If that's their goal, I don't know if those words are ones I'd like to read.
But why only attack Athalia? What's changed since the last expedition?
There's also the issue of their increased strength. That damage was unprecedented…
Enza was jerked out of her thoughts by a croaking moan.
"Itchy…
"Scratch it…
"I need to scratch it!"
Enza dived out of the way as Athalia's right arm cleaved through the air to scratch her eyes. She narrowly avoided what would probably have been a few broken bones, at the least.
She smiled from a safe distance. "Don't have any medicinal herbs that help with itching, sorry. Nobody ever thought of that."
Athalia rubbed her eyes hard as she sat up. She blinked twice. It was total darkness.
She jumped in fright as a hand tapped her shoulder. She heard Enza laugh and dance away a second later.
"Stop messing with me… and get some light on. Isn't this the tunnel? What happened to your matches? What happened to us, anyway? I remember the bookshelves coming out of the houses, and then it's all a blur until right now…"
The disembodied voice sounded slightly awkward.
"About that…"
Enza quickly filled Athalia in on everything that had happened since she was attacked.
Athalia shuddered with fright. "The attack was so violent I passed out from shock? I can't believe you were able to get me healed. Wasn't it the first time using the flytrap on a person's eyes?"
Enza nodded. "Indeed, although we shouldn't celebrate too early. Let's wait until there are things to see before making claims about your vision…"
Athalia stood up shakily and checked her pockets to ensure she still had everything.
"I'm ready. And… thanks for saving me."
She felt around in the dark for Enza and grabbed her wrist. Enza began dragging her into the dark.
"I'm glad you know the right way…"
"My sense of direction is impecc—
SMACK
Athalia wished she could see Enza's embarrassed face through the dark after she ran into the hidden door they had just come from.
They turned around and fumbled through the tunnel for another few minutes before hitting another wall.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah. I'm excited too. Who doesn't like a good riddle?"
Enza took in a deep breath and shouted at the wall in front of them.
"Open up!"
The ground shook slightly, and mechanical creaks filled the air as the wall slid to the side. A blinding light filled the tunnel, and Enza covered her eyes.
She was surprised as she squinted through her fingers at Athalia, who was looking directly into the light.
"How did your eyes adjust so fast?"
Athalia didn't look at Enza as she replied.
"I think that surgery did more than just fix what I already had…"
Athalia had never seen so clearly in her life. It felt like a fog of static had been lifted from her vision—a fog that she had never noticed because it was always there. She had assumed it was normal, and it wasn't bad enough to impede her in most tasks, so she didn't question it.
Her mouth was agape as glass reflected in her eyes.
A hall of glass and mirrors. Crystalline picture frames with abstract shapes and an excessively large chandelier that blasted light in all directions. The glass appeared to extend into infinity; there were no discernible walls in sight, nor a ceiling or floor. Countless shards of mirrors were strewn everywhere, reflecting and contrasting with the glass. Sculptures dotted Athalia's vision. For the first time, she could finally see them with perfect clarity. Standing behind everything was the only bit of color in the room.
A giant sphinx made of sandstone sat calmly, gazing at the two Explorers.
Enza tapped her foot and eyed it, but Athalia was paying it no mind. She was focused on the sculptures…
All four were children.
Two boys and two girls…
Their faces were sanded off.
She looked away and peered into the endless glass.
She saw her face looking back at her.
She noticed something slightly off about her appearance.
It's normal that I'd look disheveled on an expedition. There's no point in looking polished…
But…
W-what is that?
She craned her neck to see the back of her head through the reflection.
A massive patch of her hair had been burnt off.
She immediately felt the urge to sink to the ground and cry.
It grows so slowly… I'd rather lose a limb… oh, why…
A firm grip on her wrist pulled her up before she could hit the ground.
After she was dragged to her feet, her miserable expression was suddenly wiped off by the sphinx's booming voice.
"Are you ready for your riddle?"
The sphinx sounded bored to death.
Despite the fact it almost never had visitors, it still acted like this interaction was the chore of a lifetime.
Both Enza and Athalia nodded in unison.
The sphinx sighed and spoke in a nasally, monotone voice.
"The more you take away from it, the bigger it becomes. What is it? Answer right, or you'll be off-off-off to Hymylä!"
Enza and Athalia stared blankly at the sphinx.
They were both thinking the same thing.
This one definitely isn't easy…
Athalia spoke first.
"It's phrased so simply… If we get it wrong, it'll certainly seem like we missed something obvious once we're told the right answer."
Enza nodded. "If there are a lot of ways to explore the question, why don't we start by testing it?"
"What do you mean by 'testing it?'"
"Well, the riddle is about taking something away from something else. We can try doing that to different things to see what happens, or at least imagine what would happen."
Athalia smiled in understanding. "What about those chunks you tore off your chest?"
"Yeah, that's a good example. But I can't think of anything that got bigger when I did that. I lost something. Physical matter was removed. There's no way to reasonably interpret it as enlarging anything.
"So let's try something else. If I kicked that damn sphinx's head in, matter would be lost. A piece would be taken out. It's the same outcome."
Right as Enza was going to give another example, Athalia interjected. "Hold on. What happens if you pause and take a breather after you kick the head in?"
Enza raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"
"Think about how the scene changes after the kick. Actually, why don't you start by describing the 'before'"?
"Well, it would be that stupid sphinx with its ugly face. There's your example right there, in all its glory."
She briefly glared at it. It met her eyes, but its face didn't take on an expression.
Athalia tapped Enza's nose. "Yes. Now what about after?"
Athalia drew her finger back slowly, making Enza's eyes cross as they followed it.
"Well, it's the same thing, except a hole instead of the face…"
Athalia's body suddenly straightened up. Her face lit up, and she clapped her hands loudly.
"And what are the elements of that scene? What exists within it?"
"The sphinx, and the hole in its face…"
Enza's face lit up as she came to the same realization Athalia had.
"And which one gets bigger when you take something out?"
Athalia grinned widely as she responded. "The hole."
They high-fived each other. Athalia winced in pain. "Calm down, another one of those would take my hand off…"
"I'm just proud of you, that's all! You made the final leap of logic."
Athalia smirked. "Don't get too excited. We haven't gotten a grade yet. It seems like the most obvious answer, though…"
They both went quiet and faced the giant sphinx.
The corners of its lips widened into a gruesome smile…
"Great job! That was fast. Just off the record."
Athalia and Enza instinctively shrank back as the sphinx stood up.
The pair wasted no time and ran between the sphinx's legs. Even though the ground was flat, it was disorienting to run on due to being unable to tell where it started, so both of them stumbled slightly. As they passed through the sphinx's legs, they heard yet another mechanical groan. The wall of glass was lifted up, breaking the infinite illusion.
Athalia—who was in the lead—lost her footing all the way as she stumbled into the corridor. She landed face down on a red carpet.
Enza chuckled. "Along with that burnt patch on your head, you look real elegant."
Athalia flipped onto her back and kicked her leg towards Enza. Enza was ready and crouched down. She slid her back against the wall of the corridor to slip around Athalia and sprinted in the opposite direction from where they came. She heard curses behind her as Athalia scrambled to chase her down.
The red carpet flew past Enza's eyes. It wasn't just on the floor. The same carpet was on the walls, piercing red with gold trim.
In a similar way to the previous room, the floor, ceiling, and walls of this tunnel were all the same. It was shaped like a perfect square. The light was bleeding through the walls. Enza thought this hallway was almost more dizzying than not being able to see the floor in the other room.
She saw a wall far down the tunnel. There was bright blue carpet pasted on it.
She nearly cried out in excitement as she slowed down to avoid colliding with the tunnel wall. She craned her neck and jumped up to the ceiling, pulling down a hatch that had been neatly tucked into the corner. A rope ladder swung down with a clatter.
She leaped onto it and started climbing frantically. It was like a chimney of blue carpet. She suddenly swung to the left as weight was added farther down the ladder.
Athalia's fast! I just have to make it to the top; then she won't be able to do a thing to me…
With a burst of energy, Enza's hand grabbed the ledge of the vertical passage's exit. She grunted and shoved herself up with both hands, tumbling onto a dirt floor.
Before her eyes even looked upon this place, her ears were entranced.
Low chants she couldn't understand. So faint they were almost like the wind. There was no rhythm, rhyme, or reason. Whether they were in her language or not, it didn't matter. There would be no chance of any comprehension.
She swiveled her head around.
Linked arms, tight and passionate.
A hundred friends.
All in a circle.
Like ashes to ashes…
All looking down at their feet. All touching shoulders with those next to them.
All wearing tattered rags. All extremely thin and sallow.
Chanting together. They matched each other perfectly, even without rhythm.
Each of them had a candle resting at their feet, bathing the room in a gently flickering light.
Enza jumped in fright as someone linked arms with her.
Suddenly, there was a whisper in her ear. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to convert you."
She slowly turned her head, then exhaled when she saw Athalia's smiling face.
She tried to speak but was cut off. "I'm getting you back for that little insult. But don't worry, I'll still put in my best efforts if I'm the Assurer."
Athalia turned away from Enza and walked through the cathedral. The floor was entirely dirt, with not a single weed poking out. There were rows of well-worn wooden pews, although they weren't aligned very evenly.
The walls and ceiling were all combined to form a giant mural…
Enza refused to look at it closely. The same went for Athalia, even with her desire to test out her new and improved vision.
Both of their eyes went over the heads of those who were chanting and focused on a large object in the back of the church.
A wooden confessional booth, painted black. The paint was flaking off all over. The doors were wide open on both sides…
In contrast to the rest of it, the ceiling of the confessional was a thick sheet of metal. Enza and Athalia could see its underside when they gazed into the booths…
In the right booth, the ceiling had a single large and twisted spike, almost like a drill bit. Below it, there was a tiny chair.
In the left booth, a hammock hung from the ceiling. It was filled with fuzzy blankets.
The Explorers looked away from it and met each other's eyes.
They each extended a hand with palm facing up and rested a fist on top…
"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot."