We arrived in a city, or more accurately, we were invited. Before planning the trip, my teacher had received numerous invitations from various rulers—a king, a queen, and several nobles.
The first place we visited was the residence of a ruler, a governor. He lived in and governed a fairly prosperous city.
As soon as we arrived at the city gates, our carriage wasn't even stopped, as if the guards knew who owned it.
"Teacher, aren't we stopping?" I said after seeing our carriage continue on.
The city soldiers instead escorted us towards the residence of the region's ruler.
"No need. They've already been informed of our arrival by their leader," my teacher answered.
I looked around as our carriage moved through the city streets, accompanied by mounted soldiers.
I saw many people on the streets, but there was something strange. Their faces were flat as if they were neither happy nor miserable.
Feeling it was odd, I tried to ask my teacher, but before I could even call her name, she spoke up.
"Well now, you've caught the essence of what's happening in this city, and that is why their leader invited us," my teacher said.
"Why did he invite us?" I asked.
My teacher replied, "For who knows what."
Our carriage finally arrived at a house. I suppose calling it a house isn't entirely accurate, given its size and splendor.
My teacher and I stepped out of our carriage. Outside, several servants welcomed us, bowing respectfully.
This is a castle, or a grand mansion, I thought, staring up at its peak. The gardens were vast, there was a fountain, and a place—I don't know its name—that I figured was for tea parties.
The servants then invited us in, saying, "Please come in, our master is waiting inside."
We were guided inside by the servants. The interior was just as stunning as the exterior. There were all sorts of decorations, from statues to handicrafts like vases, and many paintings.
They led us to a large room. In the middle of the room were sofas that looked incredibly soft with a table in the center. There was a middle-aged man in flashy clothes, which looked very expensive to me, complete with attributes like medals.
"Please," the servant then left, leaving us and the man in the middle of the room. The man stood in the center and strode towards us at the door.
"I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Madam," the man said. He shook my teacher's hand. "I am the owner of this mansion, as well as the governor of this city," he said, introducing himself.
The man continued before my teacher could respond, "You need not introduce yourself," he said, "For who in this country does not know you? On the other hand, I would just like to know with whom you are traveling."
The man looked at me, and I introduced myself, "I am a student," I replied briefly.
"My... how fortunate you are to be a student of someone as great as your teacher," the man said. "Well then, please have a seat wherever you like."
We then sat down. I sat next to my teacher, and in front of us was a table with beautiful carvings and gemstones decorating it. Across from us, the man sat alone.
My teacher began, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"So what's wrong with this city?" my teacher said. She asked bluntly, getting straight to the point as if she already knew the governor's purpose for inviting us.
The governor's face went pale. Hahaha... take that. How does it feel to have your mind read? Hahaha… I'm not alone, thank you, Governor. Please keep me company.
My teacher glared at me. I knew what she meant. "I'm sorry," I said softly.
I really didn't mean to mock him or anything; I was just happy that someone else was feeling the same thing I often did.
The governor then spoke up. "I don't know where to begin, but please, Madam," he pleaded. "My people are suffering greatly. They are being haunted by a coffin ghost." His face grew even more fearful.
"Hoh... The Coffin Ghost?" my teacher uttered, her expression that of someone who has heard another name for something they already know.
"Well... that ghost not only drives my people mad, but it can also kill."
"A ghost..." my teacher said. She took a drag from her cigarette and blew out the smoke. "Why not ask an exorcist, or a priest?" she asked.
The governor bowed his head, as if in regret. "I have, but the two people I called upon disappeared and died," the governor replied.
My teacher then rose from the sofa and walked to the side of the room. A painting was displayed on the wall before her.
"You have an interesting taste in art," said my teacher, who was looking at a painting of a woman on the wall.
The painting was magnificently displayed in the room; there wasn't just one but many similar ones, but with different women in them.
"Those three are my daughters," the governor said, referring to the three grand paintings on the wall.
So the three were paintings of his three daughters. Out of curiosity, I asked.
"What's wrong with their faces?" I asked.
The governor lowered his head. "They were born with unsightly faces," he replied in a small voice.
I felt guilty for asking. "I'm sorry," I said.
"It's alright. I don't dwell on it, because I'm sure they are at peace in the afterlife."
Hearing his words, I spontaneously said, "Hey, wait, are they..." I stopped because my teacher looked at me as if to say that was enough.
"Well, they passed away five years ago by suicide," the governor's eyes were now filled with tears.
"They killed themselves because I forbade them from dealing directly with the public." He held his head in his hands. "Even though they were very confident, I was so worried about the possibility of someone hurting their feelings and making them lose that confidence," the governor said.
"That's enough, Governor," my teacher said.
My teacher probably didn't want the governor to dig any deeper into his bitter memories.
"I will do something about the ghost," my teacher walked back and sat on the sofa. "But I want you and some of your men to help me," she said.
"Thank you, Madam," the governor lifted his head. "I will do anything for that," he said.
"Now that's good, but you don't need to do anything," my teacher stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the table. "You just need to accept and regret it," she said.
"Tonight in the town square, bring some men with you." My teacher then pulled me away from the room.
The governor bowed his head, and a servant behind the door opened it for us, escorting us both to the mansion's exit.
"Where are we going? And what are we going to do for him?" I asked.
"We are going into the city, renting an inn, and resting," my teacher answered casually, as if we were on a sightseeing trip.
When we arrived at an inn by carriage, my teacher and I booked two rooms. But strangely, the inn was very quiet; there were only a few customers there.
My teacher and I then went into our respective rooms to rest and wait for nightfall.
There was a knock on the door. I opened it and saw my teacher in casual clothes.
"Let's go find a bathhouse," my teacher said. "Oh, and don't forget to bring the book."
I got ready, and then we walked out to find a public bathhouse. It was rare to see my teacher dressed so casually. She usually always wore her Chronicler's robes.
Seeing her like this, it was like seeing an ordinary woman. Without her brutal physical strength, her immense magical energy, and her magnificent robes, my teacher looked just like a regular woman.
We arrived at the public bathhouse. It was quiet, with only an old woman guarding the cashier's desk.
"For two, Granny," my teacher said, handing some coins to the old woman.
I went behind the curtain first. Beyond it was a large pool with a fountain statue.
This is incredible. Is this what it's like for a noble to bathe? I thought. It was my first experience, as I always bathed with a barrel or a small pond, hahaha.
My teacher suddenly said, "A noble's bath is far more magnificent than this. And do you know why this place is so empty?"
She was standing behind the curtain without a stitch of clothing on, and damn, her chest was huge.
"I don't know," I said, covering my own small chest.
My teacher stepped in, soaking in the pool. "It's because it's expensive, hahaha..."
That wasn't funny, really.
My teacher looked at me outside the pool, still with a towel wrapped around my body. "What's wrong? Get in," she urged.
I got into the pool, still wrapped in the towel. I was sometimes curious about my teacher. She was beautiful, had a great body, and was also very strong, both physically and magically.
Not only strong physically and magically, but her mind was also very well-trained.
I couldn't imagine my teacher losing at anything, except maybe a contest of not smoking for a whole day, hahaha.
I approached her and asked, "Teacher, so what are we going to do for the governor later?"
My teacher replied, "Nothing. We're just going to watch." Then she told me, "Get the book and open it to page 004."
I got out of the pool and grabbed the book from under my pile of clothes. Although it looked very fragile, this book was actually very strong. Just look, I was taking it into the pool and the water couldn't dissolve it.
I opened page 004 as instructed. It was about The Iron Maiden.
APPELLATION: The Iron Maiden
TITLE / EPITHET: The Mirror Prison, The Coffin of Sins, The Inevitable Iron Maiden
CLASSIFICATION:
* Primary: Legendary
* Status: Active
* Scale: Global
* Tier: Bound
ORIGIN: It is not a created entity, but a natural law born simultaneously with the first lie. When the first consciousness chose to betray the truth, the universe created an equal and opposite consequence: an absolute and inescapable prison. The Iron Maiden is reality's immune response to sin; a predatory principle of causality that became semi-sentient.
FORM / ESSENCE: Its essence is a Conceptual Law of Justice. It has no true form. Its "body" is the prison it manifests, an iron sarcophagus always bespoke for its victim. It is the concept of punishment made real.
APPEARANCE & PERCEPTION: You will never see it coming. You will feel judged. Its presence is preceded by a creeping sense of claustrophobia even in open spaces. The faint creak of old iron hinges might be heard, even when no doors are nearby. At times, your reflection in water or glass will briefly appear trapped behind iron bars. Its physical manifestation is the final stage: a beautiful yet horrifying iron coffin, carved with reliefs mocking the victim's face and sins, emerges from the shadows before slamming itself shut.
DOMAIN & INFLUENCE: Its domain is consequence and confinement. Its power is to create a perfect metaphysical prison, where the "spikes" within are not iron, but the victim's own sins turned against them.
* A liar will be pierced by every falsehood they ever spoke, manifested as endless whispers that drive them mad.
* A tyrant will be forced to feel the suffering of every person they ever oppressed, simultaneously and eternally.
* A power-hungry mage will be locked in a cell where their own magic is endlessly reflected back at them. Its prison does not kill the body; it entombs the soul in a personal hell built from their own life.
VULNERABILITIES & COUNTERMEASURES: It is a law, not a monster, and is bound by its own rules.
* Only Targets the Guilty: It is utterly powerless against someone with a truly pure heart or those who have made sincere and total atonement. It cannot act out of malice or whim; it is a slave to its own purpose.
* Sincere Forgiveness: Its prison is powered by guilt and consequence. A genuine, selfless act of forgiveness from someone wronged by the victim can "dull" the metaphysical spikes and create a crack for escape. The key to exit is held not by the condemned, but by those they have harmed.
* Paradox of Acceptance: Its purpose is to punish and cause suffering. If a victim genuinely and without regret accepts their confinement as a just punishment, it creates a paradox. If there is no suffering, then the Iron Maiden's purpose fails, which can weaken its manifestation.
ECHOES IN HISTORY & MYTH: In many cultures, there are legends of "The Faceless Judge" or "The Shadow Court." It is said that a criminal who escapes all human laws will eventually find themselves before this tribunal. There is no judge or jury, only an empty chair. As the accused sits, their crimes become real, forming an iron casket around them which then sinks into the earth, lost forever.
WHISPERS & FRAGMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE:
* "Do not run from your shadow; it might be learning how to build your prison."
* "It is said that within every Iron Maiden there is absolute silence, for its victims are too busy listening to the echoes of their own sins."
* "The key isn't inside. The key is the forgiveness you never asked for."
Scribe's Note: Writing about this entity feels cold and sharp. Unlike other anomalies that are random or cosmic, this one feels... personal. It is a mirror to the darkest parts of ourselves. The fear it inspires is not of meeting a monster, but that the monster might be just. As I write this, I cannot help but wonder which small lie, which broken promise of my own, will one day become the first spike in my own coffin.
I finished reading. "What does this mean, Teacher?" I asked.
"That is the Coffin Ghost the governor was talking about," my teacher replied, very relaxed and calm in the pool.
She was leaning against the edge of the pool with her legs outstretched, her eyes closed as she answered.
When I looked at her, I felt very annoyed. Not because of her relaxed attitude, but because her large breasts were even floating like natural buoys.
I approached and reflexively slapped one of them. My teacher was startled and sank into the pool.
She tried to right herself. She got up and stood. "What's wrong?" she asked, pinching both my cheeks with her hands.
Meanwhile, I turned my face away, refusing to look directly at the two large objects in front of me.
After playing around in the pool for a while, we both finished and dried ourselves with towels.
"If that ghost is in the book, can't we help them, Teacher?"
"No, that is not our business," my teacher said.
We then returned to the inn. Upon arriving, my teacher asked me to go to her room.
"You brought the book?" my teacher asked.
"Yes, I have it," I replied, showing the book in my hand.
My teacher ordered me to open page 004 again. This time, she emphasized the vulnerabilities and countermeasures.
VULNERABILITIES & COUNTERMEASURES: It is a law, not a monster, and is bound by its own rules.
* Only Targets the Guilty: It is utterly powerless against someone with a truly pure heart or those who have made sincere and total atonement.
"Hmm... it only targets the guilty," I murmured.
* Sincere Forgiveness: Its prison is powered by guilt and consequence. A genuine, selfless act of forgiveness from someone wronged by the victim can "dull" the metaphysical spikes and create a crack for escape.
Then there was sincere forgiveness. "Teacher, I think this isn't entirely a vulnerability or a countermeasure."
* Paradox of Acceptance: Its purpose is to punish and cause suffering. If a victim genuinely and without regret accepts their confinement as a just punishment, it creates a paradox.
The paradox of acceptance. "Well, I'm even more sure with this third part."
My teacher then replied, "Yes, you are right. It cannot be avoided or countered," she said.
She took a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and took a drag. "Because in truth, the Iron Maiden is the consequence of what we do."
"You cannot run from the consequences you cause. You can only accept or take responsibility for them."
"What we do is the cause, and what comes after is the effect," my teacher said, standing up. "It is time. Let's see what happens."
My teacher and I left the room. It was late, so as promised, the governor would be arriving at the town square now.
We both arrived at the town square, where the governor and some of his men were already present.
My teacher and I stood in front of our carriage. Seeing us approach, the governor and his men came closer.
"Madam, what's next?" the governor asked.
"We just wai—" Before my teacher could finish her sentence, the Governor and his men covered their ears, as if they heard something incredibly loud while my teacher and I heard nothing.
"It is coming," my teacher said and commanded, "Do not cover your ears. Open your eyes."
The figure of a large iron cage with the carving of a woman's face on one side appeared in the sky above the town square.
This time, my teacher and I could see it. The hairs on my body began to stand on end. I now felt a fear I had never felt before.
"No one is to look away, or cover their ears," my teacher commanded.
The iron maiden then slowly lowered itself until it stood upon the ground.
"You, go forward. Face it," my teacher said.
"Listen, and regret what you have done. Not to justify yourselves, but to take responsibility."
The governor and his men stepped forward, while my teacher pulled me behind her, to hide.
I almost fainted. my body felt weak, and the feeling of unease I felt was overwhelming.
"Stay conscious and hide behind me," my teacher commanded.
The iron maiden let out a voice. "Your sin is great, Governor." Its voice echoed as if it had no source but was everywhere.
"You destroyed your daughters' confidence and caused those good souls to perish." The Iron Maiden spoke, referring directly to the governor.
The next words resonated deeply, "While you, you heartless people, only judged by looking at their appearance." It was as if it was addressed to everyone who set foot on the land where this city stood.
The sound of many footsteps grew closer. The windows and doors of the houses near the town square opened.
I saw so many people coming. Windows and doors opened with the sad faces of the residents showing themselves.
All who came were drawn by the Iron Maiden's voice; they came together and bowed their heads, as if they felt and understood the sin they had committed.
"You, who restricted your daughters' steps, and all of you who felt entitled to judge, are the cause of all this." The Iron Maiden's voice seemed to be reading the charges of the perpetrators against the victims.
"Know your place, and accept this punishment." The iron door opened with a deafening screech and a blindingly bright light from behind it.
My teacher shouted, "Regret what you have done!"
The governor and all the residents present looked at my teacher, then together said, "We all regret what we have done." They fell weakly afterward; some knelt, some fainted on the spot.
Their unified voice caused the iron maiden's door to stop opening.
"You regret..." said the Iron Maiden's voice. "Regret is a most commendable thing, but a punishment is still a punishment, though it will be lightened." The manifestation of the Iron Maiden shrank from the size of a house to the size of an adult.
The iron maiden's door opened again, though it was quite small this time.
My teacher pulled my hand and ordered our coachman, "We must leave this city quickly."
We both got into the carriage, while the coachman spurred the horses to run as fast as possible. I looked through the window towards the town square.
"Teacher, what will happen to them and this city?" I asked.
"They will be better," my teacher answered and lit her cigarette.