"What's going on? Who is controlling me?" Rocky said out loud in panic as he could not understand why he was suddenly dancing on strings.
Suddenly, the world around him changed, the little laughing boy and his father disappeared as Rocky found himself staring at his own reflection in a giant mirror that seemed to stretch till eternity.
Inside the mirror, he saw a giant version of himself making his smaller body dance using strings, as the giant version of him had a very evil smile plastered on his face.
"What? What is this space? What's going on?" Rocky wondered, as finally his constraints disappeared and the giant above him dissolved, giving him the freedom to move at will once more.
"The biggest flaw you have, Rocky Yadav, is your own perception of yourself. You want to believe that this universe revolves around you, that everything that happens here, happens because of you.
But you're wrong, you are too small, too insignificant to be the focal point of the universe" a voice that Rocky recognised to be his own said, as Rocky stared in horror as his reflection through the giant mirror talked back to him.
"I will help you overcome this flaw, I will help you fix the toxic mindset that you have, however, the price I demand to fix it..... is your eyes.
For 3 months, I will take away your vision.... blinding you! so that you may look within yourself rather than looking outside" his reflection said, as Rocky was given his first reward and first penalty.
"Do you accept?" The entity beyond the mirror asked as it extended its hand towards Rocky as if asking for a handshake.
"I accept," Rocky said, as almost immediately his vision turned dark.
His once black iris turned dull white as Rocky became a blind man.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA-"
*Glass Shattering*
*Glass Shattering*
*Glass Shattering*
From 10:30 to 12 we have the penance session, where you have to stare at the sky above while being in a prayer position on your knees.
From 12 to 1:30 you have your first punishment session.
It depends from day to day but it may include things like mercilessly whipping the flesh off your back or making you walk on live burning charcoal.
You have lunch then for an hour till 2:30, which is bread again, but served with a glass of water instead of being soaked in it.
Finally from 2:30 till 5 you have the final session of the day which is dedicated to personal training, such as martial arts and then you are free till 12 am, when you must go to bed" Nubi said cheerfully, as Rocky felt his guts wrench inside his stomach when he heard her routine.
What the fuck was this routine?
Why were there literal torture sessions involved in it?
"You will be here to guide and help me right?" Rocky asked Nubi as she patted him on the back and tried to calm him down.
"Everyone who enters the ancestral hall has me to guide them for 24 hours, after that they're on their own" she said as Rocky realized that he was completely fucked.
Soon after a few minutes of walking, Nubi made Rocky pause as she said "Start counting your steps with me from here, this is the entrance to the main chambers"
" One....two..." Nubi said, as Rocky felt the texture of land he was walking on change slightly the moment he entered the main hall.
Now a blind man, Rocky was going to have to map out this place in his head as after 24 hours, Nubi was not going to be around anymore to help him.
Principal Liam and Leader Nagini had warned him about the dangers of this place, however, Rocky had still taken the dare to enter.
—------
/// A/N - Mass Release Chapter 4/8, halfway there ///