Chapter 101: Rehash

Cliff's POV

I’ll tell them the truth. Whether they believe me now is out of my control. I can only blame myself for that. Why did I lie earlier? I guess I wanted to see what I could get away with… is that the best way to put it? Probably not.

It was stupid looking back on it. I should've just played nice and cut them all down once I cemented an essence of trust with everybody. I wasn't exactly clear-headed… I guess Zeris's words did have more of an effect on me than I realized. Hell, I don't even know if I'm thinking straight now. The image of Blue burning to death still flashes in my mind every few minutes… it haunts me.

Regarding putting up a fight, I’m gravely outnumbered if I attempt anything now. And without a weapon, I hold no power or threat. It seems they have no interest in killing me, which is good, but it also means that they still haven't quite grasped the overarching theme of this trial.

No, I should give them at least a little credit. At least one has definitely noticed, surely… maybe multiple. However, those individuals appear to be opting to blend in with the group for now. Tsk, what a slip-up on my part.

Nonetheless, I had to lie again for my own gain. I bluffed to Ember that Zeris told me who retained their memories. I’ll probably have to make something up if they ask about that. You know, I thought about it a lot today. There's no way this theory I've come up with can be proven… but the odds that Zeris was aware that somebody had their memories from the start are high. Why else would he keep that clip in? Then again, it could all just be a ploy by Zeris to turn us against one another and instigate infighting. But... could somebody here actually have their memories?

Who the hell knows? If they bring it up, it'll be an 'in the moment' decision of whether I throw someone's name under the bus. The safest option would be Ace. They already suspect that he might have been the one Zeris was talking about, and to be honest... I do, too. But if I wanted to stir the pot, throwing a curveball here may be better in the long run despite the risk.

After I was brought to the nightly campfire, my hands were untied by Code, and I began to explain everything that happened, this time recalling the honest truth. I remained sincere throughout my explanation and started by reciting when we first noticed a crow flying in the sky. Zeris showed up not long after, morphing from a monster into a human body, and Blue didn’t remember what he looked like. I emphasized that I found that odd because Zeris made it seem like they had met, and Ace said as much during the trial.

Anyway, I continued explaining that Blue was quickly chained up by Zeris, and there wasn't ever a fight between Ace and us. And while I attempted to break Blue free, Zeris reappeared, revealing that Ace was with him. Before Ace killed Blue, he asked Blue a few questions, almost taunting him. Once Ace was done with him, he sent a wave of flames at Blue and killed him.

I stressed to everybody that Blue was long dead before I frantically jumped into the pond to try and swim away. And by sheer luck, I found the hidden room at the bottom of the pond and climbed inside. When I got into the room, a video of Zeris began playing. He rambled about useless crap for a while, and for some reason, that portion of my memory was a lot foggier than the rest… I was still emotional from Blue's death and all.

I focused then on listing the facts I remembered instead of trying to piece together hazy bits. Zeris claimed his name was Zeris and was looking to see who would become the strongest of the sixteen of us. He then unveiled a room filled with vast weaponry and told me to take as many or as few as I desired. The choice was up to me. There was also a food basket and the three keys on a table, and similar to the weapons, taking them was optional. But, considering that they appeared important, I brought all of them with me.

"I ended up leaving that room with the sword, bow, quiver, food basket, and keys. Oh yeah, also… when the video ended, a three-minute timer began ticking down. Knowing I didn't have much time, I grabbed what I could and escaped before the place blew itself up," I say.

"So that's where you got these weapons," says Forest, rubbing his hand on one of the arrows. "And you said we can't return to that room anymore?"

"Yeah, I saw… I heard the explosion occur. It caused quite a tremor, and water shot up into the sky like a geyser, but the 'booming' sound was mostly suppressed by the pond, which is why you all didn't hear it," I reply.

"Let's say that we somehow believe that you're telling the truth this time… why did you refuse to tell us earlier?" asked Ember.

Hm, how should I answer…? Although I was alone, I wasn't wasteful of the time I had yesterday. I've prepared a few responses to questions I expected to be asked, especially this one.

"Honestly, I didn't think you would believe this. And when I realized that some bits of knowledge that you all discovered connected to what I found, I thought it'd be best to push you all away. Even now, I doubt you are buying such a crazy story… that I found a room with a television underneath a pond that detonated itself, and there's no sign of it ever being there. If I tried to take some of you to it, it would be a waste of time," I reply.

"Hunter and I ran in a maze where boulders were trying to trample us, and arrows were being shot at us. Trust me, as far-fetched as you may think that story is, we've grown used to accepting the abnormal," says Forest.

I say, "Yeah, looks like it. I was just… afraid. What would happen to me if I said something about it to you all? What would happen to you? The way Zeris spoke, it was as if he wanted nobody else to know about that room except whoever found it. I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"And out of everything he said to you, the part you took away as the most crucial was that he was… in a sense, assessing us?" asks Code. "If that's the case, I can somewhat see where your hostile actions came from. They're still inexcusable, but if you were trying to make a point about yourself… I guess you did, in a way. However, I believe you could've used other methods to prove your worth and strength to him. Turning against us was a grave error that won't easily be forgotten."

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"If you don't mind me asking," says Faith, her gaze on me. "Why did you follow through on such actions after you heard our stories? You must've recognized that Sky's riddle referenced the hidden room under the pond, right?"

"I- I did. That's why… I felt that I had to distance myself. Nobody can return to the room. It is impossible; the place doesn't exist anymore. I even tried to go back myself and nearly drowned."

Faith hums to my response, her expression remaining blank while she absorbs my answer.

"Alright, well, your motives aside, you're still withholding one bit of information from us," says Ember. "Who is the one that has their memories?"

"That… I- I don't know," I say.

Damn it! Why was I so nervous to answer that question?! I should've just said Ace!

"Zeris told me somebody remembers, but he didn't tell me who. I'm sorry… I hoped that by bluffing that knowledge, I could bend your ear a little more."

"That much is obvious. You didn't seriously think I believed that?" quickly responds Ember. "Glad you had the balls to admit the truth about it. Alright, screw it, I believe him."

Code quickly looks at Ember, then at me, then back at Ember, "What?"

Ember shrugs, "What can I say… he wasn't as anxious as he was before. His shoulders are relaxed, his eyes calm, his tone this time was clear and consistent."

"He had all day to himself. You seriously he wasn’t fabricating a story that whole time?" queries Code.

"No… you can't learn to lie in such a short period without some practice. Trust me, I have a knack for this sort of thing. He's telling the truth…" says Emer.

Code scratches the side of his head, "Well… shit. Should we cast another majority vote, this time about whether we believe Cliff?"

I look down the line of faces in front of me, and nobody objects.

"Alright, then, all those that believe Cliff is being honest, raise your hand."

Ember raises hers, as does Hunter. Then Sky, Delta, and even Forest join them, which surprises me.

"Ember was the one who sniffed out that the bastard was lying before. If she believes that he's being truthful this time, I'll bank once more on her judgment," says Forest, to which Sky nods in agreement.

"Your reasoning aside, that's five votes and the majority," sighs Code. "So be it. Faith, you didn't raise your hand. Do you have anything you would like to say?"

"Of course I do, but I'll keep it brief. I can't ever trust Cliff again… not after he almost killed me," she bluntly says.

"I completely understand," I quickly mutter, causing both of us to make eye contact. "And I'm willing to move forward knowing I'll always have your disapproval."

"Good," she turns away. "I'm glad you already recognize that."

"What now…?" asks Hunter. "It seems there's nothing else Cliff has to say. Are we going to hand over his sword?"

"Ehhh, why not?" playfully responds Ember, scratching the back of her neck. "We aren't giving him his quiver back, though."

"Wait… wait. Are we just going to overlook that Cliff has rehashed that somebody has preserved their memories?" proposes Forest, his palm opened and his arm directed toward me.

"So what?" says Delta. "It's like Ember said: if they haven't exposed themselves yet, they definitely won't say anything now. Odds are it's Ace anyway."

With an expression of surprised agreement, Ember mumbles, "Yeah, that pretty much sums it up."

"Just give the guy back his sword," says Hunter, annoyed at their squabbling. "We're going to need him to get through that maze."

"Yeah, Sky, go on and hand it over," says Code, jerking his head in my direction. "He won't try anything… Cliff recognizes now that we need him, and he needs us. If he goes at it alone and encounters Ace or Zeris, any unnecessary solo-minded actions will only result in a premature death."

Code then turns to me, saying, "If you want to be the last one standing and prove you're the strongest to him, this is the right way to go about things. Beating him at his own game would be the sweetest form of revenge for what he and Ace did to Blue… wouldn't you say?"

A warm sensation flutters beneath my chest as he asks me that question. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't tell you why I was suddenly overcome with a strange urge to agree to his words. My mind was already made up… I've told myself that going it alone was the best option over and over… so why has that mindset changed?

I then wondered to myself in the second before I opened my mouth to speak… has Code really become this compelling?

"Yeah… yeah, I believe that too," I utter, somewhat confused to hear those words spill out of my mouth.

"That's good... because we'll need your strength," says Code while Sky hands over my sword. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to give up that bow strapped around you? It'd be far more beneficial in the hands of another if you're wielding that sword. Consider it a fair trade… for your freedom, of course."

Once again, a warm sensation strikes me… as if flint and steel had sparked something within me. And before I knew it, I was taking off the bow and handing it to Code, "That seems fair. It's not like I have any arrows to shoot anyway. Plus, as you said, I already have the sword."

What am I saying? What am I doing?

He smiles, "Precisely. Glad you understand where I'm coming from."

Switching gears and wanting to push away this peculiar sensation, I say, "I saw what you all found in the crates, but I couldn't quite make out everything you were saying. Mind filling me in?"

"Not at all. Here, come this way," replies Code, gesturing his arm toward the supply area before cupping a hand on the side of his mouth and announcing. "I'm going to start drafting a legitimate plan of action if anybody else would like to attend!"

As the two of us strolled over to the supplies, I peered down at Code, wondering why I hadn't struck him with the sword yet…

This is what I planned to do, right? He's right there! Why won't my body move to swing the sword? Why won't I kill him??

I thought about it as my body went into autopilot while Code explained the various items, telling me what they were and what they could do. Others dispersed around, but I was too trapped in my thoughts to notice.

Is it because… Scar… what is it about Scar…? Why am I thinking about Scar…?

Oh yeah, that's what it was… I- I swore to kill him. I swore to kill him first for his stupid plan... to avenge Blue. I vowed to get revenge on him and Zeris. Is that… why my arm refuses to swing this sword? Are all these people... at the mercy of my hatred for Scar?