SWNOVELXO Chapter 6: Riddles
Tess stood frozen, her gaze darting across the dark void beneath her feet. It was a space so empty it seemed infinite, and yet, she didn't fall. The void stretched endlessly, a vast expanse of nothingness that tugged at her sense of reality. She frowned slightly, confusion clouding her features.
"I don't know this place…" she murmured under her breath.
The silence wrapped around her like a suffocating shroud as she took a cautious step forward. The void held firm beneath her boots, soundless, yet solid. Her movements were deliberate, her direction uncertain. Tess didn't know where she was heading, only that staying still felt like an invitation for something worse.
"Helio there," a voice echoed behind her, weathered and slow, carrying the weight of centuries.
Tess spun on her heel, heart hammering. Standing behind her was an elderly man, his posture upright despite the deep lines etched into his face. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling sharpness, like twin stars in the endless black.
"Hi," Tess replied, her voice tentative as she studied him, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
The man chuckled softly, the sound low and deliberate. "You're curious about who I am, aren't you?" he asked. His question wasn't a guess—it was a certainty.
Tess's lips parted slightly, caught off guard. The faintest spark of recognition lit her eyes, but she remained silent.
"Let me introduce myself," the man continued, his tone calm yet commanding. "I am Helix. The Final Judge."
The name struck her like a jolt. Tess's breath hitched as the memories clicked into place. Helix… The Final Judge. He was a figure from the second test in Last Era of the Apocalypse, a shadow of authority who loomed over the last academy exam.
But why was he here, in the first test?
Tess nodded politely, keeping her expression composed. "That's a very nice name you have, sir," she said, her tone measured.
Helix chuckled again, his voice deep and rich with amusement. "Thank you, young one. But let's not waste time. We have business to attend to."
Before Tess could respond, the void around them shifted. The pitch-black expanse rippled, and in an instant, the stars themselves came alive, illuminating the space with an otherworldly glow. Tess's eyes widened, but she forced herself to stay outwardly calm. The Riddle Void, she realized.
"I've seen this place before," Tess thought, her memories flashing to brief glimpses from the game. This was a test for new recruits, a realm designed to challenge their wit and composure.
Helix's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Welcome to the Riddle Void," he said, his voice resonating as the stars pulsed faintly around them. "This is your last test for the first section."
Tess nodded, her stance firm.
Helix cleared his throat, his gaze sharp and unyielding. "There are three questions. You will have five seconds to answer each one."
The air grew heavier, the silence before his first riddle almost deafening.
"I am a shadow that consumes without light,
A silent thief in the dead of night.
No blade nor claw, yet I bring despair.
Whisper my name, and I'll still be there."
He paused, his gaze piercing. "What am I?"
Tess's mind raced. A shadow that consumes… a thief… The pieces fell into place as she answered confidently, "The Void."
Helix nodded approvingly, moving immediately to the second question.
"My chains are whispers, my gate unseen,
I feast on souls and the in-between.
You may walk through, but none return,
Your memories ash, your body to burn."
"What am I?"
The words ignited a pang of recognition in Tess's chest. The answer came to her in an instant, a relic from countless hours spent immersed in riddles. "Death's Door," she said, her voice steady.
Helix's expression didn't change, but his tone grew softer, almost reverent, as he delivered the final question.
"Born of madness, shaped by fear,
I twist the real when I draw near.
No eyes to see, no hands to hold,
Yet through my touch, your fate is told."
His voice dropped to a whisper. "This is the last question. What am I?"
Tess exhaled slowly, the weight of the question pressing against her. Born of madness… shaped by fear… There was only one thing it could be.
"The Eldritch Truth," she said calmly, her voice cutting through the stillness.
A faint smile tugged at Helix's lips. "Congratulations," he said. "You've passed the first test."
The silence that followed was heavy, almost oppressive. Helix's gaze lingered on her, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke again, his voice a low murmur. "We'll meet again."
Before Tess could respond, her vision blurred. The stars around her dimmed, and the ground beneath her dissolved. She blinked, her body feeling sluggish, as though she were moving through water. When her eyes refocused, she was back in the white room where it all began.
A notification appeared before her:
[NOTIFICATION]
YOU'VE PASSED. PLEASE WALK TO THE EXIT.
Tess let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. A small smile played on her lips. "First test complete," she muttered to herself. "I wonder when the second one will begin."
The white door opened automatically as she approached. On the other side, Gustav waited, his expression unchanged.
Tess stopped and tilted her head. "Sir, how long was I in there?"
Gustav's brows twitched slightly, as though he was calculating. "Three minutes," he finally said.
Tess blinked. "Wow," she thought. Time really does move differently in there.
Without another word, Gustav led her to the gathering area where the rest of the new recruits were waiting.
"Wait here with the others," he instructed before turning on his heel and walking away.
Tess scanned the room, her posture relaxed but her mind alert. She picked a spot on the edge of the group, far enough to avoid notice but close enough to observe.
Then, cutting through the low murmur of recruits, a voice rang out.
"Welcome."