Rebecca's POV:
After solving the riddle, we all stumbled back into the room under the ever-watchful eye of that absolutely god-awful king. His presence loomed over us like a shadow. The tricks he played were cruel and relentless, his entire demeanour oozing superiority. What the hell is his problem? He calls himself our guide, yet pulls us into the deepest, most traumatic recesses of our minds. To think I had to stand in that cursed house again... He better have known that memory wouldn't destroy me. No way I'd let it.
If it were up to me, that place would've burned to ash long ago.
I glanced around at the others. My sister, my only family in this hellhole, stood there, trying to mask her fear. Her attempt at composure might have fooled the others, but not me. I could see the tension in her shoulders, the distant look in her eyes. She was trying so hard to be the unshakable force I knew she wanted to be, but the past had a way of digging its claws into you when you least expected it. Still, I admired her strength. My sister had always been a rock in our family, even when everything was falling apart. But here? In this place? That look on her face told me everything I needed to know. She was barely hanging on.
Then there was Shawn, grinning like a fool. Of all things, smiling. I couldn't wrap my head around it. After what we just experienced? After being dragged through our worst memories? He had the nerve to smile? I knew his memory must have been just as torturous, if not worse, and yet, here he was, with that smug grin plastered on his face. What kind of twisted idiot grins after such torment? I clenched my fists, silently fuming. The minute he screws up, the moment he lets any of us down, I'll be the one to put an arrow between his shoulder blades. That much I'm sure of.
And then, there was Hudson, an absolute wreck. Sweat dripped down his face, his hands trembling slightly. I could almost smell the fear rolling off him in waves. I watched as he desperately tried to control his breathing, to compose himself. His eyes were wide and frantic, but I could see him forcing the light back into them, fighting to stay in control. At least he wasn't entirely useless. The longer I watched, the more he seemed to regain his composure, bit by bit. But just as I thought he was pulling himself together, I felt it, a flash of something dark. Pure, unfiltered bloodlust radiated from him. It was so quick, so subtle, but I felt it hit me like a punch to the gut.
For a split second, Hudson wasn't just a scared man; he was a monster.
It was almost ironic. The so-called "monster" was the first to speak. His voice, though still shaky, broke the tension in the room. "Spider. That's what I got."
My sister was next. "Competition," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She was still trying to push through her trauma. I could hear it in the tremor of her words.
Then came the idiot, Shawn. "Weaving," he announced, as if this whole thing was some kind of joke.
I crossed my arms and smiled, feeling the familiar surge of pride swell within me. Of course, I had the most challenging riddle, the toughest answer. "Blasphemy," I declared confidently, my eyes daring them to question me.
They all looked at me, wide-eyed. Naturally. They knew I always had the hardest tasks, the most difficult challenges, and yet I came out on top every time.
"Obviously, this is a famous battle," I said, breaking the silence. "A blasphemous one. A battle against the gods." I turned to Hudson, my voice dripping with condescension. "Hudson, make yourself useful for once and tell me about the battles where mortals dared defy the divine."
Hudson nodded, still trying to pull himself together. It was almost pathetic, the way he jumped to fulfil my command. "There are several battles," he began, "across different mythologies: Greek, Egyptian, African. But since this is Athena's temple, it's most likely Greek."
I couldn't help but scoff. Greek? How predictable. "Greek?" I repeated, rolling my eyes. "This is Athena's labyrinth, the goddess of wisdom. She wouldn't make it that simple." I put extra emphasis on the word wisdom, just to hammer in how clueless he truly was.
Hudson's temper flared slightly, his frustration beginning to show. "What are you even talking about, Rebecca? This is a Greek labyrinth, dedicated to a Greek goddess. There's no way it's anything else. It wouldn't make sense!"
"Hudson. I almost feel sorry for you," I replied coldly, my words sharp as knives. I could tell I wasn't getting through to him. I glanced at my sister again, still too shaken to be of any help, and then at Shawn, who was watching our exchange like it was some sort of sport. Useless, both of them. Once again, it fell to me, the only capable one here, to save this group from inevitable failure
Hudson, however, wasn't finished. His voice rose, frustration bubbling to the surface. "How stupid are you? Why won't you even listen? Don't you think I have a reason for saying it's the battle between Arachne and Athena, and not something like Anansi versus Nyame? It's obvious! It fits with everything we've seen here! The Chimaera, the Greek influences, this is clearly Greek!"
I smirked, watching as Hudson unknowingly played right into my hands. I had him exactly where I wanted him. "The answer is Anansi versus Nyame," I declared triumphantly.
The king immediately clapped his hands, signalling that my answer had been locked in. It was done. Victory was mine. But I couldn't shake the feeling of tension that still hung heavy in the air. Something was wrong.
Hudson's POV:
What. The. Hell.
I had no other words to describe what had just happened. She hadn't even tried to listen to me. It was beyond frustrating. I stared at Rebecca, my mind racing, struggling to comprehend how someone could be so... dense. So completely absorbed in her own arrogance that she couldn't see the truth right in front of her. The pieces fit. Everything pointed to Arachne and Athena. How could she be so blind?
Before I could speak, the king's voice echoed through the room, cutting through my thoughts like a knife. "Pathetic. That is what you are, Rebecca Harris. You are incorrect. The system will allocate points, or take them, from you soon. But first, Hudson, I want to hear your thoughts."
Rebecca, as always, couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Wait, how am I wrong? That doesn't make any sense!" she snapped, clearly offended.
The king's eyes narrowed, and the weight of his authority filled the room. "Did I grant you permission to speak, mortal? Silence until I deem it otherwise.," The king's voice cut through the air like ice, his gaze sliding to Rebecca as though she were nothing more than a nuisance. His eyes lingered for a moment, cold and unforgiving, before shifting to Hudson. "Speak. Now."
I took a deep breath, knowing I had to make this count. "I could hardly believe what I was witnessing, Your Majesty. She wouldn't even consider my reasoning. It was infuriating, like talking to a wall." I began, still reeling from the situation. "It didn't matter that I laid out the facts clearly. She dismissed me without a second thought, blinded by her own arrogance. It was maddening, standing there, knowing I was right about Arachne and Athena and being completely ignored."
The king's gaze remained steady, his eyes a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "Why did you choose that battle?"
I straightened my posture, trying to focus. "The myth of Arachne goes like this: she boasted about her skill in weaving, claiming it surpassed even the goddess Athena's. Athena, enraged by the blasphemy, accepted the challenge. Arachne wove a tapestry that exposed the gods' cruelty, while Athena's tapestry depicted their kindness. According to some versions, the result was a draw. But Athena, unable to tolerate such disrespect, punished Arachne by turning her into a spider. Arachne would weave forever, as a symbol of her arrogance. The words we were given, spider, competition, weaving, blasphemy,all fit this myth perfectly."
The king gave me a silent nod, urging me to continue.
"There's more," I added, gathering my thoughts. "It wasn't just a myth. This whole tutorial has been filled with Greek influences, the Chimera we fought, the architecture, even the atmosphere. Everything screams Greek mythology. It was too coincidental for the answer to be anything else. This was clearly meant to test our knowledge of Athena's domain."
the king's lips curled into the faintest shadow of a smile, an expression devoid of warmth. His eyes, however, remained as cold and calculating as ever. "You surprised me, Hudson. Few mortals possess the capacity to piece together such riddles; perhaps you are not entirely worthless." he said, his voice carrying a note of approval. "You are correct. But, as for the others... they must be punished."
Rebecca, of course, exploded in anger. "This is favouritism! Why should Hudson get rewarded while we suffer? This is completely unfair!"
The king didn't even flinch. In fact, his expression grew more amused. "Yes," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "It is favouritism. And what are you going to do about it?"
Rebecca's face twisted in fury, but before she could retort, the king's voice turned cold again. "Rebecca. You have crossed the line once too often. Your punishment will be severe. I need not remind you, my mercy has limits."
A heavy silence fell over the room. I could feel the weight of the king's words as they hung in the air. I had expected him to be strict, but this... this was something else entirely. For the first time in a long while, I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine.
The king waved his hand dismissively, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Enough grumbling. You will all be teleported to your next trial soon. But remember this, any more disrespect, and your punishment will be severe."
Beep!
You have incorrectly guessed the riddle.
By the benevolence of the king, you are permitted to continue in this labyrinth.
Congratulations! You were specifically chosen to be rewarded by the king's judgement.
I looked at my status window, the details flickering before me:
Name: Hudson Mitchell
Rank: Mortal (F)
Class: Light Warrior
Patron #1: N/A
Patron #2: N/A
Patron #3: N/A
Skills:
Identify Level 1 [A]
Low Pain Resistance Level 8 [P]
Predatorial Vision Level 7 [A]
Chaotic Battle Instinct Level 3 [A]
I don't really know what changed, but I felt it. My mind was more clear, more methodical. It felt as if I was more in tune with this world. There were many possibilities in moving forward. My path began to take shape.
But the moment was short-lived. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rebecca grumbling, clearly frustrated by her loss. She muttered something about losing levels, her pride wounded. For a moment, I felt a pang of pity for her. Then, something darker settled in.
Maybe, I thought, it would be better if she didn't make it through this labyrinth.
Wait. What? Did I just think that?
Since when have I become so indifferent about life and death? Since when did I start playing this game so loosely?
I wasn't like Rebecca. I wasn't... a monster was I?
The king's voice cut through my spiralling thoughts. "Enough," he said. "Your second trial awaits. Hunt the beast or perish. There will be no second chances."
Before we could react, the king waved his hand, and in an instant, we were whisked away once again, teleported to another world.