Spirit of Envy

I breathe in deeply, like a vacuum trying to suck out all the air and moisture in the surrounding vicinity, as my upper body rises to the point that my fingers are now touching my toes. My erratic breathing cycle settles as I look around, unable to make out where I currently am, and what I should do next. My instincts continue to race about, as my ‘neverending’ nightmare feels like it is truly never going to end.

“I see that you caught on, then. I always knew you were a sharp one,” Christoph greets me with a smile, as his face is revealed inches away from mine.

I briefly pause to stare at Christoph, whose confidence and flair seem to have returned to him in full.

“...how long have you all been waiting for me?” I ask quietly.

“What do you mean? Just like the last floor, every time we step onto the next floor, you are right there along with us.”

I stare at Christoph with a blank look.

“That’s just how the trials work, my friend. No one is truly left behind if they can overcome it.” Christoph iterates with a soft smile.

I jump to give Christoph a tight hug, to the surprise of Zedak and Kedaz.

“So that entire ploy of yours was your own way of letting me know what to be wary of in the trial ahead…if I hadn’t seen that thing’s face up close, I wouldn’t have understood.”

Christoph accepts my gratitude, and laughs as usual, “That second trial is one of the worst trials I’ve ever had to face. Countless of us here have died numerous times to it, and countless have been turned into bones just because of it. Although I couldn’t let you know what to face, I thought I’d at least give you a hint. No weapons could have helped you with that one.”

He’s right. The crazed and clothed Tori was acting as a liaison to the actual threat, which was capable of hitting me with all types of breath attacks that could kill me from a distance, while the crazed Tori would interfere only when I had something to say. The actual threat was so small it could be only noticed with a microscopic lens, meaning that no matter what I could have done, it would haven’t been noticeable. The only thing I could go off of was how loud its wings sounded everytime it moved about.

I had to find a way to reassure the crazed and clothed Tori that I wouldn't cause any trouble by making any more noise, and even gave up some of my own clothes in order to persuade him. Although it took six rounds of attacks to hit me for it to actually cooperate, it finally began to speak on my behalf in the same way it had been doing for the actual threat, enabling me to eventually find its location as it would talk with the threat privately at a distance. I had to be swift, and as quiet as possible during their conversations in order to get close enough, but it worked. Although it was still so damn small that it took me five tries to kill it properly, after fully adapting my eyes as much as possible to the immense darkness.

If not for Christoph’s pathetic showing, I would have probably killed the thing before it could even act as the middleman, which would have left me alone with that thing, unable to pin its location. Who knows how much more brutal that tiny brat would have gotten without anything around to check it.

It seems my curiosity was still at play due to Christoph’s pathetic showing, and seeing the same thing from that middleman made me realize that it had an important part to play, leading me even further in curiosity. Thank goodness it played out as smoothly as it did though…although that tiny bastard of a monster kept hitting me whenever the middleman wasn’t around or watching us.

“Unlike the first trial that was all about guts and glory, this one felt like a game of communication,” With my left hand still holding Christoph tightly, I place my right hand carefully against the center of my chest, and wince at the thought of the immense pain I had gone through, “Saying it like that though makes it sound like it was more fun, but it’s definitely the opposite.”

Christoph winks, “I understand, my friend.” His expression then slowly turns sour, “Trust me….I understand.

Laughter ensues as my cheery mood continues, “To think that all that drivel about this Nakai Shinji could result in being the key for surviving that trial. It was all false news then, right?”

“No. He’s the real deal.” Christoph quickly ascertains.

My radiant smile changes into a blank stare, “...so you really do fear him after all. Come to think of it, even on the sixty sixth floor you seemed dejected about the possibility of running into them.”

Christoph stares at me for a brief moment, before letting out a long sigh.

“It’s not whether or not I fear him, or even them as a group. I simply do not wish to have my journey end here because of that man’s authoritative power.”

The tips of my ears perk up sharply.

Authoritative power?

“You don’t understand! When he kills Tori, they don’t fade away! When he kills humans, they don’t respawn! And that’s not even the worst of it! I’m telling you, staying away from that man is your best chance at surviving this place!”

Right…he did mention all that before…what if…it has something to do with mine….

…interesting.

“ It’s like going up against another god in here aside from Pandora herself.” Christoph continues as he looks up to the bone-like ceiling, “No one in their right mind would ever want to take up that challenge.”

“Why not?”

Christoph, Kedaz and Zadek all quickly turn their heads to stare at me, clearly shocked by my words.

“What?” I ask as I look around towards the three of them, while still holding onto Christoph, “If he himself has such might, why wouldn’t someone else wish to take it for themselves? That’s the law of power…no matter who has it, it can always be taken for yourself.”

Zadek begins to sign towards Christoph, who eventually looks back towards me to relay the message, “...he says it sounds more like a law of greed.”

“...what’s the difference?” I respond in confidence, “Power can be taken by anybody, but can only be maintained by those who seek more than what they already have. It’s human nature…for man to do whatever it takes to reach the gods…”

“I’m sure that this Nakai Shinji person probably feels the same,” I continue, “Everyone often wants to rule in their own way. Whether as the head of the family, the head of a business corporation, or the head of a nation. In order to attain the seat of power for one’s self, you must first go through the one currently in that seat. Some settle for being given the position…others will simply take it for themselves.”

Christoph takes a seat, “And you consider yourself to be of the latter, I take it,”

“...only if necessary.”

“So you would like to meet him, then? Even after all my protesting?” Christoph asks carefully.

“Relax, relax, it’s still nothing like that,” I try to assure him, “If I am stuck here with all of you for eternity as you say, I’m sure we will eventually cross paths.” I turn to look towards the wide bone-ridden sixty-four, and lick my lips in anticipation “...but right now, my goal is still set.”

“Well then, let’s first rest,” Christoph says as he lies down comfortably and closes his eyes, “We haven’t gotten any sleep after the two days we spent walking around the sixty fifth floor.”

Zedak and Kedaz rush over to Christoph’s right, and lie down in preparation for their long-awaited rest. I walk over quietly towards Christoph’s left side, and stare at the trio for a brief moment.

Suddenly, Christoph’s eyes open back up quickly, “Then again, it surely would have taken a longer period of time if it were not for the fact we only ran into packs of the things, rather than the numerous individual Tori that fled the lower halls. Even now, I don’t hear as many screams as I usually do on this floor.”

Christoph turns to face me, as I sit down uncomfortably beside him, “You’re really sure you don’t have anything you’re hiding from us?”

“Not a thing.”

Christoph closes his eyes once more, “...alright. I have no choice but to take your word as is. But be aware, this floor is often filled with plenty of hunters scaling the floors, since it's one of the only floors we know of with proper solid flooring and open spacing.”

“Then shouldn’t someone stay awake to stand guard, in case?”

A puzzled expression spreads across Christoph’s face, “Huh? I thought you already knew it’s you?”

A vein pops across my temple, as I close my eyes to quip my resentment, “Don’t go volunteering me of your own accord…”

Christoph laughs, while I continue to stare forward in my seated position.

“...so there will be a lot of people to meet then.”

“...never knew you to be the shy type, Mr. Nehman.”

“...quite the opposite. I’m hoping I can force some of them to let me know what’s in the trial ahead. I don’t really care what their consequences will be afterwards.”

“...that sounds a lot more like you.”

Silence befalls the scene, with only the faint breathing of the sleeping twins being heard across the narrow darkness.

“...are you still awake?” I ask quietly.

“...I’ve always found it hard to fall asleep quickly since I got here,” Christoph responds softly.

“...what is the real reason you are accompanying me to the higher floors? Something as simple as being your personal safe zone can’t be all, considering how adamant you are about running away,”

“...we all have reasons that drive us. You want something so desperately that you are willing to bulldoze your way through a portion of this hell just to achieve it. The twins wish to survive in their own way, and with those they feel they can trust, willing to do anything they can to protect that reality. I, on the other hand…wish to solve the riddle that plagues my heart…both in this world and the last…”

“...it’s always vague responses with you. Could this also be a hint for the next trial?”

Christoph laughs quietly, “You know I can’t answer that. However, if I were to simplify my reasoning…”

“Please do.”

“...hmm…I guess…I envy you…”

“...for what?”

Silence.

“...for what?!”

Silence.

I turn to look at Christoph’s face, and notice his closed eyes and soft breathing. Even if I remain unconvinced that he has actually fallen asleep, I let the matter go, not willing to pry any further than need be.

It seems everyone here has their secrets…even as they slowly let them out.

I stare at my palm, wishing greatly to witness the aura I had once seen spread across it not long ago.

Myself included.

***

After a long rest, where I had taken turns with Zadek to stand guard for the group while Christoph and Kedaz got a full night or so of rest, the four of us continue down the paths of the sixty fourth floor, led by the freshly awakened Kedaz. Unlike the sixty sixth floor, but somewhat similar to the sixty fifth floor, our journey no longer takes us down the paths of normal elongated halls that have corners and walls, but rather an extremely open path of white lines that stretch out as far as the eyes can see. The white lines act like waves from the sea, keeping tightly together and flowing up and down wherever the white bone material wants to be. The waves provide solid ground that help us keep our balance, and also create a faint illumination that makes it much easier for us to see within the deep darkness. However, as a first time visitor to this floor, my sense of direction seems even more confused than it had been with the walls and halls, as it feels like being trapped in a neverending stone white desert.

With this reality in play, and after a tedious length of walking, I eventually take notice of a few others grouped up far away from our position, prompting me to run after them in anticipation of escaping this hellspawn of a floor.

“Wait!” Christoph yells as he grabs my arm before I can make a break for it, “Going in blindly could lead us into trouble. I don’t think we’ve caught their attention yet, so let’s play it safe for now.”

“Playing it safe is losing us precious time! Who knows if Bruno and his party are already going back to the higher floors?!” I glance over at the twins with a concerned expression,“Kedaz, do you actually know where we’re going?”

After Zadek signs out what I had said, Kedaz turns back towards me and holds out two thumbs: one going up and one going down.

Which one is it?!

“I’m going,” I assert as I rip my arm away from Christoph and run towards the group as quickly as I can. From the distance, I hear Christoph command the twins to keep after me, prompting me to look back and see them both race after me at full speed. Eventually, after a long run, we catch up to the group of individuals situated beside what appears to be a large plant-like structure that is also covered in the bone material that surrounds the place. They had clearly taken camp around this structure, with tents being set up all around it.

This must be their recovery point.

Figures they’d need one. Perhaps they’re just as lost as we are in this place.

“Hey,” I greet them, panting heavily, “Do you guys know about a guy named Bruno? He’s…actually I don’t know what he looks like, but he sounds like a big guy.”

“Yeah, he is,” one of the boys speaks up, awkwardly, “What do you want with him?”

“Actually, it’s not really him, I’m looking for-”

“Then why are you asking about Bruno?!” one of the women snaps back.

I pause to look at the party of six sitting down comfortably, all glaring at me with a look that lets me know my company is not welcome. At that moment, Zedak and Kedaz both step in front of me, holding tightly to the blades strapped across their lower backs. A few members of the party, two strongmen specifically, stand up sharply and draw out their weapons of steel and iron blades.

Pft. How tasteless.

“If you have nothing to say, then leave while you still can,” one of the strongmen says.

A grin spreads across my face, as I glare at the strongmen, “Ohh. Is that how you welcome your fellow individuals in this place?”

Suddenly, a small shard of steel flies towards my face, forcing me to dodge at point blank range. However, even with the material being so basic, I can’t help but grab the ends of it while it flies across, before looking back to the group to see who threw it. The same woman who piped up before is then revealed to have her arm extended, and no longer in the seated position that she was previously in. However, her clear disdain for my presence was still very clear in her facial expression.

“We said to leave!” she screams, but with her confidence fading slightly as she stares towards the shard of steel between my fingers.

Zedak and Kedaz unsheathe their weapons, causing all six of them to jump up and ready themselves for battle. Suddenly, loud cheers bellow from a great distance, forcing us all to halt instead.

“He’s back!” One of the strongmen yells out.

“Took him long enough!” Another of the group screams.

Zedak, Kedaz and I turn to see a large group of men and women charging through the white plains on the backs of Tori, all darting towards our direction. My eyes begin to shake, as the mysteries of this world continue to pile up one after the other within my mind.

Ten? Fifty? That’s at least a hundred of them! All riding Tori…like horseback?!…

At the front of the group was a large muscular man, with short black hair and a black tank top.

The woman that tried to kill me breathes in deeply, before shouting out as loud as she can, “It’s Bruno!”

…huh?

I continue to stare at the man at the front of the pack, who eventually takes notice of me and the twins situated in front of the party of six that - I am guessing - he left behind.

My stomach begins to churn, and my heart races quickly, as I begin to feel an immense pressure that interests me deeply.

My sinister grin returns, while I notice Bruno’s grin as well.

…magnificent.