Stories of Stardust (pt2)

203. Zenith Online Chapter 49- Leather-bound Books and Rooks (8)

We fell into a monotonous routine of moving backward and forward through the rooms, slowly making our way further through the dungeon. The seconds slowed as our progression seemed to, each minute feeling as though it were an hour.

After everything we'd learned about Zenith Online and how our expectations were shaping reality, perhaps it really was. Regardless, we were so focused and exhausted that Cove and I nearly missed the warning signs that we were approaching the mini-boss. It clicked just as Sinbad reached for the locked door with the key, and I grabbed his forearm to prevent him from opening it before I realized I'd moved. He stilled beneath my touch, turning with a question on his face without withdrawing.

"Wait," I said, moving my hand from his forearm to point at the door. "This is the entrance to the mini-boss area."

Cove pushed past Eliza and Sinbad, squinting at the swirling patterns on the door. His face twitched as he did the same mental calculations I'd completed, running through our time in the dungeon to see if there was anything I'd missed.

There wasn't.

His hand ruffled his hair, and he let out a sigh. In the pale light of the crystals, the bags beneath his eyes were particularly noticeable. "He's right," Cove confirmed uselessly. I'd already known that.

I paused for a second, sucking in a deep breath through my nose and releasing it, loosening the building tension in my shoulders. Some of the gathering exhaustion lifted, bringing mental clarity with it. In our notes, we'd explained the philosophy behind the mini-boss without going into great detail on how Sinbad, Eliza, and their crewmates had defeated it the last time, balancing Sinbad's will with our desire to ease our path forward.

We hadn't, however, actually discussed how we'd face the mini-boss. It hadn't felt important at the time in the face of everything else. The discussion would be better now than in the midst of battle.

Eliza placed her hands on her hips and strode forward. "It's just our reflection, right? I think I can take you on. 'Sides, Sinbad and I managed just fine in your book or whatever without help."

She looked down her nose at me. A flash of some unidentified emotion twisted through me, and I shrugged, stepping aside, and my hands balled into fists. Continuing forward like this was one of the worst ideas–and I'd seen others go through plenty of terrine ones–but on her own head, be it.

I'd thought of countless strategies as I'd read through the novel and played the game, planning for every eventuality I could. Even as we'd been writing our notes down, my mind had been churning, deciding how to apply my knowledge with each stroke of the pen, planning each strike.

As grating as it was, I'd had a plan for this eventuality, too.

"Eliza." Sinbad's usually warm voice was cold and snappish. His hand clenched around the key, and he pulled it away from her reaching hands as she groaned.

"C'mon. They already took half the fun out of it," she complained, her fingers twitching as she reached for the key.

The veil of command fell over Sinbad, his open face shuttering as he straightened, giving her a short glare. Her hand dropped. "Ugh."

Sinbad turned toward me, his icy demeanor melting as though it had never been there. "You had a plan?"

I flipped through the plans I'd had in my brain, keeping in mind the exhaustion that threatened to pull us under. Anything too complicated wouldn't be remembered. I looked at Cove apologetically. "We should aim for Cove's reflection first." He smiled, taking my comment as a compliment it wasn't. Although he was the most powerful and, in that way, dangerous of us, that wasn't what I was worried about. What I was really worried about was his unpredictability. I'd learned a lot about him and his methods through training with him but still had yet to see the full extent of his abilities, and we couldn't be sure if his reflection would be limited by the game's standard or if it wouldn't be limited by the expectations Cove was. Thus, it was best to remove that variable as soon as possible.

"Remember that they are weak to fire, and you can only harm your own reflection. Blocking and trapping, however..." I trailed off, letting the suggestion sink in. The others were aching to go, to take advantage of the rest area that lay just beyond. It would have to be enough.

Sinbad flipped the key over his fingers so the teeth faced out and unlocked the door. The wooden blue waves cresting on the outline shifted, arching and rolling as they parted to reveal the room beyond. It was circular, dimly lit by hundreds of tiny glowing blue crystals that gathered together beneath the few inches of still water on the floor. The ceiling arched up, disappearing quickly into the darkness that prevailed so deep that seeing anything much further above our heads would prove difficult.

I gestured toward the door, encouraging Eliza to walk through after Sinbad. She did so with a shrug, Cove following close behind. I entered last, taking a sharp breath as the door slammed shut behind us, blocking off any escape.

Ripples extended across the once-still pool, distorting the crystals on the bottom as we stepped in, the water just lapping at our ankles. Ahead, the ripples converged oddly, vibrating where they crossed in the center. The water shook as it rose, four distinct, watery shapes rising from the surface. They glittered then solidified into copies of us that were as clear as the water below, nearly invisible if it weren't for the reflections of the lights of our suits and the crystals below catching on the edges and bumps of their forms.

I met the distorted reflection of my own self as it smiled, the crystalized teeth flashing in the light.

Eliza darted forward, her ponytail flapping as she met her reflection with the resonating sound of swords striking against eachother. Having expected it, Sinbad sprinted behind on her heels, sliding under her empty left arm to strike at Eliza's reflection. His own met him instead, locking their blades together.