Chapter 67: The Limits of Choice
Kazuka jolted awake; he opened his eyes wide and his pupils rolled a few times in their sockets. He sat bolt upright, observing the surroundings.
He was in a room that wasn't too large, a white circular room. There were no glowing stones or lamps, yet the room was strangely bright.
Kazuka was confused, looking around. He frowned with a bit of vigilance toward this strange place.
"Where is this? Where is everyone?"
Recalling the words Lilith had said…
"Could this be the dangers Lilith mentioned?"
He slowly stood up; on the wall in front was a red door, it was old and the color had faded, the patterns of cracks and rotting from the years were still clearly visible.
Kazuka stepped closer; he didn't enter immediately and turned back to observe the room one more time as if to ensure he hadn't missed anything.
"Nothing will appear? Is this empty room just this?"
"I don't need anyone to tell me, I should be careful and observe closely with these things."
He turned back, standing facing the door, swallowing as if to push away his own fear. He slowly lifted his hand, the sinewy hand from days of training.
Touching the golden ring on the door, the ring was a bit faded in color. A cold sensation from the metal spread out, making him shiver.
He didn't care and pulled hard toward himself; the door slowly opened.
Kazuka opened his eyes wide in surprise at the sight before him. His hand still held loosely onto the ring.
A little girl was tied hand and foot with thick red ropes, cinched tight against her. Her eyes were covered by a black cloth, her breath intermittent. The clothes on her body were simple, just a white shirt and a light purple skirt.
Her weak breathing accompanied the "tick-tock" of the fireplace burning rhythmically right on the wall to his left. The light from the fire was the only thing illuminating this place. The smell of burning wood smoke rose up.
In the middle of the room was a smooth stone table with very natural crack patterns.
Kazuka panicked a bit seeing a poor little girl tied up like that.
Seeing someone in trouble, it was hard to ignore.
He stepped closer, his mouth speaking:
"Is..."
The sound had barely left his mouth, almost inaudible, as if not yet formed into words.
A horrific sensation of pain surged, like a flood knocking down his normal body; his hands clutched his chest and he collapsed onto the coarse wooden floor. A pain from his chest radiated throughout his body, causing his hands to grip his ribcage tightly.
When he fell, it only left a few small sounds, showing the floor was very solid and absorbed force well.
"So... painful..."
But then, the pain eased; he breathed continuously and crawled up, sweat flowing all over his body. He braced his hands against the table and sat on the chair.
On the table now was a large piece of paper and a dagger stabbed straight into the cold stone tabletop.
The little girl had heard the noise; she tilted her head and directed her ear forward. She spoke, the clear voice of a child ringing out:
"Who is it?... is anyone there? ...help..."
He had just finished reading the lines on the paper and looked up at the little girl. His gaze trembled, his expression a bit confused.
The paper read:
"If you speak, the girl dies."
"If you are silent for too long, you will die."
"The choice is only once."
His undecisive gaze stared intently at the little girl who was trying to tilt her ear to listen as if confirming if someone was in front.
When the girl tilted her head, it revealed that jet-black hair that looked as if someone had brought a flame close to it; it was curled and messy.
The girl sniffed once; from behind the black cloth covering her eyes, tears flowed down.
"Help... me... please."
He sat there, confused, wanting to speak to reassure her, but unable to.
"Must give some kind of signal to the girl."
He slowly stepped closer, reaching out wanting to pull down the blindfold on the girl. But right behind the girl's head was a large line of black text, as if written with charcoal:
"Forbidden; touching means both die."
Kazuka panicked; he immediately jerked his hand back.
From the void, an hourglass fell onto the stone table, producing a loud sound.
He and the girl startled at the same time.
He stood up and turned his head back toward the table. The small and old hourglass lay in the center and was slowly running.
Hearing the sound, the girl spoke with a pitiable voice:
"Who is it?"
"If it is anyone, please help me."
Kazuka froze; he seemed to understand that was the time for him to choose.
"What exactly does that book want to do?"
He walked around the room; the surroundings were just wooden walls, but at the end of the room was a fairly high bookshelf, a bit old and dusty. He didn't care and looked back at the hourglass with worry.
He stepped to the table and looked upward; he wanted to see why the hourglass had fallen.
"Can energy not be used in here?"
He glanced over at the girl with worry and confusion. He slowly sat down very gently with exhaustion, both hands ruffling his hair.
The lines of text were like echoing sounds in his head:
"If you speak, the girl dies."
"If you are silent for too long, you will die."
"The choice is only once."
"Forbidden; touching means both die."
"No speaking... no touching... then how to help?"
As if something flashed in his mind.
"It can only be that..."
He stepped to the bookshelf and stood silent for a moment as if wanting to choose a book he liked most.
Then his eyes darted low and identified the book he would choose. Holding a fairly thick book, the cover was thick and red with unique gold-bordered patterns.
He opened the cover; the first page had not a single word, just an empty white space, and a bit of light from the fire hitting it made the white of the paper look dark and a bit red.
He didn't care; with his inherent physical strength, he separated the cover and the paper. The paper was held and gripped tightly by his right hand, the cover on the left was pressed down firmly by his left hand. His right leg lifted, he tiptoed and placed his right knee pressing against the right side of the cover.
With one strong and fast exertion, he tore the paper part away from the cover; the sound of light tearing echoed, and the threads sewn into the thick book snapped.
He sat down and placed the paper part to one side and pulled the cover close in front of him.
He used his strength to pull the dagger out of the stone table; the sound of friction rang out.
The girl heard and found it very confusing; she tried to tilt her head and put her right ear forward trying to listen.
"Who is it?"
But Kazuka did not answer; he looked at the hourglass which had only run a little.
Then he directed his gaze toward this red cover.
He turned the dagger blade backward and used his strength, carving onto the cover to make it as bold as possible. His hand trembled, carving out lines of text that were a bit ugly, but carried everything he had.
After a while, he picked up the book cover, face looking a bit satisfied but eyes showing a glimmer of worry.
He stepped to the girl and sat down slowly, placing the cover on the ground; he used his hand to push it toward the girl, until the cover touched her scraped knee.
The girl was a bit confused, but those tied hands slowly reached out and felt the cover surface.
"I am here. I cannot speak, nor can I touch you, because it will cause danger. But I will not leave."
Those small hands tremblingly felt the coarse surface.
Kazuka braced his hands on the wooden floor, eyes not leaving the girl.
A moment of silence occurred.
Tears once again flowed down the girl's face and rolled on those pale cheeks. But the girl still nodded, as if she understood his hardship.
The girl no longer trembled and flashed a bright smile at Kazuka.
Seeing the girl smile, he also smiled back. He had successfully helped this small girl not be afraid anymore; a flash of happiness sparked inside.
His mind paused for a moment. He realized he was never the strongest person, nor the smartest or the best.
But he... was the person who wouldn't turn his back.
The hourglass on the table immediately stopped flowing.
The lines he had carved on the cover immediately vanished; Kazuka was surprised, but he only knew how to observe.
Then, the surrounding space immediately changed. The white room appeared again; he was once again standing before an old door. In just a blink, the space had changed; when Kazuka opened his eyes, he was surprised and confused.
Backing up a few steps and observing the room, there was nothing, only an old door no different from the one just now.
His voice clearly showed confusion:
"W-What just happened?"
"Why am I here?"
"...I was clearly in the room just now."
He directed his gaze toward the door, worried eyes glued to the gold-plated metal opening ring. He swallowed in anxiety.
"Another door?"
"Or is it just a hallucination?"
Once again, he stepped toward the door.
Holding that ring once more, it was still the feeling of cold from the metal transmitting to his hand. He pulled the door open slowly.
A scene both familiar yet also a bit different.
The space in the room pushed toward him, causing the door that was in front—which he hadn't entered yet—to push behind his back. The old room door closed without any impact in a bizarre way.
He glanced behind, but focus now was inside the room.
The girl from earlier was now lying on the ground moaning with a look of terror; tears had soaked through the black cloth blindfolding her.
Right next to her was a middle-aged man with brown hair. He sat on an old chair and leaned back with a look of triumph; a smile was clear on his face and his gaze was directed toward Kazuka.
His eyes flickered toward the stone table; on it was a piece of paper and the hourglass running slowly.
He looked up at the girl again, but locked eyes with the man. That sleazy gaze made him uncomfortable since a moment ago. He clenched his fist and stepped closer to the table.
Inside his heart, he always remembered there would be rules here.
"Must be calm."
When he stepped closer, the man didn't pay attention; he picked up a wine bottle with a light yellow glass shell, still half full inside. He brought it to his mouth and chugged the bottle of wine with gusto.
He also noticed the man's gaze was a bit strange, as if not looking at him at all.
"Huh?"
Kazuka braced one hand on the table, not yet rushing to read the paper but lifting his right hand to wave it back and forth as if to confirm.
True enough, this man did not see him at all, which made him a bit surprised.
"Doesn't see me?"
"Is there some kind of barrier or seal doing this?"
He still stood there and didn't sit. He bowed down and read the lines on the paper. On the paper it was written:
"If you speak, the girl dies."
"If you do not speak, you will kill the man."
"If you stay silent for too long, all three will die."
Kazuka panicked and opened his eyes wide to read each word on the paper once more as if to confirm and still not believing what was there.
"What...?"
When he confirmed it was real, his gaze hesitated, looking up and observing the man and the girl once more.
The "tick-tock" of the fireplace still rang out softly. The dim light of the fire hatted onto the faces, bodies, and objects here as if covered by a part of the darkness.
"So only one can be chosen?"
He seemed to realize something in his head, frowning with suspicion.
"Can't see... can one touch?"
To confirm, he walked around the stone table slowly and sat down next to the girl who was lying on the ground with tied hands and feet.
Hoarse and small moans, as if from a long-term despair, could be heard clearly. Her whole body was squeezed by the coarse rope, the indentations sinking deep into the girl's thin skin in a violent way.
The girl continuously called for her mother. Her voice trembled as she begged for help, but there was also a bit of despair that could be felt:
"M-Mother... save me... mother..."
Kazuka with a look of worry, he couldn't help without confirming first.
His right hand slowly lifted, right index finger pointing out and slowly approaching the girl.
He touched the girl's shoulder lightly, but it was as if an invisible screen separated him from the girl. He didn't feel any contact at all from his fingertip.
He wasn't surprised; this was also a part of his fearful thoughts if he couldn't touch.
His gaze was determined and he stood up, walking toward the man who was drinking wine with gusto; he took a long swig and made a satisfied sound like many drunks do.
He stood before him and slowly lifted his hand; his hand lowered onto the man's shoulder but also had no sensation of contact. As if his hand had just placed upon an invisible screen.
Kazuka lifted his hand and looked into his palm for a moment with a pensive look. Looking along each palm line of his own.
At this moment, dust from the wood stove rose up and he accidentally inhaled it, a ticklish, uncomfortable feeling in his nose. He rubbed the tip of his nose repeatedly with a bit of discomfort.
Kazuka opened his mouth, eyes squinting, and let out a sneeze.
"A-choo!"
He also panicked at himself, hurriedly covering his mouth with worry and glancing around. He had just made a sound, and someone might have to die.
A moment of silence occurred with his panic, as he darted his eyes to look at the man and the girl... he waited for something terrible.
"Oh no... I just..."
But nothing happened. He frowned, his hand covering his mouth gradually lowering as he observed.
"So it seems one can only speak, and perhaps that will be the choice."
He glanced at the hourglass which had run nearly half, his gaze shifting to a look of worry. Each grain falling was as if suffocating his thoughts more and forcing him to choose.
He walked around the table and sat on the chair with a pensive and heavy look from both his body and internal thoughts.
The space at this moment grew cold before the silence that was frightening. The distortion of the objects around through that rhythmically flickering firelight.
He muttered the rules in his mouth urgently, his thoughts racing against time.
"Must I really choose?"
"Could it be the man and the girl don't see each other?"
"And the man isn't doing anything bad to the girl, I haven't seen it with my own eyes?"
He closed his eyes before his own confusion in his mind. He ruffled his head, making his hair messy like his thoughts and choices.
But the image before where he successfully comforted the girl, yet now the girl was here.
He grit his teeth, as if he had just realized something, pupils dilating, eyes opening wide. Even his thoughts were a bit urgent.
"This is a trap... it is a trap."
"Clearly I saved the girl earlier..."
"A trap of language... a maze within a maze."
"Inherently it is..."
"Inherently there was no reasonable choice at all."
"This is as if staged!!"
His breathing gradually became rapid as his thoughts neared the truth. Eyes strained in their sockets, a bit of discomfort appearing.
"If I speak... the girl dies. If I am silent... everyone dies. But you guys forget one thing, I do not belong to this script."
He stood up, a smirk of triumph appearing when he realized the intent of this place.
He spoke loudly and clearly as if certain of everything:
"I choose nothing… because I have understood, this is just a play. And if it is a play, then the role must end in my way."
He growled his voice, eyes burning with fire.
"Don't hope to deceive me."
The atmosphere vibrated as if deforming. The paper on the table began to burn from the edges, as if that very choice of non-choice had broken the foundational rules of the maze.
Though pressured by his own thoughts, Kazuka did not choose the easy thing…
but chose the thing most true to his nature. And that was the moment, for the first time, he stepped out of the shadow of doubt.
He observed the surroundings with vigilance, but with just one blink, he was immediately in the initial white room.
Kazuka panicked and glanced around with instinctive vigilance.
Still the old scene, still that repetition, still the old door. Everything was as it was in the beginning as if it had never occurred, but the memories remained.
He opened his eyes wide at this familiar door. Each old mark, or the part of wood missing, was still there.
"Is it it again?"
He glanced around, eyebrows heading toward each other, that serious gaze darting in his sockets.
"Don't think you can deceive me more, let the game of your book end."
No one answered Kazuka, only the echo of himself. His face was grumpy, extremely uncomfortable, eyebrows furrowed, body getting a bit hot.
This time he walked to the door, no longer hesitating. He grabbed the door and yanked it hard toward himself. The door made a loud noise from that fast impact. He wanted to make it clear and disliked these tricks.
"Stop playing tricks."
Before his eyes was no longer the scenes of the girl being tied or the man. Or the "tick-tock" of the fireplace burning large with light hitting the face in a distorted way.
He stepped into an empty space. A gray space stretching to infinity. In the sky there was no light, just a pale gray streak like a suffocated sunset. Around him was a thin mist, not cold, with no smell, yet making his chest heavy.
Kazuka frowned, taking another step as if wanting to end everything as fast as possible, mouth mocking:
"Acting again? This time you want to make a different stage for me?"
No one answered him. The silence here was as if wanting to swallow all sounds; there was no response, the thin hazy mist making him a bit uncomfortable when looking around.