One year and a half passed and i was sixteen now (fourteen before). Everyone was a bit older now. It was hard to believe how long we've been trapped in the mansion for. How were things on the outside going? Are people worried? I couldn't know anything for sure. Over the time we spent in this hell hole, i had lost my worthless emotions. I only had goals. Nothing more. My 'friends' barely trusted me still after the whole Ran incident. I guess humans just blame things when they don't now how to cope with the cruel reality of the real world. I for one don't have the useless emotion known as hope anymore. So i of course don't believe realistically me and those guys will escape. We've been in the mansion of time doing nothing at all since the 3rd killer was killed. The mastermind hasn't spoken, no killers have shown, and no piece of the Key of Chrono has been found. No progress. With all that aside our usual 'planning' was taking place in the dining room. No one had anything to say today. Couldn't blame them though. We've all been here making no progression off of these plans. The TV in the living room turned on for the first time since the Ran Incident. Everyone went into the living room to listen to what the mastermind had to finally say over the long hiatus of his own little game. "How is everyone doing. Been some time. Now lets see if you all have changed. I have prepared a little game for you all, a mini game!" "A mini game?" "Yes a mini game. I'll teleport you all to an arena and have two of you face off in a battle to the death. There is no underlying intentions or anyway to stop this. One of you WILL die!" The TV turned off and i could tell everyone in the room was scared. I just waited to get it over with. There wasn't a way to get out of this predicament so i was set on just getting through it and escaping. We were teleported shortly after and i and Mashu stood in an arena. The arena looked like some sort of art deco building. The dark-red and white marble flooring reflected the bright glass golden chandeliers on the ceilings. Anything metal was gold in this place as well. The floor had a checkered pattern with greek looking pillars extending from the floor to the white tinted glass ceiling. "Alright you two! All you have to do is kill your opponent and you get the last part of the Key of Chrono! So what will it be?"
Mashu gritted his teeth and shouted at the mastermind "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? BULLSHIT!" "I don't believe i stated any jokes young man. Anyways, let the fun commence!" I wasn't going to attack Mashu if he wasn't going to attack me. We were given classic medieval swords to fight with. Mashu closed his eyes then opened them to look me in the eyes. "Joshu! Let's find another way around this! We don't have to play by his rules!" "Mashu..I don't think you understand. It's not up to us to decide what we do or don't. This is a game. His game. We play on his chessboard. He moves the pieces..not us." "What the hell are you saying, Joshu!" The mastermind then came into our conversation with "Alright you two have taken to long to swing your blades! As a result i will use a bit of manipulation!.." Our bodies began moving on their own. It felt like we were puppets. We had no will of our own other than that of the puppeteers. We ran towards each other and Mashu began screaming "No, stop it!" We clashed blades and after that we swung at each others throats. There was blood on the floor. Hana and Kentoreru looked at the display in horror. Hana began to cry. They couldn't say anything because they had their voices taken away by the mastermind's magic. I didn't feel any pain or liquid leaking from my body. So i knew right away. I had killed Mashu. His head fell off the stump of his neck and i was released from the manipulation. I dropped the sword on the floor immediately and turned to look at Hana and Kentoreru. I could feel a lot of different things coming from just their facial expressions. I didn't try to fake my emotion or beg for forgiveness and any pointless thing like that. I simply slowly blinked at them and turned away. I had no feelings to share with them. For i could feel nothing. Not now or a year and a half ago since i killed the third killer. My mind must have shut out my emotions so i could survive. One hell of an adaptation to your environment huh? "What a splendid match Joshu! You are one step closer to achieving the last key part!" "Next up is Hana vs Joshu!" Hana was teleported to the arena. She was given a sword. The mastermind began to think to himself "Now this truly is exciting! I get to see the once love birds pointing tips of death at each others throats!" I wasn't going to pick up my sword if she wasn't going to attack me. I just wanted to escape. But i thought to myself about how i can't do anything about the mastermind's manipulation magic. So i picked the sword up off the floor afterall. Hana was looking at the floor the entire time. She didn't say a thing.or give off any gestures or signs. "Alright contestants! Are you ready!? Commence!" Hana tightened her grip on her sword and ran towards me. I posed myself. She swung her blade in the air and then dropped it. After that i felt a warm soft beating weight of some sort. Hana was hugging me tightly. "I love you. Joshu..."
YOU ARE READING
The Mansion of Time
Mystery / ThrillerIt was the beginning of the 8th grade for Joshu and his friends. They lived out normal lives until obstructed by a dark void-captured mansion. Will they make it out? How long will they stay?
