313 Phantom Chamber -4

[Third Person View.]

Just clicked his tongue, feeling embarrassed as he didn't get the hug from Vexa he was expecting.

He took a deep breath before looking at the massive door of the Phantom Chamber. The doors opened, and he stepped inside, and they closed behind him immediately.

He was currently standing in a very dark room. It was big and endless since there was nothing but darkness that could be seen.

He looked up and down and then behind, but for the first five to six minutes, nothing actually happened. It was as if the Chamber didn't know what to give him.

But that wasn't the actual case. Adam began walking around randomly before he felt the void-like floor turn into a patch of paved pathway, hues of dark above him changed into blues and orange.

He stood there for a second till he realized that the Phantom Chamber had now changed itself into his Orphanage.

"This... is going to be tough," he said to himself, knowing what the Chamber had done till now. This one's going to be a personal and traumatic experience.

He's always and will always have a special spot for his orphanage, so it was hard for him to digest that this thing was about to be turned over to him, but he kept on going.

He came near the orphanage building and in the ground when a small girl ran towards him.

"ADAM!!!!! ADAM IS BACK!!!!" She screamed in joy as she ran towards him.

Instinctively he bent and scooped her off of her legs and threw her up, little girl smiled dazzling in the sunset.

For the second ever Adam forgot that this was just an illusion and game played by Phantom Chamber, but he composed himself.

He cannot lose this round - not after what happened in Chameleon's Maze.

He's still not over the fact on how Ren managed to solo the Amphiptere. It can be just about it being the spirit that helped him, but even Adam knows, one has to be worthy of getting such a strong spirit.

When asked Ren never disclosed on what spirit helped him, saying that he doesn't remember which is possible and is not new for anyone but Adam.

He doesn't believe Ren. From whatever he's seen so far- he knows for a fact that Ren is anything but stupid and easy to understand.

For him everything was good still- since he immediately managed to pull the sword and make sure that his name is registered in the history as one that pulled down the sword to win the round for imperial academy. But it still bothered him because everyone- no one talked about him but all talks included the boy who managed to scorch and burn the whole dragon with mere touch.

Adam's thoughts made it hard for him to notice the subtle change in expression from the little girl as he put her down.

"Everyone!!! Brother Adam is back!! He's back!!" She jumped up and down excitedly.

*Silence*

"Hm?" Adam raised his brow. Till now it should've been him being flocked by everyone at the orphanage, kids asking for gifts- adults asking for his health.

But not a single soul came, proving and easing him that yeah this is not so realistic portrait of what his Orphanage is like- it's not this dull.

But as the eerie silence lingered, Adam's unease grew. Something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He glanced around, expecting the familiar faces of the children and caretakers to emerge at any moment, but the orphanage remained eerily quiet.

Slowly, a sense of dread began to creep over him. This wasn't right. The Phantom Chamber was playing mind games with him, distorting his memories and twisting them into a nightmarish illusion.

He clenched his fists, steeling himself against the onslaught of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. This wasn't his orphanage. It couldn't be. The real orphanage was filled with laughter, warmth, and camaraderie, not this desolate emptiness.

But even as he tried to convince himself of the illusion's falsehood, doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind. What if this was the truth? What if his memories were warped, and the happy moments he cherished were nothing more than illusions?

"No," he muttered through gritted teeth, refusing to succumb to the Chamber's psychological manipulation. He had to stay strong, to fight against the darkness threatening to consume him.

Taking a deep breath, Adam forced himself to focus. He had to find a way out of this nightmare, to prove to himself that he was stronger than the Chamber's illusions.

"See! William!" the little girl shouted as she pointed at Williams. He had two or three suitcases in his hands while he wore an overcoat and a hat, and behind him was a carriage.

"Oh lord, never knew I'd meet you like this!" Williams immediately dropped the suitcases and ran towards Adam to hug him.

Adam stood there as William practically jumped on him to hug - it was warm, just like he remembered, and felt real to him.

"How you doing these days?" Williams asked as he pulled the suitcases out of Adam's hands with a full smile plastered on his face. When did the suitcases come into Adam's hands? Even he didn't doubt.

"J-just a few minutes-" he tried to answer, but his voice was weak.

"Haa, let it be. Anyways, how long are you going to stay?" Almost naturally, Williams asked, but before Adam could get another word from his mouth, he continued, "I'll be here for a few days, took a leave from work - it's hard to patrol borders nowadays so it was hard to get a leave. After the funeral, I'll be gone."

They walked in the direction of the dorms.

"Funeral?" Adam placed his hand on Williams' shoulder, stopping him from walking.

Williams faced Adam, and for a second, his expression changed to one of anger, but then to just pure disappointment. "Yeah - we have to do it, can't run away from the duties, right? I've called people from the church to do the ceremonies." William immediately turned his face away and began walking.

Adam wanted to say something, but his voice was... it was nowhere. It was like he couldn't even get air out of his throat to pass.

They walked towards the dorms, and William came near Adam's room and pulled the door open. Inside was just the same as he remembered the last time he visited - not a single speck of dust.

Still not being able to speak, Adam watched as William left, saying he'll call him in a few minutes and to freshen up a bit.

Adam had now completely forgotten that he was not in the real world. Everything was too much for him, and it felt like he was doubting his own memory. The illusion had gotten to him.

Just as William had instructed, he immediately freshened up and waited. But William didn't come, so he left the room and went to look for Emily.

Emily would know what's happening. He hadn't seen his maid or child since entering the dorms, which was already abnormal.

He looked for Emily's room and found it. Pushing the door inside, he found it very messy. Emily had never been a person to keep her room clean, so he was used to it.

"Emily!" he called, and his voice had come back. There was no response, but he repeated until he realized that she wasn't in the room.

Sighing, his eyes fell on the picture that was placed on the desk. It was him and Emily - way back when they were kids.

He picked up the picture and felt a weird sensation in his chest. He immediately put down the picture.

Coming out of the room, Adam jumped back when he was met with William, who was looking at him stone-faced.

"What were you doing?" William asked sharply.

"Just—" Adam started to reply, but before he could finish, a man wearing a white robe entered the scene. It was someone from the church - evident from the embroidery on the robe.

The man eyed them from top to bottom before saying, "Everything is ready," and turning to leave.

Adam grabbed the guy by his arm to ask him what was ready, but again his voice betrayed him, earning a scowl from the man as he left, scoffing.

"Don't embarrass me anymore!" William growled, now visibly angry as he dragged Adam with him.

Adam had never seen William lose his temper before, so it was new to him.

They came towards the back of the orphanage building, where there was a very large ground where kids usually played. But today... it was different.

A bunch of people from the church were standing in a circle. The night was upon them, and the moon shone yellowish as Adam's eyes fell on hundreds of vertically placed slates of stones.

Tombstones.

"What is this?" Adam questioned, but he was still dragged by William. They came near the people from the church, who looked at William expectantly.

"So, we should start," one of the main guys said, an old man with a white beard.

Now at the end of his patience, Adam finally exploded. "CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY HOUSE!?" he raised his voice, but nobody was surprised, just confused.

"What's happening? Whose tombstones are these? Where are the kids? Where's Madam Warden? WHAT'S HAPPENING!" He was bewildered by everything.

William stared at Adam for a second before his eyes watered and his jaw quivered. "What do you mean, where are they? Aren't they just in front of you? Why can't you see what you did!?" William grabbed Adam's face and turned his gaze towards the tombstones, pointing his finger as he trembled. "There they are! Just because of you! Just because... you weren't there! You killed them, you selfish little prick! You killed the kids! YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!!!"

"... w-wha-what?" Adam was shaking as his gaze swept across the tombstones. They were the kids?

"You killed them, Adam. You killed them."

Adam fell to his knees, not understanding what to say or do. He felt scared.