312 Phantom Chamber -3

[Ren Hilton POV.]

"Damn, that was fast," I muttered as I observed the girl being taken out like a discarded piece of trash.

My eyes went towards the unbothered Eldric, who stood there like a fucking statue, calling one of the students from Luminaries for the Phantom Chamber trial.

I never thought about what it would show me. Mental challenge? Physical? Or something else?

"Don't worry, it'll show you something physical, as I don't think you even have a mental weakness or anything to be scared of—or are you scared of the monsters under the bed?" Blaze said. I looked at him. It's better that he's here, though; he can tell me what happened when I was inside.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Huh?"

"Nervous?" asked Erik, who stood just behind me.

"Hm? Me? No, I was just thinking about something," I replied to him.

"Just say that you're scared. It's evident by the way you're tapping your foot on the floor," Aron said, coming out of nowhere right beside Erik, pointing it out.

"..." I wasn't doing that on purpose; it just happened, so I couldn't reply. "Maybe I am, a bit," I sighed.

I just don't like the fact that I don't know the outcome of something. It's unnerving and makes me anxious, not much, but just a little.

"Ha, who'd have thought all that cold persona is fake—"

"How'd your talk this morning go with Amrose? He wrote a letter, right? Your father would be proud," I replied, smiling.

Aron's jaw clenched as, once and for all, he shut up. Dude's irritating.

Looking around, Vexa was speaking with Adam but turned around, and our eyes met. She didn't say anything but just stared at me for a second before looking ahead. I did too.

The student from Luminaries was given a physical challenge—fighting a floating orb of light—and he succeeded, giving one point to their team before returning.

John, the leader of Luminaries, was called immediately after. Two Luminaries in a row; Eldric just randomly pulls anyone that he feels like and puts them inside.

John entered the chamber, the doors closing with a louder thud this time. And the next thing was, without even a beat of the second, the chamber's floor turned into a bottomless pit of ocean, water murky and dark.

Physical challenges are, albeit, more like what they are scared of or weakest against. John never liked the ocean; in his backstory, it's said that he lost his close friend while in the ocean—so maybe it's more like a traumatic experience for him.

We could see how his eyes were completely white, so it looks like Phantom Chamber doubled down on his and gave him a mental scenario while keeping his body in a real physical challenge.

John's panicked shouts echoed through the chamber as he frantically searched for solid ground, his fear palpable even from the outside. I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him, knowing the terror he must be experiencing... just kidding.

'Monster' Smokeball added.

As we watched, the holographic screen displayed John's struggle in vivid detail, amplifying the tension in the room. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't seem to find his footing, his movements growing more desperate by the second.

"Sir Eldric, this isn't right! He's going to drown!" Someone's voice rang out, their concern mirroring every Luminaries.

"Tap out now,get him out and lose the point."But Eldric remained impassive, his expression unreadable as he observed the unfolding events. It was clear that he had no intention of intervening, leaving John to face the challenge alone.

The tension in the room reached its peak as John's movements grew weaker, his strength waning against the relentless pull of the ocean. And then, just when it seemed like all hope was lost, a glimmer of light appeared in the darkness.

With a surge of determination, John reached out and grasped the light, using it to propel himself upward. Slowly but surely, he emerged from the depths, gasping for air as he collapsed onto the chamber floor.

The crowd erupted into cheers as John's teammates rushed forward to help him, relief washing over us all. Despite the harrowing ordeal, he had emerged victorious, earning another point for his team.

As John was escorted out of the chamber, I couldn't help but admire his resilience in the face of adversity. He may have been shaken by the experience, but he had proven himself to be a true warrior, capable of overcoming even the most daunting challenges.

With three trials completed and two points earned for Luminaries.

"Nari!" Called Eldric.

As Nari, the leader of the Nexus Institute team, stepped into the Phantom Chamber, a hush fell over the gathered crowd. Despite her blindness, her confidence radiated like a beacon as she bravely ventured into the unknown. The chamber's massive doors swung shut behind her, sealing her inside the mysterious confines...for her this was going to be bad.

Outside the chamber, the tension was palpable in her teammates as we watched the holographic screen, eager to see what trials awaited Nari within. The screen shimmered to life, displaying a live feed from inside the chamber, allowing us to witness the challenges she would face.

Inside the chamber, Nari stood alone, her senses heightened as she took in her surroundings.

Nari took a stance but-

Suddenly, the chamber began to shift and change around her, transforming into a breathtakingly beautiful garden. Flowers bloomed in vibrant hues, their sweet fragrance filling the air as a gentle breeze rustled through the trees.

Everything changes into something dreamlike.

But while this happened,nobody noticed a very certain type of pinkish mist that coiled around her- this was the problem.

This is a mist that will mess up with someone's head for good.

From what I could understand from game's monologue for this perticular task,it was- Nari's heart swelled with joy as she looked around, her fingers trailing over the petals of the flowers. In her mind's eye, she could almost see the colors and shapes, a vivid illusion of the world around her. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that she could see, her spirits lifted by the beauty surrounding her.

But unknown to Nari, the Phantom Chamber was playing tricks on her mind, manipulating her perceptions in cruel and unexpected ways. As she reveled in the illusion of sight, the garden began to warp and distort before her eyes, twisting into a nightmarish landscape of war and destruction.

The flowers wilted and died, their petals turning to ash as the once peaceful garden transformed into a scene of chaos and despair. Nari's joy turned to horror as she realized the truth of her situation, her world crumbling around her in a cruel twist of fate.

For Nari, the Phantom Chamber had tapped into her deepest fear – the fear of a world that did not match the beauty she had imagined. In her mind's eye, she witnessed gruesome scenes of war crimes and inhumanity, the faces of her loved ones distorted into grotesque caricatures of themselves.

It changed the complete image of everyone she knew- even her, making it hard for her to able accept the reality, getting her more invested in the illusion.

She saw things,like people being raped and trapped, inhuman things that only someone without heart could do and she collapsed shaking on the floor.

With each passing moment, the illusion grew more vivid and terrifying, threatening to consume her sanity. Nari's cries of anguish echoed through the chamber, her voice a haunting lament amidst the chaos.

Outside the chamber, we watched helplessly as Nari's ordeal unfolded before our eyes. Unable to intervene, we could only bear witness to her suffering, our hearts heavy with the weight of her pain.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the chamber's doors swung open once more, and Nari emerged, her body trembling with exhaustion. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed onto the chamber floor, her strength spent from the ordeal.

As her teammates rushed forward to comfort her, we could see the toll that the Phantom Chamber had taken on her. But despite the trauma she had endured, Nari had faced her fears with courage and resilience, proving herself to be a true warrior in every sense of the word.

As she was carried out of the chamber, I couldn't help but feel...weird now, Chamber doesn't play easy at all,it will give you the hardest route it can.

And now-

"Adam Stales!" Called Eldric.

Adam walked towards the Phantom Chamber but stopped looked back at Isolde and Vexa, Isolde stepped forward and hugged him tightly but he still waited.

Vexa looked around as confused as anyone but didn't say anything - Adam sighed and just left.

He expected a hug.