Yanagi, his eyes wide with panic, stood before what appeared to be the long-sought exit. Fear, mixed with deep frustration, gnawed at his mind. He couldn't ignore the persistent anxiety that had been with him from the start. Deep down, he knew something like this was bound to happen. Why would the riddles allow them to take any path without consequences? That would have been too easy, and nothing so far had been simple in this nightmare they were living.
He replayed recent events over and over in his mind, trying to make sense of the chaos. He now understood that the puzzle was not just about choosing the right path, but about working together with the other survivors. Each of them had taken different paths, scattered throughout this endless maze. The goal was not simply to find the exit, but to ensure that everyone reached it together. This realization terrified him. How could he now gather these lost souls scattered in the darkness?
As he stared at the notification floating before his eyes, another line of information suddenly appeared. His eyes fixed on it, his heart beating faster and faster. There was something more, an additional clue he hadn't seen yet.
[Secret Riddle: -The Embellished Labyrinth-
Items at your disposal:
- Roland's Olifant:An ancient horn made from an elephant tusk, engraved with mysterious patterns. Its sound is powerful, but could it really penetrate the thick walls of the labyrinth...
- Whistle of the Shadows:A dark wooden whistle engraved with mysterious runes. Although it seems powerful, its sound is muffled and does not penetrate the walls of the labyrinth...
- Bell of the Past:An ancient, rusty bell adorned with forgotten symbols. It is too fragile and risks breaking, emitting a weak and indistinct sound....
- Tambourine of Echoes:A tambourine adorned with feathers and beads. Its sound echoes confusedly through the labyrinth, making it difficult to locate the source...]
The items at his disposal were clues that could help him bring everyone together. He clenched his fists, feeling a faint glimmer of hope piercing through the panic that was overwhelming him.
Despite the tension that was tightening his muscles, Yanagi knew he had to think quickly and clearly. He could no longer afford to doubt. He had guessed this situation, even if he didn't want to admit it. Now he had to accept his premonition and use everything at his disposal to reunite the survivors and lead them to the exit. It was their only chance of survival.
Yanagi stood, his hands trembling, in front of the four items listed in the notification. Each description seemed deliberately ambiguous, revealing little information about their actual usefulness. Yet he knew that only one of them could lead him to success. The weight of the decision weighed heavily on his shoulders, and indecision threatened to paralyze him.
He read the names of each item carefully, desperately searching for a clue that might guide him. "Whistle of the Shadow," "Bell of the Past," "Tambourine of Echoes," and "Roland's Olifant." The last name caught his attention, triggering a memory buried deep in his mind.
"Wait! Wasn't Roland's Olifant a legendary instrument used to call for help during epic battles?" he said to himself with a sense of familiarity.
[You have chosen Roland's Olifant.]
Without wasting a moment, Yanagi chose Roland's Olifant. He knew that this instrument had been used by Roland to alert Charlemagne and his troops during the Battle of Roncesvalles. This simple memory was enough to give him confidence. He grabbed the Olifant and, without thinking twice, blew into it with all his might. The powerful, deep sound echoed through the labyrinth, passing through the walls and resonating in the darkness, like a desperate call for unity and survival.
As Yanagi blew into Roland's Olifant, a soft, haunting melody spread throughout the labyrinth. The sound was not simply a call, it was an invitation, almost hypnotic, that seemed to calm the troubled minds of the survivors. Each note resonated with supernatural clarity, passing through the cold stone walls, reaching every corner of the labyrinthine maze.
The survivors, who had been scattered, disorganized, and distraught until then, came to a sudden halt upon hearing the melody. The cries of panic and anguished whispers fell silent in the face of the majesty of this enchanting sound. Without even thinking, as if guided by a primal instinct, they began to walk toward the source of the sound. Their steps, once hesitant and erratic, became synchronized, almost mechanical, united in a common direction.
Saé, Edano, Ishikawa, and Kaisho, also lost in the uncertainty of the situation, heard the melody rising above the tumult. They looked at each other briefly, each seeking a direction to follow, but none of them really knew what to do. Finally, reluctantly, they decided to follow the crowd, which, without question, was heading toward the soothing sound of the olifant. Part of them resisted this instinctive submission, but another, deeper part knew they had no other choice.
Guided by the haunting melody of the olifant, the survivors eventually converged on a common point, their once-disjointed steps now united by an invisible force. The labyrinth, which had seemed endless and threatening, lost its mystery as the survivors drew closer to one another. Finally, they emerged into a clearing in the center of the maze, where Yanagi was waiting for them, the oliphant still in his hand.
Saé, Edano, Ishikawa, Kaisho, and the other survivors, panting and slightly confused, gathered around him. Yanagi, seeing them arrive, smiled slightly with relief, although he was still visibly tense from the situation.
"I knew it would end like this..." " he said, shaking his head, his voice still marked by the panic he had felt moments earlier. "The puzzle required us all to cooperate. If everyone had simply gone their own way, we would never have been able to get out of here. The maze was designed to divide us, but also to force us to come together in the end. "
He raised the oliphant to show it to everyone. "This instrument... I chose it because I remembered its history, its role as a signal in battles. It guided us, it unified us, but the real test was not finding the way out... It was doing it together. "
The looks exchanged among the survivors were filled with a mixture of relief and realization. They now understood the importance of their cohesion in this cruel and unforgiving game.
The survivors, after hearing Yanagi's explanations, began to relax. A sense of relief spread among them, the tension that had weighed heavily on their shoulders finally seeming to dissipate. However, this moment of calm was abruptly interrupted when a man standing apart from the group raised a question that struck everyone like a thunderbolt.
"But if the goal of the puzzle was really to unite us... Why aren't we all here?" he asked, his voice betraying a growing concern. The man's words seemed to suspend time. The gazes, which had once been turned toward Yanagi with confidence, were suddenly filled with doubt and fear.
Yanagi, his face still marked by exhaustion, scanned the crowd, trying to understand what was happening. Then a new notification appeared before his eyes, brightly lit in the dark air of the labyrinth.
[Please reach a majority to validate the puzzle!
Majority not reached: 18/..]
The number flashed, mercilessly clear in its simplicity. Whispers spread quickly among the survivors, their relief turning into a wave of anxiety. The brutal truth dawned on everyone: there weren't enough of them. The trial wasn't over yet, and their gathering didn't mean victory. The shadow of failure loomed over them once again, making the air heavy with tension.