They now walked slowly down the corridor, leaving everything behind them. Even though they were headed toward their final goal, a lingering discomfort remained. Ray and Celestia walked side by side, while Ice and Natasha stayed a few meters behind.
No words were spoken, but Ice's eyes were locked on her. In fact, he hadn't taken his eyes off her since she had returned the ring. He knew he couldn't afford to lower his guard around her. If he did, it could very well be the last mistake he would ever make in this prison.
"Do you have any idea what just happened?" Celestia asked, voice barely rising above a whisper.
Ray turned slightly and shrugged. "No clue. But let's leave them to it."
He had no idea what the conversation between Ice and Natasha earlier was about. He only saw her handing him something, and their expressions that didn't look friendly at the time. So he had no way of knowing how serious the situation really was.
Celestia fell silent and kept her eyes on them too, watching how things would unfold. After a few more steps, they arrived at a small entrance leading into another room. The last one.
The walls were entirely white and spotless, as if they had been recently used and carefully maintained, which was obviously not the case. In the center of the room, sixteen tiles stretched across the floor, covering the entire width and length of the middle of the chamber.
There was also the strange fact that the room was fully lit despite being deep underground and having no window or visible source of light. It felt as if sunlight passed effortlessly through the dense walls to illuminate the space.
But the most striking detail was the pitch-black orb floating at the far end of the room.
'We have to touch that thing?'
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "So we're supposed to walk up to that?"
"At this point, I don't think we really have a choice," Ray replied. "If it gets me out of here, I'd even throw myself into flames."
Ice glared at him. "Don't talk about fire," he said. "Not ever again."
Ray looked puzzled by his reaction but decided not to ask. "Then let's do this," Ray said, barely able to contain a smile.
"Wait a second," said Ice, placing a hand on Ray's chest to stop him. "Do you have any objects on you?"
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "What kind of object are you talking about?"
Without answering, Ice tore a small piece from his shirt, drawing surprised looks from them. He let it fall gently onto one of the tiles, a tile marked with the image of an eagle.
As soon as the cloth touched the tile, a soft light appeared and then everything vanished. One moment it was there, the next it was gone. When Ice looked at the symbols, a wild smile spread across his lips.
In complete contrast, the faces of his companions were growing darker by the second.
'Left, right, left...'
All these symbols had come to him during his time in the Chamber of Torment. Even now, he couldn't recall them all clearly, but he had a general idea of what to do. No, he was sure.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Celestia asked. "Did you finally lose it?"
Ice grinned. "Maybe a little of that too. But I also know how to get us out of here."
He stepped toward the first tile. Ray tried to hold him back by the shoulder but missed. "Wait a second," he said. "Are you sure about this?"
"Always," Ice replied and placed his right foot on the tile.
A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Ice let out a deep breath of relief. He had been nearly certain nothing would happen, but if there was one thing this place had taught him, it was to never let his guard down.
"So you really do know what you're doing," Ray said as he covered his face with his hand. Once again, he silently thanked his lucky stars for meeting Ice and Celestia. Thanks to them, they were maybe about to achieve something he never thought possible for him.
"Yes."
In fact, the mechanism was relatively simple. It all depended on which foot touched which tile. Use the wrong foot and you disappear. That's also what made it so deadly. If you tried it randomly, your chances of survival were nearly zero.
Ice was almost grateful for having gone through the Chamber of Torment. Without that, they would all be lost for sure.
"Celestia, step forward and follow my instructions," said Ice. "Take the third tile with the ant. Place your right foot on the first two tiles, then your left foot on the last two."
He expected her to ask questions, but he was surprised by how willingly she followed his lead. A few steps and she was across.
"Ray, same thing. But place your right foot on the last one."
Now only Ice and Natasha remained staring at each other. Natasha's face was unreadable, but the tension in her eyes betrayed her. Her life was now in the hands of the person whose trust she had betrayed.
"Left foot, then right," Ice said evenly, walking toward the last tile.
Natasha bit her lip, her gaze uncertain. She didn't know whether to trust his words or if she was sealing her own fate. But she had no choice. There was no going back now. Her only chance was to believe that Ice was telling the truth.
Step by step, trembling, she followed his instructions. One step. Then another. And then nothing.
An overwhelming sense of relief washed over her. She had survived. She was finally getting out of this place.
"I'm truly grateful," Natasha said quietly. "And I'm sorry for betraying your trust."
'' Then it's a draw now.'' Ice resolute voice interrupted her.
Natasha's expression twisted. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you'll have to figure out the last two tiles on your own."
Natasha struggled to stay standing, her heart pounding violently in her chest. "I didn't want to do this after you save me, but they are going to exterminate us all,'' she shouted, ''I had no choice. I couldn't return empty-handed."
Ice's voice was cold, unwavering as he turned his back. "I had the choice, Natasha. And I choose to leave you here."
Ray watched her with distant eyes, while Celestia clenched her fists.
"Do we really have to go that far?" Celestia asked.
"There's no turning back," Ice answered leaning closer to the orb. "Let's go."
Celestia cast one last look at the broken shadow behind them before they all approached the orb.
"When the time comes, we go," Ice said, holding his hand a few centimeters away from the orb.
"If this is the end, it was a pleasure knowing you," Ray added and reached out his hand as well.
Celestia let out a long sigh. "Can you guys really not be more encouraging?"
A smile spread across the faces of the three children as they stood just moments away from doing the impossible.
They all touched the orb.
It responded, watching them in a way similar to what had happened when they escaped the paradoxical Double Moon. But this time, something was different.
Ice now stood alone in a space of pure white, his body moving at a speed beyond comprehension. So fast that he wouldn't have even noticed it, if not for the streaks of light racing past his eyes.
He closed them and let himself go. He didn't know where he was going, but he trusted that this thing was taking him somewhere. Somewhere he would find freedom, or the tools to fight for it...
When he opened his eyes, a single sentence floated before him, as if etched into his very retina.
[ You have two hearts, one to hate and one to lose. ]