The door closes with a loud bang, sending me deeply quiet. Inside this room, air presses harder against my lungs, creating a suffocating sensation.
And then—a sharp vibration against my chest.
I look at my chest where my Aetherplate rests and feel my breath stop as the teammate menu begins to activate. As I follow the progression on my screen, I notice Kevin and Liam's names changing while red icons blink harshly next to their names.
[Status: Deceased]
The word hits me instantly as an empty thud against my chest. They're gone. No sound escaped their lips before death took them because the building consumed them completely.
I fix my gaze on the screen for a short while while my jaw clenches before I finally raise my head to scan the room beyond.
"Shit… I guess it's just me now."
I pause to inhale before continuing my journey as each footfall reverberates through the silent space.
I've never before stood next to people who were alive with me moments earlier, but now rest in a different room as deceased. They don't represent my favorite people, but this situation is simply very unfortunate.
I did warn these people, though; it is their fault for choosing not to listen, and that wasn't the best time for me to just physically fight them to get them to stop, knowing that there is an unknown enemy that is hiding.
Codex 099 [ERROR/RELAY INTERRUPTED]
Message Received:
"Verification complete. Stage Two initiated. You have passed the threshold of paradox."
"Directive: Stay alive by dying. Only the lost may find the way forward."
"Warning: Further interference detected. Signal compromised until clearance restored."
I was wondering why Codex 099 wasn't showing up for quite a while. It seems like this place has interrupted my codex.
It was never my intention to rely on my codex anyway. I then take a look at this room.
The next room is… different.
The familiar aged walls appear to narrow around me, and the heavy silence fills the space, yet something feels different now. Underneath the broken skylight where moonlight fights to penetrate, a faint glimmer emerges as an unnatural cold shimmer within the deteriorating ruin.
A magical item.
The small compact item sits atop a damaged pedestal as though it has been anticipating my arrival. The light's gentle pulse creates a rippling effect on the shadows that stretch across the walls. The pedestal surface appears damaged as if ripped apart, yet the object on top remains pristine and untouched.
Without much of a hesitation, I grab the item and store it in my aetherplate.
As I keep looking, my gaze scans the space to detect any motion or concealed glyphs and the distinct glimmer that signals traps. But there's nothing. Just that maddening stillness. The room seems to pause its breath right alongside me.
Two doors appear before me across my standing position. Old wood displays the same crude burned lettering.
TO LIVE
TO DIE
The repetition makes my stomach knot tighter.
As I took a measured breath, I moved forward, keeping my eyes fixed on the magical object. My movements generate disproportionate noise in this tight space that feels like it's about to collapse into something unknown.
Approaching the magical item reveals more details because its surface now displays faint inscriptions that twist like delicate veins of light. The magical object seems to blur between being a weapon and a tool while also possibly representing something completely different. But one thing's clear—it means something.
This situation remains unresolved regardless of whether it's a game, test, or trap.
The sword that Zach gave me feels firm in my hand as I glance again at the two cursed doors.
Another test to see which I'll choose. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a choice this time either. If my theory from before is correct, then it has to be the "TO LIVE" door.
I take a deep breath and steel my nerves before moving toward the TO LIVE door. My sword feels heavier in each step forward, suggesting it senses an imminent encounter. My fingers brush the handle, pulse quickening.
I push the door open.
It's... empty.
At first.
I step into the room where darkness dominates and silence suffocates my senses as I examine every hidden spot. Nothing. Stagnant air fills the space while the walls exhibit evidence of deterioration.
The door slams shut behind me, making a loud, hard noise. When I turn to confront an enemy with my sword prepared for defense, I discover the handle is gone. No way back.
A low hum vibrates through the floor.
Moving forward, I rotate towards the opposite wall where I see the mirror.
Huge, cracked, spanning the opposite wall. The mirror surface moves in soft waves as if a stone had just landed in a pond. I observe that my reflection looks severe and strained while gripping the sword tightly during a fleeting moment.
Then... it changes.
My reflection moves on its own.
My reflection raises its weapon above its head while aiming it at me and manages to put on a fake smile. An image of myself emerges from the mirror.
Reality shifts as the space around me warps and the air thickens. Standing across from me, my mirrored self grips a sword and stares with empty, wild eyes.
A synthetic distorted voice floats above me, which does not resemble Codex 099.
"Trial of Self. Overcome, or be consumed."
The battle requires me to face my reflection rather than confronting an outside monster.