Grand stared at me with a somber expression.
"All right." He said, adjusting his posture to stand up. "I lost, you won."
I stood up first and stepped one pace away while I watched him brace himself on his knee to rise slowly.
His eyes never left mine.
Suddenly, in a single explosive movement, he lunged at me. His fist shooting like a rocket toward my face.
WHOOSH
I took a step back, pulling away, and then struck with the tip of the torch.
Grand's eyes widened, his fist didn't connect in a blow, but my torch was advancing unhindered toward his face.
My reach was greater.
HAAAAAA
He screamed under the intense heat of the flames that burned his face. Both of his hands went to his face amid the searing pain.
BANG
I smashed the stone torch against his head, knocking him to the ground, blood splattering around.
"Stop!" He begged, fallen on the ground, trying to get up on all fours. "Spare me, please!"
I approached him once more.
BANG
I kicked his chest, making him bounce against the ground and roll. His face twisted in pain as all he could do was grit his teeth.
"It's bad, isn't it?" I said. "Being the weak one." I chuckled softly.
He looked at me, exhausted, in a silent plea. But even so, he never said a single word.
"That boy, John. He felt like this back then." I said, staring intensely at Grand. "Do you like this feeling?"
"Forgive me." He said quietly. "I just wanted to survive— AHHHHHH."
I kicked his arm hard several times in succession until it broke. And then I stepped back.
Now he was truly unable to resist.
"I don't blame you." I laughed, amused. "It really is very good to be the strong one."
Grand began to cry in panic while he kept begging for his life.
If he were the type who would spare my life, I would let him go.
But he isn't.
I looked at the doors once more, new drawings were already presenting themselves.
"Go to the Leviathan door." I said without emotion. "And be quick."
"No."
Grand shook his head in denial several times in succession, while slowly standing up.
"Please, no. I—"
"I wonder." I exclaimed. "How long I need to turn your life into such a hell that you'll prefer death."
Gulp
"All right." Grand stood up, clenched his teeth, and turned his back to me. "Shit!"
He walked toward the Leviathan door, supporting himself with his broken arm. Step by step.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" He kept cursing loudly in despair. "Why did it have to end like this?! Why did it have to end here?!"
BANG
He slammed against the door.
"I didn't want any of this!" He complained. "I didn't want to enter this damn tower! I didn't want to have to abandon Zeus."
BANG BANG BANG
He kept pounding on the door.
"Why is the world so unfair!" He screamed. "I just wanted to be happy!!!"
"Enough!" I shouted. "Out of courtesy I let you say your last words, but now that's enough. I don't want to hear your whining. Go and die!"
He clenched his teeth so hard the friction was audible.
Grand opened the door and came face to face with the endless fog. He took a deep breath, his body trembling, and then took his step toward the endless fog.
"I hate this place." He muttered. "I hope all of you die, I hope Burges dies, I hope you, Ares—"
BANG
"Shut up." I kicked his back, sending him straight into the depths of the fog.
BANG
The door closed magically.
Click
The traps retracted, and on the other side things began to stir.
The sound of waves and sand was clear, Grand was limping on a beach. Sweat and sand mixing and sticking to his skin.
SPLASH
Suddenly, a serpentine creature emerged from the waters with a draconic roar.
Grand fell on his ass in the sand under the gaze of the abyssal beast.
HAAAAAAA
Grand screamed deeply in total panic.
BOOOM
Blood ran through the cracks of the door once again. The smell was nauseating, making me want to vomit…
No.
I'm lying.
The others were disgusting.
But this time…
It was actually good, it was refreshing.
But leaving that aside.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
It was time to solve the riddle.
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH
Flames advanced from the back of the room toward me, but this time I wasn't afraid of them.
I just needed to confirm my theory.
The heat increased in the room, making my body sweat, but this time it was just a sauna.
I focused.
It was time to review the findings and reach the conclusion of this riddle.
First round. John, the delivery man. Entered the rat door and was confronted by a legion of them. He then screamed desperately and tried to return to this room, in the end he was executed and died.
Second round. Burges, the executioner. Under my guidance, entered the Harpy door and was confronted by a group of them. He then screamed in euphoria and ecstasy before throwing himself at them with a smile on his face. In the end, he caused no anomaly and survived.
Third round. Drake, the obscure merchant. Under my guidance, entered the angel door and was confronted by a biblically accurate angel, a being that evokes total terror in whoever observes it. He then screamed in panic from fear while pleading for mercy. In the end, he was executed.
Fourth round. Grand, the leader. Under my guidance, entered the Leviathan door, a terrifying abyssal beast. Despite the many screams, Grand was not devoured or attacked, exactly like in the other cases. Grand screamed in fear and then was executed.
"I'm sure of my answer." I said irritably. "This test is a test of courage. You just must not show fear."
I bit my lips in frustration. My legs seemed to lose strength as I felt an uncontrollable urge to slam against the ground.
"Never try to be what you are not." I said, remembering Grand. "If you hadn't tried to be what you shouldn't. If you had just stopped wanting to be the great leader and entered any door at all. You would have won in the first round."
None of the three criminals lacked courage. That was their greatest quality; if they had just chosen any door in the first round, they would have won and we would have a valuable clue.
It was reasonable to think that everyone could get out alive.
Sigh
I grabbed Grand's and Drake's clothes from the ground and then turned to face the doors.
"Time to go." I said advancing.
However, something strange happened.
Suddenly, the stone plaque above the doors rotated once more and then again and again!
They spun several times in succession and then showed new images: Owl, Owl, Man, Wolf, Wolf.
BOOOOM
The ancient tablet exploded with a blinding flash, sending thousands of fragments flying. I raised my hands to shield myself from the dust and stones.
"But what?" I asked as the plaque spun rapidly again and then stopped once more.
This time they were: Dragon, Dragon, Mage, Bat, Bat.
"What the hell is going on?"