I took a hesitant step forward, my boots making no sound on the polished stone. The torchlight danced across the woman's serene face, and for a moment, I was frozen, captivated by the first peaceful sight I had ever known.
As if sensing my presence, a smile spread across her lips.
"Welcome, Player. You have learned well." Her voice was not a sound, but a melody that bloomed directly in my mind, bypassing the threads that sealed my lips. "The tutorial is complete. The first trial is passed."
Tutorial? The word my tormentor had used. It was all a test.
She opened her eyes, and it was like staring into a cosmos. Starlight swirled in their depths, and if I were capable of swooning, I would have reset right there. For a fraction of a second, a look of shock flickered across her angelic face before being smoothed over by a practiced calm. Her voice, like honey to my lonely soul, soothed me again.
"You are a... unique specimen," she continued, her silver eyes scanning me with a detached curiosity. "An anomaly. I'm not sure if we can continue due to… complications. I must seek advice."
She closed her eyes and brought her hands together as if in prayer. I tried to look away, to be polite, but her beauty was a gravitational force. I reached out a leathery hand, compelled to stroke her face.
Her eyes snapped open. She flinched backwards, a flicker of genuine fear in her gaze. I understood. When I looked at the skin hanging loosely from my own arm and compared it to her flawless complexion, the difference was a chasm.
"Please, Player, do not touch your guide," she said, her composure returning like a mask. "I have asked and been answered."
A gorgeous, serene smile returned to her face. She raised both her hands towards me.
"You must die."
The words didn't match the beatific expression. I was stunned, but the sword still clutched in my hand felt heavy, and the silent command to Live screamed in my head. My torment wasn't over.
She didn't move. She simply knelt there, head cocked sideways, arms outstretched, and that beautiful, terrifying smile plastered on her face. A green flame ignited between her palms.
"I apologize, Player," she whispered. The fire swelled, casting emerald shadows across the room. "You are a mistake."
The flame leaped from her hands, a wave of liquid fire that consumed the floor. I scrambled back towards my prison, but the inferno was too fast. As my flesh melted away in a liquid haze, a new voice sounded.
Player gained Fire Resist EXP +15
Darkness.
And then, the familiar, horrifying sight of my metal foe, stomping towards me in my own personal hellhole.
I felt annoyed at that lumbering giant as it strode towards me. I had already slain him once, but now because of the angelic woman in the next room, I was expected to live through my trauma yet again. Much like before, we did our similar dance. I stabbed, he attempted to "heal," then I grabbed his hand and ended his life. I felt methodical while doing our dance. I didn't feel resentment, if that would be the correct word. I felt a sense of calm wash over me. You are no longer my foe, I thought to myself.
Then, as if on command, the stone door opened. I knew what lay beyond those doors, and for the first time, I felt unsure of what to do next. I knew if I gazed at the beauty, it wouldn't gaze back, but burn instead.