Victor and the Seven Circles of Darkness

Chapter 31 - The Seventh Gate

The rooster crowed—day seventeen was over and they had seven days left.

"What? That's very fast!" Trobit protested. "Did it make a difference in time when the place changed?"

"But time didn't change in Fallen Island," said Victor.

"Most probably it did change here. Did you hear the gong struck at nighttime?" asked Rower.

"No," said Trobit.

"I think the moment the surrounding changed, we're also transported to another place. I believe we're no longer in the recuperating dungeon," said Master Tyrus.

"At least we're spared from the circle of envy. That's something, isn't it? We still have our eyes intact," said Trobit. 

"I think we should go on the other end and find the high stairway," said Victor. "We always climb a high stairway to go back to the circle, right?"

"Can we rest for a while please, my ankle is killing me," said Rower.

Trobit fished a bottle of water in his backpack, just as when he lifted his face, he noticed a distinct mark on the stone wall. He took the candle and stepped a little closer to the wall. He ran his fingers over it. "The feather mark is here!" he said. "Why didn't we see this a while ago?"

"Maybe it appeared just now when Master Tyrus and Rower came," said Victor. He took a feather from his coat pocket and flagged it happily in front of the companions. "The last feather it is-- we're entering the seventh and the last circle." He placed it on the mark full of optimism.

The stone wall sucked the feather in, and as expected, a radiance of light burst out from the feather mark, from there a thick line of light formed and slithered around the stone, cutting it into the shape of a door. Luminous inscriptions appeared above—Gate Acedia.

"What's acedia means?" Trobit asked, his eyebrows met as it sounded very sour to him, like a kind of an acid.

"It means sloth," said Rower.

"And what's sloth?"

"It means apathy, idleness, indolence ..."

Trobit gazed at him even more confused. "I still don't understand what you're talking about. In other words ...."

"Laziness, joylessness," said Rower. His eyes twitched as the pain in his ankle was getting unbearable.

"What? Laziness and joylessness are sins in the human world? That's ridiculous! Crazy! Exaggerated!"

"It's more than that, Trobit. It is viewed as a refusal to enjoy the grace of God and the world He created. It's the absence or insufficiency of love. It represents the failure to utilize one's talents and gifts, and the unwillingness to act, to care, to be happy. It's a feeling of dissatisfaction or discontentment, of constant complaining and negativity, of lack of interest and energy. This leads most often to depression and loneliness to one's current life situation."

"In short?"

"Happiness is a state of mind. It's a choice," said Rower.

"I think it's less serious compared to other sins?" concluded Victor. "Maybe the punishment here isn't that bad either."

"We'll see," said Rower.

The stone door flung open. Another man of magnificence appeared before them. "Welcome to Gate Acedia!" he greeted. His voice was full of power and authority. He's the tallest among the gatekeepers. Victor and Trobit's height were just on the same level as his armpit. His hair was of hay color and straight up to his shoulders, and his eyes round like the blue sky. His clothes the were same as the other gatekeepers they'd met, always brown and long and with a hemp rope tied around the waist.

"My name is Puriel, the guardian and keeper of Gate Acedia. I know your purpose here; it was relayed to me. You've come a long way to the seventh circle and it's a good sign. All of you have shown great courage, intelligence and determination to reach this far. Keep it that way and you will succeed. Any question before you enter the last gate?"

Master Tyrus bowed and said, "Lord Puriel, what do we need to expect in this circle?"

"The circle of sloth will challenge the strength of your body and will. Your body will become weak even if you nourish it. You know yourselves and you know the rules of the circles by now. You'll be spared if you didn't commit this sin."

Everyone remained silent. Their hearts lightened up from what they've heard from the gatekeeper.

Puriel gestured his hand for them to enter. The gate once again closed and its keeper disappeared.

The way to the seventh circle was also different compared to the other circles. This time, there were no winding steps, no archways, no branching tunnels or deep canals. The path was flat and stretched far from their sights.

Master Tyrus walked near the wall and put Rower down.  "One circle to go ... we have enough time," said Master Tyrus. "How's your ankle, Rower?"

"It's getting more and more painful."

"The healing power of the water isn't working," said Victor. "The water should have cured your ankle already. Let's put some more."

Trobit put down the rooster cage and took a bottle from his backpack. "I have four bottles left. How about you, Master Tyrus?"

"Five."

"Don't waste it. We have seven days left to the exit gate. Let's save it for the coming days," said Rower. 

"We've come too deep into the mountain," Master Tyrus explained. "The lamp of Nargrethe is too far from the rays of the sun, the power of Sol couldn't reach us anymore. Maybe that's the reason why the water has no curing effect anymore."  

"Who knows, the water might still work, the effect will just be slower," said Victor. "We've been walking for a day non-stop, maybe if we rest and with the help of the water, his ankle will be cured."

"No, save it," Rower insisted.

Victor persisted to put some drops on Rower's ankle then put the bandage back. "Let's pray this will work, Rower, if not, you really have to endure the pain until we reach the exit gate."

"I'll manage with Master Tyrus's help," said Rower. 

"No problem, I'll be your crutch," answered Master Tyrus.

In a short while, they fell asleep. The candle kept burning until it was consumed. Total darkness prevailed and the silence of the mountain was like a lullaby, softly tending to their sleep, subtle and serene. The rooster crowed--day eighteen was over and they had six days left.

"I can't see anything! I'm blind!" shouted Trobit.

"It's just dark, Trobit. You're overreacting," said Master Tyrus. His hands clambered into his backpack to get a candle, and in a minute, a flickering light evolved in the dark.

They sat lazily on the ground, yawning, and rubbing their eyes to keep the sleepiness away.   

"Strange ... we slept so tight," said Bogle.

Victor ran his fingers over Bogle's back. He knew Bogle woke up so early in the morning, long before the other birds and other creatures opened their eyes. This time he overslept, too.

"It's all right, Bogle. We've gone through a lot of troubles these pass days. It's okay to rest. We have enough time anyway."

"No, we consumed one day sleeping. We wasted one whole day sleeping," said Master Tyrus, a little annoyed in his voice. "Six days is not a guarantee that we reach the exit gate on time. Let's eat and move fast."

No one complained as Master Tyrus had the point. He was right, thought Victor. If they didn't oversleep, they could have reached the circle of sloth by now. They had no idea how far they would track the trail or what challenges they would encounter in the seventh circle. Hopefully, no more delays or problems. Other than that, they need enough time to figure out how to retrieve the key from Rower's heart. To count, they're really running out of time.