Uncomplete (1)

The child's voice, imbued with mystery, rose again in the cave, announcing an eagerly awaited event.

"Dear solver! Riddle number two - Weak Suffering - has been solved!" it resounded, carrying a message of relief for all present.

The cave's occupants, who had been immersed in a state of anxiety and apprehension for some time, let out a collective sigh of relief. Formerly tense faces lit up with smiles of satisfaction as the news spread through the cavern. 

"At last, we're free of this burden!"

"I thought it was never going to end!"

"What a relief!"

"Just a few more days, and I think I'll be dead!"

Murmurs of excitement and joy filled the air, and it seemed that the weight on their shoulders had finally been lifted.

They were grateful that this enigma, the source of torment and uncertainty, was finally behind them. It didn't matter who had found the solution, the important thing was that liberation had arrived. Eyes turned optimistically to the future, and the hope of a positive outcome to their coming trials began to glow in the hearts of all present.

The childlike voice's announcement proved to be a thunderclap in a serene sky. While their hearts were still filled with relief and joy, this revelation brought them brutally back to reality. They had not yet reached the end of their ordeal, far from it.

Expressions of happiness froze on their faces as the words of the childlike voice echoed through the cave, indifferent to their apparent relief. Her speech was like a chilling reminder that the road to freedom was still fraught with pitfalls.

"You should know that even if the riddle has been solved, it will persist until the last scheduled day! For the moment, only three people have found the solution. But their names will be kept secret until the riddle is solved... But don't be discouraged! Nine people can still try to solve the riddle. Everyone, everyone, give it your best shot ;)!"

This innocent-sounding but macabre voice had just prolonged the uncertainty and the challenge.

Eyes met in the cave, shifting from surprise to resignation. The ephemeral victory they had savored was now obscured by the lingering feeling that the battle was far from over. They knew now that the road to freedom was still long and fraught with obstacles, and that every challenge ahead would be a test of their perseverance and determination.

Anger rumbled through the cave, mingling with the murmurs of indignation rising from the crowd. People's angry voices echoed against the stone walls, their discontent palpable as they felt manipulated and deceived by the mysterious voice. 

"She's laughing at us! Manipulator!" someone shouted, his voice trembling with rage.

"We're just pawns in her sadistic game!" exclaimed another, his fists clenched in frustration.

Accusations flew through the electricity-charged air, accusing the invisible entity of using them like puppets in a sinister game.

"We must unite and find a way to stop him!" proclaimed one voice, trying to inspire some semblance of courage in the angry crowd.

Some, more pessimistic, whispered that this voice would never stop until it was satisfied, sowing a sense of helplessness and despair among the cave's occupants.

"When will it end?" moaned a voice, imbued with despair. "We're trapped here, at its mercy."

The darkest theories circulated, feeding the growing fear that weighed on them all.

"She wants our destruction! We're just toys in her evil hands!" someone shouted, his voice full of terror.

Every word uttered by the mysterious voice seemed to echo in their minds, amplifying their anxiety and uncertainty about their fate.

Ishikawa, trying to restore a semblance of calm, raised his voice above the growing tumult, urging people to keep their composure and remain united in the face of adversity.

"Let's mobilize, folks! Together, we can overcome this ordeal!" he shouted, his voice echoing loudly in the dark cave.

But his words seemed to get lost in the surrounding chaos, as tension mounted and resistance became harder and harder to maintain.

The tension was palpable in the cave, like a thick haze of anxiety enveloping each of its occupants. As the murmurs of indignation turned to cries of revolt, I felt the gazes turn to Saé, Edano and me like spotlights shining on us.

A figure emerged from the crowd, his eyes burning with palpable anger. His black gaze pierced me, accusatory, as if he were looking for a scapegoat to vent his frustration. He began to denounce loud and clear, his words tinged with resentment.

"There are three of them who have found the solution. I'm sure of it. It's that guy and those two companions who have the solution!"

The stares multiplied, each one more and more accusatory, as if we'd suddenly become the scapegoats for their desperation. I could feel the weight of their suspicion on my shoulders, a suffocating pressure that threatened to engulf us.

Despite the emotional storm raging around us, I tried to maintain my composure, seeking to calm the restless spirits. But the persistent, accusatory stares that fell on me and my companions only reinforced the sense of isolation and uncertainty that pervaded us.

Silence fell suddenly in the cave, as if the wind had died down to listen to the heartbeat echoing in everyone's chest. I expected their anger to descend on me, like a raging storm ready to sweep away everything in its path. But to my surprise, their reaction was quite different, an almost irrational display of adoration.

Instead of bearing down on us with their resentment, the tense faces relaxed, their eyes now pleading rather than fulminating with rage. I was stunned by the spectacle before me: men and women kneeling, as if prostrating themselves before deities, their hands raised to us in an imploring gesture.

"Show us the way, please!"

"Please tell us what to do!"

"We're lost without you, guide us to the light!"

Whispers of entreaty arose, a cacophony of desperate voices seeking a way out of their torment. Some offered silent prayers, their eyes fixed on us with palpable devotion. It was as if, in an instant, we had become the arbiters of their fate, the holders of the ultimate knowledge they so ardently coveted.

I felt a pressure building on my shoulders, an unbearable weight of responsibility that threatened to crush me under its burden. Every gaze fixed on me was a silent plea, a desperate expectation for answers I didn't know if I was capable of giving.

As I contemplated the scene unfolding before my eyes, a thought occurred to me, insinuating itself like an evidence in my mind. Humans, those complex and contradictory beings, were always acting in their own self-interest, like puppets manipulated by the invisible strings of their desires and fears.

There they were, on their knees before us, begging for a solution to their problems, but how many of them were prepared to do the same for their fellow human beings in normal times? How many were capable of reaching out to their neighbor in need without a second thought? Very few, I feared.

Humans were hypocrites, capable of smiling to their faces while stabbing them in the back at every opportunity. They could be your best friend one day, and your worst enemy the next, simply because their interests had changed. They were governed by selfishness and a thirst for power, ready to betray their own conscience for a fleeting gain.

I now saw them with different eyes, a mixture of compassion and distrust. Their pleas were sincere, no doubt, but how long before they returned to their old ways, forgetting the plight of their companions as soon as their own comfort was threatened?

As I stood there, in the midst of this distressed crowd, a decision came over me. Despite their pleading and distress, I couldn't bring myself to offer them my help. Their past actions, full of hypocrisy and selfish interests, still echoed in my mind, reminding me of the fragility of their loyalty and the volatility of their promises.

I looked at them, my eyes full of determination, and told them the unvarnished truth. 

"I won't help you," I declared in a firm voice.