The door behind Aidan sealed shut with a deafening thud, cutting off the dim glow from the previous room. He leaned heavily against the rough stone wall, his legs trembling beneath him. Each breath felt heavier than the last, dragging painfully through his chest. His lips were cracked and dry, his throat raw. It was as though the very air was draining what little strength he had left.
His stomach growled again, louder this time, the sound echoing faintly in the chamber. He winced, clutching at his abdomen. "Great. Add starvation to the list of ways I'll probably die here," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
Closing his eyes, he tried to push the thought away. But it refused to leave, replaced instead by the image of his apartment fridge back home. Specifically, the small, round cake sitting on the middle shelf. He'd bought it as a "treat-yourself" moment after finishing his finals. He could almost see it now—rich chocolate frosting, the slice he'd cut out of it earlier still visible.
His stomach twisted painfully. I didn't even get to finish it, he thought, a pang of regret mingling with his growing hunger. He remembered sitting on the couch with his laptop, balancing a plate with the first slice as he debated whether to have another. "I should've had another," he murmured bitterly.
---
The Stone Puzzle
Forcing himself upright, Aidan scanned the room. The chamber stretched wide, its walls lined with faintly glowing runes that flickered in no discernible pattern. In the center of the room stood a raised stone platform, surrounded by jagged stalactites and stalagmites that jutted out like teeth. Atop the platform rested a pedestal, its surface pulsating faintly with light.
The faint hum of magic filled the air, vibrating just enough to make the hairs on Aidan's arms stand on end. "Oh, good," he muttered, dragging his feet toward the platform. "Another puzzle. Another chance to not die horribly."
As he climbed the steps to the pedestal, the runes glowed brighter, illuminating an inscription carved into its base:
"The patient shall find clarity; the rash shall find ruin."
"Cryptic as usual," Aidan said, leaning heavily on the pedestal for support. He pulled out the map, his fingers trembling as he unrolled it. The parchment twitched, the ink shifting to reveal a new diagram of the room. Aidan frowned, studying the layout. The map displayed the positions of several glowing pillars that surrounded the platform, their positions connected by faint lines.
"So, connect the dots," he muttered, squinting at the faint lines. His vision blurred at the edges, and his fingers felt unsteady as he tried to trace the path. "Easy enough, right?"
The platform beneath him rumbled softly, and a series of smaller stone columns rose from the floor. Each bore glowing runes similar to those on the pedestal, their light pulsating in no discernible order.
---
Trial and Error
Aidan approached the nearest column, dragging his feet across the rough stone floor. His legs felt like lead, and his head pounded with a dull ache that refused to leave. As he reached out to touch the column, the runes on its surface flared, and a beam of light shot toward another column across the room.
"Okay," he said slowly, his voice cracking. "That's… probably a good sign."
The beam of light guided him to the next column, and he followed it, each step growing heavier than the last. He activated the second column, and another beam connected to a third. The process repeated, the beams forming a web of light that crisscrossed the room.
Halfway through the sequence, the platform trembled violently. The beams disappeared, and the light on the columns dimmed. Aidan stumbled, barely catching himself against the pedestal. His pulse quickened, the adrenaline clearing his head just enough to grasp the situation.
"Wrong move," he muttered, steadying himself. "Of course."
The runes reset, and the process began again. This time, Aidan moved more cautiously, relying on the map to guide his steps. Sweat dripped down his face, stinging his eyes as it rolled down his cheeks. His shirt clung uncomfortably to his skin, and his stomach churned with an empty ache.
"Focus," he whispered to himself, forcing his trembling hands to steady as he reached for the next column. "Just a few more."
Each correct step brought him closer to the final column, but the weight in his chest grew heavier. His breaths came in shallow gasps, and his legs threatened to buckle beneath him. By the time he activated the last rune, his vision swam, and black spots danced at the edges of his eyes.
The beams of light converged at the center of the room, illuminating the pedestal in a brilliant glow. A small compartment opened at its base, revealing a shard of crystal glowing faintly blue.
"Great," Aidan rasped, stumbling toward it. He grabbed the shard, its cool surface soothing against his palm. "Another piece of the puzzle. Lucky me."
---
A Growing Desperation
As the light from the runes faded, Aidan sank to the floor, clutching the crystal shard. His breaths came shallow, and his limbs felt like lead. The hunger gnawed at him, sharp and unrelenting. He leaned back against the pedestal, his head lolling to the side as he gazed up at the jagged stalactites above.
His dry lips curled into a faint, bitter smile. The image of the cake in his fridge surfaced again, the memory of its rich chocolate taste almost tangible. He remembered saving the rest for later, thinking he'd savor it over the weekend. How stupid was that? he thought bitterly. Now I'd kill for even the crumbs.
He ran a hand along the rough stone beneath him, the jagged texture pressing against his fingertips. For a fleeting moment, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind. Maybe I could—
"No," he muttered, shaking his head weakly. "Not happening."
But the ache in his stomach only deepened, and his vision blurred further. He closed his eyes, resting his head against the pedestal. The faint hum of the chamber was the only sound, a dull reminder that he was utterly, hopelessly alone.
---
A Corridor Ahead
A faint rumble broke the silence as another door opened at the far end of the chamber. Aidan forced his eyes open, squinting against the weak light spilling through the doorway. He groaned, pushing himself upright. Every muscle in his body protested, but he gritted his teeth and took a shaky step forward.
The corridor beyond was narrow and dimly lit, its walls bare and cold. The air here was heavier, each breath dragging painfully at his chest. Aidan leaned against the wall for support, his fingers brushing over the rough stone as he stumbled forward.
"Just keep moving," he told himself, his voice barely audible. "One step at a time."
The faint light at the end of the corridor seemed impossibly far away. His legs wobbled with every step, and his thoughts grew increasingly disjointed. His fingers brushed against the cool stone again, and a strange calm settled over him.
"Stone sustains," he murmured, the words from the pedestal surfacing unbidden. He shook his head, biting back a laugh. "Yeah, sure. Let's all just eat rocks."
The corridor stretched on, the light growing faintly brighter with each agonizing step. Aidan clenched the crystal shard in his hand, the cool surface grounding him as he pressed forward.