Doll House

SNAP. Snap. SNAP. Snap.

The more I realized what situation I was in, the more the stress was eating away at me.

Never in a thousand years would I have expected this ridiculous scenario to have happened.

I would have, without a doubt, been a thousand times better if I had stayed and fought that beast. But now you're telling me I'm going to have to live here while surrounded by things that I couldn't even dream of beating.

"How—"

"Young man," she interrupted me—"You can only live here if you fight on my behalf."

"?...How am I supposed to fight the beasts in this forest?"

"I've been doing it for quite some time. It's not as impossible as you think."

She's been fighting such dangerous things? Is she pulling my leg? There's no way—Actually, no. I shouldn't be surprised by such possibilities.

"Are you telling me that you can defeat the beasts here?"

"Well, there is still one that I can't defeat."

The old lady picked up something that I hadn't seen till now. In this room filled with creepy dolls, she picks up one of them and kindly flattens it.

This old lady is giving me the creeps.

"How do you expect me to defeat a single one without having a truth?"

"There are more things to life than truths. If all humans had was truths, then that would be the end of us. You must be aware of all the ways a human can be strong?"

"Not really?"

"All of the stories of all the adventures of great heroes who didn't even possess truths must have at least been told to you once."

"Well…"

"Lost cause… I used to hear the same excuses from the people around me. Ohhh, I would have been known if I had a strong truth. Ohhh, these people solely rely on their truths. All excuses to not put in any effort and justify their pathetic state. While it is true that those who are truthbound are significantly stronger than those who don't… they wouldn't be close to their level without everything else."

"Okay… What am I supposed to do?"

"Today you will try to survive."

Is she crazy?

"I have no use for you if you can't even pass the most basic of tests."

"You mean killing a beast of passage?"

"No. Creating the sun," she said sarcastically.

That was annoying. Well, I can't protest against her. She's somehow able—according to her—to kill almost all the beasts here. Wait. How do I even know if she's telling the truth? What if there is an exit?

"How were you able to kill them?"

Upon hearing the question, her face had a show of resolve and mercilessness. She started being more and more aggressive in the way she dealt with her dolls.

"For most, I caught them by surprise, and those who had figured out what I was doing didn't stand a chance. They cried with tears, asking for mercy."

A shiver passed through my spine.

Is she the same old lady who cried with regret not too long ago?

"Come with me," she said coldly.

She stood up and went out of the room.

I followed shortly.

Her house wasn't too big, but it was filled with dolls. A lot of porcelain dolls. Some were girls and some were boys, but the thing they had in common was the disturbing feeling I felt when I saw them.

I went to touch one.

"Don't touch my dolls," the old lady in the other room screamed.

Does she have eyes everywhere?

"I'm sorry."

No, I'm sorry. Just don't touch the dolls. I put a lot of effort into making them—my one hobby since I was trapped in here. Who knows, I might make one for you," she replied with a smile.

I suppose it was my fault for trying to touch things that don't belong to me.

As we made our way to the outside of the house, she started talking.

"I possess a truth. The entirety of this house is shielded by a protective bubble that no monster from this place can pierce. That is all you need to know."

Damn, am I really going to be chained to this old lady until she dies?

"I used to hunt for food, but not anymore," she said as she pointed at me.

Isn't it rude to point at someone?

"Get out," she said as she threw me my new weapon.