Eternal Malediction (RE)

The woman walked ahead of the group without waiting for anyone.

The chamber behind them faded into silence as broken wooden remains crunched beneath their footsteps. Nobody complained anymore. After watching her destroy the imitation of Orion, even Victor had stopped questioning whether following her was a good idea.

Right now, she was the closest thing they had to safety. The corridor stretched endlessly forward, lit by dim torches embedded into the stone walls. The air felt heavier the deeper they went.

Eventually, Marcus spoke first. ”...You know something about this place, don’t you?”

The woman didn’t answer immediately. Smoke drifted from her cigarette as she walked; then finally she answered. ”A little.”

That got everyone’s attention instantly, and Sophia stepped forward slightly. ”What are the trial chambers exactly?”

The woman glanced upward briefly. ”Depends on who you ask.”

That was helpful, wasn’t it? Daniel frowned. ”What’s that supposed to mean?”

”Trial chambers don’t have a confirmed origin.” Her voice remained calm. ”They appear randomly in places nobody knows why or how they are here.”

Roy listened quietly from the back.

”Some people think they’re ancient constructs,” she continued. ”Others think they’re alive. Philosophers love pretending they know.”

Victor crossed his arms. ”And what do they think?”

The woman exhaled smoke slowly. ”That the chambers exist to test human limits.”

The corridor became quieter after that; Marcus adjusted the cloth around his injured arm carefully. ”...Test them for what?”

”No one knows, maybe something like the human spirit or bullshit like that.”

Of course, a nice touch of sarcasm is a bit nice.

The woman continued walking. ”But one thing is confirmed.”

Everyone listened carefully now as she carried on speaking. ”If someone fully conquers a Trial Chamber...”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. ”They’re allowed one absolute truth.”

Silence. Even Roy’s expression shifted slightly.

”One truth?” Sophia repeated quietly.

The woman nodded once. ”You can ask anything.”

Daniel blinked. ”Anything?”

”Anything.”

Victor frowned. ”That sounds ridiculous.”

”It probably is.”

”But it’s real?” Lily asked softly.

The woman glanced toward her briefly. ”Yes.”

A dangerous kind of silence settled over the group after that because suddenly the chambers became more than survival. Truth had value, especially absolute truth.

Roy’s eyes lowered slightly.

The woman continued speaking. ”But before reaching that point, every challenger faces two confirmed trials first.” ”The Trial of Truth.”

”And the Trial of Want.”

Nobody interrupted her, mostly because none of them liked how those names sounded. Then the corridor came to an end. A massive set of black stone doors towered before them, and they were larger than any previous chamber entrance.

Ancient engravings stretched across the surface in spiralling patterns while Prana radiated from the structure so densely it almost distorted the air itself.

The woman stopped walking; for the first time since meeting her, she looked serious. Roy noticed immediately, and that alone was concerning.

Victor stepped closer carefully. ”...What’s inside?”

The woman stared at the doors quietly. ”The final chamber.”

Marcus frowned slightly. ”You’ve been here before?”

”No.”

”Then how do you know?”

Her eyes shifted upward toward the engravings. ”Because everyone knows this story.”

Clearly not everyone because everyone in this group has never heard of them.

Slowly... the doors creaked open slightly. Just enough to see inside, and everyone froze – gold. The chamber beyond glowed faintly beneath golden light reflecting off enormous stone pillars.

At the very centre was a throne made of what seemed like pure gold, and standing beside it was a knight in black armour. It was motionless. Silent. Watching.

The armour itself looked ancient and scarred: dark metal layered with countless battle marks. A massive sword rested beside the knight like a monument rather than a weapon.

Roy narrowed his eyes slightly.

Pressure radiated from within even while standing still outside of the doors.

Then the woman spoke quietly. ”The strongest man to ever conquer the Trial Chambers.”

Nobody breathed. ”The knight guarding that throne was left behind after his ascension.”

Sophia’s face paled slightly. ”...Ascension?”

The woman ignored the question. ”You can hide outside if you want.” Her voice remained indifferent. ”Like cowards.”

Victor frowned immediately, expecting more information from her. ”But if you don’t participate...”

”The chambers won’t acknowledge you, but you will be set free, so you are not obligated to do this.” She replied brutally.

Silence. ”But if you want to pass...”

Her cigarette’s ember glowed faintly. ”You have to enter.”

Lily suddenly grabbed Ethan’s arm tightly. ”No.”

Her voice trembled instantly. ”No, no, no, no...”

Panic spread across her face rapidly as she pulled him and Ethan away from the door. ”We can’t fight that thing!”

Ethan immediately held her shoulders. ”Hey. Hey. It’s alright.”

”It’s not alright!” As she screamed back with genuine fear in her eyes. Tears started forming in her eyes. ”We’re going to die!”

Ethan pulled her into his chest carefully. ”I’ll protect you.”

Roy watched the interaction silently. ”...”

Horrible. Actually, horrible to watch, he didn’t sign up to see this shit in front of him.

The emotional intimacy physically damaged him; he doesn’t know why, though. Lily buried her face into Ethan’s chest while gripping him tightly.

Roy immediately looked away. Disgusting, people have no decency for those who are single anymore, do they?

The woman glanced at them once. ”...Are you done?”

Ruthless, and then she stepped inside first. The others reluctantly followed, but a few of the people stayed back. Roy entered last. The moment everyone crossed the threshold... CLANG.

The black knight moved while the doors closed at the same time.

Its sword lifted slowly from the ground as ancient armour groaned loudly against itself. Then it took a stance, and the chamber shook.

Pressure exploded outward instantly, with Daniel nearly losing balance. The knight lifted his left arm and faced his palm at Victor, with his sword on his back.

”What the hell...”

The knight vanished. BOOM, as blood flew into the air, it was the broad man with the bruised jaw, losing his head, with two more flying in the air at the same time.

Everyone stood still as they watched these three people die in an instant. Lily started screaming from just the sight as she tried running away back to the door.

It then tried going after Victor, but he barely raised his weapon in time before the massive blade slammed into him hard enough to launch him across the chamber.

Stone exploded apart behind him. The fight began instantly, and chaos erupted. Marcus tried attacking from the side only for the knight to pivot unnaturally fast, forcing him backward immediately.

Sophia’s blade shattered against the armour completely.

This knight was far too strong for these people. The woman fought directly against it, moving faster than the others could even follow properly.

Yet even she was struggling now.

The knight wasn’t like the wooden monsters; this thing had technique. Perfect technique. Every movement was efficient. Every strike is lethal. Roy remained near the back of the chamber.

Hidden behind broken stone, throwing rocks. A tactical genius, in his opinion, because he doesn’t have to fight, as they could do it for him.

One rock bounced harmlessly off the knight’s helmet for no reaction. ”...Damn.”

The situation worsened quickly, and now Victor was bleeding. Marcus collapsed onto one knee. Daniel got thrown into a pillar hard enough to cough blood.

The knight continued advancing relentlessly and then it saw Lily bashing away at the door to try opening it; with no exhaustion or hesitation, it lunged at her.

Then... A ripple spread through the chamber, and everyone froze slightly; even the knight stopped moving to look up in the air.

The air changed. It was now colder somehow, with a being standing in the air.

Nova appeared.

With no warning and no sound. Just presence. A black mask with a crimson jewel hanging from it.

Stillness.

The atmosphere shifted instantly with whispers spreading immediately through the chamber even though there was a knight that was trying to attack them right in front of them.

”N-Nova...”

”Why is he here?!”

”Oh god...”

Fear. Actual fear.

Even the woman’s eyes narrowed slightly. The knight immediately lunged toward Nova.

Its sword carved downward violently, but with one step.

Flash.

The knight’s blade hit nothing, and Nova disappeared. The knight looked around instantly.

Left. Right. Behind.

He was nowhere to be found. Then the knight slowly looked forward towards the throne as Nova sat on it casually.

One elbow resting against the armrest while staring downward calmly.

The chamber fell completely silent. Then... Nova stood and pointed his open palm at the knight and spoke in a low tone. ”I am Nova; I am here to liberate all of you.”

And with one step forward, he was gone again.

The knight reacted instantly this time, but it was too late. A hand emerged from behind the black knight silently. Directly through the gap in its armour, Prana detonated.

The entire chamber shook violently. CRACK.

The knight froze; its sword slipped from its grasp. Then slowly... The armour disappeared into dust; it was gone in mere moments.

Silence consumed the chamber, and everyone stared at Nova in complete disbelief.

Then... He vanished too with no explanation.

Just gone.

The survivors immediately started murmuring anxiously.

”Why was Nova here?”

”Was he following us?”

”Are we safe?”

”What if he comes back?!”

Fear spread faster than relief somehow, and the woman ignored them. Her eyes scanned the room carefully instead. Checking injuries and counting people.

Then she frowned slightly. ”...Wait.”

That boy was missing, and her eyes narrowed. Then... She shouted at the throne. ”...What are you doing?”

Roy slowly peeked out from behind the throne chair. ”...Strategic positioning.”

Silence.

Daniel stared at him blankly. ”You hid behind the throne the entire fight?!”

Roy crossed his arms calmly. ”Um, yeah. I was observing... Making sure all of you don’t die.”