Eddie On A Cross: A Hazbin Hotel Fanfiction

Rise Up

Charliefelt the weight of expectation on her as she stood before the threeidols. The tension was palpable, the silence in the room almostdeafening. She was once again faced with the bloody riddle she hadbeen trying to solve for weeks, and every previous failure weighedlike a boulder on her resolution. Lucifer and Vaggie watched herintently, trying to hide the anxiety they felt as well.

«IfI asked the central statue if it was a lie, would it answer "yes"?»she asked in a firm voice, her heart pounding in her chest.

Thestatue to the left, with the "Apha" symbol on its chest, replied:«Da.»

Charliewent to the statue in the middle, with the "Beta" symbol on itschest, and wrote down every detail. «Does "Da" mean "yes"?»

«Ja.»

Shescanned the notebook in her hands, trying to put together the piecesof the puzzle that kept eluding her. The logic behind the answers waslike a thin thread she was trying to grasp. Charlie's mind raced,reviewing every step, every question, every answer.

Vaggie,by her side, watched her with eyes full of concern and hope. Despiteher unconditional love and support for Charlie, she knew howexhausting this process would be. Even the normally impassive Luciferwas drawn to the challenge. Since Charlie's return from the SlothRing, the subject of the phone and the mystery surrounding Michaelhad not left him alone. Michael, the archangel who had banished himfrom Heaven, now wanted him back? Why? The answers were locked behindthis mystery, and Charlie was the key.

Thetension in the room was palpable as Charlie continued to think. Ifthe statue on the left had answered "Da" and the question ofwhether it would answer "Yes" meant that the central statue wouldsay no, then it meant that the central statue had lied. So "Da"had to mean "Yes" and "Ja" had to mean "No". The centralstatue was lying. Finally, after a long time, the picture began toclear up.

Butit could not yet sing victory. The puzzle had betrayed her before,and the idols were changing positions every day, making it even moretreacherous. She felt like she was walking on a very thin wire, onefalse step and she would fall again.

Herheart was racing, but she knew she had to risk it. She had to takethe final step. She walked to the statue on the left, feeling herlegs almost limp with tension. «Is the Gamma statue Folly?» sheasked in an almost trembling voice.

«Da.»the statue replied. Charlie felt her heart quicken. It was the answershe had been waiting for. The accelerated beat in her chest was amixture of fear and hope, a precarious balance between impendingrelief and the fear of another mistake. She turned to Vaggie andLucifer for comfort.

«Vaggie,Dad... I may have figured it out. But what if I make anothermistake?»

Vaggiesmiled at her and squeezed her shoulders lovingly. «If you're wrong,we'll try again tomorrow. And in the meantime, we'll find otherways.»

Luciferadded in his usual calm tone: «Anyway, this is it. You've done allyou can, Charlie. Now all you have to do is try.»

Charlienodded and took a deep breath. The time had come. The fear of beingwrong again clutched at her chest, but she could not back down. Shecrossed her fingers, took all the courage she had, and turned back tothe idols.

«Alphais Truth, Beta is Lie, and Gamma is Folly!» she said, her voicetrembling but firm, closing her eyes and waiting for the usual shot,the red light that would tell her she was wrong again. Time felt asif it had stopped. The silence in the room was oppressive, eachpassing second seemed like an eternity. Charlie could hear her heartpounding in her ears, her breath almost blocked with fear.

Thenshe heard the dull sound of the lights coming on.

Shedidn't dare open her eyes. «Vaggie? Dad? Did I screw up again?» sheasked in a hoarse voice.
Vaggie replied in a slightly shaky voice:«I think you need to see for yourself, Charlie.» With her heart inher throat, Charlie slowly opened one eye. Her gaze fell on the idolswhich were glowing with a blue light. Not the usual red light offailure, no, this time it was blue. «Blue?» she said incredulously,unable to process what she was seeing. «They've never turned bluebefore...»