Chapter 96: The End Game Has Begun (Part 2)

Exchanging glances with Ember, it was apparent that she was still soaking in the information. At surface level, the riddle was straightforward... at least to me.

A few seconds later, the black panel beneath the carved message stirred awake with a gimmicky vibration. A series of red numbers faded in, appearing as… 72:00:00.

Click!

71:59:59… 71:59:58… 71:59:57.

"Three days…” I utter.

"It could be a bluff,” says Ember, perplexed.

"Obviously, an idiot would be able to figure that out," says Delta.

“No surprise you did then,” says Ember, "Considering the countdown has already started… I guess that means the end game has officially begun."

"There's one bit here that's vaguer than the rest," I say, pointing to the third line. "'The trials are sacred'. Zeris specifically placed that phrase before mentioning there was an end game. If we think back to what Sky told us, Zeris told her yesterday to deliver a similar statement about how the real game is beginning now."

"They're correlated, right?!" interjects Delta, wanting to be somehow involved.

"Yeah, that's how I surmised just now that everything we've found and participated in so far has been imposed by Zeris. He's the one who gave us the first slab, the supplies, the food… all of it," I say.

"Which indicates that he's also probably the one who planted the markings on the trees…" Ember trails off. "Let's slow down and think about this. Flora and Grace warned us about something strange with the trees before they died. Ace was the one who told us those things. Ace brought up the same idea when he was exiled, throwing in the additional topic of watching out for crows. Zeris mentioned the term 'trials' in this message, and that inclusion leads me to believe that we are being tested in some way. It's obvious now that he hasn't attempted to hide his involvement one bit… he's even got Ace under his control, and it seems he has somehow manipulated Cliff too."

"Okay… okay. Yes, I believe you are right about all of that. But still, there's something out of place. All of these connections aren’t fluid with one another. They correlate to the same endpoint… yes, but how are they connected to each other? Are you telling me it's merely a coincidence that Faith took the plank with her on the exact route that would unveil the message we didn't even know existed?" I say, scratching the side of my head.

"Think about how improbable that is. Unless you were standing in that exact spot on that exact route… the message on the plank would've never been revealed. Ember, what if your group stopped and turned around before reaching that point? What if you took a different route back? What if your group swapped paths with a different group? Unless Zeris has the power to see into the future… he could've never predicted every action we could take. That's not feasible; it's impossible even. And yet, we somehow managed to do the impossible… and that message isn't random or out of place with how everything has gone. It contained vital bits of information essential to us now…"

"It was meant to be found when it did. Arghhh, damn," Ember pinches the bridge above her nose. "You're right, Forest. You're absolutely right. I don't know how… but Zeris has somehow been dictating our every move, even without his direct involvement."

Ember's POV

Is our rapid advancement through these riddles proof that we are progressing well in this so-called trial? Are we supposed to be progressing at this rate? Are we meant to be moving faster? Or slower? How many of us are still alive…? Only eight of us are here… Ace is probably still alive somewhere. So, that makes nine. Scar, Hazel, and Violet’s fates are all unknown, and the other four are confirmed to be deceased.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

71:53:31… 71:53:30… 71:53:29…

So, there's a possibility that twelve of us are alive? That's unlikely, but let's go with that… are more of us supposed to be alive? Or dead? We are supposedly entering the end game… does that mean we've all passed the requirements of the earlier tests he's forced on us?

Probably, yeah… that has to be the case. This new message hints that only one of us will be alive three days from now, which likely means it doesn't matter how many of us are still alive when the 'end game' countdown begins.

71:52:48… 71:52:47… 71:52:46…

"You can hear me… right, Ember?" asks Cliff, his voice almost imperceptible due to how quietly he spoke.

After glimpsing at Cliff and sharply looking away, I face the slab again, acting normally as Cliff resumes speaking, "So, you can hear me… your hearing is truly on a different level than ours. Anyway, I've been eavesdropping on your conversation… and you aren't talking quietly, so don't act like I've committed a crime here. What else am I supposed to do to pass the time while I’m tied up to a tree? Whatever… that's not important. I think I might have an idea about what's stumping you."

Acting flustered about the message, I turn around and walk away, facing in Cliff's direction. I utter a quiet hum as I sift my hands back through my puffy hair while I pretend to stretch out my neck. I then discreetly gesture for Cliff to continue.

"I'm willing to inform you about everything I know, but only on two conditions. First, release me before I talk. And second, you give back my sword after I'm done."

I scoff at his naive attempt at a negotiation. I wave a finger, signaling that the deal is already off, and nearly turn around before Cliff resumes speaking.

"I know that you don't trust me. None of you do, and you have a reason not to after what I just did. Honestly, I don't know if these are my words or his. I vividly remember parts of yesterday... while other moments are shrouded in this like… almost blinding fog. I can see pieces but not the full picture. Does that make sense? Regardless, I must regain your trust somehow because, believe me… I'm still on your side. That message mentioned that there will 'only be one' after a week, right?"

I nod.

"Did it ever specify that it was referring to a person? Have any of the riddles specified that only one person will remain? … No. That's never been the case. We are one group, a team. And our enemy is Zeris. This end game is about us versus him. If we kill him, we win."

I grin at his boldness.

He's grasping at straws… sure, but he makes a valid point. This entire time… our enemy has been Zeris. He's the one who's constantly been wreaking havoc. Come to think of it, the only time we've ever fought against one another was just a few minutes ago. Was that all a ploy by Cliff? Why would he do such a thing of his volition? If he wasn't being manipulated… what was his goal? Was it to prove a point that we need to stick together? His motives aside, he's technically correct. We are still against Zeris, and now, Ace too. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, but he isn't wrong.

"Hey, everybody! I got the next one open!" says Hunter, and I turn away from Cliff.

"Think about it… and for now, I'll leave you with a few parting gifts. You can find another food basket about a five-minute walk down the western path. It's obvious, you won't miss it. Additionally, Sky's riddle… you know the one where it says 'Hole, Deep, Swim'? Yeah, funnily enough… Blue and I came across a pond, and I happened to find a hole leading to a secret room at the bottom of it. Inside there, well… You'll have to wait to find that out, won't you? Bring back the food basket and adhere to my demands, and I'll tell you everything. If at any moment you think I'm lying to you… do as you please, kill me even. Oh, and one last thing."

Almost fed up with his constant abuse of my hearing abilities, I glance in Cliff’s direction, tap my ear, and then tap my wrist. Not wanting to deal with him any longer, Cliff better say whatever he wants to fast. For now, I'll catalog everything, but so far... I don't believe him in the slightest.

"Zeris told me something else, and feel free to take this last bit of info on board however you wish."

"Somebody here never lost the memories of their past life. And Zeris told me who…" Cliff trails off, finally going silent.

My ears wiggle as those words tumble around in my brain.

If he's telling the truth… that knowledge could change everything. It could be the answer behind so many dead ends! On the other hand, it's a bold lie. He's desperate, which means he has nothing to lose. To take such a risk… tch. No. I can't…

"Ember… Ember!" a voice echoes.

His voice snapping me out of my thoughts, I look over toward Hunter, who excitedly exclaims, "Are you okay? You need to come see this!"

I give him a nod and briskly walk over toward him and the others standing close by.

71:47:24… 71:47:23… 71:47:22…

It appears the end game… is already in full swing.