The Hole Of Sickness

the vote

October the 12th, 1844
Present day

The sound of chalk scratching the door's surface was clear; no lights, no smells, all lost its sense to the sound of redemption that Kosie had been waiting for so long.

"Why?" a sound rings in the boy's head.

"Why should I go back? Behind this door remains one thing for me: shame, disgrace," Kosie thought as he observed Merny.

"First," the young man said and then drew a line under number one of the door.

Then he added, "You open the first door to the left then," and drew another line under number four.

After that, he turned to Kosie and carried on, "Then you open the fourth door to the left. After that, you open the seventh door to the right, then you open the fourth door to the right, then finally, you get back and open this door again, and that's it; you're back to the safe shelter."
"Just like that? So the numbers on this door were instructions this whole time!" Kosie asked.
"Yes, the answer was right in front of you, but you were too blind to see it, and now you do as I say," Merny responded to Kosie in a low voice.
The man threw the chalk to the ground, then gathered both hands and said:
"tréla deíxte ton eaftó sas."
A black vomit came out from Kosie as he remembered seeing such a thing before.

"Good, he's real. Now let's go," Merny said as he threw the chalk bar to the ground.
"Just out of curiosity, who's behind those doors anyway?" Merny asked.
"My...my father," Kosie replied. It's been a long time since Kosie mentioned his father to anyone, but still, he now has the solution to get back home. All he needs to do now is go through these doors and do as Merny told him. But a promise is a promise, and Kosie will now obey Merny until the latter decides it's over.
"Your father is an alchemist, am I right?" Merny cut Kosie's line of thoughts.
"Huh, yes, but how did you know?" Kosie wondered.

Merny put his hand inside his pockets as Kosie watched him closely.
"Relax, it's not a gun," Merny said.

"Well, it's far worse than it," the man's thoughts then said.

"Your father, huh? He seems like a nice fellow. Why did he vanish you?" Merny said as he looked at the poor child from head to toe.

"He didn't; I escaped," Kosie replied, his eyes looking at the man in front of him.

"Escape!" Merny's thoughts, the word looked familiar to him.

"And why?" Merny said as his looks to the boy changed to pity.

"Because I..."

"Yes?"

"Because I think it's none of your business, sir."

The man held his fist of anger as his face looked cold as usual; not the smallest reaction could show his true feelings.

"You know why I want you to be my assistant," Merny said.
"No, not really!" Kosie replied, but Merny interrupted him.

"It's a metaphor question; of course, you don't."
The calm voice of the man spread in the room as his face showed a different expression than before.

"Well, I never wanted you; I...I just want something from you," Merny said as he looked at the boy.

"And what might a noble gentleman find in this place?" Kosie said.

"I'm afraid it's not of your concern," Merny said as he brought a clock from his pocket.

"Escape! You can't escape your fate, and that's why I'm here now. Read this line to me here," Merny demanded as he showed Kosie the clock.
Kosie was a bit lost as it showed that the lines on the clock were still the same, so why did Merny ask him to read them again?
"It says, beware the reflections," Kosie said.
"That's it? That's all that is written here, nothing more?" Merny asked.
. . .
September the 20th, 1843
In the past
In the empty city of Mulysa, there was a small house with an open green door...
Inside it, 12 people sat around a huge mahogany table.
Most of them were men, but there was also a woman. Sounds of whispers and shushes; everyone was still in their chair, no single movement, just some calm voices talking to each other; the subject seemed too dangerous to talk out loud.