doing fine, just facing a pack of wolves… But you be careful, okay?/
A small smile tugged at Victor’s lips as he sensed the concern in her voice. He nodded and then,
/Celes?/
/…/
Nothing.
The silence on the other end was heavy.
Victor’s smile faded as he realized the truth: the outside world was completely cut off. No communication could reach beyond these walls.
As Victor continued down the path, he noticed something disturbing… a few bloodstains smeared across the black walls, dark and ominous. His senses heightened, his steps cautious, but it wasn’t long before he encountered a….ogres!
Slckkk!
In a swift, almost effortless motion, Victor dispatched the four ogres. They barely had time to register his presence before their heads were rolling on the cold, black ground, severed cleanly from their bodies.
Victor then glanced at the level bar… His face was still in the middle of the bar.
Victor paused, his mind working through the implications.
He was calm, almost too calm, as he continued to walk, a certain luxurious ease in his stride despite the ominous atmosphere.
But just as he began to feel at ease, the black walls surrounding him abruptly ceased their faint illumination. The corridor vanished, replaced by a vast, dark void.
Victor’s muscles tensed, instinctively readying himself for whatever might come next.
Sssshhhhh
Sssshhhhh
Out of the void, two white doors appeared. Unlike before, they weren’t on opposite sides but stood side by side, glowing faintly. Victor frowned, his eyes flicking back to the Level Bar… it was still stuck in the middle.
This time, though, he didn’t feel the invisible force compelling his legs to move. He had control. For a moment, he hesitated, considering his options.
The choice was his to make.
After a deep breath, he stepped forward, choosing one of the doors. The heavy door creaked open, and he crossed without looking back.
As soon as he entered, the two doors vanished into the black void, leaving nothing but darkness behind. Victor glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see the door still there, but there was nothing—just a flat, unyielding wall.
With a resigned sigh, Victor turned to face whatever lay ahead.
But then, he heard a voice that stopped him in his tracks.
“Victor?”
He frowned…
“Here!”
Victor lowered his gaze and saw… Ashara and Nyx Shadowfall sitting on the ground, their bodies covered in patches of wounds, their faces etched with exhaustion and pain.
But something was off.
“You look… old?” Victor’s voice was laced with confusion as he took in their appearance.
Both of them seemed older, their features….. Well.. he was not a pervert but Ashara’s features little bigger and her chubby cute face was turned…. little hot!
Ashara offered a weak, awkward chuckle, her voice carrying a weight of sorrow. “Of course, Victor. It’s been a year since we last saw each other…”
Victor’s eyes widened in shock. “A year? What are you talking about?” His gaze fell to his sleeves… they were shorter as if he had grown taller.
“The FUCK!”
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