The sudden darkness made everyone fall back insecure.
Novem and Nathaniel lit up balls of fire in their palms. Apart from the purple torch, the small balls of fire dimly illuminated the large hall and its luminosity was so one could barely distinguish another from themselves.
"It's hard to see but this would have to do." Nathan had no intention of being complacent with anybody
"This is starting to get annoying ". The princess sighed, looking towards Novem. "Also, does he name his swords?. He seems really attached to it". She asked the person most closest to her
"Elizabeth is a person. Once upon a time, she was a sentinel-in-training several years ago in HQ". Nathan explained
"Oh. If she was your age then she's probably currently a Vassal or an Agent-". Mei-ying was cut short
"She died". Nathan said bitterly, "Before she could become either".
He vividly remembered the sweet voice of a smiling brown-haired girl who was friendly to all and biased to none.
{"It's surprising to find a new sentinel candidate so late, especially when the recruitment season is over. Lord Marl hates doing it, you know? So It's probably Lord Zephyr again. When was the last time I even saw him? Zephyr that is. An incoming Elizabeth smiled softly, "I may be jumping into conclusions so don't mind me." She had laughed nervously at Nathan at the time as she waved her hands. "I just checked up on 'El. I can understand why you look sad, Nathan". She had also said, tears streaming down her eyes]
Elizabeth was someone who would shed a tear for a stranger.
Her long brown hair always drifted with the wind whenever she walked, and the last time they saw her, that lovely brown hair was dyed in bright red blood.
Nathan let out a short gasp. He rubbed his tingling eyes, "Now's not the time".
"So those swords, he's keeping them as a memento of his dead companions... It's sweet, but sad". Mei-ying lowered her gaze and silently prayed
"I never asked what happened when you got here?". Mathias asked the princess
"And why do you care?". The princess snapped at him
"Exactly!". Mathias laughed
It took a while for Meiying to understand, and when she did, she threw Mathias an evil glare. Meanwhile, Sebastian who was just talking to Felix came to the princess side
"I never asked what happened when you got here". Sebastian asked
"A few seconds after I got here, I was attacked by a knight. But after a pretty short battle, it disappeared. That must be after the torches went off. After that I just explored, and it was pretty dark. A while later, all the torches came back on and I could see again but this time, I was greeted with the sight of wild dogs and a few apparitions "
"Apparitions? Like ghosts? "Mathias asked
The princess,"... " Her arms folded
"Ah, you mean ghosts? " Felix asked
"Yes, something of the sort." She responded
Mathias, "..."
"You guys, this is not a dungeon". Novem declared
There was a short silence as soon as those words fell
"That was also my thought." Grace said, "Dungeons from all we know always have specific rules. Kill the boss to escape, but here." She looked at the wall holding the cup with a purple torch. "There doesn't seem to be a boss. Although it's big I still checked most of the rooms here. Not to mention, aren't we the ones choosing the type of opponents we're fighting? a bit odd wouldn't you say, Lord Novem?".
"Yeah" He agreed, "Anytime a new enemy arrives, our battle always doesn't end with us completely killing them before we are assigned another task. Why do you think that is?"
"If it's possible... There's a fixed time for every battle". Reo was not entirely sure
"Is something I thought of, but, why exactly do we need an allocated time?". This time, Novem was asking
It was a question nobody could answer
"So it all boils down to none of this makes sense, right? That's why this 'dungeon' is nothing but a 'warped space' from all sorts of phobias and scares." Novem explained,
They all made exclamations of understanding.
"Give Kelvin an example, Grace". Novem said, " She hasn't fully grasped it yet"
"It's like this". Grace began, "Let's say you're in a movie located in a castle's basement where there seems to be hidden treasures. Can you imagine what would be in that scenario? Compare it with what is here". She asked
"Ahh." Kelvin pondered, "It would be dark, with a dim source of illumination." It was then she came to a realization. "There would also be possible ancient writings from those who had been there."
"Good". Novem nodded
"And most importantly, there would be guards protecting such a place; the treasure in particular". Kelvin came to a conclusion
"In such a situation, who do you suppose the guards would be?". Novem asked her
"... Oh, silver plated knights!". She exclaimed and Novem almost laughs. Cute kid
"In other words, this twisted reality is just a distorted dimension born from all types of fictions and fears" He gestures as he explained, "Those that suffer from symbolophobia and numerophobia, the distorted numbers and symbols on the walls are their handwork (their fear of it is what caused this), and if by happenstance they find themselves here, this just might be their worst nightmare."
"And the same goes for those who fear abnormal and irregular creatures like the ones we faced earlier! That's..." Kelvin began thinking
"Teratophobia." Reo completed her sentence
"Those who fear darkness too". Grace said
"And that loud noise from a while ago". Mei-ying couldn't have been annoyed by that noise the most
"The ugly melody also". Mathias conceded
While the rest chatted along ...
"So it's a warped space!". Kelvin laughs
"A distorted dimension." Sebastian said nonchalantly
"Twisted reality." Felix said his part wryly
"Rifted realm". Reo raised his brow
"Skewed scenery" Nathan said in a mechanical tone
"Disrupted domain" Grace smiled
The princess went, 'How can they come up with something like that on the spot!'
Novem called on Mathias, "Come"
"Yeah?" He yawns as he made his way over
"Give me back Spectra". Novem reaches his hand out, "Mark is still too important".
Mathias sighed as he handed over the sword he had been carrying the whole time.
Novem opened his portal and shoved his green handle sword inside while he took the purple laced sword from Mathias.
"Lord Novem". Mathias started, "Have you forgotten what Lord Julius told you"
"Julius told me...?". Novem began wondering
"I don't know, find out!". Mathias was pissed
"What?". Novem was confused
Mathias slowly turned back, "I still don't like them. Those doctors, and most of our mates from HQ"
Novem turned solemn, 'He still hasn't gotten over his grudge from all these years. Can't blame him though, for what happened to his sister'
Slowly, Novem opened his portal and walked inside, an instance later, he appeared several meters away right in front of the wall carrying the inscriptions.
Surprisingly, and as no one would have expected, all messages meant for them were written in the almost universal language, English. There were quite a lot of sentences this time. Since the words were buried in the wall in the midst of many different ancient letters and symbols, it was hard to pick out the sentence a word belonged to but nevertheless..
"All of you should come see this quickly". Novem said from the other side although they were already on their way.
"What is it?". Mathias asked
"It appears, they are requiring us to choose our means of escape." He gestures with his chin. "Unfortunately, all options are hazardous. Let's proceed with caution, this is highly dangerous". Novem frowned
The group came together and took a good look. A second later, their faces were met with bizarre expressions
The most eligible of characters were the ones written in bold at the top. It was a very rough handwriting like someone had hurriedly carved it out of fear.
{{Your path to freedom}}
"Oh God". Kelvin exclaimed
"It goes on". Reo frowned at what came after
{Draw all possible circumspection as you navigate the path to freedom from your selected choice of viable alternatives:}
{Clockwork corridor, where time and mechanics hold the key}
{Hall of silence, where the absence of sounds reveals secrets}
{Beware of your counterparts snare, lest thou be trapped in their evil lair}
[Path of illusion, where reality bends and warps]
{Tunnel of whispers, where echoes hide truth}
{Stairway of shadows, where darkness leads to light}
{Corners of labyrinth, where the path to freedom is paved with twists and turns.}
Immediately they were done reading it, the torches in cups on the walls ignited once more.
Surprisingly, the normally expressionless Sebastian had bitter written on his face.
Novem was exasperated, and this was total bullshit.
"I'm even surprised, an Instance leading to other Instance" Grace said
"Your counterparts eh? Let's avoid entrances that might lead to potential doppelgangers. Option three sounds shady". He rubbed his hair back and sighs
"And one that might lead to possible separation too. The labyrinths and stairway of shadow also sound like bad options". Grace pitched in
"T-he clockwork corridor sounds l-like a puzzle, b-but what if it isn't a puzzle? What are we supposed to solve? And what if anything we choose turns out to be the complete opposite! What do we do then!? I can't do without making noise and what sort of whispers are they talking about!?". Kelvin panicked
"There you go again". Novem grinned, "Analysis paralysis."
"Decision anxiety". Sebastian closed his eyes and said
"Choice overload ". Felix winked
"Option overwhelm". Mathias yawned
"Decision dread". Reo said, expressionless
Nathan who was already starting to warm up for the upcoming battle joined in on the fun. "Selection stress".
"Dilemma distress". Grace laughed
Everybody, "..."
They all turned their head towards Mei-ying
The princess: "Eh, m-me?". She nervously pondered, "Um, Choice chaos stress?"
... They all busted out laughing and for once, she wore a look that told she was a human
"T-this is no time for play. We still need to get out of here you know". She pouts
"Alright. What do you think, Sebas?." Novem asked. Something grabbed his attention though
"I suggest the tunnel of whispers as it doesn't seem to host much danger. It just might be a game of hiding and seeking for the way out". Sebastian explained from his point of view
"Yeah, that sounds good..". Grace, after a moment of hesitation, conceded. "I guess we should-"
'Hahahaha'. The sound of a low chuckle came audible and all eyes fell on Novem.
"... Novem?" They all turned their heads to look at Novem who held his hair and started laughing. As the seconds passed, the low chuckle grew louder and merrier.
"Lord Novem...?". This time, the princess called out hesitantly
"Well would you look at that!". Novem stifled his laughter and gestured for them to look at the sentence at the bottom of the options.
{Punishment feature for guest who put in the extra request. They are required to leave on their own}
Novem laughs again, "I don't regret it, putting in that request". He said
"Lord Novem". Kelvin worriedly called put
"Don't worry, it's my punishment. You need to get going, we've been here for too long. Just loudly call out the option, you'll get to where you should be". He said calmly
"But-" Grace started
"There's nothing you can do, Grace". Novem spoke matter of factly, "I'll count on you to lead the others"
A minutes' thought made up her mind,"I understand. We're moving, now". She told the others
"Oh, alright". Came everyone's dry reply
"There's nothing we can do about his situation, Lord Novem is a lost cause now". Grace said with fierce resolution
'Hey stop talking like I'm about to die'
"Alternative five.". Grace calmly said, "Tunnels of whispers, where echoes hide truth".
Everybody had varying colors of light enveloping their bodies, except Novem of course. Soon enough, they began to fade into nothing
"See you on the outside". Novem waves and grinned
When they were finally gone, his aura changed from friendly to deadly.
"Fine, I'll play this game with you". He eyes the inscriptions on the wall once more. "But before I chose my option, why don't you send down that bastard?". Novem smirks, "I'm sure you wouldn't be needing it anyway. Afterall.. "
Sword gripped tightly, Novem took a deep breath. Suddenly, he remembers what Julius, a fellow emperor with black hair and exotic feline-like eyes, had said to him.
{"It is essential to strike a balance between cherishing memories and avoiding unnecessary attachments. If keeping an item serves as a reminder of the deceased deeds, wisdom or values, it can be a positive way to honor them".} Novem squints his eye, slowly recalling the rest of his memories
{"However, if it leads to distraction, unnecessary attachment, or neglect of one's own life, It's best to consider letting it go.."}
"I can't help it". He had to say, Julius had a way of getting to him.
Novem held his sword firmly once again and looked up at the giant reptile that had begun to emerge from its black sinkhole but this time, at a faster rate.
"Unfortunately, I am one to hold grudges against those I don't like. But for your kind." He laughs, "You're all just a bunch of Specters anyway!"
With undefined fury, he bolts towards the awaiting reptile.
Meanwhile...
Grace and the others broke layers of sweat and half hearted laughs as they witnessed several large tunnels lead to smaller and smaller tunnels and then more large tunnels.
"Good job, Sebastian" Mathias said blandly
"Yeah, nicely done Sebastian" Felix replied with same lacking energy
"Come on guys, it could have been worse". Grace tried to bring their spirits up
"It's gonna be bad to guess, these tunnels". Kelvin sighs, stating facts
Sebastian stepped forward and whispered, "The path to freedom". With a stern face as usual
His voice resounded in the gigantic tunnels and by the time the echoes came back to hit them, they heard in between tiny voices that whispered back,
"The path to freedom lies in all RIGHTS"
"What does that mean?" Kelvin asks
"It means, we just need to make a right turn at every junction to get to the end". Reo explained
"Awesome! " Grace exclaimed
"That's great! " The princess laughed
" Yeah! Good job Sebastian!! "Mathias praised
"Way to go! Sebastian!!". Felix celebrated
Kelvin nearly rolled her eyes, "You guys are the worst "
Grace silently wondered, "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?". She asked herself
"Anyways, this is one long tunnel." Mei-ying observed, "It's going to be a long walk"
"And a long crawl.." Kelvin continues
"Before we get out of here". The princess said, looking ahead
...
Back in the enormous hall, green blood layed splattered across the hall on the walls, floors and even ceilings that seemed unable to be touched. At the center was a large emerald green serpent coiled up and unmoving. With its fine green scales shattered and its flesh punctured, it was now a messy mass of meat and bones.
Novem simply sighs as he eyed the once upon a time mighty reptile. He turned around and left for the wall again.
"I didn't even need a sword for this. Now that that's done, as for my option..." He paused midway
C-creak clang!!
The sounds of metals scraping something blunt sounded in the large hall. "What is..?"
Novem looked around only to find... Small silver objects force their way out from inside the walls, or more specifically, the symbols on the walls.
It was strange, since those symbols covered the entire surface of every wall. He just had to walk to the one nearest to him to find that the silver object that had been slowly emerging from within the symbols turned out to be a metal finger which slowly became a palm, and then an arm.
"You have got to be kidding me!". Novem had a crooked smile on his face
Sword in hand, he dashed for the wall next to him and started stabbing at the symbols but it was hard. Metal plates were already behind it.
Slowly but steadily, after the arms came the ugly and displeasing helmet Novem knew all too well, and lastly, its torso and legs.
One by one the knights landed and crashed to the ground, their metal plates colliding with each other and creating a disturbing cacophony of loud noises. Before Novem knew it, thousands of those metal cladded knights had emerged from the surface, and more were still coming!
"You had no intention of letting us leave this place, were you". He frowned,
Back in the tunnel, Grace and the rest sighed as they continued to look ahead. The tunnels... They are endless. They realized
"There's no use trying to make sense out of the paranormal". November frowned
He started running back to the center of the large hall, the knights clumsily following after him.
"The reason why I despise using this ability is because it doesn't suit me and it drains ninety percent of my stamina". Novem steadily clasps his hands together "But more than that it's because..."
As the thousands of knights rush forward, he calmly opens a portal and puts his sword inside'. "The voice that echoes in my head becomes louder and more disoriented to the point that it drives me to temporary insanity."
Novem took a deep breath and said word for word,
"Hell's Gate". He took his time looking up
Behind him, a hellish gate had begun to emerge from the ground. It was incredibly large and was streaked yellow, red and black with blazing fire spilling from the inside. The gate was nothing short of what its name was said to be, one look and you could tell it brought devastating calamity.
However, it was still just an imagination of what humans think to be the 'Hell's gate'
"What is my prize...?" A hellish and raspy voice spoke from within the gate
"Eat all that's silver". Novem shakily coughed
"Very well!" The voice sounded a bit delighted and immediately, hundreds of burning long ugly arms reached out and began grabbing all the knights in groups and pulling them inside the gate.
Novem hurriedly ran to the back of the gate and sat, lightly coughing. His head had begun ringing
"This is what I hate". He used his two hands to grab his hair
{My, why don't you come back to me, little Novem? I am only a step away! Hehehe~}
The voice in his head laughed
"Who are you" He muttered
{Why don't you come find me?}
" You say that all the time! "He screamed
{I stay in your head, but lay in a shed}
"Another one of those your ridiculous riddles " He slowly recovered his senses
{If you don't come in time, you're going to hate me}
Novem sighed, "what is it that you want". He asked
{Isn't it obvious? Your soul~!} The voice in his head cackled
"Well I'm definitely not giving you that, so"
{Oh I know that very well. When you're at your mental limits, I'll make sure to sweep in and claim what's mine. You got lucky the first time}
"First time? Do I know you? "
{Ahh~} The voice cracked, {Would you look at that, my consciousness is beginning to fade~} it cackled once more, {Don't be too surprised when... You… see me}
Tap!
Novem gasped frightened, what tapped his shoulder?
It was one of the hands from inside the gate.
"I sense a bit of silver from a different realm" The raspy voice from hell said
Novem raised an eyebrow, 'Ah he must be talking about the swords and armor Grace and the princess were holding'
"No, leave those ones. They're not on the menu". He said in exasperation
"I am a bit hungry...". The raspy voice turned eerie as it said those words
'Another problem I always encounter after summoning this gate.' Novem, from his sitting position looked up at the gate from its back.
'No matter what I offer it for its summoning, it requests another.. '
"Why don't you.. eat everything unreal" Novem asked in doubt that it could really devour something intangible.
"Very well, my summoner". The raspy voice said
"Eh? That's possible!?" Novem was genuinely surprised
"Of course," The voice laughed, "I am Hell"
The whole scenery in front of Novem began to twist as if reality was warping and before he knew it, he was thrown outside and into the real world.
Before he came back, right before he came back, the voice from hell had said lowly, "As a punishment for offering me a non materialistic offer, the next time you summon me... You shall taste death"
'Well, that was scary' Novem blinked
It was night, and the cyclone once up in the sky was already gone. Novem laid flat in the garden with his hands thrown east and west
"How fresh the air tastes". He sighed in appreciation
... "Wait, where are the others? "
Novem's Vassals, Grace and the princess as if by miracle were also thrown out of thin air and landed on him. "My stomach! my liver, you people will be the death of me!".
"Quit your whining". Felix said languidly
"Are you alright, Lord Novem!?" Kelvin panicked
"Lord Novem!" Grace whined
Kelvin and Grace were the only ones who cared
"Is that, is that you? Mei-ying? "The King and Queen had woken up from their short nap as they waited for their arrival.
"Mom, dad". Mei-ying smiled so earnestly, "It's me"
She happily skipped over the flowers and to her parents. "I'm back"
The glad parents trembled as they ran and hugged their daughter.
Novem and the others watched in silence with small smiles on their faces.
"It's great living with parents". Felix stated, it sounded like a fairytale wish. A mere wish that may never come true
"Yeah". Novem lowered his gaze, "Parents eh?" He couldn't remember the faces of his parents even if he wanted to. It led him to wonder if he had even met them before
Their relationship with their family had dissolved from the moment they came to HQ.
However, those that kept in touch never stayed still for too long.
"It's getting late, how long are you going to lay there?" Nathan frowns
"Ah, I'm just resting". Novem answered
" Well then rest there till your life ends.." Nathan smiled benevolently