“Master… Sam died… because of me… I killed him! If only I listened to him! We could just leave the cave a different way… but my curiosity… I killed my master…” Sien sobbed as he fell to his knees, all his strength leaving his body.

The text on the wall in front of him shined in a red light. This time the text wasn’t part of a puzzle but a note for the ones who fell down here, the text for the survivors, the ones who were supposed to live.

“Heroes don’t die in vain. The saved carry their wishes and values so they would never be forgotten.”

As Sien read that Sam’s voice rang through his head. “Save your family, Sien.”

Sien gathered the strength to stand up and finish the dungeon. He walked slowly but his eyes were focused on the path ahead. This time he didn’t whisper that he killed Sam, he whispered that his death wouldn’t be in vain.

The double doors were four times the size of Sien, who was as tall as any thirteen-year-old boy. One side of the door was made of white colored wood with an engraved mighty knight on it. The other side was made of dark wood with a dark mage engraved on it. They were showing the battle between the hero and the evil. Another text shined above the entrance lit with blue light.

“It's time for a new hero to arise. Shall we see if he is up to the task?”

Behind the doors was a long room with a throne at the end of it. There were countless skeletons scattered throughout the room. Some had armor on them while some had robes of mages. The skeleton on the throne was different. He didn’t have any clothes, only a silver crown on his head.

The moment Sien stepped into the room the door closed and all the torches suddenly lit on fire, lighting the whole room. The skeleton on the throne moved its hand, picked up the sword, and stood up. The skeleton with a crown smashed the first skeleton on the ground with its sword. Accompanied by the sound of crushing bones were silent screams as if the bodies were still alive and their souls somewhere distant but still able to feel the pain.

“Why… Do I hear screams?” Sien asked himself confused by the task given by the dungeon.

Another skeleton was getting smashed into bits as new screams echoed through the room. The smashed skeleton rebuilt itself and was still screaming. Silently but the screams were present. The third skeleton had clothes that Sien seemed to remember. This skeleton had the loudest screams and he knew that voice.

“Sam? The souls didn’t leave the body… and this one is tormenting them?!” Sien concluded.

The boy raised his saber to fight the skeleton but a bone flew past his face, making a scratch on his cheek. The skeleton with a crown threw the bone as a warning to the boy. Sien lowered his saber at the sight, losing his strength because of the fear, a doubt appeared on his face.

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“But… I don’t stand a chance… Against this monster…” His voice trembled with the body.

The doors that were once closed, opened again, giving Sien a way to escape this mischievous place. Tempted by the way out of this test, Sien crawled toward the exit. But he hesitated once he heard more screams behind him. He gently touched his saber, thinking about the current situation.

“Am I strong enough to face this creature? Strong enough to defeat it? No… Being strong doesn’t mean anything right now. They need help and I’m the only one who can help them right now!” He gripped the saber’s handle tightly and turned around to face the skeleton.

“You wanted to test if I’m fit to be a hero? I’ll show you just who I AM!” Sien shouted as he ran at the skeleton with a sword that was smashing bones into bits accompanied by silent screams.

With a sloppy swing, he reflected the skeleton’s sword away from the screaming soul of the dead. The skeleton’s arm froze in place and its head turned toward Sien with one swift turn. Sien, scared, took a step back. The skeleton then looked back at the dead under his feet to continue the torture.

“No… I’m not letting you torment them any longer!” Sien shouted as he swung his saber at the skeleton.

Skeleton understood Sien’s intention of stopping his task. He regarded him as an intruder he had to get rid of. The skeleton began attacking Sien, widely swinging his sword to attack. Sien was able to block each attack in time but after each attack, his hands were blown away. If not for the hand guard his saber might have flown off his hand.

He was slowly forced back, against the wall with no escape. This time he didn’t parry the attack but ducked down and kicked the skeleton’s foot in the hope that it would fall apart. His leg couldn’t move, couldn’t push the skeleton away. As if he hit a wall. The skeleton took notice of the boy’s attempt and kicked him away.

Sien got all the air knocked out of him with that one hit. Flying across the room he fell to the ground and slid toward the wall. He coughed, trying to grasp every bit of air back. His mind was clouded in confusion. He snapped back once he heard the skeleton's crunchy footstep near him. Sien saw the door wide open, they lingered on it but his eye went back to the skeleton.

“No… Matter… How… Strong you are… I won’t... I won’t surrender!” Sien gathered the strength to stand up and continue the fight against the skeleton.

The skeleton raised his sword to swing it at the boy from above. Sien ignored that fact and remained focused on his opponent’s neck. He dived in, his saber moving toward the neck. The skeleton’s sword inches from his back. Sien gritted his teeth awaiting the pain on his back from the skeleton’s sword, he could already feel the cold steel against his back but it didn’t come. He heard the sound of a bone hitting the ground. Once he cut off its head the skeleton stopped moving.

“I… I did it?” Sien whispered as he took a step back and fell to the ground, looking at the still skeleton.

The skeleton with the crown crumbled down into pieces. A sound of relief filled the room as the other skeletons turned into dust.

“They are free... Rest well.” Sien gently whispered, his head low, looking at the ground and a fist on his chest.

A way out appeared behind the throne. He took a deep sigh and stood up to leave the room. On his way, he looked at each corner. Remembering where each skeleton lay down. He stopped for a moment to watch the place where his master’s skeleton was.

“I’ll finish my task. For your sake… Sam… Watch me from above.” He whispered while looking at the ceiling, with a sentiment in his voice that was about to burst into tears, but he held back.