Monster's Labyrinth ~ Hyunlix

>49<

(Who Is She? • I Monster)

"What is the riddle?" Jisung asked. The sphinx didn't move for a straight second. Then it spoke:

"'i a land where wit thrives, to pass a gate that few survive. Present two beings, hark mine bid : one whom breathes and one whom falls" The sphinx stopped for a moment, to let the message sink in.

"What might not but thou grant?" The sphinx spoke again. "One whom lives and one who's through."

A thick silence fell.
"We get three guesses, right?" Felix asked.
"Indeed." The sphinx confirmed. The group fell silent. They noticed Chan and Jeongin struggling to at least give a sign, but it almost seemed like they were being controlled.

Changbin scratched his head. "What does that mean?" He scoffed. "One whom breathes and one whom falls?" He repeated. "Is it like something symbolic or some?" The group went silent again.

"Maybe it's about an object?" Seungmin dared speak up. "Like a... a... a tree who-uhm-breathes and a leave that falls?" He guessed. They heard Hiding scoff.

"Don't tell me mister traitor doesn't know the answer?" Jisung mocked him. Nobody made a remark, neither defending Seungmin nor backing Jisung up.

"I don't think it's that, although it's a good guess." Hyunjin said. "It must be something deeper."
"Or simpler." Jisung shrugged his shoulders. Nobody replied at first.
"It's a sphinx we're dealing with, so it must be something very obvious yet unexpected." Changbin said.

"I don't think it's that hard honestly." Jisung spoke up again. All attention was on him at once. Hiding lifted up his hand to scratch his nose. He looked at them, as if the answer were obvious. "One that breathes and one that falls. Jun-ho-" He suddenly choked up, then he went back into his trance state. But the first and most important step had been set.

"Oh my god." Changbin muttered. "One that falls... as in one that dies?" He guessed.
"Is that thy answer?" The sphinx asked.
"No! No it's not!" Changbin quickly said. The sphinx made a movement close to nodding and continued observing the group.

"Jun-ho fell. We need to give those who's through, being through can also mean dying." Seungmin said.
"Time is ticking." The sphinx said. "Choose thy answer or thou shall brow the issues."

"Quick!" Felix said. "We get three guesses, and we're close already!" He turned towards the swing. "So we must give you one of our dead?" He asked, his voice shaking.
"Is that thy answer?" The sphinx asked. Felix nodded.
The sphinx stood up in a threatening way. "Close, yet no." It said. "Hark most carefully: What might not but thou grant? One whom lives and one who's through." The sphinx repeated its riddle. It sat down again.

"Oh my god." Changbin said again. "We just sacrifice someone, am I right?" He asked the sphinx.
"Is that thy answer?"
"It is."
"Again, close, yet no." The sphinx said. It stood up again and this time it didn't look like it would sit down again. The group looked confused.
"You idiots, we must give an entire answer!" Seungmin suddenly snapped. He seemed to be panicking.

He turned towards the sphinx. "So to pass, we must give you our dead and we must sacrifice one of our lives?" Seungmin asked in a shaky voice.
"Is that thy final answer?" The sphinx asked. Tension rose in the air. This was the last answer they could give. If they fucked up, all of them would be as good as dead. There is no escaping or killing a Sphinx.
"Wait!" Felix was quick to step in. "Give us a little more time." He carefully requested the sphinx. The sphinx nodded.

"What do you mean we must sacrifice one of us?" He asked Seungmin in a panicky voice, even though the answer was quite clear.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jisung spoke up, still staring at the ground. "The sphinx requests both life and death from us."
"Well, yes, but..." Hyunjin stepped in, trying to back up his husband in some way. "Does that mean we'll have to leave someone behind?" His voice shook. The group didn't say anything. Chan and Jeongin were just standing there, looking at the group trying to figure it out.

"I'll do it." Jisung said. His voice was casual and calm. Reference shone on his face. "I'll stay here." A wave of shock went through the group. They immediately started protesting:
"Jisung, no." Felix spoke firmly.
"Thy time is decreasing." The sphinx spoke up. The group ignored it.

"Felix, yes!" Jisung talked back. "Do you think I want to continue living after this?!" He suddenly snapped. "I'll have to end everything anyway, so why not do it while my death might be useful?!" Jisung was close to screaming. Felix had to take a step back. He couldn't believe his best friend actually said that.

"Jisung... don't say that." Felix muttered. He tried to step closer to his friend and grab his hand or something, but Jisung practically jumped back. "We can come to a better conclusion." He said.

"Felix, do I have to be any more clear?" He started crying now. "I want to die! I'm in fucking misery!" He yelled. Felix felt tears brimming in his eyes again.

"I don't want you to die." Felix mumbled. Jisung looked down.
"Felix, please don't make it any harder than it is." Jisung sighed. He wiped away a few tears. "We need to give Jun-ho as well as a life to her, so then why not my life? I am ready to die so why do you have to make it such a big deal?!" He was screaming again. Hyunjin stepped forwards, in front of Felix in a way of trying to protect him.
Felix didn't answer. His face was frozen in shock, as well as his body.

Hyunjin slowly turned to his husband. He lifted his hand a little uncertainly, where he eventually made it rest on Felix's shoulder. The younger found the soft weight quite comforting.
"Felix." Hyunjin said gently. "It might be for the better."
Felix looked down, and nodded.

"Thou must grant thy answer now." The sphinx said. Felix turned around, now facing the sphinx.

"To pass, we must give you our dead and one of our lives." He said.
"Is that thy final answer?" The sphinx asked. Felix nodded.
"It is."

The sphinx did something close to smiling. "Congratulations, thou hast solved mine riddle. Now thou must course as it says." The sphinx announced. Jisung nodded.

"Give me Jun-ho, and then leave without me." He said. The group didn't answer. Chan and Jeongin, however, slowly walked over to Jisung. They could finally move and talk again now the riddle had been solved.

"Can you carry him?" Chan asked. Jisung nodded.
"Yes, but I want him to lay down." Jisung answered. He slowly lowered himself to the ground and sat down. Chan sighed and laid the boy down on the ground, the boy's head on his father's lap.

Jisung looked at his dead son with tears in his eyes. He gently stroked Jun-ho's hair. Felix gulped, and kneeled down beside Jisung.

He suddenly embraced the other. "I hate you for what you're going to do." Felix sniffed. Jisung wrapped his arms back around Felix. The group watched with tears in their eyes.

"And what is it I'm going to do?" Jisung asked as he slowly rubbed Felix's back. He tried to suppress even more tears.
"The right thing, I guess?" Felix answered. They were quiet for another minute. The rest of the group didn't say goodbye to Jisung, they weren't capable of handling it even if some (Seungmin) might've disliked the man.

Felix pulled back from the hug.
"You were a great friend." He said, tears yet again streaming down his cheeks. God how many of those had he lost? How many tears had he shed in this horrible place already?

The sphinx stood up, and moved away from the doors. "Thou may pass now." It said.
"Jisung-I-" Felix struggled to find the words.
"Felix, we need to go." Hyunjin said gently. Felix shook his head. He wasn't ready to say goodbye yet. He didn't want to say goodbye yet. He couldn't say goodbye yet.

"No!" He exclaimed helplessly. "I don't want to leave without you!" He told Jisung. The other answered by giving him a soft smile.

"Felix, go." Jisung told him. Hyunjin sighed and walked closer to Felix. Felix shook his head, he felt tears streaming down his face again. God, what did he hate those.
"No!" Felix exclaimed helplessly. He screeched as his feet were lifted off the ground. Hyunjin had picked him up, assuming Felix wouldn't come with them on his own. Which was most likely true.

"Put me down, Hyunjin!" Felix exclaimed helplessly. "This is not the time!" He started trashing his legs, but to no avail.
"I'm sorry, baby." Hyunjin said. He couldn't look Felix into the eyes as he followed the group through the doors, out of the sports hall.

Felix started screaming for Jisung. He watched as the doors slowly closed, but just not fast enough for Felix to miss how the sphinx lunged itself on Jisung and Jun-ho. He finally stopped screaming, and let his body fall limp in Hyunjin's arms. Where he cried.