Dungeon

CHAPTER 28 - LAYERS OF DECEPTION

Ethan scanned the rustic tomb from every nook and cranny; skepticism washed across his face. "What do you think is inside it? Other than the brittle skeletons of the lovers, of course."

Bryan rolled up his sleeves and placed his palms on the stone, his fingers gripping the surface tightly. "I feel like the verse was hinting at opening the tomb. It's just a hunch, but I feel like there's something down there that no one knows."

Fear rippled through Ethan's body as he extended his hand to help. The coarse surface of the tomb didn't seem too hard to move as it slid smoothly off the base, landing with a sharp thud on the floor. Ethan took a step backwards as his mind tried to catch up with what was unfolding before them. "Someone has opened this before us."

Bryan nodded in agreement as he peered inside the tomb. His eyes widened as each and every inch of his brain was wracking within to explain the vision he saw. Inside the dark recesses of the tomb lay a small, white skeleton, which seemed to rest in agony. "Who is this?"

Ethan seemed dumbfounded as he gasped loudly, frustration lacing his veins. He peered closely at the skeleton, his eyes scanning each and every inch of it. "Don't you think this skeleton looks a bit young? If I were to clothe this skeleton with some skin, then all I would find would be some teenage boy."

Bryan tried picturing it in Ethan's way, and to his surprise, he too found a youngster around their age. "But how do you know that it's a boy? It could be a girl too."

Ethan shook his head and pointed towards the pelvis region of the skeleton. "You could easily differentiate a male skeleton from a female just by observing the pelvis region. Females are adapted for gestation, and thus the pelvis level would be lower and would be proportionately wider."

Bryan stared in amazement as his inner conscience couldn't help but appreciate Ethan's knowledge. As Ethan peered further into the tomb looking for clues, Bryan wandered across the room, trying to find some clues. He went towards the pile of scattered coins, took a coin, and threw it across the floor. He lay down on the cold ground and strained his ears intently to hear even the faintest of sounds.

Ethan raised an eyebrow as mockery flashed across his tanned face. "You're so bad at this game. When I was young, I was a pro at the 'throw me the money' game. Wanna see?"

Bryan rolled his eyes as irritation gushed within him. "Will you shut up for once?"

Ethan stuck his tongue out while producing a coin from his pocket. "Jealous huh? Now watch this!" He threw the coin hardly on the ground, which bounced across the tomb. He clapped his hands in amazement and looked towards the ceiling, a sense of chivalry soothing him. "Three bounces, loser, unlike yours, which only bounced once!"

"Throw it again."

Ethan looked back at Bryan, who was now intently pressing his ears against the floor. Flashing a beaming smile, he took another coin out of his pocket and threw it across the floor, which bounced off in a similar fashion. Bryan got up from the floor and rushed towards the tomb, his eyes excitedly taking in the tomb's interior. "The sound beneath the floor sounds hollow. There's another room beneath this one."

Ethan scoffed as his hands were busy picking up the coins he threw. "And where do we find it's entrance? I searched this entire place!"

Bryan pointed towards the inside of the tomb while simultaneously trying to calm his thumping heart. "The room's right beneath this tomb. All we have to do is throw this skeleton out and jump."

Ethan laced his finger through his hair, which now felt rough due to a lack of conditioning. "And who's going to do it? You know that I pay my respect to the dead, don't you?"

Before he could await a reply, a loud crash resonated throughout the room, followed by a splatter of what sounded like bones. Ethan's expression mirrored that of someone who just got hit by a fast ball as he peered inside the marble tomb, which was now closed by a metal panel. "H-how did he jump through marble? Bryan, are you in there?"

Ethan felt his heartbeat rise when no response came from within. His gaze shifted to the fragments of crumpled marble, which he felt between trembling fingers. Cold sweat ran down his spine as his mind registered the material between his fingers. "Faux marble finish? The interior was wood all along! And now it's replaced by metal, which means-"

Ethan screamed on top of his lungs as his fingers tried to claw open the metal panel. "Bryan! Are you in there? Respond, you idiot!"

Tears glazed his eyes as he tried to control his thumping heart. He mustered his energy as he screamed at the top of his voice. "Bryan! If you can hear me, then control your breath, dumbass! It's a fricking hypoxic chamber! There's only a limited supply of oxygen there!"

He tried to control his mind as he scrunched his eyes to keep the vision clear. "There's always a key to a door! There should be something here!"

He stood on top of the metal panel inside the tomb, half expecting it to open up as his eyes skimmed throughout the room in search of something. His eyes took in each and every corner of the room as his mind hummed Arnold's words within. Clues are always hidden in plain sight!

His gaze seemed transfixed on the pattern of scattered coins as guilt gnawed within him. He brought out the stack of coins from his pocket and threw them back where they belonged. Before he knew it, tears streamed down his cheeks, glistening his face. Just as he was about to avert his gaze, a strange yet unnoticed engraving caught his attention.

He moved towards the pile of scattered coins and squinted his eyes to make out the faint wording on the cold stone floor. As each word happened to make sense to him, his heart throbbed frantically within him. He looked towards the sealed tomb, concealing within himself the energy that was draining within him each and every minute.

"Two keys, one door, misstep, death."