"HEY!!!", Armis's voice suddenly broke everyone's reverie, he strode back toward Alan, his armor clanging with every step. With stern authority, he remarked, "What are you all waiting for? Start moving. We need to reach the 100th floor as soon as we can. C'mon."
As Armis turned to head back towards the gate, everyone exchanged stern looks. Alan nodded to Lyco with a sigh, and they began following Armis. But suddenly, Armis halted and turned, his menacing glare fixed on Longiseus. His voice was filled with grim determination as he spoke, "Stop right there. I don't care if you all go back, die, or move ahead following us. But I want one thing clear in your puny minds. This is the first and last warning. Our paths are separate from now on. I don't want myself or any member of my team having anything to do with any of you. Understand?"
"Armis!" Alan attempted to interject in response to Armis's sudden disrespect toward Longiseus and the other members of the Crimson Army, but Armis remained unmoved, his glare fixed on Longiseus.
"Watch your tongue, you brute! I w—"
"No, Arian," Longiseus interrupted Arian's retort to Armis's words, raising his hand to halt further conversation. He turned to face Armis, his expression stern yet tinged with disgust.
"I understand completely. You need not worry, as the sentiment is mutual. Neither I nor my companions have any intentions of associating with the likes of you. I once held hope that even the lowest among us could change, but clearly, I was mistaken. A monster remains a monster, no matter how hard it tries to masquerade as human. Come, everyone. I cannot bear another moment in its presence."
With those words, Longiseus strode ahead of Alan and his group, leaving them to exchange puzzled gazes in his wake. Lyco glanced at his brother, a mixture of confusion and guilt in his eyes, silently hoping for some explanation.
But his hope turned to shock and sadness when Arian didn't even spare a glance before following Longiseus. Alan, too, looked to Longiseus with an expectant gaze, silently pleading for some form of communication. The cold shoulder he received pained Alan more than the harsh words Longiseus had spoken.
As Alan and the others watched the remaining members of the Crimson Army move ahead, crossing through the gate, they were left behind in a chamber filled with an air of apprehension and betrayal. The echoes of footsteps faded into the distance, leaving behind an eerie silence that seemed to weigh heavily on their shoulders.
Alan's mind was a tumultuous storm of conflicting emotions, each one vying for dominance. Betrayal gnawed at him, twisting his gut into knots. He couldn't shake the feeling of abandonment that lingered in the air like a thick fog. Uncertainty clouded his thoughts, leaving him paralyzed with indecision.
In the midst of this emotional tempest, Alan couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. The camaraderie and unity they had once shared with the members of the Crimson Army now seemed like a distant memory, shattered by the events that had unfolded.
As the chapter drew to a close, Alan couldn't shake the sinking feeling that their journey was about to take a darker turn, plunging them into the unknown depths of the tower with only each other to rely on.
"So… any idea? What happened back there?" Lyco's sudden question broke through the eerie silence.
Alan looked at Lyco, staring into his defeated eyes. Diving deep, Alan found his own reflection looking back, holding a stern yet grim look on his face, and he returned to that moment.
"C'mon," Armis ordered as Longiseus and the others disappeared from view. Armis began to stride forward, the clang of his armor ringing with each step. Behind him, sighing and expressionless, Alan, Poduria, and Lyco followed. As they moved, Alan suddenly halted, feeling something beneath his step. Slowly backing up, he saw a ring on the ground, blue in color with intricate etchings all over its metal. Alan picked it up, feeling the familiar aura and weight akin to the one he was already wearing, given to him by Longiseus.
His eyes widened slightly as he swiftly pocketed the ring, maintaining a stern expression. He turned and saw Relecta. Her face was devoid of any expression, but the pain inside her soul seeped through her eyes as she cried silently, no sound escaping her sealed lips. She stood motionless.
Alan walked toward her, showing no emotion of his own. He quietly embraced Relecta, trying to halt her tears. Even though she closed her eyes from the warmth of her husband, Relecta's heart couldn't find any solace. Her tears began to drench Alan's shoulder.
Seeing no solution for her pain, Alan went ahead. Though shorter in height, he somehow scooped her large, almost limp body into his arms. Relecta had almost no reaction to the gesture, but as Alan began to walk, holding her in his arms, something began to break inside her. She settled into Alan's chest, her whispering sobs seeping out with every step he took. Holding a stern gaze ahead, Alan followed his friends.
As Alan stepped inside the gate last, the crumbled debris behind them trembled with a flash of crimson glow. Yet, nobody stopped to turn and look. They were painfully aware of the fact that they were trapped once again. Each striding step took them closer to another lurking apprehension, watching them, waiting for them, its tongue ready to fill them with horror and confusion. It would play with their emotions until they finally embraced the chaos that would inevitably destroy them.
Keeping their bitter distance, Longiseus, Arian, Leotrus, and Lady Roartad took long strides, the desperate air around them making the effect of the demon's words evident. Armis walked slowly, making note of every inch of this new terrain with his stern gaze. Poduria and Lyco showed disinterest even in the air they breathed. Alan, holding the sobbing Relecta tightly, looked around as well, his stern expression gradually shifting to faint wonderment.
The labyrinth they entered followed a pattern Alan and the others had begun to pick up on. Moving from what could only be called a council room of a castle, they now ventured through a hallway—a shadow of what might have once been a grand regal treasury. It now stood in ruins, the colors of its walls surrendered to the parasitic presence of vines and foliage covering every inch of stone and rock.
The structure seemed to be closing in with dread as they walked upon a floor covered with a tattered, faded carpet adorned with burrowed holes.
Suddenly, Alan halted in apprehension, feeling a strange sensation of cloth covering something gooey yet solid. Startled, he quickly stepped back.
Looking down with widened eyes, he saw a sack lying on the floor, something dark and solid spilling out of it. Alan's apprehension quickly turned into disgust as he noticed movement among the dark solids on the ground. With a disgusted squint yet puzzled eyes, he watched as an insect, dark and foreboding, crawled out from the mass. Quickly moving forward, Alan glanced back to see the bug flying away before turning ahead and sighing, gulping down his disgust.
Alan raised his gaze, following his friends with Relecta now silent, nestled tightly in his arms, sleeping.
His stern expression returned as he looked around the labyrinthine hallway, the ruins of the treasury becoming even more evident. Broken and withering vaults and gaping chests lay in the corners, spilling the same black matter.
A stench of rot filled the air, doubling Alan's just-dissipated disgust. With a wrinkled nose and squinting eyes, he looked around, witnessing more of those rotting chests and vaults. Even some artifacts, which vaguely resembled the riches they used to be, were now covered in black rot, filling the labyrinth with their stomach-churning stench.
"This is a treasury!" Armis's voice echoed in the labyrinth, stating the obvious. No one heeded his words, each struggling with their own emotions. The loss and pain they were feeling had begun to settle inside their hearts.
Oblivious or uncaring, Armis moved toward a closed chest. The resounding echo of his kick to open it drowned out the shuffling of feet in the labyrinthine hallway, startling everyone with his exclamation: "Nah…nothing but scum inside this one as well."
Everyone, including Alan, reacted with pained glares at Armis's antics as he walked ahead, taking the lead.
Following the hallway, they entered a passage devoid of the faint illumination of the previous corridor. Darkness enveloped their vision, forcing them to trust the sound of the person's footsteps ahead of them. Just as abruptly as the darkness began, it dissipated, revealing a chamber where the rotting stench lingered in the air, emanating from chests and sacks of black matter littered across the floor.
The chamber was small, only a few feet long and about seven feet wide. At the end of the chamber stood two wooden gates, not too large but resembling the destroyed gates they had seen earlier when they followed Armis. Seeing the gates, Alan's eyes widened slightly as he mumbled under his breath, "Floor 62…"
With no words exchanged, the tension in the air thickened as Armis and Longiseus approached the two gates. Their contemplative silence lingered for a moment before both leaders, without discussion, grunted and opened their respective gates. No one took a step forward as they gazed into the darkness beyond, their leaders' expressions unreadable.
Turning back to their teams, Armis and Longiseus nodded, gesturing for them to follow. Alan felt a mixture of tension and irritation unlike anything he had experienced since entering this hellhole. Finally, choosing separate paths, both leaders made true on their words leading their teams through the gates, sealing their fates in separate directions. The air held no hope, no possibility of reunion lingered in any heart.
As the gate sealed shut behind them, Armis strode ahead in the dim passageway, pausing briefly before letting out a slight sigh. His voice dripped with disdain as he spoke, "Finally. Now I don't have to bear their disgusting presence anymore."
But before he could continue, Lyco's voice cut through the silence from behind him, carrying a deep sternness. "Armis! We can't go any further right now."
Confusion clouded Armis's face as he turned to face Lyco. "Why?" he asked, his tone tinged with bewilderment.
Lyco's expression shifted from sternness to disgust as he shot back, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Look around, genius. None of us is in any condition to stand, let alone walk!"
Lyco gestured towards Poduria, who stood stunned, her eyes sunken and brimming with tears that streamed down her cheeks incessantly. Alan stood beside her, holding a sleeping Relecta in his arms. Though he seemed unaware, weariness etched lines on Alan's face, reflecting his profound exhaustion. Lyco himself struggled with overwhelming emotions, his contorted expression a testament to his inner turmoil.
Taking in the scene, Armis let out another sigh before speaking softly, "Well sure, Alan, would you mind starting the fire?" He turned to Alan briefly before striding ahead. With a loud grunt echoing in the passage, Armis disintegrated his armor back to his mark, which was displayed by his exposed chest. His mark had evolved further, now covering his entire body with etchings and carvings resembling an armor similar to his obsidian armor and the demon's body, albeit in a dark hue.
But Armis showed no reaction to the new feature covering his body. Stretching his arms nonchalantly, he retrieved the same book from his pocket that he had been reading before their dreadful experiences. Lying down on the floor with one hand as support and the other holding the book, Armis became engrossed in it carelessly.
Seeing Armis's behavior, Lyco's irritation surged, but before he could say anything, Alan halted him with a gesture. "Don't worry, I'll start the fire. Can you please..." Alan began as he lowered Relecta to the ground. Suppressing his anger, Lyco turned to Poduria. Gently nudging her towards the wall, he made her sit and then pushed her gently against it, providing her almost limp body with some support.
Placing a gentle kiss on Poduria's temple, Lyco attempted to wipe her tears, but they continued to flow. He held a helpless look towards Poduria, knowing that not only the pain of losing their friend gnawed at her heart, but also the dread of being torn away from the dream that had shown her a beautiful possibility filled even his own mind.
Taking a deep breath, Lyco regained his composure and turned to see Alan struggling to find support for Relecta's head. Glancing at Poduria for a moment, he then turned towards Alan, calling out, "Alan... here." Lyco gestured towards Poduria's lap and patted it. Understanding the hint, Alan nodded before gently placing Relecta back down on the floor, positioning her head on Poduria's lap.
Observing their gesture, Poduria began to regain her senses. She looked down at the sleeping Relecta, whose eyes bore the same marks of exhaustion as her own. Poduria's tears ceased as she gently caressed Relecta's cheek, a faint smile gracing her lips. Alan and Lyco exchanged a small chuckle at the heartwarming sight.
Alan quickly retrieved his small knapsack from
his back, extracting some dry sticks and two rocks. He attempted to hold the wood in place, but his tired arms failed him.
Suddenly, the floor beneath the wood rose up, holding them together like a claw. Alan turned to see Lyco extending his hand to manipulate the ground, aiding Alan in his task. Alan reciprocated the gesture with a grateful smile, which Lyco returned as Alan ignited the embers inside the sticks with a tight clash of the rocks. The flame rose from Alan's gentle blow, eliciting warmth that enveloped them both.
Savoring the comforting warmth of the fire, the friends settled on the ground on opposite sides of the flames. Leaning against the wall for support, they closed their eyes in exhaustion, hoping to find some moments of rest.
Alan, bathed in the comforting glow of the fire and the soothing sounds of crackling embers, succumbed to sleep, his weariness finally overtaking him.
"Two down… four to go." The haunting echo filled Alan's mind, wrenching him from the depths of sleep. His eyes shot open to find the ghastly visage of the being looming over him, its presence suffocating him with dread. He tried to move, to writhe, to break free from its grasp, but his body remained paralyzed, held captive by his dread.
Forced to gaze into the being's eerie white grin, Alan was confronted with a relentless onslaught of horrific images. Artereia's body being devoured, Bretren's half chewed off head's lifeless gaze, Aurelia's bloodied, gory form—all twisted and distorted, haunting Alan's every waking moment. Orioros's twisted head whispered silently, a cacophony of screams and laughter ringing in Alan's ears.
Desperate to escape the nightmare, Alan fought to shut his eyes, but they remained frozen in a perpetual squint, his body trembling with fear.
Suddenly amidst the chaos, Armis's bloodied, glowing eyes pierced through the darkness, sending a shockwave of terror coursing through Alan's veins. With a sudden jolt, Alan's body jerked awake, breaking free from the clutches of the nightmarish visions.
In the stillness following Alan's abrupt awakening, he slowly gasped for air, looking around finding everyone and everything in place, he took a deep breath. Suddenly, the stilled air returned in motion with Lyco's voice -
"So… any idea? What happened back there?"
Alan raised his gaze, meeting directly the shivering yet expectant gaze of Lyco, which showed not only Alan's despaired form but Lyco's own surging emotions, as he continued with his query-
"That… that thing we experienced… the emotions… the joy… all that we felt before…"
Lyco's words trailed off, the hope in Lyco's eyes pierced through Alan's soul, pleading him for explanation, Alan became anxious, puzzled by the sudden question, averting his gaze, he tried to stammer a response,
"I… I.. I don't.. I am not—"
"It was an illusion," Armis's voice cut through Alan's helpless stammering as he sat up, setting down his book. His eyes remained fixed on the wall before him, lost in contemplation and recollection.
"But…it all felt so real," Lyco's voice wavered with disbelief, his gaze downcast.
"Yeah. It would have, I felt the same. Because apart from what we were seeing, we enacted everything. She used our emotions, our envy for each other, to create a deceiving reality, false memories. She even altered our personalities," Armis explained, his tone holding a mix of resignation and sadness as memories of Aurelia's death flashed before his eyes.
"How do you know all this, Armis?" Alan's hesitant question held a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as he looked to Armis for answers.
"Because she tried to do the same with me. Making me see Aurelia alive, smiling, calling out to me. Even tried to show Aurelia in her reflection, trying to deceive me. But I knew…I knew…" Armis's voice tightened with emotion, a blend of grief and rage seeping into his words.
"It was all a lie. I saw, I felt my Aurelia, her soul leaving her body in my own arms…in my embrace. That's why I wanted to tear that demon apart. That's why I made that demon feel every speck of despair that surged through my body."
Alan and Lyco felt the intensity of Armis's aura, thickening the air around him. A momentary fear gripped them before Alan blinked, a realization dawning upon him as he asked, "So Armis, how did you enter its chamber? Wasn't there an ins—"
"Inscription?" Armis interjected, completing Alan's words, sternness returning to his voice and face as he faced Alan directly.
"Yes, there was. When I reached her chamber, she mystically faded inside it. I showered the gate with all my rage and strength, but it didn't move an inch. That's when I saw that inscription in an ancient language and I remembered. So I read it aloud, crumbling the stone gate, surprising her with horror. She was just beginning to feel relief when I d—"
"Wait..wait..wait..Armis..you read the inscriptions? How?!! How did you understand the language?" Alan asked in one breath, halting Armis in mid-sentence, surprise evident in his tone.
"Oh..that? I learned the language from this book." Armis replied, holding a puzzled expression as he picked up the book, displaying it to a surprised Alan and Lyco. Lyco, with a mix of disbelief and sternness on his face, exclaimed, "You!…learned the language that takes years for even the smartest scholars to learn. You managed to learn that language in a matter of hours? I don't fucking believe you. Did you even understand what the inscription said?"
"Oh sure, I can tell you if you want," Armis replied nonchalantly, eliciting looks of shock from Lyco as Armis closed his eyes, recollecting his memories before reciting the words he had read on the gate guarding the chamber of the demon:
"Caution! Cave!…..Terrorem …sub auras …laqueos!
Invidiae….vastae, mendacii….seras.
Metus ruit …spes fugit, veneni mortem parit!
Infestus animos! quae in umbras…transire velit!
Vultus…formae illusoriae….risus suspecti!
Pericula patiantur, quae oculis ne viderint….
Rogo te, ne progrediamur…..audacter,
Sed caute….et timide ambulamus…
Quia!! periculum….insanum…et exitiale!
In castrum occultum latent sub maledictione."
Armis stuttered yet pronounced each word, each syllable perfectly. He opened his eyes, holding a smug smirk at his friends, who returned confused and disappointed gazes. Confused, Armis was about to ask, but suddenly Lyco intervened with his voice laced with sarcasm and mock:
"Translation, genius…we are in no condition to decipher your mumbles."
Armis shot an irritated gaze at Lyco before holding his eyes up in contemplation as he began to decipher the inscription to them:
"Yeah..yeah whatever, I am sure it said something like this:
"Caution! Beware! The terror beneath the air's snare!
Of vast envy…and the locks…..of deceit! affair!
Fear rushes forth, hope flees! poison births ….death's sting.
Hostile to souls….those who would pass…into shadow's ring…
Illusory visages! laughter that's suspect!
Face perils! which eyes have not yet met!
I beseech thee….venture not boldly…
But walk with caution and fear!
For perilous….and….fatal danger
Lies in the hidden castle...."
Suddenly Armis's words began to trail off along with his, Lyco and Alan's attention was attracted by a giant grotesque-looking creature, its limbs used to crawl upon the floor resembling twisted arms of a human covered in darkness.
Its dark body was covered by scales and a shell akin to an insect. Two giant pincers protruded from what seemed to be its head, but what actually held their attention was not the large mouse-sized creature, but the half-sized gold coin it held with its pincers.
Enchanted by the glow of the coin, which captivated Alan and Lyco's attention, Armis slowly raised his leg, hovering it above the creature. Then, in a sudden motion, as remaining words burst out of Armis's mouth, he crushed the creature's body into a green bloody pulp with his heel, exclaiming:
"Under the curse!"
As the creature's crushed limbs twitched with remaining life, Armis, not even disgusted by the stain left on his leg by the creature's body, was captivated by the sudden appearance of the speck of treasure. He and his friends gazed at it, and Armis quickly snatched the shining coin from the creature's pincers, holding it before his enchanted gaze.
"Look…guys..its…its.." Armis began to stutter in excitement.
"It's gold…" Alan completed Armis's exclaim, his eyes gleaming along with the shine of the coin, reflecting its enchanting silhouette.
Armis quickly turned and saw more creatures emerging through a door inside the wall of the passage, each holding riches in their pincers. Their eyes gleamed with the same lustre as the gold.
Quickly standing up, Armis looked towards the gate from which the creatures emerged, his gaze shining with greed and anticipation.
"Look…" Armis gasped, pointing towards the door, wonder filling his voice. "There is more. There is more.. Lyco!!!"
Armis swiftly turned to address Lyco, who stood with a puzzled expression. "Stay here with Aurelia and Relecta!!" Armis instructed before darting towards the door.
Lyco's shocked gaze turned to Alan, who stood in indecision. Alan's helpless expression mirrored Lyco's own desperation. Alan knelt down, meeting Lyco's eyes, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry, Lyco, but I promise we will be back as soon as we can."
Without waiting for Lyco's response, Alan turned and followed behind Armis. With each step, Armis crushed the creatures carrying riches beneath his feet. They entered the door from which the creatures emerged, leaving behind a splatter of green blood and crushed carcasses, and leaving Lyco behind to protect his sleeping wife and friend.
In the other passageway, Leotrus led the way with desperate urgency, his feet shuffling in a frantic attempt to cover as much ground as possible. Longiseus, trailing behind, called out to him in irritation, trying to match his pace.
"Leotrus!!! Leotrus!! Stop running!!" Longiseus's voice rose with each word, filled with irritation.
But Leotrus's strides remained unyielding as he marched ahead, his reply urgent. "Why?!! Haven't you heard the demon? We have a way to bring back Orioros! Why are you all not showing any haste?!!"
"Leortus, I SAID STOP!!!!" Longiseus's voice thundered through the passage, commanding attention as he lunged and firmly gripped Leotrus's arm, halting his steps. Leotrus turned back, his expression almost growling with anger at Longiseus, who held him under a piercing glare.
"Why?!!! Why should I stop?!! It's only going to delay Orioros's return. Release me, Commander! I have to get to the 100th floor as soon as possible so I can re—"
——-thwwackkk!!!——
Leotrus's raging reverie was abruptly cut short as Lady Roartad, moving ahead, swung a resounding slap across his face, snapping him back to his senses. She glared at him, her lips moving to scold him.
"What is wrong with you?!!! Are you hearing yourself?!!!" Leotrus blinked, his gaze softening as his cheek began to glow red. Longiseus released his arm, while Lady Roartad continued berating Leotrus, bringing him back to his senses.
"Do you really want to believe in a demon?!! The same demon that caused the delusion that resulted in Orioros's death. And even if it was telling the truth, do you really expect it all to be this easy? Are you really expecting to walk directly to the last floor of this hell and have your wish served to you on a silver plate?!! Come to your senses, LEOTRUS!!! A single careless step in this godforsaken place could result in a much more horrific demise than Orioros!! So come to your senses a—-"
"Commander…." Arian's trembling voice cut through Lady Roartad's sharp tone, prompting everyone to turn towards him. Their eyes widened in shock and apprehension as they watched Arian pointed to the ground ahead.
There, crawling on the floor, was a creature as dark as night, not larger than a mouse. It moved with contorted limbs resembling a human's, its dark skin shimmering with a shell akin to an insect's. Two pincers protruded from its head, clasping a ruby in their grip.
"Arian, wait! No!" Longiseus called out in concern, trying to halt Arian's approach towards the creature holding the gem. Enchanted by the gleaming jewel, Arian slowly advanced, reaching out to grasp it. But at Longiseus's sudden exclamation, the creature jerked in startlement and scurried away with surprising speed.
Gritting his teeth in irritation, Arian raised his gaze, and along with everyone else, he became mystified by what lay ahead. At the end of the hallway, the door stood wide open, radiating a golden glow that captivated their gazes. It promised untold riches and treasures, enticing them with its allure.
"It's... it's beautiful..." Arian muttered, his eyes fixed on the open gate ahead as he stepped forward, completely enchanted by the sight.
"Arian, no! Wait!" Longiseus's desperate plea echoed through the passage, but Arian seemed oblivious to it. His mesmerized advance toward the gate soon attracted Leotrus, who began to follow suit, drawn in by the same irresistible allure.
"I… I found it…" Leotrus muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the gate ahead, which beckoned with its enchanting riches. Longiseus lunged forward to grab Leotrus's arm, but Leotrus broke free and sprinted toward the gate. Ahead of him, Arian quickened his pace, drawn in by the allure of the treasure.
Frustration etched on his face, Longiseus clenched his teeth as Lady Roartad grasped his hand, offering silent support with a determined nod. With resolve burning in his eyes, Longiseus took a deep breath and, together with Lady Roartad, sprinted after their enchanted companions, venturing into the abyss that promised riches but held untold dread and horror within its depths.