'Again…'I think bitterly as I watched the same notification with the Probation Zone. But then, a surprising bit is added to it. I feel my eyes opening wide at the option of being able to exit the dungeon. 'Maybe it's a trap' I think suspiciously and starts talking to the others.
And no sound came out. I realized that here was nothing in front of us and I panicked as I looked to my side, looking for my friends.
'Emptiness…' I look around looking for my friends and they aren't there!
'What the…' Chills run down my spine. I breath deeply to calm myself.
I could feel how that hollow place came back for me, as if it would never let me go…
It's not as if something will appear suddenly, most likely, one wished for something to appear, to see, to hear, to feel… something, anything!
'This is bringing some unpleasant memories' I think bitterly as I knew that no matter how hard I shout, I wouldn't hear it, or be heard.
I just start walking forward. This time I start becoming aware of my body in this empty space, trying to feel the most of it through minute movements. I noticed that it didn't matter where I go, it seems there isn't a direct route, so I tried walking forward as no sound is made from my steps.
'This is truly a dangerous Zone…' I thought to myself while shivering.
Being 'Painless' is something but feeling nothing is another, even more when you are in an empty space. I didn't feel the presence of air, I felt that my character was breathing by inertia. At least I could feel something like ground to be stepping on it, and I desperately concentrate on it, thinking that it might go away at any moment.
I walked and walked, the space seems boundless and never-ending.
As my thoughts are going astray, I also remembered that time… it was hollow, too…
Sadness, anxiety and fear flooded my consciousness, my steps wavering as the ground didn't feel so real anymore, as if I would start falling at any moment.
I close my eyes, desperately trying to get away from those thoughts. For a way for me to escape. Then, I remembered the option of being able to get out of here, I reach out quick, like a man that has found an oasis in a desert.
Do you wish to get out of the Dungeon of Wishes?
Yes/No.
I knew that if I talked now, I would be heard. I knew if I talked now, I would be taken out of this place, of this nightmare. I knew that that if I say Yes, freedom would come to me!
My hand reaches out for the option, as I open my mouth to talk. And then…
'STOP!' Feeling my consciousness scream at me, I finally. Watching the temptation in front of me, my ticket for release.
I close my eyes, I start remembering why I was here, why WE came here. We can't stop here! I… can't stop here!
I open my eyes, furious as I watch the message in front of me. Rage welling up in my chest as I felt the ground solidifying again, my back straightening. Then that rage changed to resolution and I shouted.
"NO!" Even if it wasn't heard in the space, I could hear it!
My voice would never be silent. My action would never fall in nothing!
I start walking forward, not stopping at all. Creating my own road, my will connecting with my friends that have been going through similar ordeals like mine. I have them, and they have me. All of us are waiting for each other, so I can't let them wait anymore!
A road that will connect me with them, a road that we will be together!
Finally, a road that connect to me!
Soon after I thought of that, someone appeared. I couldn't distinguish it, as I even felt my vision impaired, but it just said
"Is what you fear not what you truly fear?"
'Maybe' I tell the blurred figure in front of me
"Then why should you pass?"
'Because they are waiting for me'
"Is that enough?"
"No… but I can't let myself wait anymore, too" I smile at the figure as I say that.
"Then you shall pass" Says the figure while disappearing and I fell to the ground
Probation Zone completed!
You have finished the Empty Zone!
A… HA…
AR…A…
"Ardha!" Shouts a female voice and wakes me up from my reverie on the ground.
'Where am I?' I ask inside my head.
"You okay?" Comes another worried voice and I opened my eyes.
It is them, my friends.
"You took your time, I was about to log out and go look for you at your house" Says Arksen relieved for some reason.
"How much time did I take?" I shook my head, I felt my mind very clouded for some reason, but at the same time I felt more light than ever!
"One and a half day" Says Isa that is alongside me
"Woah, that's a lot, that's why I am in such a weak state…" I say while grabbing something to eat, I think my Fast Recovery saved my life. Then, I suddenly think that I should go eating at real life too.
"Are you okay?" Asks me Vladi with a worried look
"Yes, I am" I say with a warm smile. I feel happy, I feel energized, I feel… resolute! I didn't notice that Vladi's face blushed a bit when I said that.
"But that Zone… what was it?" I ask myself aloud while thinking, touching my chin.
"We were talking about it, and it seems it reflects our inner fears and despairs… maybe…" Says Zenith with a grimace, vaguely inferring that what he went through wasn't pleasant at all.
"What a terrifying place, indeed" Says Isa, shuddering a bit.
"But it was short at the very least; I was prepared to stay there for a month" Says Arksen with a tight smile.
"Yeah, and Dei went totally silent, so we thought the link between you two broke" Says Peko, still worried about me.
"I was transferred 'there' along with him" Says Dei nonchalantly.
'There' huh…
Dei fell silent again, and I rested for a bit, we didn't talk about what we faced, but we didn't need to, we overcame it and we pushed forward with our wills
"Should we get ready for the next floor?" I ask them
With new looks on their faces all of them say "Yes"
And we move forward to that staircase, the notification that always came appeared.
You have entered the Mirror Zone!
You have entered the Probation Zone!
I smiled bitterly, as the option of being able to get out of the Dungeon of Wishes wasn't there anymore.
"Mirror… then those guys must be complete" I thought out loud and everyone seems to nod to that as we prepare to face them.
Maybe it was a bit anticlimactic when we finally saw them.
Doppelgangers!
They are tougher than ever, but they never came in a full group making it slightly easier.
But their looks are different… or may I say, the presence they exuded is different; even so, they look 'empty'. Like puppet moving without a will behind.
"Be careful of the bullets, Vladi's aim got sharper!" I tell all of them, after all these seems to be almost perfect copies of us
I start attacking, and then my doppelganger starts slashing, parrying, stabbing and everything it could to me. It is truly hard to fight against 'myself', but I could go against it as I finished them off. It seems it didn't get all of our skills, or at least not at their proficiency.
My movements became sharper, my enhancements are more balanced, and my concentration and fighting spirit are at their peak, it is as if everything is working the way it should be.
This thrill of using everything I have and not feel any setbacks, this feeling I have fighting alongside my comrades, it is truly unique and engaging!
We moved and rampaged forward as if we know what the other will do and what should they do, but the other beings don't have that connection, maybe that is what I thought is different
There is no Unity, there seems to be no 'self' on them
And time passed until we got to the completed six of them that have been waiting for us, but this time they are totally different
All of them have different expression and I became perplexed at seeing them
Mine have a hollow look, like an empty puppet. Zenith's seems to be exuding a chaotic deathly aura full of evil around him, similar to Mader or worse. Arksen's looks cold and expressionless, like a brutal killer watching his next victim. Peko's seems to be desperate, looking everywhere full of anxiety. Isa is like a little child crying, bawling her eyes out. Vladi's is totally quiet as if it is muttering to herself the whole time, her hands forming tight fists as traces of blood could be spotted inside them.
"Mirror…" The same word came from my mouth, goosebumps rising in my body and I ready myself, but inside of me I am trembling nonstop. But then, I closed my eyes, and everything went away.
'I… have arrived!'
Then my hand is touched by my friends alongside me and they just say
"We are here now, and you are here for us too" Says my friend Arksen
"If they are what we are deep inside, then it doesn't matter if we fight against them or accept them, right now, they are standing against us" Says Zenith with a solemn look as if he somehow knew this would happen.
I smile at them, and then all of us look at our opponents. Our fighting spirit mixing together, forming a tremendous torrent ready to be let go violently.
"Can you go through us?" They ask us with our voices. Different sounds mix together.
"Of course, we can!" Answers Vladi that is holding my hand without realizing.
"But you shall not pass" They respond to her.
"We are absolute"
At their words my lips curved upwards and I just tell them "You are not absolute, you are us, and we are normal living beings!"
"We are not absolute as neither we are nothingness"
Then we start moving, maybe those were our first steps, as we continued clashing with them, we fought and we retained, we persevered and remembered why we are there in the first place.
It is not to gain absolute power or something like that; we just wish to protect what was left to us
Maybe it is a mission, maybe it is what They left us to go forward, but it has grown on us, and it made us grow too
Fighting with tooth and nail, we brought out everything we had inside to defeat our Doppelgangers. Bones broken, limbs pierced and lungs screaming for air. But we managed to defeat them all as our breath was ragged.
My Doppelganger stood up, all broken down as if it was a Zombie and he says.
"May you pass to see the Wisher…" and it vanishes into space creating a new way for us to go, a new road to follow.
"It seems the next one is the last one…" I say while my body plummeted to the ground along with everyone, we felt content as we tiredly rest on the ground. Smiles plastered on our faces as we look at each other.
"It might contain another month of pure fighting!" Says Zenith with an accomplished look. Sweats and blood mixing together as he laid on his back.
"I wouldn't mind~" Says Peko in a relaxed tone. She spit some blood as she said that. She couldn't wield her left dagger as most of her left hand was crushed while fighting.
"This was fun" Says Arksen. Bastard had a wide grin, but his right eye was completely sealed, as Peko's Doppelganger slashed it without mercy, and his right knuckle was completely breaking along with his right leg.
"… What a group…" Whispers Dei in an almost unnoticeable voice.
"Heh, aaaah, after everything is over, we should take it easy for a while~" I said with a broad smile.
"I agree~" Says Vladi while slowly standing up. She was probably in the best physical condition of all of us, as she had no broken limb, but her character barely moved as it was suffering from severe mana depletion.
"We should make a house or a place to meet" Says Isa, as her right shoulder was crushed from one of the bashes and at least a few ribs had caved in her character. I knew that her character was in the worst condition from all of us, as she was the tank.
'A house… I wonder how my parents are, haven't contacted them in a while… well, since Mader's incident' I think along while taking an item to replenish health for Isa.
"It would be good, but right now, we have this to finish" I say while standing up and everyone agree.
"Yep~"
Thus, we now walk towards our new way, the place where The Wisher is.
Probation Zone completed!
You have finished the Mirror Zone!
You have entered the Almighty Zone!
We will never forget this time; our hearts became one along with our spirits.
No longer were we alone anymore.