315 Phantom Chamber -6

[After a half hour.]

'.....damn,' Blaze muttered. I was the same.

Vexa was taken out of the Chamber. Unlike the confidence she had gone inside with, she came out unconscious, just like Adam did before.

After her arms dropped down to the floor, one by one, eyes, teeth, and legs fell apart like a doll, while she began aging, which took a lot of time for some reason. But during all that, she was just calm, not reacting to anything, pretty much. But things changed when her eyes went pale - a sign that some kind of mental challenge was given. After that, she didn't wake up at all.

Eldric ordered for her to be taken out. Of course, she was still in one piece.

Next, Isolde was called. Now, many brows were raised as it was the third person from the same team being called.

Isolde fought a frost giant and won, bringing a single point to Imperial Academy.

I waited, thinking that my name was about to be called, but to my surprise, Eldric called someone from The Mystic Grove Institute, followed by students from Shadowcrest Institute. Both failed and returned to their respective teams.

Then, the leader of Frostfall Conservatory was called, Bjorn Frostfang, a beastman with fur as white as snow and piercing amber eyes. And... he won in his task immediately.

'Pss, princess!' Blaze called. I looked at him.

'That gal over there, isn't she staring at you way too much?' he pointed out. I turned and saw a masked lady from Luminaries - they all hid their faces pretty much, so it was easy to tell that she's the professor in charge because of her clothes.

She flinched when our eyes met and looked elsewhere - her eyes seemed familiar...have I seen her somewhere?

I kept looking at her till I was tapped on my shoulder by Erik.

"Your name was called!" he said.

"Boy! Stop daydreaming and come here!" Eldric's voice boomed.

I stepped out and walked towards the chamber's door. Inside was dark and murky.

"Get that cat off your shoulder," he said. I put down Blaze as he cursed at Eldric mentally.

I was about to enter when Eldric put his staff between me and the entrance, stopping me from entering.

I looked at him. "What?"

"Has your professor conveyed my message to you?" he asked, his voice very nonchalant.

"She has. Now, can I go? I need to get defeated so I can be carried out by some beautiful nurses too," I replied, giving him a friendly smile. His face twisted in disgust, and he lifted the staff.

I stepped inside the Phantom Chamber, and the door shut with a loud bang.

I saw a floating staircase in the far corner, and it just vanished. Then, something like a single bed went right past me and vanished into thin air. I had my mana vision and elemental vision on at the same time, so none of these things actually hit me, but for some reason, it felt odd – none of these things were deadly.

"Hm?" My vision turned normal, and I could feel the amount of mana decrease in the atmosphere as if it was never there.

Pin-drop silence filled every corner of the Chamber. I sighed. I didn't move, though. If the Chamber had a challenge for me, then it's going to come to me, and not the other way around.

Five minutes passed by just like that, and nothing changed. And then, a sound of something dropping could be heard.

F L I C K!

"What the hell?" I narrowed my eyes at the sight of a bulb – a zero-watt electric bulb that out of nowhere came down and turned on, attached with dual braided red-yellow wires.

The light illuminated the space a bit. It had been a while since I saw an electric bulb.

T R I T

The wire straightened, and the bulb was lifted off the floor. As if pulled from the other side, the bulb was now about ten feet above the floor, hanging in the middle.

I heard footsteps and turned around, but there was nothing. When I turned around again, I saw a bald man.

"Nice to meet you, Dark," he grinned, his half-moon eyes and wrinkles stretched.

"Huh," I let out a gasp. Why's he here?

"Scared? Don't be, boy. You know I'm not harming anyone," he said with the same attitude.

Standing just a foot away from me was an old man in a black tuxedo and a beaver hat.

"Eric, boy, look at you. You've grown way too much – strong, I must say, handsome too. But you're still the same – same old hot-tempered teenager, whiny, crying... Ugh, why am I even saying all this? I've met you after all this time! Let's have some tea," he said very similarly, not exactly. There wasn't a single change – the same way of talking and behaving.

"Hahahaha," I unconsciously let out a laugh. It continued for a few minutes. He's here.

The boss is here.

"Haa, again with that irritating laugh of yours," he sighed as he made some distance between us. A table materialized between us, with two chairs behind each of us.

This was the same as the first time I met him – in an underground room with a single bulb, table, and a couple of chairs. I looked around; there were no people though. His lackeys were there at the time.

"But unlike that time, you're not scared, I see," he remarked, putting his beaver hat down, revealing his bald spot and crazy-

looking sparse hair.

"Don't say that – I'm getting old, boy. I am no longer handsome," he scoffed.

I took a seat.

"It's nice to see you, Glenn," I said.

Glenn, his real name.

"Calling me by my government name, huh? You've become daring," he replied. "It's good seeing you grow this much, boy."

I said nothing – this is fun.

"Fun, you say... haa, not a single line of concern while seeing a man who made your life hell," Glenn sighed.

I immediately spoke, "I should applaud you for that. Sitting in front of your nightmare is quite brave. I am proud of you, Glenn." I smiled.

Glenn blinked. "Still twisting my words," he chuckled.

I don't know what the Chamber is trying to do by bringing the illusion of this man in front of me, but I won't complain.

Glenn leaned back in his chair, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You always did have a way with words, Erik. But let's cut to the chase, shall we? You know why I'm here."

I nodded, keeping my composure despite the unease brewing within me. "Of course, Glenn. You're here to remind me of the past, to dredge up old memories and stir up emotions."

Glenn chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that used to send shivers down my spine. "Oh, Eric, you make it sound so simple. But we both know there's more to it than that."

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"You've come a long way since our last encounter," Glenn remarked, his eyes piercing through me. "But have you truly moved on? Or are you still haunted by the ghosts of your past?"

I sighed, refusing to let his words get to me. "I've faced my demons, Glenn. I've made peace with the past and embraced the person I've become... the person I have always been."

Glenn raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in his expression. "Is that so? Then tell me, Erik, why do you still carry the weight of your guilt?"

"I don't carry guilt," I replied. "I carry resolve. Resolve to ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated."

Glenn leaned forward, his gaze intense. "And yet, here you are, trapped in this Chamber, forced to confront the very essence of your fears. Tell me, Eric, do you truly believe you've overcome them?"

I didn't reply; I just smiled. "Why would I want to overcome anything?"

This seemed to take him by surprise.

"Why won't you? Don't you wanna be free?" As if he didn't get what I was trying to say he questioned.

"Pfff," I let out a hearty laugh at his question.

"There's nothing to laugh about - if it is then please the share the joke with me." He said.

But this time I ignored the man and looked up in the dark ceiling and shouted,"Hey! Chamber! Atleast try to make him seem genuine! Do you think I want to take advice on life by a old fart that has been coward all his life! Hiding behind his people, sacrificing his family for his own benefit." I said.

Glenn's never been my nightmare or someone was scared off- hated? Yes I hated him the most but was never scared of him, I had outgrown that fear in my past life already.

I looked at Glenn's face and never have seen him that agitated,his whole face was red as he clutched his beavers hat.

"Eric-"

"Ren Hilton,call me that- Eric's been dead for half and a year now, the man you are talking to is not the one you want." I replied till I felt something squishy hit my foot.

Ducking I stared under the table,under there was two dead bodies,my both parents.

I felt a small tug in my chest.

"You have to be more scary than this to make me lose." I gulped down, I don't want to think about that.