(Before the second event began... 17:46)
A loud knock rattled upon their common room door and Germany's voice called out from the other side. "We'll be waiting at the entrance, so hurry up you two!"
Nearly inaudible groans responded in unison as one lazily fished around for his sunglasses while the other barely managed to stumble to his feet, wincing at the pins and needles racing up his sore limbs.
"We should get going or we'll be late," Russia mumbled drowsily, picking up his ushanka from the ground. It had fallen off the couch during the nap at some point, revealing his tousled ivory locks.
It was nearly 6 and the sun had already begun to drown in the deep blue bay beneath them. Soft golden highlights spilled through the windows and onto America's face, blinding him when Russia shifted out of the way.
"Uuuugh 5 more minutes," he mumbled as he grasped the empty space where Russia used to be. Though it started with Russia clinging onto Ame like a teddy bear, their roles were reversed sometime during the nap. With no one to hold, Ame settled with simply curling up into a ball and continued on snoring.
Russia stepped out onto the sunlit balcony that overlooked the entire floating island as a light breeze sent a shiver down his oddly sore neck. Perhaps sleeping with someone propped under your head was not the best position to be in. He'd better start hoping this wouldn't affect his performance later.
Though it was still technically February, he noted that the evening chill didn't seem to reach him under the watchful eye of the light. It felt really soothing and provoked a satisfying stretch, paired with an almighty yawn. Sunset rays warmly illuminated his face in liquid gold, just like how Ame's Awakening looked when he blazed to life.
Russia extended his palm toward the setting sun in the distance, as if it sat in the palm of his hand. The hot red star's glare flickered, like how Sunfire danced jovially every time it bloomed into existence. He smiled softly to himself, knowing that it was no longer such a big mystery to him.
Now, what about Core Polaris?
His fingers curled into claws, casting cold blue shadows over his hand as his brow knit into a downward frown. Unlike Sunfire, he didn't have anyone to ask but himself. His unconscious visions were far too unpredictable and doubtful. His fragmented memories were even more so.
Come to think of it, that Soviet man hadn't shown up in his unconscious ever since he started hanging around the American more. Was it another side effect? Was he simply not looking hard enough? His answers, his past and present, once again, vanished from his grasp.
"Just who the hell am I?" he finally sighed with frustration as he cradled his head between his arms and closed his eyes. Part of him just felt like shutting down again.
"I dunno. Who do you want to be?" Russia felt America's weight press against his shoulders as the other flopped over his back like a dead-weight bag. His gentle breaths appeared in faint puffs of fog, caressing the other's chin like a playful touch. "C'mon, this is no time to be sulking. You were the one who woke me up. Didn't you say we should get going?"
Russia scoffed after a moment and shrugged the other off with ease, "Yes, yes, you're right. Let's go." The American hummed with satisfaction and shut the sliding glass door behind them before flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes. He hooked his arm around Russia's as they descended down the stairs to meet up with the rest of the team, only to be shoved away playfully.
"Tsk, look at those idiots," the others laughed as they watched their bumbling pair shove each other to and fro, nearly falling down the stairs at one point. They ended up lightly scolding the two for being so slow but a mischievous glint could be seen in all of their expressions as they held back their grins.
The mood was electric with excitement as all the countries finished gathering and quickly made their way toward the outskirts of town, where the entrances to the maze were.
Contestants chatted with each other the whole way, parading joyfully as crowds welcomed them through the well-paved roads, screaming words of encouragement and luck to everyone. The only one who wasn't immersed in the atmosphere was America.
He seemed to be deep in thought, or he was just spacing out, with no thoughts at all. You could never tell with this one, but it was the first option in this particular instance.
"Hey, I've been thinking," he whispered as he pulled back from the main group to get what little privacy they could. Russia snorted, "Oh congrats. That's new," which earned him a chuckle and a punch to the arm.
"No, I was just wondering," Ame mumbled as he fidgeted with his hands, a nervous habit if you will. "Aren't you scared? Now that you know about my actual Awakening."
Russia's dusty-grey eyes softened as he tilted his head in slight surprise. It hadn't yet occurred to him, just how sinister the implied situation was.
"I mean... aren't you afraid I may try to kill you and take your Awakening?" he laughed and wiggled his fingers over his head like a villainous little shit to make light of something dreadfully heavy but even then, Russia's perplexed expression remained.
"Well, you're not planning to do that, are you?" he demanded as he glowered down at the other as if saying, 'I dare you to try.'
Ame quickly backed up, raising his hands in mock surrender as he shook his head.
"Then there's no reason to worry," Russia rolled his eyes as he returned to his passive expression, wondering why the hell the other was making such a fuss about this now. "I know you wouldn't hurt me, not intentionally at least. I trust you."
"You..." America quickly swiveled away, just in time to hide the slight shine in his eyes as a massive, lopsided grin refused to disappear. He didn't even realize just how relieving those words were but when he heard them, he nearly broke down into tears again.
He remembered the last time he had posed that question, though the tone he had used was very different.
He remembered the last time someone else had unveiled his true Awakening.
He remembered the way his sharp, sunken eyes widened.
He remembered the nail-biting silence that followed.
He remembered it was all the USSR needed to hear to turn himself over to his splintering mind and start their silent war.
The harsh wintertime had finally given way to the budding signs of life, only to be crushed underfoot by their parting.
One stood in the sun, warmly illuminating the springtime meadow in a summertime hue while the other stood against it, shrouded in a harsh blue darkness, a reminder that winter still lingered on.
He wanted to scream, to shout, to reach out and demand if it was all just an experiment to him as well. Project First Permafrost wasn't made to see if their primordial elements could resonate in harmony. It was a fight to the death, to see which one would swallow up the other first, or if both would die trying.
His hand remained by his side, as his first mask fell into place. Three burning eyes met the other's gaze head-on, glimmering demonically in the setting sun.
"Pray that we'll never meet again. Because when we do, one of us will have to disappear. Forever," the USSR declared as he turned his back for the very last time. His voice grated like shrapnel of ice, slicing through every last connection as the incomprehensible wall lowered between the East and the West.
"I should have never trusted you."
"I trust you."
America snuck a glance at the other when he looked away.
He couldn't even begin to understand where these feelings were coming from. Nearly everything about him seemed identical to the other, with what he could remember from a time so long ago that it seemed like a distant dream.
His face, his eyes, the way he walked, the way he talked, how he frowned when he caught you staring. But while one invited torrential amounts of dread, the other struck strange chords of reassurance within himself. This he could feel in the core of his being.
God damn. Ame finally remembered to drag his eyes away from the Russian before things got too weird. He couldn't help but clutch his chest as his heart skipped a beat like a glitched-out recording, replaying those three words over and over in his head.
No, it didn't just skip. It probably tripped over itself and tumbled head-over-heels down the world's longest staircase.
Still, this wasn't the time to get all giddy. He still had a game to win, especially after declaring that he wouldn't be beaten. Besides, Russia was still waiting for a response.
"You... won't be disappointed then! And if you ever need someone to talk about your existential crises with, I'm here!" he settled on proudly, remembering how Russia seemed to be pondering a grave matter out on the balcony. He laughed and gave a playful wink despite the seriousness of his words. "Trust me, I have experience!"
"Well, aren't you awfully open today?"
"Hmph. You say that as if we didn't just sleep on the couch together."
"Don't put it like that, jackass. You make it sound so much worse."
Those were the last words they exchanged before disappearing into the underground labyrinth. 2 hours and 30 minutes had passed already, yet neither had caught a single sign of the other yet. Both had begun to worry, though it hardly showed.
Now that Russia stood against the rest of the contestants with his back against the wall, he couldn't help but wonder if there was any chance that he could still win. Both sides probably knew that there was only one thing, er- person, who could tip the scales now.
"Ame," a voice in the back of his mind called sadly, "Where the hell did you go?"
(NOBODY POV)
"Guys, this is a bad idea!"
Germany's warning fell upon deaf ears as the desolate whispers of wind grew into a belligerent winter choir, drowning out all the other sounds.
Russia glowered at the ones who were ready to attack. Blooming patches of hoarfrost froze his sunless grey eyes into jaded arctic ones. Spiraling tendrils of frost continued to spread like a cape of winter unfolding behind him, displaying the sheer magnitude of his Awakening.
If they wanted a fight, he was willing to entertain them for a while.
Poland pushed the German behind himself, using his gleaming wings to shield them the best he could. "I'd still prefer to talk things out if we could," Germany mumbled dejectedly, though he knew it was a stupid suggestion. There was a faraway apathy in the Russian's demeanor that he hadn't seen in a long time now. Talking was probably the last thing on his mind.
"What is there to talk about?!" Peru yelled anxiously as Mexico transformed into a tiny serpent, curling up to keep warm. She promptly plucked him from the ground and shoved him into Chile's oversized coat to keep him warm.
Poland had to agree with the others, as he gestured to the raging blizzard that was manifesting right before their eyes, "Look at him! He's raring to go!"
"I agree," said South Korea as he unlatched an ink-crested scroll, snapping it open like a gallant banner to summon his guardian spirit. "If he wants to fight, it's his loss."
Like a spilling roll of night-stained paper, the White Tiger manifested with a flourishing grandeur, though it was arguably outplayed by the frost and snow behind them.
Its heterochromatic eyes immediately locked onto the tremendous presence towering over them as a gust of freezing wind combed through its fur, forcing it upright in fear. "Young master, what in the world did you get yourself into this time?!"
"I know right? He's terrifying," Venezuela chuckled as he stretched out his arms and legs in preparation for the upcoming battle. "I think I liked him better when he was asleep."
Though he said that with some seriousness, his words completely contradicted the eager, and perhaps, crazed grin that had spread across his face.
Finally, something exciting was happening. No more wandering in the dark with no sight of an end. No more waiting around in the sun like a beached whale. He liked slacking off as much as the next person but what he wanted right now, was a heart-pumping brawl. An exhilarating battle was needed to stave off the hot-blooded energy he had been accumulating.
Colombia recognized the expression and furrowed her brow with worry. "Ven, control yourself," she warned as she watched the oily-black substance, that could change states and form at will, climb up his entire body. It formed a jagged suit of wickedly impressive, lightweight armor but that didn't mean he was invincible.
"Don't get blindsided and be careful. You sometimes get too reckless when your energy builds like this."
"Gah, I'll be fine," he piffed and after a couple more words of caution, he leaped into the fray without another glance back.
With a little bit of assistance from South and the tiger spirit, Venezuela blazed himself a trail, closing the distance between him and Russia but as soon as he stepped onto the spreading ice-swept ground, he was at the other's mercy.
It took almost no gestures from the Russian for tower after tower of ice to burst out of the ground like gnarled fingers until the entire terrain was changed to his liking. Every attack, and every move he made were only met with more walls of solid ice, leaving his opponent unscathed.
"Tch!" Venezuela swore silently under his frigid breath as he was forced back onto his heels from the unrelenting tides of ice rising over his head. He skidded to the side to try again.
Clashing blurs of jet black and winter blues painted a gruesome scene as a heart-stopping battle unfolded but no matter how hard Venezuela pressed the advantage, he couldn't get past the other's freezing defenses.
His breaths were coming out in cotton-white puffs now and beads of sweat froze as soon as they formed. His windpipe was being raked raw from the crisp winter air. It was like eating a mint and gulping down a chestful of air, a feeling so cold that it burned like fire.
The oily black armor helped insulate him from the cold a little bit but he could already feel the frost slowly creeping into his bones. The fluid was also slowly thickening from the drop in temperature as well, making his movements more tiresome and sluggish. He would have to adapt quickly.
"What's wrong? You looked very eager to come at me just a moment ago," Russia taunted from somewhere deep in the heart of the glacial crater that he had created.
Smaller structures erupted from the ground and slammed into Venezuela's back, causing him to lurch forward in surprise but he countered just in the nick of time with his armor. He then retaliated by smashing the ice spears to pieces and hurled them right back at the sender.
"Incredible, his armor is something else," Germany noted from a distance as he huddled deeper into his cloak. "It remains mainly fluid to leave his movements unrestricted but hardens on impact like regular armor. Just like a non-Newtonian fluid!"
A couple of blank stares were shot at him but Colombia nodded, her gaze still fixated on the Venezuelan.
"Yes, that adaptive part of his training took the longest. He hasn't perfected it though so that block was probably just a lucky fluke," she muttered worriedly. Her bottom lip trembled from the cold and she tensed up with every close shave. "But luck doesn't stay for long. He better start using that noggin of his, or he's not going to last much longer."
And use his noggin he did. He had gotten a couple of hits in but he quickly realized head-front assaults weren't going to work, so Venezuela backtracked to let the White Tiger take the lead. He slipped in between the glacial plates, effectively disappearing from the opponent's line of sight.
"2 against 1, that's real shitty of you," he growled as he slammed his hands together, forcing the icy walls to tremble violently, in hopes of shaking him out. Fighting the Tiger was already complicated but he couldn't risk losing track of the other threat. Russia's eyes darted back and forth as the translucent ice walls began to play mind games with him.
Shapes and forms were distorted, colors refracted like a psychedelic dance, thanks to Colombia's sneaky assistance. Russia's head hurt from the warping sight and he squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment to relieve the dizziness but this was exactly what the other had been waiting for.
The crystalline sound of shattering ice rang out from behind him and he turned just in time to find a massive, plated gauntlet being driven into his stomach.
"-GUH!" Russia could barely let out a ragged gag as all the air rushed out of his lungs. With a hefty swing, he was crushed against his own glacial walls, creating a web-like fracture around his indentation. Russia's vision blurred in and out of focus and his insides burned like molten metal, but there was no time to indulge in the pain.
Venezuela jolted back in surprise as a jagged layer of frost raced up his gauntlet from where he had made contact. The cold immediately followed, biting and tearing at his newly exposed flesh like a ravenous beast.
Germany's eyes widened as he leaned forward for a closer look.
As he had thought, Russia was mimicking Netherland's tactic by luring an opponent close with a false opportunity. Using frost instead of salt, his touch was infectious and had turned the tables in a single move.
This wasn't going to end well.
Before the other could recover from the chilly shock, Russia pried himself loose and readjusted their positions. A shining layer of ice splayed out beneath them like a carpet and he slipped, creating a big enough opening for the Russian to finally catch him. He grabbed the back of Venezuela's head, slamming him face-first into solid ice to create a new fracture, right next to the one he had made earlier.
The icy crunch, along with the sound of something else being broken, echoed so loudly that everyone there could hear it. Venezuela's body went limp and he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Ooh..." everyone winced in unison. "That's certainly gonna leave a mark."
"Excessive Violence Penalty: 10 point deduction," a charming notification declared on Russia's crimson screen.
"Oh fuck you, he's still alive," he grumbled to no one in particular as he nudged the unconscious country to the side, just in time to see the White Tiger vanish from his peripheral vision.
"Your turn," Russia declared as a pillar of ice rocketed out to intercept the attack from behind. The tiger growled with malice but was smart enough to quickly leap away as the ice shot out from where it had landed.
South clenched his fist and choked down his frustration at how little he could do.
"Don't," Pakistan muttered as Poland held him back from also charging in, his Awakening flickering on and off. "You just saw what happened to Venezuela."
"If I could just..." He reached out as if he were grasping at something but a distant rumble from somewhere above reminded them that they were still underground.
"You shouldn't use that gravitational pull move," Germany warned. "You might just bring the entire ceiling down on us."
"Then what do we do? The Tiger can't stall him forever."
Poland squeezed his shoulder, "You know they're right. We have to fight." Everyone else seemed to agree as they let go of their respective huddle-for-warmth clusters.
Germany's eyes wandered, searching for any other options but deep down, he knew there was no other choice. One by one, the countries activated their Awakenings as they stared into the eye of the storm, ready to go at a moment's notice.
"I'm ready whenever you are," Canada assured the group. Chile and Israel nodded in agreement. "We'll support you however we can."
Colors peeled out of the environment, spinning around Colombia as her eyes gleamed with the intention of payback, for her brother's sake.
The ground gently churned in cubic chunks as the subtle clicks of hidden stone mechanisms ticked on Peru's command.
Chile let a well-rested Mexico down onto the ground and vibrant waves of plumage spilled out of his back.
Pakistan insisted that she should sit out of this unless it was absolutely necessary, seeing how the last time she unleashed her abilities went.
Poland also moved forward, his radiant wings of light pulsing brighter and brighter with every heartbeat. A glowing body of plated armor, emblazoned with wing-like details also flickered into existence as he pushed his Awakening to its full output.
A diamond-tipped lance loomed by his side as he extended his shining gloved hand toward the German. "Are you with us?"
This was a bad idea. Germany knew that but it was all they had and if everyone worked together flawlessly, perhaps it would be a bad idea that just might work. It wasn't like there was any other choice.
Billowing waves of magenta smoke rose from the snowy stone ground, crawling up into the air and dyeing the orange skylight purple. Distant sounds of thunder pounded the atmosphere as Germany opened his ultraviolet eyes, letting loose whatever he had been storing so diligently inside for the past three hours.
The smoke swathed his body like a cloak as a monstrous three-headed monster emerged, towering over the area like a humongous shadow. The heads growled in unison, leaping to the front like waving banners under the ghastly light.
Russia turned to stare, wondering why the maze had suddenly dimmed, only to see something that resembled an angry storm cloud on the low horizon. His eyes narrowed into jagged diamonds. The calm before the storm had finally come to a close.
"Fine. Let's face the unavoidable then," said Germany, finally stepping forward as all eyes turned to him. It remained unspoken but they had all been waiting for his declaration and he did not disappoint. Germany stood and turned to face the others, his eyes glowing with deathly seriousness as he rallied the group behind him.
"But for this to work, you all need to give it your all. Do exactly as I say."
Challenge Details:
1. Every individual will receive a secret objective, only visible to the individual.
Individuals will be given one of three objective alliances:
Blue Objectives (Read more)/Red Objectives(Read more)/Neutral Objectives(Read more)
Mission difficulties will vary based on current individual point scores.
Completed objectives will earn individual points, based on completion efficiency, difficulty, and other factors.
Completed objectives will also earn objective Alliance points based on your predetermined value. (Read more)
At the end of the event, the team that completes all objectives first/ or the team with the most objective Alliance points/ or achieving a total of 10,000 team points will get an automatic bonus in individual points.
This bonus may only be triggered once per game.
Awakening Restrictions: Usage of Awakenings shall be monitored.
You are not permitted to purposefully manipulate, damage, or destroy the labyrinth in any way shape, or form.
Acts of excessive violence and disregard for others will earn deductions and penalties.
Consider your safety and the safety of others before using your Awakenings.
Limited medical assistance will be provided.
Duration: The game will begin at 18 00 and will terminate at 21 00.
[Time remaining: 0h 43 m]
[Your Objective: Make the Right Decision]
[You are worth 10,000 Alliance Points]
(AMERICA POV)
"ARE YOU SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY?" I hollered over the wind whistling past my ears. Sprinting past one corridor after the next, prompting me to wonder if we were ever going to make it to the center of the maze.
I could have sworn that I had seen this arrangement of walls before.
The end of the stone hallway eventually came into view, giving me two choices.
"Right. Right feels right," I decided and I veered sharply to squeeze through the nearly invisible entrance and into the next inner ring.
"Wait! We go left!" A hand shot out and grabbed me by the edge of my jacket before swinging me back around. All my momentum suddenly twisted me around and I nearly tripped and fell face-first against the solid rock wall. Luckily, India– who had grabbed me in the first place– managed to get her other hand on there as well and pulled me back into the first hall.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Wait for my instructions before you bolt off like a blockhead!" she tried to scowl at me but she was too out of breath to hold that annoyed expression for long. "Why the heck are you so fast?" she grumbled instead.
India and I had been running through the maze for quite a while now, and despite her repeatedly claiming that she knew where she was going, we were still nowhere near the center of the maze.
"That's because we've only been running for 10 minutes and you've asked me, 'Are you sure?' a total of THREE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR TIMES NOW!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes, muttering words of prayer to calm herself down. Damn, I didn't realize I was that annoying.
She took a deep breath before continuing, pulling out a beautifully stamped coin that shimmered like a hologram in the light.
Intricate grooves appeared and disappeared as different angles of light were applied to its surface. The one she was looking for was a visual of the maze from a bird's-eye-view, etched onto the shiny surface like a 3D map.
India held it up to the cavernous sky, squinting at the 'tails' face to determine our location before quickly shoving it back into her pocket for safekeeping. "My point is, just follow me, and follow the plan. We don't have much time left."
When the game began, I had charged out like a ballistic missile, bouncing through the halls as fast as I could in the pitch-silent maze but no matter where I went, there wasn't another living soul in sight.
It felt as if I was the only one there. 2 hours had passed and I was about to lose my mind until, to my absolute delight, India showed up. She seemed relieved too, though I nearly shot a Sunbomb at her for startling me. She said that she had been looking for me.
"Been waiting long?" India had smiled sarcastically after recovering from nearly being blasted to smithereens by me. Again.
"Where's everyone else though? I haven't seen a single person during these two hours," I frowned, scratching my chin in confusion. "I was hoping to meet up with Russia or the others but they're nowhere to be found."
"Oh please, can't you exist for two seconds without the other?" she rolled her eyes.
"Two seconds, yes. Two hours, no. I was almost bored to death!" I retorted, knowing full well that it was a rhetorical question. "It's a fucking ghost maze in here! Unless people are hiding from me, though that's kinda understandable."
"No, quite the opposite actually..."
After that enigmatic remark, India had resorted to ignoring my loudmouthed ramblings like filtering out background noise for the rest of the run. I had nowhere else to go and I wasn't the one with the magic coin, so I agreed to follow her.
Eventually, the halls did thin out and we suddenly had a clear, singular direction to head toward. India also seemed to grow more confident and excited with every step and I eventually saw why. There was light at the end of this tunnel, one that glowed so brightly it had to be the center skylight she was talking about.
Sure enough, the tunnel spat us out into a giant, circular chamber that was flooded with warm, orange rays and I put my hands up to deliver a celebratory whoop. Though it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the sudden, blinding brightness, I could feel my spirit soar already.
We had made it to our final destination, right?
Right?
"So... now what?" I lowered my arms, my grin still fresh on my face. "Where is everyone? Didn't you say we just needed to get to the center?" India didn't respond and pushed past me instead. She circled the center of the chamber, dragging her delicate slippers across the stone floor as if she were tracing out something.
"That's odd... it should be working now," she muttered to herself when nothing happened. The flickering outline of her screen appeared for her to examine but when I tried to look over her shoulder, there was nothing there.
Right, other objectives were kept hidden, I remembered. Unless India was willing to share, I would have no way of knowing what she was up to so I just found a comfortable place on the ground to sit and sulk.
Speaking of objectives, I was still unable to make heads or tails of mine, which was a problem.
"Damnit, I swear if this is another trap," I grumbled bitterly as my screen hovered at my side, being as useless as ever.
It was a light dusty grey, similar to the color of Russia eyes, and from what I remembered, that meant I was neutral in alignment. Beneath the main screen were two buttons, one red and the other blue, that would declare my allegiance, if I chose to pick a side.
"Make the right decision," I muttered, reading out loud my objective, "Maybe I gotta choose the right side?"
Seems simple enough, right? Except WHICH ONE WAS THE RIGHT SIDE?! I tore at my hair in frustration, which only messed it up more. I had been wandering this ghost town of a maze for hours now, the last thing on my mind was my appearance.
Crazy, I know.
I gave up on thinking and flopped down onto the ground in exasperation but that never stopped the underlying anxiety from seeping in. If anything, it made it worse.
This was the last round. Right after this would be eliminations.
Olympia's words spun dizzying circles around my brain, repeating, "You can still be eliminated," over and over like an ominous chant. If I didn't make some considerable progress in the next 20 minutes, I would totally be eliminated. My shot at keeping my title as "Reigning Champion" would disappear like a ghost.
Ah, how I wish I could just lay here, bathed in murky sunset light, without a care in the world.
Why was I so adamant about winning anyway? I had my fair share of victories already, so why did it matter? Perhaps it was time to step down, and let someone else take the crown. People loved underdog stories, didn't they?
"But I don't feel like it," I pouted, scrunching up my nose with disdain at the very thought of throwing in the towel. Still, as things stood, there wasn't much I could do but wait for India to do whatever hocus pocus she was doing. She said that she was here to help me, after all.
I wasn't satisfied with that though. Ever since I stepped into the labyrinth, something felt off to me. Not only was this place a ghost town, but the broadcast that usually watched from above was nowhere to be found. Even the audience seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving a strange sense of dread instead.
What's more, was that the skylight's bright blue glow persisted. If the sun had begun to set, why hadn't the light changed? Now that I lay directly beneath it, I could see some very subtle imperfections in the 'sky' that made me question... was this actually some sort of artificial space?
Knowing the Powers, I bet yes.
"People aren't hiding from you. You are being hidden from people. There's no one else here but you and me," India agreed after I had I blurt out my thoughts, but the way she looked at me insinuated that she was surprised that I had just figured it out.
"What? No one told me I was going to be kept apart from everyone!" I scoffed, unsure if I should be angry or embarrassed. India just smirked at my attempt before extracting her magic coin and tossing it to me to shut me up.
"Right now, we're in a mirror-dimensional maze," she explained. "At the beginning of the game, you were led into this empty duplicate while everyone else stayed in the real one."
"Why? Is it because of how much I'm worth?" I protested as I stared at my 10,000 Alliance points.
She gave me a very exasperated stare, "I dunno. Maybe it was to keep you separated until the very end. Or maybe it's related to your objective. All I know is my job is to get you out of here with that."
She pointed at the coin in my hands and I brushed my fingers over the lustrous gold surface with intrigue. One side was emblazoned with the symbol of a peacock, though a rather monstrous image of it. I flipped it over my knuckle to expose the other side, which was rusted and dark, unlike the other shiny golden side. I could barely make out the symbol of ASEAN stamped upon its face.
"I remember our Headmaster working on something like this a while back. He said he wanted to experiment with dimensional cores."
I squinted harder at the coin, "Is this one of those core doohickeys?"
"Yeah, I think so," India shrugged. "I think it's a prototype though, seeing how it can only flip one person between the spaces instead of the whole space itself. It's how I got here."
"Huh. I'm going to pretend I got that," I smirked as I spun the coin round and round like a top. "It's basically like a teleport token, right?"
"If that's what your tiny brain translates it to, sure," she scoffed before snatching the coin out from midair and shoving it back into my palm. "And stop playing with it. If you lose it, you'll be stuck here."
I feigned surprise and clutched it as dramatically as I could, "So do I have to flip it to get to where everyone else is?" India held me by the shoulders and guided me to the place on the ground that she had been inspecting.
As soon as I stepped in, a 'pssht' sound spewed dust away from where I was standing. A circle etched with ASEAN's symbol appeared below my feet, glowing with a brilliant golden hue. The coin resonated with the circle and began to glow as well, humming with energy in the palm of my hand.
A notification appeared on the side of my screen, detailing the coin's usage.
"Heads or Tails Dimensional Coin: Able to travel to and from the Duplicate Labyrinth. Usages left: 1/2"
"Yeah just toss it into the air," she gestured, making a flicking motion with her thumb. "I already used the side that flips to this space so no need to worry about that. Just hurry and go, you don't have much time left."
She was right. The clock was still counting down and there were only around 15 minutes left but when I looked back expectantly, India still hadn't stepped into the circle with me. "Are you... not coming?"
She shook her head and smirked. "You don't listen. That coin only works twice for one individual per use."
Still, I was hesitant to go. If I used the coin, wouldn't she be trapped here? That would be a pretty shitty thing for me to do, right? I guess my troubled expression said enough because a soft light touched her now-gentle gaze.
India answered with my signature smile, shining as warmly as the sun. "Don't worry about me. The dimension will send me back once the game is over and I can always use my light spirit to pop in if I have to. Once you get to the other side, my objective will be complete, so do me a favor and go safely."
She gave me her blessing so before I could second-guess myself, I bit the inside of my lip and flipped the coin into the air. The two sides, rusted and lustrous, whirled like a blur but on the descent, everything suddenly drawled into slow motion.
At least that was how it felt to me as the space suddenly began to whirl and compress like it was spiraling down a drain.
"Trust your own judgment!" she yelled out, her last words of encouragement before I shut my eyes to avoid passing out.
Have you ever experienced that tipsy wobbly feeling after spinning too much? Now add motion sickness, flashing lights, and a couple of shots of pure alcohol to the mix and that was exactly how I felt as the world flipped on its head.
The last thing I would remember was the flash of cerulean blue, and a beautiful songlike chime as I plunged into complete, utter, stillness.
(NOBODY POV)
Through the darkness of the underground maze, occasional bursts of vibrant lights exploded across the area as Awakenings clashed violently. A strained rumble brushed across the walls of ice before a booming crack of violet lightning shattered them faster than they could manifest.
Kerberos raised their heads and howled in elation as their body glowed like hot plasma. Another layer of solid ice was breached, forcing the wall to come tumbling down.
A rain of golden arrows that were the size of spears shot mercilessly at Russia as he countered with everything but Core Polaris. He still hesitated to use it, knowing just how dangerous it could be but if push came to shove...
"Tch, he's using the others like hostages. I can't attack as freely unless we get them out of there," Poland exclaimed as he circled down to Canada for another boost in energy. His back ached from being airborne for so long.
"I'm surprised that's all he's doing," Canada replied with a pat on the back. "There you go. That should last you for another good while."
"Alright, thanks. Keep moving in the shadows," Poland gestured to Israel and Pakistan, who had been protecting the crucial supports with her cloaking ability. Germany's plan was still holding steady, despite a few hiccups here and there.
It had quickly become clear how much they had underestimated Russia. Without Germany's planning, they probably would have all been taken out by now. Many of them had already been put out of commission or were too drained to continue on.
Peru had retreated with Chile and Colombia to recuperate while Germany and Poland stalled, but there were still some who were unaccounted for. Knowing Russia, they were probably unable to fight anyway. Instead, he was using them to slow down Germany and Poland's attacks, in fear of hurting the others.
Russia was running out of options. He had held back and taken the passive stance for as long as he could now, but as Kerberos smashed through the last layer of ice, he discarded that mentality and pulled no punches.
"You've been playing a very defensive game." His frost-bled eyes narrowed as he remembered those words of caution that had been given to him long ago. Perhaps... it was time to show a little more of what he could do.
Germany had no time to catch his breath as he was immediately greeted by a brutal barrage of ice so that no matter what he did, he couldn't get away from the cradle that had been created.
Russia's eyes were furrowed with concentration as the new structure grew, an image engraved clearly in his mind. He wasn't sure if such an abstract idea could be effectively carried out by such an intrinsic and foundational substance, but he was still curious to try.
Poland saw what was happening and every cell in his body was telling him something terrible was coming if he didn't stop him. He dove, his golden light ripping through the night faster than a shooting star as he concentrated his attacks on the forming thing, timing his attacks with Kerberos. But every single time Kerberos destroyed a piece of it, the ice would quickly reform at twice the speed until it resembled something more complete.
The intricate tomb-like structure towered over them with the top nearly reaching the ceiling of the maze. Macabre shadows of frost moved somewhere beyond the thick, translucent walls, tracing the beautiful ice carvings that flaunted an untold story across its surface. It moved down the side, inching closer and closer toward what resembled the hinges of a door. Poland and Germany were more than certain they did not want to be there when whatever was inside came out.
With a burst of adrenaline, Germany swung himself past the barriers and tackled the Russian to the ground, wrestling him away from the ice mausoleum as Poland tried to find a way to destroy it.
There were no weak spots or openings to find since it was built with ridiculous amounts of solid ice that would probably take an hour at least to chip through. Poland still had to try though.
"Jeez Russia, you just don't give up," Germany grunted as his glasses were struck off his face. "Y'know we could just stop all this nonsense if you would hear me out!"
"Hmph! It was you guys who attacked me first!" Russia spat back, reeling his arm back as ice formed around his fists like a plated gauntlet, taking a page out of Venezuela's book. Despite his impaired vision, Germany managed to get back just in time to avoid being clocked in the face.
"Look, you have plenty of points to boot so losing this event won't be the end of the world for you! If you would just calm down, we could probably work something out! It would be easier that way."
Russia scowled, though it was getting harder and harder to form expressions. His body was going numb from overexertion again.
"Easier for who exactly?" he scoffed bitterly as an array of ice spears formed over his head. "Just admit that you can't win."
Germany braced himself for the incoming barrage but to his surprise, it never came. Russia lowered his hand and the spears impaled the ground, mere inches from where the other stood.
With an exhausted sigh, the arctic aura around his body dissipated, and his downcast eyes faded back into monotone greys. Whatever ice structures that trapped the others also crumbled the ground, freeing them.
"Fine. Have it your way."
Enough was enough, he had decided. He had entertained the fight for long enough but now, he was just tired of it all. This wasn't worth the risk of a Consequence.
Germany blinked a couple of times to make sure he was processing this right. "Wait... you're agreeing with me?" Russia glared at him with an icy stare but before he could respond, an earsplitting crack sounded from above, and the two of them swiveled their heads toward the sound in unison.
Poland darted back in surprise as a blinding red began to expand through the chilling blue ice, sending hissing bubbles of steam to seep out of the cracks.
"Uhm... is that supposed to happen?" Poland winced as he pointed nervously at the hot red light that continued to expand from within. Russia slowly shook his head, noting that whatever was inside should have disappeared as soon as he deactivated. It probably didn't even form properly, since he hadn't allocated enough energy for it.
The glowing ball of light and heat was definitely not supposed to be there.
"Polen... I think you should get away from there," Germany winced as everyone slowly backed away. Right on cue, a massive crack spidered across the melting walls and a shrill whistle of escaping steam reverberated through the air, warning of what will come next.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Poland shrieked as he dove for cover, just in time for the box to be enveloped in a truly blinding glow, overtaking every inch of the open sky with a brain-rattling explosion.
Shrapnel of ice in all shapes and sizes were blasted to kingdom come, leaving only a steaming pool of water in the majestic structure's place. Rippling heatwaves followed, traveling over the glacial walls with such intensity that they melted on contact.
Just like that, the buzzing fervor of battle was silenced with a single explosion, leaving everyone petrified.
"What... the fuck just happened?" Russia whispered. He was 99% percent sure that he hadn't used Core Polaris so the ice was not supposed to explode like that.
Nor was it supposed to start coughing.
"Ugh, of all places to end up–" a discombobulated voice grumbled as a faint silhouette waded out of the thick curtain of steam– "I didn't expect it to be a haunted refrigerator. Just my luck."
Everyone's attention was pinned on the silhouette wading through the curtain of steam, though none of them could bring themselves to believe what they were seeing.
After nearly 3 whole hours of searching, the one they had all been wondering about had arrived.
America lifted his droplet-condensed shades over his head as he scanned across the gaping crowd and apocalyptic environment, a sight that no words could satisfy. His face couldn't help but contort into a look of pure abhorrence as he decided to ask anyway.
"What the fuck did I just walk into?"
Author's Notes:
Oh wow lookie he's still alive and kicking.
Well, one of us has to be and I certainly am not. School is already kicking me in the butt and it's only been the first week :'D
I'm hoping that I can get a chapter out sometime next month but that may be unlikely because I have a little something something planned for Halloween (wink wink wink)
Well, that does it for this chapter. Thanks for reading, I know this book is nearing its uhhhh 3 year anniversary? I seriously can't thank all of you enough.
See u guys as soon as I remember to breathe then!
*insert dramatic choking noises*