Chapter 314 Phantom Chamber -5

Chapter 314 Phantom Chamber -5

As Adam stood among the tombstones, his mind reeled, trying to make sense of William's accusations. He looked at the names engraved on the stones, each one a painful reminder of lives lost, lives he couldn't remember taking.

Everything seemed real to him.

"I... I don't understand," Adam whispered, his voice barely audible over the weight of his guilt.

William's anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by a profound sadness. He knelt beside Adam, his expression pained. "You were supposed to be there, Adam. You were supposed to protect them," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Adam's heart clenched as memories began to surface, fragments of a past he had tried to bury. Flashes of laughter, of children playing, of his promise to keep them safe flooded his mind. But alongside those memories were darker images, ones he couldn't comprehend – scenes of chaos and destruction, of fire and screams.

"I... I don't remember," Adam murmured, his voice trembling.

William's gaze softened, his anger giving way to empathy. "You were there, Adam. You were there when the fire consumed the orphanage. When the children cried out for help, you were nowhere to be found,the bandits burnt the whole placed down." he said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

Adam's chest tightened with each word, the weight of his failure crushing him. He had always considered himself a protector, a guardian for those who couldn't defend themselves. But now, faced with the reality of his absence during their darkest hour, he felt like a failure.

"I'm sorry," Adam whispered, his voice choked with tears. "I'm so sorry."

William's eyes glistened with tears as he placed a hand on Adam's shoulder. "It's too late for apologies, Adam. The damage has been done," he said, his voice filled with grief.

But Adam couldn't accept that. He couldn't bear the thought of living with the guilt of what he had supposedly done.

He was scared of losing.

And just at that moment, while Adam was grieving, William silently came right behind him. He put his hand on Adam's both shoulders in a consoling manner and leaned in towards his ear.

Unlike before, William's eyes were completely devoid of anything—not pure white or just dark, but there was no eyeball in the eye socket.

Adam didn't notice. His mind felt cloudier with dark thoughts that kept on as he cursed himself internally.

The sky turned dark, and rain came pouring down like bullets falling on the ground, obscuring the sight.

William's voice, just like a whisper, passed by Adam. He said, "They wanna see their brother."

Adam took a second to register, but before he could, William spoke again, "Talk to them, tell them how you killed them."

Adam felt his heart pounding as he shook. It felt like he was ensnared by the voice.

"Tell them their Hero failed, Adam," William let go of Adam while pushing him forward. Adam slid on his knees.

Staring at the tombstones, a hand popped out of one of the tombs, followed by another, and then another as they just kept popping.

As the hands emerged from the earth, Adam's breath hitched in his throat. Each hand grasped at the air, reaching out as if seeking something—seeking him.

"In the face of adversity, you must remain vigilant," Eldric continued, his voice resonating with authority. "You must draw upon your inner strength and resilience to overcome the challenges that the Chamber presents. Remember, you are not alone. Your fellow students are here to support you, just as you are here to support them."

"Is what he's saying true?" asked Blaze. "Like it ain't that hard if I had to say."

Well, it depends. In-game, Imperial Academy has lost this round by one point, and this time the whole team's different, so we don't know the outcome of anything... it's unpredictable.

"Vexa Velcrow!" Eldric called.

I raised a brow, but looking at Eldric, he looked like I heard him right - another one from the team directly?

Vexa stepped out. Erik gave her a thumbs up, while Isolde patted her back. Her gaze swept across everyone, to me, and then she walked towards me.

What is she doing?

She came really close, and in a very small voice, she asked, "What should I do?"

Eh? Why's she asking me that?

"I don't..." I paused. "Just don't forget, everything is a lie. Nothing is true, even if you feel it is - it's all a big lie." I just gave her words that I thought might be useful.

She nodded to herself as she left - no thanks, huh?

I could feel a lot of gazes on me.

As Vexa walked away, a sense of unease settled over me. Why did she ask me for advice? Was she unsure of herself, or did she simply trust my judgment? I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to her question than met the eye.

She walked into the chamber and the Chamber closed itself immediately and-

Before even I could turn my gaze to the screen, I saw her silhouette disappearing and then with a loud bang that can be even heard outside the chamber- She was slammed into nearest wall that had grown multiple spikes that were foot long, pierced her body from top to bottom.

S I L E N C E

As if nothing has happened, Vexa peeled herself off of the wall- no blood or bruises, she's given a physical task I guess.

T U K

And then, Vexa's arm dropped down on the floor.

"Tf?"

I saw Vexa pick up her arm from the ground and swing it from one side to another like a baseball bat but immediately the hand that had held the other flailing arm.. dropped down too.

"This one is.... actually fucked up." Blaze muttered.

What is Chamber trying to do now? I had no idea what was happening to Vexa now.