CHAPTER 18 We Were Never Alone
Previous Chapter Reminder =
In the previous chapter, we saw Manu, Orion, and Eira trapped inside the Memory Card Game. While everyone else froze under pressure, Manu kept trying until the very end. Just as he flipped the final card, Rahul's energy attack was about to hit him.
Now Next...
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
A black fireball burned inside Rahul's hand.
Before the fireball could hit Manu, his eyes suddenly closed.
Reality disappeared.
Everything went dark.
Manu found himself standing inside his own mind.
The entire place was pitch black.
Not normal darkness.
A darkness so deep that it felt alive.
There was no wind.
No sound.
No movement.
Then suddenly...
A human-shaped figure appeared.
The moment it appeared, the atmosphere changed.
A freezing cold wind began flowing through the darkness.
The figure kept appearing and disappearing.
Appearing...
Disappearing...
Appearing...
Disappearing...
Manu instantly felt fear.
The figure's eyes were glowing green.
---
Manu (fear) =
W-Who... are you...?
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
No answer came.
Only silence.
Then the green eyes expanded.
Larger.
Larger.
And larger.
Until those eyes completely covered the darkness itself.
The light became unbearable.
Manu covered his eyes with both hands.
It felt like being forced to stare directly into the sun without blinking.
When the light finally faded...
The black world disappeared.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu found himself standing on a staircase.
A faint light was shining from above.
Curiosity slowly crawled into his mind.
---
Manu =
I'm standing in the middle of these stairs.
If something dangerous is above...
Then maybe I should go down instead.
Wait...
Am I dreaming?
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu slapped himself.
Then pinched his arm.
Nothing.
No pain.
No sensation.
A realization hit him.
He was trapped inside a dream.
Without hesitation, he stepped downward.
The moment his foot touched the lower stair...
A freezing chill ran through his body.
But Manu continued walking.
His left hand rested against his chest.
Almost as if he was trying to hold his own heart in place.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
After ten steps...
He heard breathing.
Heavy breathing.
Like an animal inhaling and exhaling somewhere below.
Manu continued descending.
The cold air became colder.
The breathing became louder.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Twenty steps.
Footsteps.
Something was walking.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Waiting.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Thirty steps.
A scratching noise appeared.
Metal scraping against stone.
Like someone dragging a plate across a wall.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The sound reminded him of stories about insane patients scratching the walls of abandoned hospitals.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Forty steps.
Manu's legs began shaking.
Then something appeared on the walls beside the staircase.
Pictures.
Drawings.
Images.
But they didn't look like something a normal person could create.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The paper looked old.
Not old like a forgotten book.
Old like something that should have been destroyed long ago.
Its corners were torn.
Dark stains covered the entire page.
Nobody could tell if they were ink...
Dirt...
Or something else entirely.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
At the center stood a humanoid figure.
Too tall.
Too thin.
Its body looked unnatural.
As if someone had tried to draw a human from memory...
But forgot what humans actually looked like.
Its arms were impossibly long.
Its fingers nearly touched the ground.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
It had no face.
Only a black void.
A hole.
An endless darkness.
Looking at it felt like staring into a tunnel with no end.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Hundreds of eyes surrounded the figure.
Some large.
Some tiny.
Some unfinished.
Some scratched so violently that the paper itself had torn apart.
Some eyes cried black tears.
Some looked terrified.
Some stared directly at the viewer.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The strangest part was...
No matter where someone stood inside the room...
Those eyes always seemed to be looking directly at them.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
At the center of the creature's chest was a red circular mark.
Not perfect.
Not symmetrical.
It looked as though the artist had scratched the same spot over and over again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until the paper nearly tore apart.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Black lines spread from its body.
Like roots.
Like veins.
Like something alive was crawling beneath the paper.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Strange symbols covered the entire page.
Some resembled mathematical formulas.
Some resembled unknown languages.
Some looked completely meaningless.
Yet the longer someone stared at them...
The more it felt like they were trying to say something.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
At the bottom of the drawing stood dozens of tiny human figures.
All staring toward the giant creature.
Like worshippers.
Like prisoners.
Like victims waiting for judgment.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The drawing was ugly.
Messy.
Chaotic.
Wrong.
But that wasn't why people feared it.
The real terror came from something else.
Every line looked desperate.
As if the artist wasn't creating art.
As if he was trying to warn someone.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
At the bottom corner of the page...
A sentence was written repeatedly.
Again.
Again.
And again.
Different handwriting.
Different sizes.
Some words were crossed out.
Some were written upside down.
Some were scratched so deeply that the paper tore apart.
Only three words remained.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
"HE IS WATCHING."
"HE IS WATCHING."
"HE IS WATCHING."
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
And the most disturbing part...
The longer someone looked at the picture...
The more they began to feel that perhaps...
The artist wasn't wrong.
---
Manu (fearful) =
No...
No...
Not again...
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
A forgotten memory exploded inside Manu's mind.
A childhood nightmare.
The same dream.
The same fear.
The same darkness.
Goosebumps covered his body.
His hands trembled.
His legs shook.
Hopelessness consumed him.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Then the footsteps returned.
Closer.
Louder.
Closer.
Louder.
Something was approaching him.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
A pale hand appeared against the wall.
Its fingers were covered in white fur.
Its nails were unnaturally long.
Like the fingers of a corpse.
Manu only saw the hand.
He refused to look higher.
Refused to see the rest.
Instead, he ran upward.
As fast as he could.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Then the creature revealed itself.
Its entire body was covered in white fur.
Like a monstrous snow beast.
Like a nightmare version of a yeti.
It was smiling.
A wide, unnatural smile.
Two sharp teeth protruded from its mouth.
Its grin stretched far beyond what should have been possible.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
In its hand was a massive butcher knife.
Blood continuously dripped from the blade.
Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The closer Manu got to the light above...
The heavier gravity became.
His speed slowed.
Every step became harder.
After climbing sixty stairs...
The light was only ten steps away.
Yet it felt impossible to reach.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The pressure became overwhelming.
Manu collapsed onto the stairs.
His body refused to move.
Even his teeth felt as heavy as mountains.
He couldn't speak.
Couldn't scream.
Couldn't run.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The monster approached.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Manu wanted to escape.
Wanted to scream.
Wanted to move.
But he couldn't.
He was like a fish thrown onto dry land.
Struggling desperately for water.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The creature raised its knife.
Blood dripped onto Manu's face.
His entire body was soaked with fear.
The knife descended.
The monster was about to kill him.
Manu tried to scream.
Tried to move.
Tried to fight.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
And just before the blade reached him...
His eyes snapped open.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Reality returned.
Orion and Eira were standing beside him.
Manu's face was drenched in sweat.
His entire body trembled.
For several minutes...
He couldn't say a single word.
---
Orion =
Little Turtle...
You finally came back to reality.
---
Manu =
Where am I...?
Wasn't I flipping the last card?
Rahul attacked us...
Right?
Eira =
Turtle...
Are you crazy?
You nearly sent all of us to the afterlife.
---
Orion (laughing) = Relax, Little Turtle. We're safe. You flipped the final card a few microseconds before the attack landed.
And now... We're already inside the second test.
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu looked around.
He found himself inside another room.
Two pathways stretched forward.
Both were made entirely of transparent glass.
Leo was also present.
He stood silently in a corner against the wall.
A faint light was shining from that same corner.
Beneath the glass pathways were deadly traps, spikes, and monsters.
One wrong step meant instant death.
Then Rahul appeared once again.
---
Rahul =
Welcome to God's Games.
The name of this test is "Glass Walking."
Two glass panels will appear at every step.
One is fake.
One is real.
You have five minutes.
And only one life.
Good luck.
---
Astra & Frost Members =
This isn't fair!
This is cheating!
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Rahul stretched his arm.
His hand extended across the room.
He grabbed both of them.
Without hesitation, he threw them directly into the death pit below.
Their screams echoed through the room before disappearing.
---
Rahul =
Does anyone else have a problem?
---
Manu (thinking) =
Hmm...
I think I found the clue.
This game is testing our decision-making, survival instincts, and judgment skills.
Hoi hoi...
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
After witnessing that scene, nobody dared to complain.
Nobody dared to question Rahul's rules.
---
Eira (thinking) =
I don't have anything I can throw.
But I'll solve that problem soon enough.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Before Rahul officially started the timer...
Manu began walking forward.
Completely ignoring Rahul.
---
Orion =
Little Turtle!
Have you lost your mind?
The test hasn't even started yet!
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Orion stared at Manu.
Something felt strange.
From Orion's perspective, Manu's eyes looked unusually wide.
His legs were trembling.
His movements were unstable.
Like a drunk person who had consumed far beyond his limit.
His behavior was unusually childish.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Then Manu walked directly toward Rahul's hologram.
He repeatedly pushed his hand inside the holographic machine.
Pulling it out.
Putting it back in.
Again and again.
Then...
He tried to bite it.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The taste was horrible.
Like a combination of bitter melon juice and rubber.
Manu immediately spat it out.
Then continued walking toward the glass pathway.
Rahul silently watched everything.
---
Orion (thinking) =
Maybe Little Turtle is acting.
Maybe using too much brainpower during the Memory Card Game caused some side effect.
Or perhaps he's trying to provoke Rahul.
Please don't let Rahul throw all of us into the pit because of him.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Orion rushed forward.
He grabbed Manu.
Trying to protect him.
---
Orion =
Please ignore his mistakes.
---
Rahul =
Boy...
This is the first time someone has ignored me and walked toward the test before I officially started it.
Because of your courage...
I'll forgive this mistake.
But if it happens again...
Direct death.
Understood?
Now...
The test officially begins.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Rahul disappeared.
Orion released Manu.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu stared at the glass panels.
Sometimes looking left.
Sometimes looking right.
Everyone's eyes were focused on him.
Nobody cared whether Manu fell into the pit.
They only cared about one thing.
Which glass panel was safe.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu took a step forward.
Like a drunken man.
His foot landed on the right glass.
Nothing happened.
He didn't fall.
On his very first attempt...
He had chosen the correct panel.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
But then...
He stopped moving.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu sat down.
Directly on the glass.
His legs dangled over the edge.
Swinging back and forth above certain death.
Then he picked his nose.
Looked at the result.
And casually wiped it on the glass.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Then he laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed.
After that, he hugged his backpack.
Closed his eyes.
And tried to sleep.
---
Eira =
Unhygienic Turtle.
Move out of the way.
If you don't...
Don't blame me later.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Eira raised her hand.
A magic circle appeared in front of her palm.
---
Eira =
Ice Chain Shock.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
A crystal-blue chain emerged from the magic circle.
Cold vapor flowed from it.
The chain wasn't releasing ordinary mist.
It was so cold that the surrounding air was freezing.
The chain wrapped around Manu.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
The next momentâ€"
Manu jumped.
Not because of electricity.
But because of pure cold.
The reaction was similar to someone secretly dropping an ice cube inside your clothes during winter.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Instantly...
His brain restarted.
His thoughts returned to reality.
---
NARRATOR VOICE =
Manu looked around.
Then looked down.
The pit beneath him was filled with deadly traps and monsters.
His face immediately turned pale.
He dropped to his knees.
A lump formed in his throat.
For a moment, he nearly swallowed his own tongue in panic.
Then he released a long breath.
---
Manu (thinking) =
Ha...
The nightmare is over.
I'm finally back in reality.
---
Eira =
Turtle.
Will you move out of the way for me?
---
Manu =
Not "me."
Say "us."
We formed an alliance.
Use proper words.
---
Eira (frustrated) =
Fine.
Will you move out of the way for us?
NARRATOR VOICE = Manu immediately nodded.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Like he had just won the most important battle of his life.
NARRATOR VOICE = Manu nodded his head. He stepped aside and gave Eira and Orion a path forward.
To find the second glass, Eira used one of her members.
The second glass turned out to be the left one.
To find the third glass, Orion threw his anvil.
The third real glass was the right one.
Now nobody wanted to move forward.
Everyone had run out of items to throw.
Only one minute remained.
They hadn't even crossed half of the path.
Suddenly, Manu remembered something.
He began moving forward, overtaking everyone.
Eira immediately stopped him.
---
Eira = Do you want to die that badly?
---
Manu = Miss Eira, are you worried about me now? Am I really that handsome?
Forget that. I have a plan.
---
Orion (thought) = This little turtle is directly inviting death.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Eira punched Manu in the stomach with an ice-coated fist.
Manu immediately held his belly.
---
Eira = Tell me.
Impressive. You survived one of my punches.
Congratulations.
If you ever plan on flirting with me again, be ready to eat another one.
---
Manu (thought) = Gattu's trick didn't work...
---
Manu = Just watch.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The others opened a path for Manu.
Manu reached into his bag and pulled out several rocks.
Then he threw one.
The right glass was real.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Scene shifts to the past.
Back at the Ruin Entrance, while everyone was busy arguing and making decisions...
Manu had been collecting random rocks simply because he was bored.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Scene shifts back to the present.
---
Manu (thought) = Haha...
Who would've thought these worthless rocks would become priceless?
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Using the rocks, Manu and the others crossed several more sections without difficulty.
However...
Manu finally ran out of rocks.
Everyone looked at him.
Some of them had already reached a conclusion.
---
Manu = Why is everyone looking at me like that?
---
Leo = Thank you for clearing the path until now.
But we don't need you anymore.
Now it's your turn.
---
Manu = What does that mean?
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Leo stepped forward, preparing to sacrifice Manu.
---
Eira (thought) = Wait...
I think I found a clue.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Eira immediately stopped Leo.
---
Eira = I'll go next.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Everyone was shocked.
Anyone who wanted to object immediately fell silent when Eira looked at them.
Nobody dared oppose her.
Instead, they started whispering among themselves.
---
Gossip = Oh...
Could it be that our brutal ice-cold leader has fallen in love with Manu?
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Eira stepped onto the left glass.
The glass trembled for a few seconds.
Everyone assumed it was fake.
---
Eira (thought) = Yes.
I found the pattern.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Right.
Then Left.
Right.
Left.
So the next one should be...
Left.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The glass turned out to be real.
Everyone cheered.
But the moment the test was cleared...
The glass panels began disappearing.
---
Orion = Everyone! Hurry to the end!
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Panic exploded.
Some people rushed onto the wrong glass and immediately fell.
Others stepped onto disappearing panels and dropped into the pit.
Leo was one of the last people remaining.
He used other people as stepping stones to move forward.
Meanwhile, Orion was trying to save one of his teammates.
But the platform beneath him was disappearing.
---
Astra Member = Boss...
Leave me behind.
I'm only slowing you down.
---
Orion = Shut up.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Orion's platform disappeared.
At the last moment, he grabbed the wall near the finish line.
---
Astra Member = Boss...
I've always been useless.
I'm only holding you back.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Orion's grip started slipping.
Tiny stone fragments fell into the abyss below.
He was about to fall.
Then suddenly...
A hand grabbed him.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The person's legs were bent at a ninety-degree angle.
His arms stretched downward.
There was almost no strength left in his body.
Yet he was still trying to save someone.
His face looked like a man forcing himself through an impossible struggle.
Then he shoutedâ€"
---
Manu = ORION!
DON'T LET GO!
HELP ME TOO!
---
Astra Member = Boss...
Thank you for everything.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The Astra member released Orion's hand.
He fell into the pit below.
Orion was finally pulled to safety.
---
Orion = Thanks, little turtle.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The group continued forward.
Soon they reached the third test room.
The room was enormous.
Several bows and arrows were placed in front of them.
Targets moved back and forth in a straight line.
A black signboard stood nearby.
Written in white letters were only three words:
AIM 23 TARGETS
Rahul was nowhere to be seen.
Several cone-shaped structures stood around the room.
It looked like nothing more than a simple archery test.
---
Manu, Eira (thought) = Looks like God's Game is finally over.
We've already survived the hardest parts.
Compared to God's Games...
This is just a warm-up.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = The test was cleared easily.
No one encountered any real problems.
The entrance to the Ruin slowly opened.
Everyone looked ahead.
And froze.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Before them was a beautiful garden covered in green grass.
Sunlight poured down from above.
The grass sparkled beneath the golden light.
At the center stood a white pillar-like structure.
The upper section curved inward, almost like an upside-down cup.
It resembled an ancient altar.
The floor beneath it was circular and white.
Dust covered almost every inch of it.
At the very center rested a moss-covered gray stone cylinder.
Green moss had spread across its surface.
Wrapped around it was an ancient brown bracelet.
Wild vines and moss climbed across the white pillars.
Beneath the altar was a cave.
No...
A prison.
Iron bars sealed its entrance.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Suddenly...
The path behind them closed.
Everyone immediately tried to go back.
Some punched the gate.
Others pushed against it.
But nothing worked.
---
NARRATOR VOICE = Deep inside the prison...
A pair of yellow eyes slowly opened.
And stared directly at Manu.
---
COMING SOON...
Which part was your favorite?
Keep commenting because your comments give me motivation and help me reach my goals.
And if you enjoyed the chapter...
Throw a stone at this story.
I mean...
A red Power Stone.
AUTHOR NOTE
Wait...
Before you leave, I want to talk to you guys for a minute.
First of all, don't worry.
I am not dead.
Chapter 18 simply took much longer than I expected. The nightmare scene, God's Games, and the ruin mystery required more planning, so that's why the upload was delayed.
Secondly...
Sorry for the late chapter.
I know some of you were waiting, and I don't like making readers wait longer than necessary.
Thank you for your patience.
And finally...
I want to say something important.
This story started as just an idea inside my head.
Now thousands of people have viewed it.
That honestly feels unreal.
Every comment, every collection, every Power Stone tells me that someone out there is spending their time reading this crazy adventure.
So thank you.
Seriously.
Thank you.
Now...
We have finally reached the center of the ruin.
An ancient bracelet.
A sealed prison.
And something with yellow eyes watching from the darkness.
The real mystery is only beginning.
Tell me your theory:
What do you think is trapped inside the prison?
And what do you think the bracelet actually does?
I'll be reading the comments.
If you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to drop a comment and throw a Power Stone at the story.
The red one.
See you in the next chapter.