The Faces of the Past

Shrieeekkk

The sound of leathery wings scraped against my shoulders as a swarm of bats burst from the darkness, fleeing in a frantic, screeching wave. Their sharp claws grazed my skin, leaving faint stings in their wake.

The air stank of old dust and damp stone, thick enough to cling to the back of my throat. From the corners, rodents scurried away, vanishing into the shadows as we pressed forward, one room after another.

Unlike last chamber, the broken ceiling and gaping holes were gone now. This room was different — suffocatingly intact. Pitch black.

A flicker of warmth erupted beside me as our mage conjured a flame in his palm, its light dancing on his face. The knights followed, infusing mana into the glowing stones they carried. Pale blue light pulsed from their hands, casting an eerie glow over the chamber.

Then we saw the walls.

"What the hell is this?!" Ranald's voice barked through the room, but no one answered.

No one could.

Eyes, all eyes, were fixed on the grotesque sight before us.

The walls weren't just stone — they were carved with faces. Dozens of them, no, hundreds. Each one sculpted with terrifying precision. Some wore hollow smiles, others froze mid-scream, their mouths agape in eternal, silent agony. And some... some just stared. Their eyes seemed to follow us, locked on the entrance like they knew we didn't belong here.

The air felt dead, heavy. Not even the faintest breeze stirred the dust. It smelled ancient — a place sunlight had long since abandoned.

"Is this the end?" the healer muttered beside me, barely a whisper.

"No idea" I shrugged, concealing my prior knowledge.

"Search the area." Ryker's voice was low, sharp. Commanding.

The knights spread out, sweeping their light along the walls, cutting through vines and feeling for hidden mechanisms.

Selene, Koala, the healer, and I stayed near the entrance, unmoving.

Selene's eyes began to glow — a soft, unnatural purple. she was at it again. Her ghost puppets were probably already slithering beyond the walls, searching.

Beside me, Koala shifted, her boots scraping on stone. Her shoulders bunched tight, like she was bracing for a blow, eyes flicked from shadow to shadow, never settling.

"Scared?" I asked, more out of boredom than concern.

"N-No," she stammered. "It's just… cold." Her voice trembled, and her face betrayed her lie.

"Haha, it seems you two get along well," the healer chimed in with a grin.

Get along? Us? Hell, I didn't even remember her name.

"You seem awfully cheerful? Even though we are at the end of the expedition, there are still dangers ahead." I warned him slightly indicating the impending danger.

"Not really," he whispered back. His voice dropped further. "I'm scared too. But I can't show it." He glanced at Koala again, his smile looked softer now. Protective.

Right. She called him "uncle" earlier. Whatever's going on between them has nothing to do with me.

The knights moved quickly, their lights slicing through the darkness, scanning faces and probing into every crack and corner.

That's when I noticed Selene.

She was shaking.

…Huh?

Her eyes were still glowing purple, but her face... there was a frown. A deep one. I'd never seen that expression on her before.

Drip.

A bead of crimson fell from her nose. The purple light in her eyes flickered, then died. Her body swayeda and collapsed.

"Hey!"

My body moved faster than I could think. I caught her before she hit the ground, my arms wrapping around her waist. The momentum sent me backward, slamming me onto the cold stone floor with her on top of me.

"Selene!" I shook her lightly, cupping a hand on her cheek. Her body was ice-cold, motionless. What is this? My heart wasn't supposed to race like this.

Edric appeared in a heartbeat, his voice urgent. "What happened?!"

"She fainted," I said, still holding her. My voice came out quieter than I meant.

"Let me!" Koala pushed past, hands glowing with soft, golden light. She pressed her palms to Selene's forehead. The light pulsed, warm and steady.

Everyone gathered around, tense and silent.

The healer knelt beside Koala, inspecting Selene with trained eyes. After a moment, his shoulders relaxed. "Nothing serious. Just backlash from her ability."

Selene's breathing evened out. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, meeting mine. For a moment, neither of us moved — she just stared at me, her expression unreadable—as usual. Then she blinked and looked away, her gaze sweeping the room.

"What happened, young miss?" Edric asked, his voice gentler than before.

"I tried to scout beyond the walls," Selene muttered. "But... Something destroyed my puppets and the connection cut off." her voice eerily low.

"These walls are ancient," Commander Ryker said in heavy tone. "The magic here is unstable. Don't use your ghosts again."

Selene didn't answer him. Instead she stood up and frowned at Ryker, cold and determined.

"Have you found anything?" she asked.

"…Not yet," Ryker admitted.

"Then stop staring at me and get back to searching," she snapped. "We're running out of time."

The group scattered, and I stood up, brushing dust from my coat.

You don't need to search around wasting time anymore. Time has finally come to put my plan into action.

I knew how to open the hidden passage. The problem? Selene had always been watching me, even after she confronted about it in the forest. She was waiting — no, hoping — I'd slip up and reveal something unnatural. Walking into her trap willingly would be nothing short of foolish.

....But now with her puppets gone, she couldn't track me. This was my chance.

I moved to the smallest face on the wall. In the game, I tried every combination imaginable to find the solution. I remembered every pattern.

Garrick stood near the smallest face, searching for any clues.

"Tch."

He barely spared me a glance and continued searching like I wasn't worth his time.

Good. Stay ignorant.

I checked for any watchers, then reached up and tugged at the eyes of the smallest face. They came loose with a faint click. I tucked them into my pocket and rushed toward the other side of the wall.

Counting. Four. Three. Two.

I glanced back slightly. Dark blue blood began oozing from its hollow eyes.

It started. I quickened my pace and then—

HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A loud, ear-shattering screech burst from its mouth.

Fuck.

I clamped my hands tighter over my ears and crouched down. It was louder than I expected — unbearable.

HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"What is that?!" Garrick shouted, clutching his ears as he collapsed to the ground. He was still near the screaming face, his hands now stained with blood.

A slight smirk tugged at my lips. Got that fucker.

Everyone else crouched down, covering their ears.

"EVERYONE MOVE OUT!!!" Rykan screamed.

No. Not yet. I was close. I finally reached the other side of the wall.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

My head pounded like a war drum, each screech a hammer against my skull. My vision blurred, dark spots danced at the edges.

Focus, dammit — one wrong move and every fucking face would join in to scream. No room for mistakes.

My eyes darted from one face to another. Then—I found it.

I shoved my hand into my pocket and pulled out the eyeballs. My vision swam, but I somehow pressed them against the eyes of the laughing face. Without hesitation, I pushed them in. Its existing eyes sunk back, immediately replaced by the ones in my hand.

I slammed my hands over my ears again and turned around.

The empty sockets in the smallest face were now filled with new eyeballs.

Then, its mouth snapped shut.

And the screaming finally stopped.

But my ears still rang with a sharp, endless beep.

My body felt like a hundred watts of electricity had surged through me all at once.

I looked around, vision still blurry. Most of the knights, Selene, and the healers had already fled. Garrick fainted and lay collapsed on the floor beneath the smallest face that just stopped screaming, blood still oozing from his ears.

Poor bastard. Must've burst his eardrums.

Haa. My vision finally returned to normal.

Clink.

A low, metallic sound echoed — like a lock releasing.

One final step left.

I steadied myself and moved forward, counting my steps.

"The screaming has stopped," I heard voices from outside. Commander Rykan was the first to step in.

"It seems clear! Elise, get in here immediately!" he shouted.

Koala rushed in, panting, her golden hair disheveled and her face tight with tension.

"Uncle!" She lunged toward a man on the floor. The healer. It looked like he was trapped too. Even though divine magic constantly healed them, the sudden shock and mental strain from the scream must have knocked him out.

I ignored them and continued my careful steps forward. They'd heal everyone soon — no need to worry.

Eighteen. Nineteen.

I took the twentieth step. The tile beneath my foot sank with a faint click.

Twenty.

CREAAAKKK!

A deafening groan filled the chamber. Stone scraped against stone.

"What's happening?!" Ryker's voice cut through the noise.

"An underground passage!" a knight shouted from the corner.

The floor rumbled. Dust rained from the ceiling.

I wiped the blood from my cheeks.

The last room. Finally....