The Anomaly's Path

I sheathed Tempest with a sharp click and turned my gaze away from the group, looking past the weeping pillars toward the massive, dark archway at the very back of the plaza. That path led directly to the heart of the inner ruins, where the true monster was waiting.

”The small fry are taken care of,” I said, my voice cold and flat. ”...But we aren’t done yet. The real problem is just through those doors.”

No one argued. Everyone was too tired.

Even Alice wasn’t grinning anymore. She was leaning against a broken pillar, her greatsword stuck in the ground beside her, her chest heaving. Riven sat on a chunk of rubble, staring at his daggers, his face pale.

Cordelia had her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath, while Amelia moved quickly among the wounded, her water magic flowing gently over cuts and bruises to soothe the pain.

Caster had found a collapsed building near the edge of the plaza — a half-standing structure with thick walls and only one entrance. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was defensible.

Lyssaria and Nyra took positions at the front, watching the purple mist closely for any sign of another attack.

Arthur’s people — the survivors they had managed to pull out, were scattered around the same building. Some sat shivering, some lay flat on their backs, and some just stared blankly into the dark.

Lara was helping Iris bandage a nasty wound on a boy’s arm. Finn and Cora sat back-to-back, their eyes closed to save what little strength they had left. In the corner, Sam was curled up into a tight ball, his nervous twitch looking much worse than before.

We had maybe an hour before the puppets regrouped. Maybe less.

I found a spot away from everyone near the back of the structure, where the wall was still standing tall and the thick fog couldn’t reach me. I sat down, leaned my head back against the cold stone, and closed my eyes to rest.

A few feet away, the main group gathered to map out our next move.

Arthur stood in the center, his golden light dim from exhaustion but still steady. Roan had his spear laid across his lap, his silver hair matted with sweat and dirt. Elisabeth stood completely apart from the others, her violet eyes cold and sharp, her hand resting firmly on the hilt of her sword.

Alice sat cross-legged on the dusty ground, tossing a small pebble up and catching it over and over. Cordelia stood with her back perfectly straight, doing her absolute best to look like a proud princess even with mud smeared across her face, while Amelia sat right beside Julia, who couldn’t stop trembling.

Caster was hunched low over his map, his glasses constantly sliding down his nose as he cleared his throat. ”I... I found more data in the Academy records about the Statue of Unforgotten Sorrow.”

”Tell us,” I said from my spot against the wall. I didn’t bother opening my eyes.

Caster tapped the device. The holographic display flickered to life, showing a glowing model of a kneeling knight made of black stone, weeping tears, its hands clasped tightly around the hilt of a massive greatsword.

”The statue is classified as a Lord-class monster, Grade 5 High danger,” Caster explained, his voice shaky. ”But it’s not a physical fighter. It doesn’t swing a blade or chase you down. It just sits in the dark and waits. And when you get close enough...”

”It gets inside your head,” Elisabeth finished for him. Her voice was flat, carrying an icy chill. ”...It finds your worst memory. The exact moment that broke your soul. And it forces you to live it again and again, until you lose your mind and can’t tell what is real anymore.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened instantly. He didn’t say a word, but the sudden shift in his aura told me everything. He knew. We all knew what his worst memory was.

”It... also spreads its influence through the fog,” Caster continued, pointing to the glowing layout. ”The purple mist isn’t just for show. It’s how the statue reaches into your mind. The closer we get to the center, the stronger the pressure becomes. And if you stay inside it too long...”

”You become a puppet,” Roan said. The usual playful bounce was gone from his voice, replaced by absolute seriousness. ”Just like the brainwashed candidates we’ve been fighting.”

Elisabeth nodded slowly. ”The statue uses them as its soldiers, its eyes, and its hands. It throws them at us to slow us down, to wear us out, and to make us tired, scared, and weak before we even reach the main chamber.”

”So when we step through those doors,” Arthur said, looking around the circle, ”we aren’t just fighting a monster. We’re fighting the people it has already broken.”

The group went dead silent. The reality of the situation settled over them like a heavy weight.

Alice stopped tossing her pebble, catching it tightly in her palm. ”Sounds like a party to me.”

Riven glared hard at her. ”You are completely insane.”

”Probably.” She grinned.

I opened my eyes and looked at them through the dim light. ”The statue’s power isn’t just about showing you the past. It feeds on what you feel. The more scared you are, the more guilt you carry, the more you hate yourself — the stronger it gets. So when we go in there, don’t give it anything to feed on.”

It was easier said than done, but there was no point in saying that out loud.

Caster showed us the final layout of the inner sanctum.

It was a massive, circular chamber with the weeping statue sitting right in the center, surrounded by dark pools of a strange, black liquid. The stone walls were lined with deep alcoves, each holding a skeletal guardian. They looked like dust now, but in a place like this, nothing guaranteed they would stay dead.

”Once we enter, there’s no turning back,” Arthur said, his golden eyes sweeping across the room.

”Good,” Roan said, a small, reckless grin returning to his face. ”I hate going back anyway.”

Elisabeth shot him a sharp look. ”You aren’t taking this seriously.”

”I’m taking it very seriously,” Roan shot back, leaning against his spear. ”I just don’t see the point in being miserable before a fight.”

I looked down at my bracer. The blue numbers glowed brightly in the dark, a constant reminder of the ticking clock. One day, fourteen hours, and twenty-two minutes left.

”We rest here for a few hours,” I ordered, my voice cutting through the chatter. ”Recover your mana and strength. Then we go in.”

”What about the other candidates?” Cordelia asked, looking toward the survivors. ”The ones Arthur brought out? We can’t just leave them unprotected.”

”We won’t,” Arthur assured her. ”They will stay right here behind our defensive line. Nyra and a few others will watch the perimeter. If anything breaks through, their orders are to pull back deeper into the safe zones of the ruins.”

The meeting broke up, and people scattered to find whatever comfort they could in the dirt.

Alice went off to bother Riven, Cordelia sat close to Julia to help calm her shaking, and Amelia stayed right by Arthur’s side, their heads bent low as they spoke in hushed whispers. Roan found a sturdy pillar, leaned his head back, and went to sleep.

I felt a sharp gaze on me. I looked up and saw Elisabeth standing a distance away.

She was staring straight at me — not with curiosity, and certainly not with friendliness. She was just watching me, like I was a difficult puzzle she was trying to piece together. I ignored her, turning my back to the camp and focusing entirely on the dark wall.

Her behavior was a bit different from the game, I thought. In the game, she wasn’t exactly bad or good. She was just... there. A supporting character. But now, watching me like that... maybe it’s because I’m living it rather than playing it. That’s why everything looks different.

What does she even want from me? I thought, glancing back at Elisabeth. She was still watching. Still silent. Why is she so interested? Is she suspicious of me? Or something else?

Maybe I’ll ask her later.

I let out a slow, heavy breath and closed my eyes.

Nova, I called out in my mind. You there?

Silence.

Nova...

A long pause stretched before the familiar voice finally echoed in my head. [...Yes, Host. I am here.]

Why aren’t you talking? You’re always talking. Annoying me, making sarcastic comments, acting like a glitchy bastard. What’s wrong with you?

Another pause, heavier than the last.

[I did not wish to disturb your focus.]

Bullshit, I thought, leaning harder against the stone. You never care about that. You say whatever you want, whenever you want. So tell me what’s really going on.

[Nothing is wrong, Host.]

I opened my eyes and stared up at the cracked stone ceiling. You’re lying.

[...I am incapable of lying. I am a System.]

Systems can lie. You just choose not to. Most of the time. Fine, don’t tell me now. But when this is over, you and I are going to have a real talk.

[If you survive.]

When I survive, I corrected.

[Confidence. Defiant as always, Leo.]

Tsk. Shut up!

Though, I said that, but I have a feeling something wrong...

I closed my eyes again, trying to catch some sleep, but soft, deliberate footsteps crunched on the gravel nearby. Someone sat down right next to me. I didn’t even need to look to know who it was.

”You’re blocking my light,” I muttered.

Arthur didn’t move an inch. ”You don’t need light. You’re already pale enough. You need to eat something.”

”I’m not pale. I’m just fair-skinned.”

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was sitting cross-legged on the hard ground, his glowing sword laid flat across his knees. His golden eyes were incredibly tired, but the core of his gaze was entirely clear.

”...It’s been a long time,” he said softly, looking out at the foggy plaza.

I nodded. ”Yeah. It has...”

”Years maybe.”

”Feels like a lifetime, honestly.”

I was quiet for a moment, the heavy silence of the ruins stretching between us. Then, I spoke up, my voice dropping low. ”How are you holding up? With everything. The expectations. The pressure. Everyone looking at you like you’re supposed to save them, like you have to be a hero.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened, and he looked down at his hands. ”I never asked for any of it. The Goddess chose me. I didn’t get a choice. And now... now everyone expects me to be this perfect savior, and I’m not even sure I can do it.”

I let out a dry, tired laugh. ”Welcome to the club.”

He looked over at me, blinking. ”What club?”

”The ’I never asked for this’ club,” I said, staring at the dark archway. ”Membership is completely free. The benefits include constant life-or-death danger, an absolute lack of sleep, and a long line of people trying to kill you every single day.”

A small, genuine smile actually broke through Arthur’s tired face. ”Sounds like a terrible deal.”

”Oh believe me. Its the absolute worst,” I agreed.

We fell into silence again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the kind of quiet that only came between two people who used to know each other, who had drifted apart through a lot of mess, but who still understood the heavy weight the other was carrying.

”...I wanted to fight you, you know,” I said suddenly.

Arthur raised an eyebrow, surprised. ”What?”

”In the exam,” I explained, turning my head to look at him. ”I thought we would face off against each other. You and me. A real match to see who was actually stronger.”

”And now?”

I looked past him, toward the dark archway where the weeping statue was waiting for us in the shadows. ”Now we’re standing on the same side, fighting together.”

Arthur nodded slowly, a thoughtful look in his eyes. ”Funny how things work out.”

”It’s not funny. It’s just annoying.”

He almost laughed out loud this time. He stood up slowly, gripping his sword, and looked down at me with those steady golden eyes.

”...Leo.”

”What?”

”If we survive this...”

”We will survive.”

”If we survive this,” he repeated, his voice firm and full of resolve, ”...I want that fight. Just you and me. No monsters, no mind control, no saving the world. Just a real match.”

I looked up at him, a spark of determination lighting up inside my own chest. I felt a small smile touch my lips.

”Fine,” I said. ”But don’t cry when you lose.”

Arthur turned away, a confident stride in his step. ”I won’t. Make sure you don’t.”

I watched his back as he walked back toward the campfire, then leaned my head against the cold wall and closed my eyes once more.

Both of us stuck in a mess we never asked for, I thought to myself. Both of us just wanted to live a quiet, peaceful life, spending time with the people we care about.

And now here we are, about to walk into a dark temple to fight a monster that wants to rip our minds apart.

Life is funny.

I let out one last long breath, cleared my mind of the doubts, and waited for the clock to run down.