The passage stretched on, the faint light ahead drawing Aidan forward with the promise of something—anything—other than cold stone and suffocating darkness. His legs wobbled with every step, his body screaming for rest. The cool air brushing his face was a small relief, but it did little to ease the gnawing hunger that twisted his stomach.
He leaned against the wall, pausing to catch his breath. The crystal shard pulsed faintly in his hand, a weak but steady reminder of his progress. "Almost there," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. "Just one more door. One more trap. Maybe a congratulatory cupcake waiting for me at the end."
His stomach growled loudly, echoing through the narrow passage. Aidan grimaced. "Or, you know, a rock. Because that's realistic at this point."
He paused, slumping against the wall, and let his thoughts drift. How long have I been here? The dungeon's eternal twilight made it impossible to track time. His body felt like it had been through days—weeks, maybe—but his rational side pushed back against the absurdity of it.
"Three days without water," he murmured aloud. "Right? That's what they say. You can survive three days without water. Maybe five if you're lucky."
The memory of the water pool flashed in his mind. How long had it been since he drank from it? Hours? A day? His throat burned again at the thought.
"And food?" He slid down the wall to sit on the floor, exhaustion making every movement a chore. "Two weeks without food, maybe three, if you're not running through death mazes. Which I am."
His stomach twisted painfully, as though mocking his calculations. He glanced at the crystal shard in his hand and shook his head. "What's the dungeon's deal? Does time work differently here? Because my hunger is ahead of schedule."
The sound of his voice bouncing back at him made him wince. "Great," he muttered. "I've officially become that guy who talks to himself in dungeons. Next thing you know, I'll start giving my rock a name."
---
The Last Chamber
The passage opened into a grand chamber, its ceiling so high it disappeared into shadows. At the far end stood a massive double door, its surface engraved with intricate runes and glowing faintly. Aidan's heart lifted at the sight. "Finally," he said, his voice breaking with exhaustion. "The way out."
But the chamber wasn't empty. In its center, a pedestal rose from the ground, surrounded by a circle of jagged stalactites. Above the pedestal hovered a shimmering orb of light, casting long, shifting shadows across the room.
Aidan approached cautiously, his footsteps echoing in the vast space. The pedestal bore an inscription, the words glowing faintly in the orb's light:
"To leave, one must sustain. To sustain, one must adapt."
He frowned, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Vague as usual," he muttered. "Couldn't just say, 'Congratulations, here's the key,' could you?"
The crystal shard twitched in his hand, pulsing faintly in sync with the orb. Aidan stared at the glowing object, then at the double doors. "Alright, magic rock," he said. "What's the plan? Because I've got nothing."
---
The Realization
As Aidan studied the pedestal, his stomach churned again, the sharp ache radiating through his entire body. His legs trembled, and he stumbled back, collapsing onto the cold stone floor. The orb's light flickered, casting erratic shadows across the chamber.
His hand brushed against one of the stalactites that surrounded the pedestal. The texture was rough but strangely smooth in places, and as he stared at it, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
The stone sustains.
The phrase from earlier resurfaced, unbidden. Aidan barked out a weak laugh, shaking his head. "No. Absolutely not. I'm not eating a rock."
But the thought lingered, insistent. He looked back at the pedestal, the orb of light, and the towering double doors. His throat burned with thirst again, and his stomach twisted painfully. The memory of the chocolate cake in his fridge flashed in his mind—a cruel joke from his own subconscious.
"I'm going insane," he muttered. "This is what losing it feels like."
The orb's light pulsed faintly, and Aidan's gaze drifted back to the stalactite. He hesitated, then reached out, his fingers brushing its jagged surface. It was colder than the floor, but as he pressed harder, it felt… brittle. Almost like it would crumble under pressure.
Aidan stared at it for a long moment. "If this doesn't kill me," he said, "I'm buying that cake its own shrine when I get out."
---
The First Bite
With a sigh of resignation, Aidan broke off a small piece of the stalactite. The fragment crumbled in his hand, the texture finer than he'd expected. He stared at the pale dust coating his fingers, half-expecting it to glow or hum with magical energy.
"Well," he said, "cheers to terrible life choices." He popped the fragment into his mouth, wincing as he bit down.
To his surprise, the rock wasn't as hard as he'd expected. It dissolved almost instantly, leaving a strange, mineral-like aftertaste that wasn't entirely unpleasant. Warmth spread through his chest, radiating outward, and the sharp ache in his stomach dulled slightly.
Aidan blinked, sitting up straighter. "Huh. Not bad for dungeon cuisine."
Encouraged, he broke off another piece, chewing more carefully this time. The warmth grew stronger, easing the tension in his muscles and clearing the fog from his mind. By the third bite, he felt like he could stand again.
"Note to self," he muttered. "If I survive, pitch 'rock diet' to the wellness crowd. Cavemen would be proud."
---
The Challenge Awaits
As Aidan rose to his feet, the orb of light flared brightly, its glow filling the chamber. The pedestal emitted a low hum, and the runes on the double doors began to shift, rearranging themselves into a new pattern. Aidan stepped closer, the crystal shard in his hand flaring to match the orb's intensity.
The pedestal bore a new inscription:
"The final choice: face the guardian, or turn back forever."
Aidan groaned. "Great. Because one shadow monster wasn't enough."
The double doors groaned open, revealing a swirling void of light and shadow beyond. Aidan tightened his grip on the crystal shard, his newly restored strength bolstering his resolve. "Alright, dungeon," he said, stepping forward. "Let's see what you've got."