Rena's component was a mysterious key that had unknown applications. Throughout the entire student's body's time on this island, no one found a way to utilize that cryptic-looking key that Rena holds in her frail hands. Shaped with a skull in its head while containing an ancient relic-type of design to it; Rena continued to observe the key, as the elevator had at last arrived at the destination.
The elevator's doors slowly opened and Rena's group, which consists of twelve girls and three boys, saw the upcoming environment.
"It's... beautiful..." Stunned in awe, as Zaya, a girl from the group walked forward mildly, a looming ambiance was revealed.
Dark-blue gentle skies above mixed heavenly with the hundred-meter trees that housed yellow fireflies alongside a clearly visible red mist aurora that embraced the sacred atmosphere. Soothing winds going from east to west gave them a pleasant sense of being; the cold yet low water tapped their feet though they didn't mind it.
As for the general area of the current section, aside from the massively tall trees covered in fireflies, the area expanded on all sides with no limited closure in sight. The ground was a mixture of water and sand, surprisingly. It felt like being on the semi-wet part of a beach except there were trees everywhere towering you.
If given importance, for any matter at all, the elevator is part of a gigantic tree like the others that can only be witnessed by leaving the elevator.
"So cool, the tree embodied the elevator?!" Rena, surprised at the aesthetic detailed in the nature of the atmosphere, looked exultant "It's nothing I've ever seen before... The trees are as tall as buildings... This feels so... unreal..." One of the boys, Ludo, commented as his expression became serene once utterly absorbed by the mystical cent of the fireflies "But we need to find the place to place this key in... The question is, where...?" Rena decided to consult her teammates on this matter as she wasn't finding any territorial clues that could aid her endeavor.
What was keeping Rena from uncovering further clues as to where she should go was the lingering fog that was created from the aurora mist. The effect of the mist would get in the way of anyone who would try to see through a direction too much.
"Let's simply walk forward. Once we spot something, we make our move, how about it?" Persulia, another girl from the small group, proposed to Rena, and Rena showed a bright adoring smile as she gladly accepted it "Sure, Persulia! Alright everyone! Let's win!" The morale of the team rose more with Rena in the lead.
They started to walk forward, merging their shoes slightly into the welcoming low water. Though they admired the fireflies and the aurora effects in that dazzling moonlight, they soon started to notice that the water's color would subsequently transcend from transparent all the way to scarlet red.
Without questioning why, they were more focused on finding some sort of clue in order to place the key and return to Ryousuke Kawahara and the others. Rena and the rest of them wanted to make their leader, Ryousuke Kawahara proud, and Rena, though young still, was very brave in spirit. There was a religious force within her that wouldn't allow her faith to falter.
And upon finding a location that would be akin to an element of her faith, Rena couldn't believe her eyes as her group alongside her, after traveling through a small river that was collecting the majority of the water ultimately forming an incredibly deep downward waterfall on the edge of the area, found a faraway chapel.
"It's a chapel! Dear God, how advanced it looks! Guys, this is magnificent! The construction of this island and this particular section had Jesus Christ in mind!" Rena looked absolutely baffled as she toppled her posture forward by accident near the edge of the waterfall "Rena, be careful!" Basilik, one of the remaining boys, managed to save Rena from completely falling over the waterfall by positioning his hands on her shoulders "O-Oh God! Sorry, I got too excited!" Rena apologized as she realized the danger of the situation "Geez, you're too excited about this, huh...? Well, it does look cool! But it's pretty far away, isn't it?" Yet another girl from the group, Fabiana, made her voice be heard.
Noticeably, she was telling the truth as well. Although they are on the edge of a waterfall, if they look below, on the right or left side of the powerful water flux that pours all the water down, they can see that the waterfall is at least five hundred meters tall. Not only that, but they didn't see any way to continue forward via some way to the right or left side. A horizontal line defines where they stand and there is no way to go down apparently.
Speaking of the area below; it's relatively different from the one they are in.
With no trees in sight, the entire area below is firstly made of an oval lake that is over three kilometers in length. Given its oval structure, it's no wonder that it's surrounded by a rocky structure which is oval as well. That particular structure keeps the water in check and most importantly, it helps channel the water to two places at once. The first place is to the north side of the area which has a small opening that allows the water to continue to the north side which unravels a completely new area that they know not of.
As for the second place the water would travel; it was visible to them, but first, it's necessary to address just what exactly lies at the center of the lake. Already pointed out by Rena, there is a chapel in sight. This chapel is painted in all red and holds the characteristics of a cathedral more than a chapel. This cathedral is covered with yet another oval fortress that shields the entirety of the area from the overwhelming pool of red water from the lake. But the fortress has a multitude of channels that allow them to capture the stream of the water and thus, the water is sent downstream in an area that they couldn't see, but it can be assumed that there is another area below the cathedral.
However, the crucial point remained.
"How are we getting in the church...?" Rena knew that the cathedral was very likely the highlight point here "There's a bridge that connects all the way to it, but... It goes underneath the waterfall... Which means there has to be an entrance to it somewhere..." Rena's reasoning gave birth to an idea that a girl immediately spoke "Maybe one of the trees has an elevator that will lead below the waterfall and we can then access the bridge...?!" Cecilia, one of the girls, made a point that everyone was very quick to agree with since they came from that exact same way "Oh my God, you're right!" The first agreement came forth "So, that one?!" Another girl, Sandra, pointed at the gigantic tree that was perfectly aligned with the cathedral from a coordinated perspective on the left "Let's try it!" On Rena's signal, the entire group moved west and started to examine the tree.
Engaged in the same collective endeavor of possibly finding something in the tree that would make an elevator door pop up just like the elevator within the tree they emerged in, they sought a way to make it happen. However, that's easier said than done.
They tried to check if there was some sort of hidden switch, a fake wood spot that had a secret button, and even touch the body of the thick tree that has withstood more time than they could ever know, but no result came forth.
"Maybe only that tree worked?!" Fabiana began to doubt that there was a way to access the area below the waterfall via the trees "...Wait, maybe..." Rena now remembered something that she felt in her skirt's right pocket.
A tingling searing sensation could be felt on the upper section of her tight and once she took ahold of that mysterious key that was the everlasting component of this section.
Rena held the key up high and the remaining members could see that the head of the key which is in the shape of a golden skull, is actually showing a brighter color, similar to a state of temperature meltdown.
"The key...? But just what could it do? We didn't see any entries, righ---" At the mere presence of the key itself now, the tree's lower body opened a square-shaped area of three meters unraveling a hidden elevator inside which stunned all the rest "Wait, the key does that?! But that doesn't... make any sense...? A key is supposed to be used in holes that have a key opening..." Persualia found this occurrence strange "Perhaps it has a bigger usage?" Ludo thought that even though the key's presence had opened this new avenue, there was a unique place where the key could be used "It's most likely where the component---this key---must be placed... Come on, we're almost there!!" Rena jumped into the elevator and so did the rest as they followed her.
Their trip to the way below the waterfall was therefore initiated as the elevator rapidly descended.
At the same time, two individuals who had collectively worked together to gather the component from the prior section and ultimately had placed it in its place were done taking the elevator that would lead them to this particular section which was otherwise known as "The Vast Pool", though many knew not this.
Breathing some fresh air offered by this different atmosphere instead of inhaling the artificial condescending air offered by the elevator, Daniel and Syndrana arrived at the ninth section, however far from their targets who were way ahead; gaining tempo advantage.
"Uggggghhhhhhh..." Feeling nauseous, Syndrana clung to Daniel's back while leaving the elevator which made him feel utterly uncomfortable "Daniiieeellll, can't we stop for a bit, I'm gonna throw up, I swear, dude!!" She became very emotional about it, but she was not expecting some sort of positive reply from Daniel "......." He looked at her and saw that she was genuinely feeling nauseous "Three minutes." Daniel dropped her arms from his back and let Syndrana's frontal body splash onto the low water mercilessly "Agghhh!!" She somewhat choked on the water.
Leaving her behind, Daniel was aiming to go forward in order to scout the perimeter, although he had already been here before.
"Ughhh, where are you going...? You've been here before, you dimwit! You know that they are heading for the cathedral, what's the rush?! Hey, Daniel?!" Syndrana saw that Daniel's body was starting to shake as she recomposed her posture, now having her clothes a bit soaked though not much "...Shut up...!!" Daniel's reaction made him reach out for a pack of pills that is in his black pants' right pocket; but his grip was so weak that while opening the upper part of it, multiple pills started to become submerged in the water and a vast majority was being swept away by the somewhat strong water flux to the north side.
Daniel entered a state of paranoia and rapidly tried to recover as many pills as he could just by simply grabbing them with his fingers, and while doing so, he was taking every single one of them to his mouth desperately.
"Nonononononononono----" Syndrana saw that Daniel's abnormal reaction was something that she was not aware of "Daniel? Hey, what's wrong?! Ugh, you can't take so many pills at once! That's like your seventh pill! You'll overdose, you fucking moron!" Summoning her strength, Syndrana went to where Daniel was, just a bit up ahead, and tried to cease his right arm "GO AWAY, YOU BITCH!!" Daniel immediately lashed out and used his right arm to perform a back fist against her right hand.
However, given that Syndrana has a physical aptitude in martial arts, to say the least, she saw the back fist coming and twisted Daniel's right arm with a simple arm twist.
"AGGGGHHHH!!! LET GO!! LET GO, I NEED TO CATCH THE PILLS!! I NEED IT!! PLEASEEE!!" Daniel begged while crying; meanwhile, Syndrana utilized her right knee and neutralized Daniel's back in order to stop his movements "Chill out already!! You need to vomit the pills, right now!! You took way too many, Daniel! You're gonna have an overdose and you will die, damn it! And I'm not letting you die until I get what I want, you hear me?!" Syndrana made her ground and with her left hand, from behind Daniel's head, she put her fingers on his mouth "?!?!?!?" Perplexed while trying to move around but nevertheless not successful due to the relentless lock Syndrana was applying, Daniel was forced to vomit the pills once Syndrana's left hand fingers went all the way down his throat "BLEGGGHHHHHH!!!" The pills were now fully out.
With no strength left, Daniel's body flopped onto the water with the pills having completely vanished into the water stream that would connect with the waterfall on the north side.
"Calm now...?" With serious eyes, Syndrana asked Daniel, who was crying "...I need ittttt.... I neeeddd the Xanaxx.... Please, just one... I'll go insane without them..... Ahhhhhh!!!" Daniel howled an emotional cry "What a mess you are. So that's what's keeping you in check; Xanax. Say, Daniel, tell me, who gave you those pills...?" Taking advantage of the weak Daniel, Syndrana aimed to extract information "...I'm not telling you... You're just going to leave me behind if I tell you want you want to know..." Daniel continued to wheep "............" Syndrana didn't expect Daniel to be so mentally resistant to the point of still being aware of that angle "Too bad for you then, mister. No more pills for you." She released Daniel from the lock and allowed him to feel a bit free.
Now up and looking down on Daniel from below with pity, Syndrana was quick to address the situation.
"I know that you need to have a few screws loose in the head to even be selected for a trial to begin with, but you're a nutjob, Daniel. You kill with no remorse, manipulate, mistreat others, engage in drug usage, and suffer from apparently deep emotional problems. And from the looks of it, you are now the useless one." She splashed some water onto the fallen Daniel with her right shoe and kneeled down to Daniel's face in order to engage in more conversation "Give me the equation and I will get it done for you. There is no need for you to go through this and become a slave to drugs if you can't handle her absence..." Syndrana emphasized to Daniel, as she began to utilize the water nearby with her right hand to cleanse Daniel's bloody face off the rivers of blood within "I've been informed about your case. I know what happened too." Syndrana continued to clean his face with a comprehensive yet solemn look on her face.
Covering Daniel's entire vision with her face showing up to him, Syndrana also whipped his tears with her soft gentle fingers.
"There's no shame in admitting it. You are starting to lose it, aren't you?" She asked and waited for a response from Daniel who didn't respond "I would do it, no shame, if I was in your position. She killed herself; you don't know why and that haunts you. But let me tell you this, Daniel, it would equally haunt anyone over and over, if the deepest and most meaningful person to you, killed herself. It's a haunting feeling that never leaves your heart and when you are at your weakest, the sentiment strikes the most... And when it does... No amount of self-constructed apathy can save you... After all, defensive mechanisms like that, have their validation prizes..." She spoke to Daniel, who was somewhat surprised by her sudden insight.
Still cleaning up his face, Syndrana waited for Daniel to speak and he did, but with a weak voice still.
"...The rebirth process... I... I don't care about my life... I just want her back... I don't mind dying... Or rather, I want Yulia to be alive again... I don't think that I... would be able to show myself to her like this after breaking our vow..." Daniel spoke with thorns on his throat, having immense difficulty spelling his upcoming sentence "...Vow...?" Syndrana simply asked "...Yeah... Us, criminals, we are doomed. This program was essentially made to kill us, but... That's fair. To be honest with you, I don't remember doing any crimes that would lead me to having a thousand years in jail, but that's besides the point..." Syndrana found this particular choice of words somewhat interesting and wanted to intervene, but allowed Daniel to continue talking.
Slightly getting up, Daniel placed his back against a nearby tree and looked to Syndrana on his right, with her knees on the water still.
"I was about to come clean. Me and her; we will strive for a life where the two of us could live together and so, in order to obtain that harmony, we made a vow to stop any criminal activity and dedicate our lives to each other..." Daniel smiled while talking, showing a level of joy "But then she killed herself. Out of the blue. It's so strange. You think you know the person so well, in and out, from zero to one hundred, up to down, and then you get a surprise like that." Daniel laughed a bit and then looked at Syndrana again "Hey, Syndrana, I know that you really don't give a shit and just want the equation, but thanks a lot. Considering the degree of bad I am, to have someone who is still at least capable of pretending to give a fuck, is heartwarming, to say the least." Daniel thanked Syndrana in his own way as he got up.
Somewhat relieved and not feeling as depressed as before, Daniel stretched his muscles and cracked some bones.
"If she's brought back through the rebirth process, then she will know why she did it and she can tell you. I seriously don't understand your angle anymore, Daniel. You can have a life with her; just give me the equation. What more do I need to do to prove that I have no underlying intentions?" Syndrana asked, now walking towards Daniel, who was relatively more composed and able to structure his sentences far better "Because you're not me." Daniel answered and Syndrana was baffled "Huuuuhhhh?! What kind of answer is that?! How does that matter?" She demanded to know and Daniel smiled at her, genuinely, while answering "I have to be the one, Syndrana. Because I love her and the one thing I need to do in order for her to know that I love her is to be there for her when she wakes up. And so, I will get into the organization and I will perfect the equation in order to recreate her from scratch." Daniel turned his back to Syndrana and started to walk forward.
Mildly impressed by Daniel's words, she was, however, still not satisfied with that answer.
"So you never planned on ending your life?" Syndrana mentioned the earlier occasion "That depends. I might have to rearrange her memories. It's alright if she doesn't remember me; just the knowledge that she's breathing again, is enough for me. It's all I want." Daniel spoke the truth "Woooow, look at you, mister charming white knight! Soooo, that's why you don't mind killing these innocent people? Even though the trial is telling you to literally murder them without them doing anything wrong?" They walked forward and started to visually grasp the edge of the waterfall "Oh, that's alright. I enjoy the process a lot. Because, I am going to die, sooner or later, and I will die a horrible death. From here on, it's only downhill. I'll do anything to get her back, so I might as well enjoy the ride, right?" Daniel reasoned "What the hell! Hahaha, you are so nihilistic, Daniel!!" Syndrana bursted out laughing "You remind me a bit of the leader, I have to be honest." Syndrana confessed and gained Daniel's attention.
At the same time, however, they reached the edge of the waterfall where they could see Rena's group enter the faraway cathedral.
"How so?" Daniel was curious and Syndrana, taken by an emotional swing, spoke words that she normally wouldn't "Many don't know that the leader is actually a super gentle guy. He has, of course, extreme ambitions that he upholds with a high level of cruelty and displays very often his manipulative and sadistic side, but there is this gentle side to him that he only shows in his weakest moments." Syndrana spoke as Daniel watched her speak with some second-degree embarrassment "Oh, you love him." Daniel claimed "No kidding, huh!" She slapped Daniel on the top of his head "So, the plan? Or are you planning on allowing them to move on? Also, you do know that you are at an extreme disadvantage once you enter the cathedral, right? If that twerp has any idea on how to use the key, this won't be easy." Syndrana made sure that Daniel was at least minimally prepared for what was about to come.
However confident, Daniel was not stressed about it.
"I hate this place. Don't ask me why, but my inner fibers just despise it." Daniel, dead-serious, back to his cold self, looked at the cathedral with hatred "...Why...?" Curious but not telling why, Syndrana wanted to know "What the hell did I just say? I said, don't ask me why. It's just something engraved in me. It's not that I have something against religion, I just hate the modern applications?" Daniel wasn't even sure of himself while saying that.
Syndrana didn't answer and looked at Daniel permanently.
"The fuck?" She spoke out loud by accident "Huh?" Unable to understand her sudden comment, Daniel was confused "...Nothing. Nevermind." She didn't disclose any of her thought process but nevertheless kept a keen eye on attention, as a newfound interest was born "Let's recap, shall we? About the cathedral, at least..." Daniel and Syndrana began to formulate a strategic session.
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Before entering the lengthy red-colored bridge wearing the decoration of an ancient unknown design, Rena's group was basking at the glorious sight. The nearby cathedral which towered over them by amassing at least five hundred meters in height was surrounded by a luscious water that resembled blood at its core. However, the bridge---that contains over a kilometer in length and holds a decent twenty meters in width---was also a very appealing aspect of this environment. On each side of it, every five meters, a pillar of fire would emerge the more they would walk forward. Given the natural borders that the bridge offers, they held a fair forty centimeters in height which was sufficient to protect the surface of the bridge from the outer red water.
Just like a 3D scenery, the closer they got to the end of the bridge---a gigantic abrasive shadow consumed them as it came from the solar contrast of the entirety of the cathedral.
Rena looked at the very top of the cathedral from below and wondered just one thing in particular.
"This is the first cathedral---I was calling it a church earlier, but this is clearly a cathedral----that doesn't have the Lord showing in any sort of statue..." Rena and the others noted it too, how there wasn't a single Christ cross on the outer side of the frontal of the cathedral "It must be inside... And speaking of inside, do you think it'll fit in?" Now face to face with the cathedral's dual doors which have a supreme height of fifty meters and a jaw-dropping width of thirty meters, they found themselves questioning just how a single key could open the two colossal doors that dwarf their existences, physically speaking "Wait, let me try something..." Rena had an idea, as she took possession of the key once more.
In that wide area of two hundred meters to each side by the end of the bridge, the group of sixteen saw a miracle occur in front of them.
Firstly, the red-colored door glittered in dark gold on its borders began to demonstrate a triangle-type aura that covered most of the door's surface. Following that up, on the three triangle's ends, three eyes that looked incredibly alive, looked at the group below and acknowledged their existence. Ultimately, by that acknowledgment and obeying the key that Rena was holding up high toward the sealed doors, the eyes joined all at once and formed an angle turn so that the eye that has twenty meters in length was horizontal.
"What... The... HECK?!" Rena refused to say a similar word to the one she said last as the eye blinked once; highlighting the massive eyelashes--- simultaneously causing the area below the eye to elevate until the eye.
With that, the seal was officially off and an entrance to the inner of the cathedral was formed; in the shape of a triangle. However, they started to grow undoubtedly frightened at the sight of the utterly realistic eye that kept on looking at them through its black iris.
"OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Terror was starting to run rampant as the group members had never witnessed something so insidious to look at "IT'S A DAMN EYE!! WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! IT'S COVERING THE WHOLE DOOR!! AND IT'S ALIVE?!" Unable to recompose herself, Cecilia placed her shaky hands on the top of her head as she feared the one thing above her "Everyone, be not afraid!" Rena, not lacking in courage although somewhat demolished mentally at the face of something so horrific, tried to compose her team "We can't be afraid! As long as I have the key, then we will be able to place it and get back to everyone! The faster we do this, the better!!" Rena proposed.
Essentially speaking, she was telling them to stop whining and get to work in a sympathetic way. There was the merit of not being around the live eye, so they didn't argue and went inside the cathedral's inner area which was shaded in light red.
Fairly standard in its presentation, there were a wide variety of seat rows to the left and to the right; about fifty to be exact, which was already more than the usual. There were no other rooms to the left or to the right, but there was a noticeable open path in the middle in-between the rows as it usually is inside a cathedral. Normally, it's covered with some sort of carpet that leads all the way to the central altar. However, the middle path was adjoined with a myriad of human corpses that intertwined with one another; thus forming a bridge to the altar; something that is only seen in nightmares.
"Bleeegghhh!!!" One of the girls, Susan, threw up at the horrific sight and she wasn't alone on that "Am I seeing this correctly?! There are hundreds of dead human beings cemented on the ground that leads to the altar!! What am I WATCHING?!" Fabiana got exultant in a pessimistic way too, however, hope was somehow reignited once Lulu elevated the key, as she hoped to bring forth some result "A way down...?!" Confused as to why a sudden rupture within the path they are in just formed a road that leads down though only slightly inclined, they were baffled by the applications of the key.
But, the path that leads below is actually a road that utilizes all the human beings assailed on the path to the altar and since there are no degrees, it would be like descending a stairway case with human body members as degrees, which was uncomfortable, to say the least, for them.
"You can't be serious, right?! It's inviting us down?! Oh man, this is so messed up! I just wanna go home already...!!" Ludo showed signs of emotional weakness but Rena was the first one to bravely take a step forward into the semi-illuminated red-shaded descending path below; stepping on dead disfigured human beings molded one to another---exhibiting artistically horrifying anatomies "Everyone, I'm very scared..." Rena took a step down below and then spoke to the spiritually divided members of her group, with fire in her eyes "It's at times of weakness where you must be strong! That's what my mother always told me! And most importantly... Pray." Rena seriously said "...Pray...?" Not seeing the merit of the action, Ludo was a bit skeptical "Yes; pray. Pray for your success and God will hear you... God never ignores anyone. So, come on!" Rena turned her back on the rest and began to walk over the mountain of corpses below.
Unsure how to reply or how to feel encouraged, they nonetheless admired her sheer bravery. They didn't feel that Rena was blind to what was happening, but they definitely knew that she was fighting off this newborn fear by praying.
By going through the descending road of corpses that have somehow not rotten, they encountered a hidden path below the cathedral where reverse rectangular windows on the right side were spotted. Those red windows allowed them to see the red water from the channels near the oval area surrounding the center of the outer cathedral as it slid down like multiple waterfalls at once. The noise created by such waterfalls was abundantly impressive but also a sight to look at.
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As of now, they have entered a small ongoing descending spiral staircase that was arguably small to the point where they had to walk one by one down at their respective pace. Soon after, they would reach a poorly illuminated area at the base of the area.
They looked firstly at the height of the spiral staircase which was close to three hundred meters. The light at the top of the staircase is undoubtedly stronger than the one they were currently provided with.
"Rena, use it on the door, probably?" Basilik suggested, as another enormous door that conquered their heights combined was shown on the south parameter of the indefinite lengthy base floor area that they were in "It's bound to work." Rena showed confidence and so, they walked in the south direction of the area filled with levels of visible fog as well as a multitude of ten-metered occasional pillars that would light up the more they advanced "Wait..." Fabiana noticed the existence of two people present on the two sides of the door that had the same design as the door on the cathedral's entrance.
On the right side, Syndrana gestured a bow and Daniel, who was clean of the previous blood, did the same, on the opposing side. As Syndrana noticed them approaching, they engaged in the dialogue as planned.
"Greetings, travelers! I am June, one of the monitors of this section!" The ball was passed onto Daniel who put on an extremely charismatic and emphatic face "...My name is Adam, and I too, am one of the monitors of this section!" Daniel's manner of speech was way less eccentric but it still landed the mark "Adam?" Syndrana asked Daniel lowly "...Yup." He confirmed it and then Syndrana shrugged and went on "Congratulations on coming thus far, I am sure you are here on behalf of the exam?" Syndrana asked a question that would bring a lot of worried answers right away.
Rena's group approached both of them and they started talking, feeling relieved now that they were meeting some authority figures, from their perspective.
The first to speak was Rena, who placed her right palm on the center of her chest.
"Oh thank God! We were so worried because we had no idea what was going on! We just encountered so many... creepy things..." Rena was definitely looking for an explanation "My apologies. Those are not real; so don't be afraid." Daniel continued after Syndrana "They are highly artificial holograms with advanced sensory technology to them. So if they may seem too realistic, then don't worry, it's all part of the gag!" Daniel laughed and so did Syndrana "Goddamn it, that's cool! But it got us so scared, holy...!" Ludo let out a vast portion of air and sighed in relief "Onto a more important note now..." Daniel decided to elevate the pacing a bit and got their attention "I assume that you are here to place the key component in its place, correct?" Rena answered Daniel's question instantly "Yes. We wish to return to the upper part of the island as soon as possible! There are many others who are most likely already done with their task and above waiting! We don't want to lose the race, hahaha!" Speaking with enthusiasm, Rena got her companions feeling the same energy "You're right, Rena; ain't no way I'm losing this race! Hey, you said you're monitors, right? Then, can you help us find the place to put the component?!" Sandra mainly spoke to Daniel instead of Syndrana as she asked that.
However, it was Syndrana who answered.
"That's a given, hahaha!!" She laughed in a maniac way, earning a bit of a scared reaction from the rest, but she proceeded in a calm manner "We are tasked with guiding those who have gained access to this area all the way to the secret area. It's like this in every section; so your companions are all being guided. But I must ask, where are the criminals exactly? All of you aren't in the database..." Syndrana asked a question that they knew had to be asked eventually "We are cooperating with Ryousuke Kawahara who is our de facto leader! We have all split into groups in order to place the components in the ten sections! But there's a time limit!! We only have about maybe ten minutes or so?! I don't know, I'm really worried!" Rena was beyond self-conscious about the timing that had appeared when the criminals' teacher made his appearance through a video.
Daniel offered a ticking clock to Syndrana and then, after looking at it, she spoke to Rena and the rest.
"I'm afraid your worries are misguided. It's already been completed!" Syndrana informed them and their jaws almost dropped "What?! How?!" Fabiana demanded to know "Apparently there was only the necessity of placing six components in their place and they were put in their place before the timing went out. So, this means that you don't have to feel pressured about the timing, all that's left to do is place the component and you can enjoy the trip back home!" Syndrana said words that would make each and every one of them hug each other in joy while almost crying "Oh thank God!!" Rena got down on her knees amidst the celebration crying "We get to go home, Rena!!" Zaya was jumping back and forth; pushing Rena up in order to celebrate.
Interrupting their little happiness session with cruelty, Daniel's voice reigned supreme in volume as he subsequently laid out the upcoming information.
"Don't relax yet. There's a tricky gimmick to this section, unfortunately, and the key is very much necessary in order for you all to make your escape." This shrouded information put an unease on their shoulders suddenly "Wait... What... What do you mean by that...?" One of the girls, Pandora, asked in fear and Syndrana answered for Daniel "It's easier if you just follow us. God, even I want to go home!" Syndrana showed a similar desire to them, which made them ultimately relax "I must ask you, Rena, to use the key to open the door. We emerged from another entrance but even we, don't have control over these doors." Syndrana explained while falsifying an alibi for the both of them "Oh ok." Rena believed in them right away and put the key up high while chanting a speech "OPEN UP!!" Though she didn't believe it would affect the order at all, the result on the other hand, was against her expectations.
At a supernatural speed, almost automatic with blinding speed in the movement; the doors opened themselves as fast as firing bullets ----causing a massive airwave to blow.
"What the?!" Persulia was shocked at this and couldn't believe what had just happened as they all looked at the glowing key that Rena was holding "........" Daniel and Syndrana held a rigid stare onto the key and acknowledged how willing Rena was to utilize the key "And on we go!" Syndrana declared as the upcoming area was now visible to the rest.
First starting with a wide horizontal row of ten golden degrees, an uprising stairway was shown as it upheld ten consecutive stops every ten degrees. Once the first ten degrees were reached, there would be a spacious interval of five meters in length and then the ten degrees would follow. A regalia yet lustrous royal staircase design was therefore exhibited to them; meanwhile, the left and right sides of the area were covered with foggy windows where the outside scenery of the cataracts of red water was blurry---however enough to give some decent illumination.
As of now, they have a hundred degrees to climb in order to reach the mysterious top door.
Standing in front of the group at a five-meter distance from them, Daniel and Syndrana put on stone-cold apathetic faces while engaging in a little conversation.
"We follow?" She asked without looking at him "Yes. The blood cycle needs them alive, so we can't kill them, as I've said before." Daniel repeated words "You two are kinda young, not gonna lie." Using a less formal manner of speech, Ulrich, the third and final boy, spoke out and Daniel intercepted "Young? Yeah, maybe me! But June here is twenty years old, she's on her way to speedrun every reformatory in town!" Daniel cracked a joke and everyone laughed.
Syndrana got offended somehow.
"Adam, don't let them know you're a drug addict." She lightly laughed and caused the group to feel mixed over Daniel "Guys, she's just joking, hahaha!" Daniel looked at them and awkwardly laughed "I'm not lying guys, he's on Xanax..." Syndrana was enjoying herself and Daniel got pissed off to the point where he stopped talking "Awwww, now he's moody! Hahaha!!" Syndrana laughed in such a sinister way that it wouldn't be long before she realized that she wasn't exactly attracting their attention anymore "..........." The group watched the two of them continue to walk up.
After three minutes of climbing in silence, another door lay in sight as they now stand on a higher ground in the area. The width of the area is fairly small though as it only has five meters in width. Likewise, the door wasn't as tall or even close to resembling such monstrous height, but it had different elements to it.
Upholding a circular structure in the center, the circle consisted of three small circles on the north, southwest, and southeast sides of it. Furthermore, at the very center of the circle, there was a dormant closed eye that fit inside the circle which already told them that it was far smaller than the behemoth they encountered previously. In addition to that, they could tell it was a dormant eye because of the eyelashes and the overall anatomy of it.
"So fucking creepy...!!! To think that it's a hologram... It's... outstanding in a sense, but I can't get over the feel that I can't process it being totally a hologram! It looks and feels so real!" Fabiana went ahead and touched the dormant's eye eyelashes and felt the same as if touching something she could grasp over physical sentience "Don't be fooled now, this is a highly advanced technological island with the purpose of putting the criminals of the exam through some deadly trials; that's why it looks like a horror movie!" Syndrana began to talk to the girls and they started to talk in a very eccentric manner "Oh my gosh, that makes so much sense! Maybe it's a way for them to be more conscious about their wrongdoings...? This scenario would make anyone scared, so maybe that's it!" Sandra agreed with Syndrana.
Daniel didn't like the fact that they were getting side-tracked. He also thought that Syndrana talked too much.
"Yasssss!! Bad boys need to learn their lessons!!" Syndrana agreed and talked in a girly manner "But where are the female criminals?" Ulrich asked a different question "Aren't we losing too much time?" Daniel intervened, even though everyone was actually looking forward to answering that question "I suppose...!" Rena, who was absorbed into the social atmosphere for a bit, was brought to her senses and took out the key once again "SEAL, UNLOCK!" This time, choosing completely different words as she judged that the door was sealed, Rena delivered the command.
Lighting up a faint glowing red aura on the north circle, a glittering sound of something being unlocked was heard but only a small sound. Following the sound, an intersecting line made of blood was transfused to the southwest and then to the southeast; ultimately awakening the dormant eye from its slumber.
"DEAR GOD----" Rena put her two hands on her mouth impulsively "It's crying blood!!" Susan shouted as the group witnessed the open eye emitted a nonstop blood river from the inferior corners of the eye.
With a blood-red retina, the eye, upon carving in its system the number of unidentified members present and whilst not registering the members that bypass its judgment ----began to rotate once by ninety degrees, so the eye was totally horizontal and then a fissure appeared in the middle of the circle which resembled that of blood; ultimately opening the door but also allowing an unknown mist infiltrate the current area albeit not much.
"......!!!" Daniel's expression slowly became in mild pain as his brain started to feel like it was entering meltdown yet again; Syndrana took notice of this, however, and as the group awaited some sort of indication about whether or not they should walk into the upcoming room covered in enigmatic mist, she gave a formality in a speech "I know it might be hard to ignore the authentically realistic holograms, but it only gets worse from here. Do your best to ignore everything you will see from here on, for your mental health's sake." Syndrana took a step forward and so, though reluctant at first, the group followed her.
She cast one side glance at Daniel and upon understanding the necessity, Daniel did not advance into the room with mist; which didn't allow anyone to grasp just what exactly was in the room, to begin with.
"Mister Adam...? Are you okay?" Rena, ever-caring, noticed that Daniel was feeling pain and couldn't stop holding his two hands on his head, and so, Syndrana intervened on Daniel's behalf "Ahhh, he's alright, Rena, my dear!" Syndrana got in front of Rena and she couldn't see Daniel "But he looks like he's in pain, Lady June!" Respectful yet honest, Rena didn't drop her stance "He has asthma and this mist provokes an allergic reaction to it; so I better hope none of you have it!" Syndrana came up with a lie.
Rena looked worried in Daniel's direction, who was showing a weak reaction, but in the end, he looked at Rena and gave a thumbs-up which allowed Rena to move on, albeit she was still worried about his condition.
Moving towards the fog that harbors a decisive location, they began to fade under the fog, but a voice played its words in the ambiance as Daniel could hear it.
"....ght here...." Entranced with the red-colored mist, a very faint feminine voice that Daniel could immediately recognize, was heard "....lia..." His vision trembled as Daniel saw the foggy presence of Yulia midst the fog, though her entire body was still unclear; because she kept slowly but surely walking forward ".....W-Wait...!" Daniel, weak in strength and feeling the pressure from the mist surrounding the atmosphere; lagged behind as he made his sluggish way forward while chasing his fallen idol.
Still unclear about where they are or what exactly they are supposed to be searching for, Rena's group was skeptical as they followed Syndrana through the fog.
"Lady June, could you tell us about what's next...? This way, we can avoid any unnecessary jump scares..." Rena politely asked Syndrana and she answered, but didn't turn back to them "I can't do that, it ruins the surprise!" Syndrana was adamant on not telling them "Come on, at least a clue?!" Ulrich begged "Hmm... A clue, huh..." Syndrana considered while still leading the way forward through the mist "Are any of you familiar with rituals?" Syndrana asked the question "Rituals...?" Rena didn't understand where Syndrana was coming from and she was additionally somewhat afraid of what Syndrana might say "Oh yes, my darlings---rituals. They are often tied with brands and sacrifices! So, here is the clue to all of you: If it's a ritual, what will it be sacrificed?" Though a clue, it definitely was a question that would spawn other questions subsequently.
Regardless, their attention would soon be brought forward to the focal point of the area as the mist began to lack potency.
"What..." Rena, in awe, while feeling fear, couldn't believe her eyes, as her expression became twisted with worries "That can't be...! No, no..." Her head trembled as she saw a fifty-meter-tall red throne engulfed in blood dripping from the arms of the throne which consisted of arm bones and the ends made out of golden skulls "Please, I ask you once again to-------" Syndrana tried to calm them down, but Rena in particular, was extremely agitated and began to voice her complaint "This is hideous! Even for an idea! Who thought this was alright?! How is forming a cathedral for this demon however beneficial in the hope of reforming criminals?! THIS---THIS IS HERESY!!" Her voice rose in volume and her group was siding with her.
To truly understand Rena's degree of agitation, it's necessary to know her religious ground and where her beliefs stand. Throughout her life, ever since a young age, she has been a loyal Christian alongside her family. Given that nature, it's no surprise that seeing a massive figure painted in red color whose height brutally towered all of them---upholding actually sixty meters as it was able to fit in the bloody throne----resembling Satan.
Rena immediately realized what kind of cathedral this was and even though her task was to put the component in its place; she couldn't ignore this sudden event and as such, she began to verbally prosecute Syndrana.
"Why?! Why aren't you showing a sign of agreement with me?! This is a cathedral for Satan! This entire island is built on Satanism and yet you are looking at us with that wicked smile, Lady June!!" Angry but still seeking an explanation, Rena looked at Syndrana "Oh dear, oh dear! Rena, darling; you so misunderstand----this is a mere hologram and I completely agree with you! But there is nothing that can be done! It wasn't my idea!" Syndrana dodged the bullet.
Or so she thought.
"You lie! Your ignorance is all over the place! God knows liars and so do I!" Illogical but somehow managing to sentimentally damage Syndrana, Rena began her wild accusations "Excuse me...?" The group began to slowly retreat back as Syndrana begged her pardon to Rena "You show no agitation or fear before this living embodiment of evil; as a matter of fact, you have the face of a worshiper... You... You..." Rena readied the verbal canon "WITCH!!" Rena released her right finger and aimed at Syndrana; her shout echoing in the hollow area.
Perplexed and moody at the accusation, Syndrana tried to compose herself.
"W-Wait a second, I think you got the wrong idea here, Rena! I was just playing, that's all, I have no relation to this at all!" She tried to calm Rena down "LIAR, YOU WITCH!! Everyone, she's a witch!" Rena insisted that her group members got the message "W-Witch...?!" Not exactly believing in Rena but questioning the usage of the word, Persulia asked Rena "Those who believe, and even the ones that aren't opposed to Satan, are all witches! She's no different! Lady June is a WITCH!!" Syndrana was now mad "SHUT YOUR MOUTH, INSOLENT CREATURE, I AM NOT A WITCH!!! HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, I'LL KILL YOU A-------" Noticing her slip, Syndrana placed her hands on her mouth as she was surprised by the lack of control on her part.
Genuinely surprised by her mistake, Syndrana was speechless and in that second of silence, it was all done for.
"R..." Fabiana couldn't finish the initiation "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" All of the members of the group ran backward, fleeing for their lives "Oh no you don't!" Syndrana cut her right palm with the guerrilla knife that she had borrowed from Daniel and allowed her blood to be dropped onto the floor.
Due to the mist, it's only natural that they aren't aware of where they currently stand.
It has a name; Sigil of Baphomet. Otherwise known as a pentagram, it is composed of three triangles that ultimately intertwine with one another to form the shape of a star in the middle of a circle. Once any type of blood is spilled onto the surface of this forbidden sigil, the outer circle will light up flames first. Then, the flames will transcend into all the lines within the pentagram, which ultimately form a pentagram of fire. Of course, this meant that escape was no longer possible.
"We're surrounded by fire!! Rena, use the key!" An immediate suggestion came forth as fire spread beyond control within the gigantic pentagram they found themselves in "...What the...?! I feel so... weaaaakkkk...!!" Ulrich's skin began to deplete as his body vitality was being drained by something "I feel so sick...." Cecilia's face was so skinny that by each second, layers of her skin were missing "Everyone?! What's going on?!" Nervous as to why nothing was happening to her while seeing everyone around her close to the flames being sucked out of their lives by something, Rena held the key up high and uttered the one thing she could think of "G-God, save us all from the witch!!" This would, of course, provoke a reaction, since the key holds nigh-omnipotent power over this section as a whole.
Nevertheless, it cannot perform the impossible despite its virtuality. That naturally includes saving people who are beyond dead---or specifically speaking, human beings whose bodies have had their blood emptied out from them.
Therefore, instead of the key obeying the order of protecting her group, the function was brought to Rena, who gained the power to instantly cancel out the pentagram and its flames. However, it was too late for the rest, as their blood was effectively drained from the sigil and transferred over to the blood cycle of the figure standing on the throne, who was not showing any physical reactions.
"A-Ahhh...!!" Exhibiting sadness and despair, Rena was now able to see through the less dense red mist her group members' bodies all limp and lifeless; completely skinned out of their blood "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! NO, WHY! GOD, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM!!" On her knees, she started crying and trembling over the large shock that she was processing, and midst of that, Syndrana approached her at the very center of the black pentagram with a malefic grin "Oh my silly little Rena! Oh no! Oh no, no, no, NO! Poor you! And for sure, poor them, HAHAHA!!" Laughing like a mad witch, Syndrana began to exhibit choices of dialogue that were seemingly not modern at all as Rena couldn't accept their deaths "Your fault... This... All your fault..." She muttered that while turning her head to Syndrana who was nearby "Hmmmmmmmmm?! My fauuuuulllllttttt? And just who are you fooling exactly?! This would have all gone nicely if you just hadn't made such a blunder in calling me a... WITCH, out of all the names! Goddamn it all to hell, GAH!!" Syndrana unleashed a raging scream into the air.
At her wit's end, still not giving up on her faith, Rena got up from the ground and wore the face of a demon; completely blinded by rage while strongly holding onto the key, which made Syndrana back up a little bit as she knew from a mile away what was about to happen.
"O-Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you! No, no, no, no! Missy, you must be wiser and stronger than that! Don't give into the temptation; it's a sin, remember?!" Syndrana laughed in Rena's face as she saw Rena being completely bulletproof to her words just now; making her retreat even more "You need to be eradicated for what you have done...!" Rena readied her speech as Syndrana feared the power of the key; knowing fully well that whoever holds the key has absurd power just by conjuring a simple order "GOD; SLAY THE WITC-----" Syndrana had visions of the untold past as Rena attempted to give out that order.
Piercing her head four times with a pistol from the left side, Daniel shot Rena to death as she didn't have time to react.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that, Yulia? They were being so noisy I think I missed a detail..." Oblivious to Rena's now-dead body on the floor spilling blood everywhere into the pentagram; though this time not triggering the pentagram's mechanics as the key had lost its host, Daniel walked through her "D-Daniel?! You idiot, you weren't supposed to come, I had all of this planned out, for fuck's sake! You were not supposed to kill her because she had to give up the ownership of the key and I was about to work on that, you retard!" Angry that the plan was spoiled even though she was actually about to die, Syndrana lashed out at Daniel who simply ignored her and kept on walking to the throne where the entrance to the focal point of this section lay beneath the lowest part of the throne "Yeah, I can destroy this island, don't worry." Daniel, from Syndrana's perspective, was speaking to himself.
Syndrana was mildly disturbed by Daniel's incomprehensible behavior, but as he kept on walking to the center of the lower part of the throne that has a door that requires a certain quantity of blood to be open; which it was, given the earlier sufficient sacrifices----Daniel had spoken a line that completely threw her off guard.
The line about the island's destruction.
Fast, she ran in his direction and bumped his right shoulder.
"What the hell are you talking about, Daniel?! The island?! You want to destroy it?! Explain yourself!!" Nervous since she knew where he was headed, Syndrana demanded an explanation but Daniel was only focused on his left side, as if he was permanently looking at someone---with an angelic smile and loving look in his eyes "Are you kidding me?! Sana will be thrilled! She's been through a lot ever since you died! Can you imagine her face?! I definitely can't!" Daniel was radiating with positivity and Syndrana immediately realized what was happening; now keeping a reasonable distance from Daniel---about a meter behind him while also speaking out loud "Of course, the mist has such effect in altered brains that have become one with the soul liquid... It shows no effect on the normal cortex, that's why we didn't see or experience something similar to him... Oh Daniel, what... Just..." She sighed "You want to see her so badly that you gave into the false image of the mist...? At this point, you can't be helped. For fuck's sake, I'm only doing this at this point for the equation; if not I would have killed him already..." Syndrana spoke her true thoughts as she found Daniel's existence and his unpredictability to be far too overbearing currently.
They entered a semi-dark linear hall beneath the lower part of the brutally tall red throne; just after crossing the figure's legs.
"Earth to Daniel, hellllloooooooooo?" Still a meter away from him, Syndrana called out to Daniel but no answer came forth---or rather, he was too busy talking to his fallen idol that is apparently on his left side "She's not real, Daniel. The mist is causing you to hallucinate and the pain in your brain was simply a procedure trying to warn you to not go any further---but you're a fucking moron and went inside the mist; deeeeeepppp into it like the lunatic you are and so, she looks authentically real to you, doesn't she...?" Her words went to deaf-ears unfortunately "...You leave me no choice..." Muttering that in such a way that Daniel couldn't have possibly heard her, Syndrana decided to physically overpower Daniel as he is trying to do something that would be catastrophic, to say the least; however, as Syndrana rushed from behind with the aim to physically paralyze his movements, a cold oval touch to her open forehead was made by a pistol which was ready to shoot "You talk too much. Interrupt Yulia one more time and I'll put ten bullets to your brain." Daniel gave a lingering death stare to Syndrana.
Receiving mental shock to her mind as she didn't expect Daniel's physical reaction to be that fast, Syndrana gulped and upon realizing that Daniel was not in his usual self, she became more aware of Daniel.
"...I apologize..." She genuinely said that to Daniel, who looked to his left side in order to say something "What?! But she keeps talking over your lines, Yulia! No, I don't care! If she does it again, she will DIE!" Daniel and the person he is talking to showed great signs of arguing "W-Wait, don't be mad at me! I didn't mean to shout, I-I-I-I just lost control!" Daniel limped forward as if to follow a person who was furiously trying to walk away from a scary person; though Daniel tried to persuade her.
Now left with a greater distance from Daniel, Syndrana reasoned something to herself.
"It's the mist. It's still present and it will be even in the control room... I have to shut it down and the hallucination will wear off..." She decided to make her move as she approached Daniel, however, she waited until Daniel was speaking in order to technically not interrupt one of Yulia's lines "But I---" She took her opportunity "Daniel, can I say something?" She politely asked and Daniel looked at her with disgust but after looking to his left and getting what appeared to be a confirmation, Daniel spoke to Syndrana while pointing the gun at her with an apathetic face "Speak." Syndrana felt that this current Daniel could not be manipulated but even so, she tried one simple trick "I need to pee... Uh, there's a bathroom ahead, mind if I go ahead...?! Please, I'm almost leaking, I swear!" Syndrana did her best to show the reaction of an average girl needing to perform her urinal necessities.
Looking at her with stone-cold black eyes, he didn't say anything to Syndrana but he rotated his head to his left subsequently.
"Well?" He asked her and shortly after, she gave an answer "No, I won't allow it, Yulia. She's lying." Syndrana responded to this accusation "I swear I'm really n---" Daniel struck back with an imperial shout "SHUT UP, BITCH!" Daniel's voice echoed through the hall as they were almost in the control area "Listen, Yulia, I will give her a chance and that's it. If she's lying, her head will roll." Syndrana became nervous and confused at Daniel as he focused his attention on her now "You can pee. Do it; I'll watch." Perplexed, ashamed, and stiff, Syndrana couldn't believe Daniel's words "Y-----You're not serious. Are you?" She asked in disbelief "You said you need to urgently pee. Show me that you aren't lying." Daniel was in fact getting argued over this by the voice of Yulia but he opted to ignore it, as he pointed the gun to the right wall; telling Syndrana to give Daniel evidence "Do it." Daniel demanded one more time; physically approaching Syndrana out of sheer dominance.
image [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/466312922864549890/1149948426461663264/Illustration_4.png?ex=66391bad&is=6637ca2d&hm=b330c5f512d2cfd13941c6a1570a063b768f483a269e960cb644905b79d6b15e&]
In utter disbelief and forced to accept this reality, as she knew for a fact that Daniel, the person whom she had visual confirmation through footage, could easily take another's life---almost as naturally as inhaling oxygen out of necessity, Syndrana was forced to perform her urinal "necessity" in front of Daniel who watched it without blinking an eye as she felt beyond disgusted.
"After all of this, do the world a favor and give up on breathing." After demonstrating Daniel evidence and elevating her posture, she looked at Daniel with apathetic eyes, refusing to show shame "What, you want to see my pussy too?" Very aggressively, she spoke but Daniel didn't reply and instead now decided to walk forward while talking to Yulia on his left; albeit that's just a hallucination driven by the mist effect "I know it doesn't erase what I did, but now that I have you by my side, I just don't care anymore. I'll destroy the entire island and bury this superbase alongside it. I'll dedicate my entire life to you." Syndrana was getting annoyed at Daniel's ultimatums about destroying the island and knew she had to do something before Daniel was given the chance to do it.
Revealing itself to be a dead blood factory that harnessed specifically ONLY the blood from dead individuals and only that; it would take many by surprise due to the ritual earlier draining live blood from the individuals. However, that blood which was still coming from a live human being was thoroughly distributed through the vast pool surrounding the cathedral. The actual dead blood is only acquired much afterward through an entirely new process.
In width, it possessed seventy-five meters and upheld a seemingly infinite height as the ceiling would go dark after reaching so high. On a side note, however, Daniel has in his possession the key that was previously in Rena's ownership, but he is currently not aware of the predicament that came from not properly relinquishing the ownership of the key like Daniel and Syndrana had formulated a plan for it.
The elements in the area varied from a wide range of biological thick tubes encapsulating types of blood---naturally all dead despite the type, highly advanced computers, a central plasma containing a width of a hundred meters and fifty meters in height which is absurd by modern standards, and most importantly, to the north side of the red room, there is a massive control panel with all sorts of buttons.
However, each button or rather----each task can only be executed at a blood price. Not according to one's, but according to the general dead blood accumulated within the factory.
Given that there is an authentic almost-full storage of dead blood, it should be no problem to execute all sorts of tasks that this section allows.
With all things considered, this only leaves one question left: Where and how should the key be used? By all means, it's a key and according to its nature, it doesn't have the old-fashioned utility of only being useful upon landing on the right lock; no, it has a cognitive response and is able to virtually interact with other technological devices/artifacts in this section.
Nonetheless, none of this excludes the fact that it's still a key with a lock lying somewhere waiting to be used and in order to move on to the tenth and final section, it's crucial to be able to place the component in its place. If it's a key, it's logical that there is only one place where it could fit.
But things were far more complicated thanks to Daniel not being in control; which made things extremely fragile.
After walking to the control room and guiding himself and Syndrana to the control panel, Daniel halted before pressing the button that said "Emergency Self-Destruction", which was a button whose existence is questionable at the very least.
"I'm about to do it, alright?" Make no mistake, Daniel didnt' speak to Syndrana who is watching him from behind, but to the imaginary figure of Yulia on his left "......" With a serious face, Syndrana knew that a single moment would be decisive.
She knew that Daniel would show no hesitation when it came to killing her, so there was no room for any sort of manipulative tricks.
One moment where Daniel's attention would be completely absorbed onto something would be when he would press the self-destruct button which would come at a margin of time where it's thought to be impossible to match.
Receiving a bullet to the tip of her long yellow right nail, Daniel was too late when it came to shooting Syndrana's hand as after she pressed the "Turbomax air button" the air in the control room elevated in the south direction which caused both Daniel and Syndrana to momentarily fly.
"AGGGHHHHH!!" Feeling the damage after falling, but no longer surrounded by the mist as the button's purpose was to cleanse the entire area of the section that had mist, Daniel began to hear an alarming sound as he saw a countdown on the gigantic plasma on the north side "Fifty-nine minutes and fifty-three seconds...? Agh, what the fuck... What is this...?!" Daniel on the ground, supported his head with his right hand, specifically on the right side of his cortex as he was wondering why his head was so fuzzy "Ugghhhh..." Recovering from the blow-out nearby, Syndrana got up and now addressed the elephant in the room "Hi, Daniel, you absolute piece of shit, thanks for setting the island on self-destruct mode!" She spoke very sarcastically as she rushed over to Daniel "HUH?! WHAT?! OGH----------" She delivered a massive kick across his face and now held the pistol that Daniel was using to threaten her earlier.
Rolling in pain over how powerful Syndrana's kick was, Daniel could barely compose herself.
"In order to avoid wasting time, I will make this very simple for you to understand. The self-destruction button order can be canceled, however, it's in the supercomputer within the main energy crystal which is in the tenth section!" Daniel wasn't comprehending what the worry was so he spoke "What... the hell are you talking about?! Just put the key in the coffin and we can hurry over to the tenth section and put a stop to this... Also, how the hell did I set the island on self-destruct mode?! I don't remember doing that! All I remember is being near that door and the mist made my b---" Syndrana got tired of his monologue and catapulted the conversation "I get it, Daniel, that's not the issue at hand here though! You killed Rena, the previous owner of the key, and her blood had to be processed while she was holding the key but you kept it to yourself when you got the crazy idea of turning the island into self-destruct mode!" They started to argue.
Daniel was trying his absolute best to remember what happened after the door had opened with the mist coming through, but he couldn't remember. It was like watching a video where the middle part was erased and it skipped straight to the borderline of the end.
"Don't bother, just trust me right now and listen! It's impossible to access the tenth section via normal means because the process didn't work; Rena died without her dead blood being absorbed with the key which is the only thing required in order to advance: the key's owner's dead blood, but now that's impossible because the owner is you! So unless you plan on killing yourself, you can forget advancing to the main energy crystal..." Daniel got up and noticed that Syndrana had spoken very specifically in regard to one thing.
He approached her with a serious look on his face as the bombarding volume kept on going, just like an emergency siren.
"Normal means...?" Daniel took the bait "...Yes. I am a monitor. This, is not a problem for me. But it is for you. And let me just tell you, Daniel, if you say no, then we will die here together, like lovers in arms. Difference is, the organization will sooner or later bring me back through the rebirth process, and as for you..." She mocked him with a grin "Tough luck, tiger." Daniel realized the hopelessness of the situation "Ahhhh..." He knew what she wanted and as such, in order to avoid wasting time, Daniel asked one simple thing "Do you have a pen?" Her eyes widened in surprise as she didn't expect her bargain to come through.
Midst all the noise, Syndrana laughed at Daniel as she gave him a pen and her small notebook which is just about fifteen centimeters tall. In it, Daniel started writing. His annoyed expression indicated to Syndrana that he was being forced to write the equation against his will and as Daniel advanced past the known point for Syndrana, her mind was blown away; her eyes widened and her jaw slightly began to drop as she found the elements unthinkable.
"It will take you a few attempts to get it done, but if you have vast experience in the rebirth process it shouldn't take you long." Daniel finished writing the equation and snapped her pen in half in a feat of rage as Syndrana was still absorbed into the equation "HEY!" Daniel shouted at her due to the sheer fact that time is slowly running out "This better work, Daniel. I will cut your balls off if it doesn't, okay ♥ ?" She smiled at Daniel with a lingering dominant stare "..........." Daniel didn't reply to that question but kept a solid posture nevertheless.
Syndrana moved away from the area where Daniel stands and the former accompanied her to the central panel control area.
"It'll take you at least five minutes to get to the main energy crystal's section, let alone actually getting to the core crystal, but you already know that." She pressed the button that allowed an emergency escape submarine to emerge on the north area's bay "You have failed two trials, technically, Daniel. But a deal is a deal; since you gave me the equation I will allow you to proceed as if nothing ever went wrong." On the right side of the megacomputer, a capsule in the shape of a dragon's head this time, emerged from the ground--- indicating Daniel's escape route.
No longer feeling the necessity to be around, Syndrana walked forward confidently to the north bay of the area where there is a small red pool of water with a submarine ready to be piloted that could be maneuvered to escape from the island.
As well as her, Daniel didn't feel the need to say anything more as he got into the capsule; having no more vision of Syndrana who had officially taken the equation into her hands.
"Departure to the Main Energy Crystal will now begin. Dear customer, I must ask, but how do you feel about the journey thus far?" Euporia asked as the capsule took a strong start; firing itself like a bullet shot from a gun with a target in its aim "...Exhausting..." Admittedly, Daniel was starting to feel fatigued from all the actions that have taken a drastic physical toll on him.
Relaxing back on the comfortable driver's seat as Daniel began to witness channels of magma through the areas the dragon head was going through, he put his right hand on his heart and paused his eyes for a moment.