Darkness blanketed the cave, deep and penetrating that while the sun could be seen at the opening, it didn't dare creep inside.
Nora tore off a piece of her shirt, wrapping it tightly around her arm as she fumbled in the dark, wincing. Kane listened, helping her pack the fabric around as he felt a cluster of blisters along the smooth skin of her arm.
He saw it when the woman jerked into the light and nearly bit down on her tongue to hold back an agonized scream. She was enduring a lot, barely able to stand on the same ground as them, knowing how painfully normal she was, and how they were anything but.
Deadly sunlight ahead, moving shadows they hid inside, and a monster behind. Elias, that man, had claimed it was the one they had a chance to survive.
While Kane held no trust, it likely hadn't been a lie. It was amusing, in some morbid way, to think that these circumstances were lucky or to be thankful for.
But there were no death games to follow, no children sacrificed or blood to splatter the grounds with. There was nothing unpredictable, no scares printed on the walls or the floors. The ways they could die were neatly displayed.
A body shuffled beside him and relaxed. It was Lucas, sitting with crossed legs and silently ruminating. Kane, knowing his brother, concluded the man was likely debating the best course of action.
Lucas wasn't a leader, nor did he use his intelligence to the maximum in battles when fists did a sufficient job.
But he also didn't burden others, nor rely on them easily.
Although Kane wished he would.
The flattened flesh on the ground, far ahead where the boulder stopped, was slowly stitching itself together. The chunks of meat wriggled closer, and threads of string-like flesh connected.
It was revolting, but they had to watch because by the time Sisyphus' body recovered, it was time for them to run up that death hill again.
Nora watched the giant with great pity. "He's also a victim, isn't he? Is there any way we could communicate—"
"Our deaths might be the only thing to grant him success. Are you willing?" wondered Lucas, smothering any sympathetic thoughts. He knew why and how Nora's thoughts flowed, but there was no cooperation.
If there were a slight opportunity that Sisyphus would work with them instead, he would take it.
But just like them, the giant would do anything to survive.
Lucas drew circles in the dirt, distracted. Kane could hear the strokes on the ground, a habit of his brother's to keep his mind occupied, and instead of distracting him, it helped him organize his thoughts.
"The debris," said Kane, certain Lucas had reached a similar conclusion. "If we rely on the buildup, perhaps we can time it to fall before the boulder falls again."
"It would take several runs," said Lucas quietly. "Several runs to gather enough to make the path unsteady, and to loosen the wall of rock. Then, somebody would have to run up and slam a blade down at the perfect timing."
"It isn't an impossible feat. We can last several runs through, I'm certain. With breaks in between—"
"And who will run under the sun to wait for our signal?"
Kane fell silent, and unease settled over them all. Lucas hadn't suggested it immediately because he understood the problem, the significance of sacrifice, in the idea.
"Now, now. Let's divide the task of breaking debris. You won't die from a little tanning under the sun—when the boulder reaches the top, there is a period of time to break the rock from the edge and jump down into the shade," interjected Elias, stretching out his arms.
"That's dangerous," said Lucas, though the circles had stilled, and contemplation crossed him.
"Less reckless than relying on one person in the end to chip away at the wall. Won't you listen to my rare input, darling? I'm exerting myself for your sake."
"Exert yourself more, and I'll consider listening."
"Anything for you."
Lucas sneered, thinking that the man's shamelessness had grown exponentially since his already obscure confession. But Elias wasn't wrong.
Lucas thought of chasing up and down the hill several times to let the debris build up naturally before sending someone to finish the job. That required only one person's injury, though severe and perhaps deadly.
Elias' proposition made it so that they'd all share an equal burden of injury and exhaustion, but it was more reasonable and could reduce the number of runs they had to do.
If each person struck the top of the walls once, injuring the scorching heat, they could break off much more of the debris in a few rounds, rather than a dozen.
Then the last person, who would have to wait to strike at the very top when the boulder stilled, wouldn't hold as much of a burden. But Lucas didn't know if he could bear to see Kane's blistering skin baring the heat of the sun.
Nora had gotten injured from merely grazing outside. If they covered themselves with cloth... perhaps they'd suffocate instead.
But all they needed to do was to survive.
No matter what condition they left the Story in.
"What if we provoked Sisyphus?" said Nora suddenly, though there was a glimmer of hesitation at her own suggestion. "If we can get him to break the surrounding walls, we won't be in danger."
"Teasing a giant isn't any less risky than extreme sun-bathing," remarked Elias, though not entirely opposed. "In the end, there still needs to be one person who makes the last strike. We can't block the boulder's path to the top."
"Perhaps... if we target the left side. We can begin to build debris on the left side, though we'll have to duck under the right. One person can provoke Sisyphus, and we'll take turns."
"It's not a guaranteed solution," frowned the doctor as he watched the pieces of Sisyphus' scattered flesh finally connect into a large lump, curled in a fetal position. It was like a miserable child, hiding away from the reality of waking.
The giant was almost done with his 'rebirth'.
A soft giggle whispered within the depths of the cave, and Lucas swiveled his head.
Elias lifted his chin with a deep frown. However, Kane and Nora continued to discuss their strategy as if they'd heard nothing. Because they truly heard nothing.
'Soon. Soon, your wish will be made, oh dearest king, oh lovely puppet.' A gentle voice sang, a siren's lullaby, an angel's chant. It wisped around Lucas' heart, tightening with a soothing grip that made him gasp.
"Lucas," Elias spoke with grating solemnity, snapping the other away from the thing lurking in the dark. "One Story at a time."
"Is that...?"
"I don't know. But it's nothing good."
Lucas shook his head sarcastically. "I wouldn't have guessed."
"I'm serious, darling." Elias frowned into the cave, the untold darkness that went on deeper than they could imagine. "But it's not the time to worry about another problem, when there's one right here."
"You're being supportive," commented Lucas. "Are you sick?"
"Ill with loving you."
Lucas' expression twisted, and Elias, even if he couldn't see clearly in the pitch darkness, chuckled lowly, turning his attention back to the discussion.
Kane stood, his clothes rustling among the stone ground. He turned back to the faraway sunlight, too deadly to crave. "It's time to go. Sisyphus has regenerated. I'll take the first shift of provoking him."
"It's risky," warned Lucas, worry woven between his words. "Don't sacrifice yourself for our sake."
"No, we'll do this together," smiled Kane softly, the edges of his eyes crinkling with gentle affection. "I'll provoke him first, and then we'll switch. I'm relying on you, Lucas."
Lucas froze, blankly staring at the doctor, the hero, and somebody who may have had much more meaning to him, once upon a time. There was an invisible wall drawn between, and Lucas was always the one trapped within, being protected.
That was never what he wanted.
Now, hearing the words of Kane, being on an equal level where it wasn't one-sided protection, Lucas felt a surge of calm flow through him.
As if it were something he'd been waiting a very long time for.
There was no time for sentiments as the group sprang from the covers of the cave, darting for the protection of the small space between boulder and wall. Sisyphus stumbled to a stand, strings of flesh on his foot forming in neat knots.
Lucas wondered how it felt to be plummeted to death but to have no choice but to stand once again, knowing his fate, enduring exhaustion for the possibility that the torture may eventually end.
What was Sisyphus' story? The true one, the one behind the character he played, the real one, which was tragic but realistic. About a man who might have been similar to himself.
The boulder began its journey, its cycle of reaching the top and falling back down all over again. They waited until they were 3/4 of the way up the hill, sweat dripping down their backs and exhaustion heavy on their shoulders.
Kane fell backwards suddenly, and Lucas almost turned to grab him before remembering the plan.
Elias drew him to the safety of the small gap as Sisyphus' face twisted with recognition—pure, seething hatred. Another obstacle to his never-ending punishment, another trick to make him suffer further.
Sisyphus roared, slamming down his bone-thin but heavy leg. Kane dodged to the side, skimming his shoulder against the walls.
The doctor gritted his teeth, running against the wall. Occasionally, he jumped closer, narrowly avoiding each stomping foot as he dove between the giant's legs, his scalpel leaving small lines of blood along Sisyphus' ankles.
The giant continued to hold the boulder with one hand, swatting down in an attempt to grab Kane. His body trembled with rage as he slammed his fist into the wall, a crack running up to the top as debris cascaded down.
Jagged pieces of stone were embedded in the giant's fist, but he revealed no signs of pain or care as he stomped down with another heavy foot.
Even while following the movements of the slowly rolling boulder, Lucas refused to look away. Whether Kane died or survived, he had an obligation to witness it.
Amused, Elias swatted away the pieces of flying stone that soared their way, to allow the man to watch as long as he pleased, without distractions. If Lucas noticed Elias's movements, he did not comment on them.
Kane ducked suddenly, as folds of flesh landed around him, two filthy and dirt-sodden toes spread out beside. The doctor grimaced, leaping out as the giant flicked out his foot in an attempt to knock Kane to the side.
Instead, the foot crashed into the wall, sending another wave of stone tumbling down. The boulder was moving unsteadily, bumping along the broken pieces of stone.
A substantially large shard tumbled down, swerving towards Lucas.
Lucas tilted his chin, and Elias reached out to pull him out of the way. But Kane reacted first, shouting out and jumping forward, slamming the man to the ground as he felt the rock slice past his back.
The pair of siblings rolled in pain, the harsh ground skimming a layer of their skin off. Nora peeked toward the front, her expression grave.
"We're almost at the top. Can you two stand? It's time to run."
Seconds before the boulder reached the top, all four humans sprang from their hiding and dashed down. Sisyphus roared and swiped his hand, another slam to the wall, sending debris chasing after them.
The giant didn't attack them for long when the boulder touched the top, and anger was rewritten with despair as he lumbered around and attempted to run.
Kane's feet were unsteady, both with exhaustion from his near-death fight and the deep wound along his back. Falling behind meant death. A terrible one that involved being crushed to pieces by a massive rock.
It wasn't the most heroic way to go, decided Kane numbly as he pushed away any feelings of pain.
Then, he was swept off his feet into a pair of sturdy arms and an equally unamused expression. Kane's legs dangled awkwardly, and he turned to stare at Elias, who gave him a look of disinterest.
"Trust me, doctor, I'm not enjoying this any more than you."
Kane struggled, but his strength was weakened after the injury and running around. He gave up, body tense and rigid.
"I can run on my own, Elias."
"And I would prefer to carry your cuter counterpart. But not everybody can get what they want, don't you know?"
Kane decided to temporarily put aside the words of 'cuter counterpart', narrowly glancing sideways at his prickly younger brother and his stone-cold face.
In fact, Lucas was very cute, and he concluded that while Elias was despicable and suspicious, he did have good taste in men. After all, who could be better than his younger brother, who was not only smart but also strong and could empathize deeply with others?
Elias noticed the pride in Kane's eyes and concluded that perhaps he didn't want to understand people, ever, even if Lucas insisted.
Once they arrived in the cave, Sisyphus again flattened to ground meat against the rocks, Elias deposited Kane on the floor without any kindness. Kane's injury burned, and he groaned as he rolled over, stripping his soaked shirt off.
Using it as a make-shift bandage, he attempted to stretch back and wrap it around before he felt somebody kneel beside him.
Lucas grabbed the shirt from his hands, furrowing his eyebrows at the deep gash. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but the wound ran deeper than he'd expected, hinting at the whites of bone inside.
Nora crouched down beside them, helping direct where to wrap the shirt. When they finished, Kane exhaled, limbs feeling like lead.
"Sisyphus' power is better than expected. If he continues, we likely only need three more runs," said Lucas after double-checking Kane's injury, leaning back.
Taunting and avoiding Sisyphus' blows were beyond exhausting and significantly impacted their physical state. They needed to knock down the debris soon, before they couldn't make it to the top anymore.
"Please, allow me to go next," breathed Nora, resting against the cold, curved wall. "I don't think I'll have the strength to after another run."
Lucas nodded. "Elias will go after you, and depending on the state of the debris, I'll make the final strike at the top. There'll be no arguments about that."
He added the last point after Kane moved with a protest practically inscribed over his body. It wasn't long before Sisyphus' lumps of flesh refastened again, forming the exceedingly tall and skinny giant.
Time blurred with exhaustion, the strained breaths that left their burning lungs, the sweat that seemed to weigh them down further, chaining them to the ground. Nora blinked away the stars in her vision as her body swayed.
The second run had been more dangerous. Nora's nimble movements allowed her to taunt and dance between the curled fist of Sisyphus by a hair's breadth.
Lacking the stamina that the others had, she threw her entire body left and right desperately, flipping backwards only to crash into the wall herself.
Lucas had watched closely, intending to offer a hand, but she smiled and shook her head, blood dripping from a gash on her forehead and her hair tangled, wild around her slim face.
As they neared the top, a crooked piece of debris pinned her to the ground as she screamed in pain, a howl more wretched than she'd ever let out before.
Lucas had leaped out, distracting the giant as Elias crouched down, frowning. He glanced at the arm wedged under the stone, and then the woman with her back stuck against the rocks that scratched her back.
"I can free you."
Nora smiled, tears welling in her eyes from the sheer agony that bolted up her arm, and consequently filled her mind. "There's a but, isn't there?"
"I'll have to cut it off. We could retrieve the arm after by shattering the stone, but if we attempt to shatter it now, it may collapse on you, and there'll be nothing to save. What will you decide?"
He tapped the debris to test it, and she winced, the strain tensing her jaw as she clamped her eyes shut. "What... would you recommend?"
"Your life or your arm. It's not my decision to make, nor one I care to advise."
Nora attempted a weak, miserable laugh. She really wasn't suited for these death games, always ending up in a perilous situation. And of course, Elias was no comfort when the only person he even slightly cared for was serving as a distraction.
"Cut it off," gasped the woman.
She would give up her arms, her legs. Her mind, or her eyes. But never her life. That would be the end of everything, the conclusion to her story. And she wasn't ready for an ending.
Kane ran over from the shelter, turning his head. "If you cut it off, I'll be able to repair it. I have to warn you, it will be more painful than anything you can imagine."
A spring of hope lit in Nora's failing gaze as she nodded hurriedly. "Do it. Please."
The boulder was merely seconds away from the top.
Lucas dodged the giant's fist, twisting around—the sides of his vision catching the strings dancing in the air, sharper and deadlier than any blade. Elias hovered over the collapsed woman coldly, and the strings wrapped around her forearm.
Nora looked away and shook with fear, because accepting something did not mean wanting. The strings looped around and squeezed and—
The woman let out a shattering shriek. An ugly and terrible scream.