Zackory - a fateful touch (Vol. 2) ✅

Chapter 25

In front of them stretched a cube-shaped room with an edge length of about nine feet. All walls as well as the ceiling and floor were made of black volcanic rock. Suspiciously, the two looked around. The entrance closed so that the light that had penetrated through it disappeared. Everything was pitch black. Then the room began to brighten up.

Red stones which ran throughout the walls like lava veins illuminated the room in a red light. Letters began to form on the opposite wall. Red lines of fire-formed words.

Only the truth can illuminate your path. The lies are swallowed up by fire. Do you follow this path together?

Lucan and Zack looked at each other. Both answered in unison with "Yes." The floor began to glow. Red lines wandered across the ground, forming two magical circles. The circles glowed and two black bangles formed from the ground, with mystical symbols on them.

"What is that?" Zack asked, kneeling in front of one of the circles without touching him. Lucan knew what it was, and he didn't like it at all. Zack looked at him questioningly.

"Zackory, these are ban bangles. They have the special ability to recognize lies and punish the wearer should they do as much. You could say they're kind of a lie detector."

Zack raised an eyebrow, then looked at the bangles. "Does that mean that if I lie, this thing will punish me?" Lucan nodded.

"How?" he asked the demon.

"Since we're here in a volcano and it's all related to the element of fire, I assume it's going to burn you."

"What?" Zack asked, frightened.

"There are two stages. A lie is punished with a "warning shot". The second usually costs the wearer his life."

Warning shot, huh... But they had no choice. They had to pass this test, otherwise they would not get to the third jewel.

"Got it. We've made it this far, then we'll make it out of here. And something to add, everything that is said here stays here."

Lucan nodded. What he had concealed from Zack, however, was that such an examination usually had a hidden intention. They would say things today that they would otherwise never say. But no one could have known what the goal was.

Both went into one of the magical circles and put the ban bangle on their non-dominant hand – just for safety. The bangle began to glow and red lines covered it. Zack was nervous. The flames on the wall that the words had formed lit up and began to move. New words were formed. Zack was the first.

What is your name?

"Zackory."

Zack's bangle lit up briefly, then a ring formed on it. That was easy, but it won't be that easy further on. Lucan had to answer the same question and he also received a ring on his bangle. Now it was Zack's turn again.

Which person in your life is most important to you?

Zack didn't have to think about it. "My little brother Aleksander," he said. Again his bangle lit up and a second circle appeared.

Now it was Lucan's turn. Zack looked at Lucan, who had not yet spoken. Didn't he know who to name?

Lucan was silent. The answer was obvious. But when he finally had to say it aloud... He had no choice. "The person who is most important to me right now is Zackory," he said, hearing Zack breath in sharply.

Lucan has many close friends and people who were important to him. Why did he choose me? But the glow of his bangle testified that he had spoken the truth. Zack felt something contract in his chest. Concentrate. You can think about that later. It continued.