Chương 41: Chapter 40 - Alpha (II)

Abhijit remained silent for several seconds, his eyes darkening slightly as he seemed to relive something unsettling.

"Electromagnetic waves. That's what you're asking about, I suppose. And yes, I can sense and control them—probably in the same way you do."

"I see," Alonso replied, his gaze drifting toward the waves crashing on the shore.

"But I'd like to get more specific, if you don't mind. The first part of what I recall as the last challenge involved lifting a knife within the electromagnetic space. Was it the same for you? And if so, what came next?" Abhijit's expression tightened, as though he were sifting through memories he'd rather forget.

"Yes, it was the same. The second part… it involved lifting the cage. The same cage that had trapped the white abomination on the second floor."

"I suppose that would suffice without needing to go into more details. It seems, Mr. Abhijit, we went through exactly the same hell. And here we are now, resting on a beach, in a place unknown, without a clue of how to proceed," Alonso said, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Let's work together then. Let's see what this new trial has in store for us." Abhijit silently nodded, his gaze fixed on the calming waves.

"What do you think this all is?"

"I believe we've both been asking ourselves that same question for days. Days of suffering, hunger, thirst, fear, and powerlessness," Alonso replied, his tone losing its previous lightheartedness.

"After all the rumination in my mind, I've come to the best answer I can: I don't know." Abhijit nodded slowly. The silence stretched between them, filled only by the sound of the waves. Alonso stood up, brushing the sand off his clothes.

"We should keep moving," he said, glancing at Abhijit. Abhijit got to his feet without a word, adjusting his grip on the sword at his side. He nodded once more, a silent agreement. They began walking along the beach, their steps synchronized, eyes scanning the horizon. The tension from earlier had slightly faded, replaced by a quiet resolve. They walked for more than a mile at a good pace, the landscape around them unchanged and eerily quiet.

"I reckoned we would have seen someone else by now. Perhaps they already went in, are too far away, or maybe it's just us," Alonso said. Abhijit remained silent, his eyes fixed ahead, but he gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Should we head inside, then?"

"I guess we can't delay any longer," Alonso replied, glancing at the sky.

"Better set up camp before the sun goes down." Abhijit frowned slightly.

"You think it's the same sun? Are we staring at our star or… something else?"

"Could be, but probably not," Alonso said.

"It could be a projection of part of our reality, an illusion, or maybe even a simulation. No idea. But what I can tell you is that its current speed—or the rotation of whatever planet or landmass we're on—matches Earth's. We should expect the usual 24-hour days with day and night." Abhijit looked at Alonso, slightly surprised.

"How do you know that without a proper time reference?" Alonso shrugged casually.

"I use my heart rate as a baseline. It's not perfect, but it gives me a rough estimate. Given the fluctuations I've noticed, it seems like we're dealing with a cycle close to what we're used to—maybe between 22 and 26 hours. If this place isn't part of our reality, it's probably designed to mimic it." Abhijit nodded, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"You're using your mind waves to automatically track your heartbeats and create a makeshift clock? Smart!"

"Oh come on, you filtered sound waves by modifying the brain using electromagnetic signals not long ago—this is child's play in comparison," Alonso said with a grin. Abhijit looked at Alonso, confused.

"Filter… sound waves?" Alonso suddenly stopped and turned back, his smile fading.

"Yes. I mean, remember the dark room where… well, we had to fight? That room, where we had to filter sound waves at the end, right? So the virtual projection of our past selves couldn't hear outside of a certain domain." Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Abhijit's expression grew deeply disturbed.

"I… I don't remember that, Alonso. I remember the dark trial, and I remember… I remember how we were forced to fight another human to survive. I remember him crying, asking for mercy when… when I had no choice," he said, his teeth clenching, eyes slightly red.

"Wait… wait… what do you mean you heard the crying? But… the sound filter was supposed to block any sound from the other person so you couldn't hear him. It was… like a creature—no sound, no light, that was it… right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Alonso," Abhijit replied, his voice heavy with emotion.

"The room was dark, but my room was filled with screams. Screams I want to forget but can't. They're a burden I carry and will haunt me for life." Alonso's gaze drifted, his mind racing. Had he made a mistake in his previous judgment? Were their trials not identical but only similar? But this wasn't just a minor difference. Sound filtering had been the hardest part of all the challenges, and at the same time, it had made the act of killing another in the dark room… an easier psychological transition.

Without that factor, the trial was completely different. But why? Why was it different? Could it be that the virtual projection wasn't just a projection but their real past selves? No… even if some god or entity could manipulate time, changing the past shouldn't affect the current present—it's… it's a paradox. Alonso hesitated, trying to piece together his jumbled thoughts.

"If your experience was different… if you could hear him… that changes everything. The trial wasn't just about survival; it was about how we perceive reality. But if our realities were different, then…"" Then the trials would have been tailored to us. In the dark room, hearing the other may have broken you. You wished for no answer to come back. Then the reality you faced was a soundless room."

"And so to pay the price, if a challenge becomes easier…"

"Another becomes harder."

"Alonso?" Abhijit suddenly asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Alonso remained still, his gaze lost in thought for several more seconds before he turned to face his companion.

"It's okay. It's just… weird that the trials didn't match, that's all." He forced a small smile.

"Let's head into the woods, shall we?" Abhijit nodded, though the concern in his eyes lingered. August 2, 2024 - Headquarters of the United Nations, New York, US Elena sat in the well-lit conference room at the UN headquarters, the echoes of her speech still playing in her mind. The room, once buzzing with energy, had fallen into an uneasy silence. As the camera crews packed up their equipment, she noticed the subtle shifts in the atmosphere.

People who had been eager to approach her before were now keeping their distance, exchanging uneasy glances and murmuring quietly among themselves. A few delegates who had been seated nearby gathered their belongings quickly, avoiding eye contact as they made their way to the exit. One or two glanced at her, their expressions a mix of surprise and disapproval, before looking away just as quickly. Elena knew the moment she had veered off the script, the consequences had started to unravel.

She could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on her, the reality of what she had done sinking in with every passing second. There was no turning back now, and the backlash she anticipated was already beginning to take shape in the cautious and uncertain gazes that followed her every move. Her aide, Maria, approached cautiously, her expression a mix of concern and urgency.

"Madam Secretary, the calls are already coming in. The council is—""I know," Elena interrupted, her voice weary but firm. Maria hesitated, then nodded.

"There's also someone here to see you, in person. He requested a meeting immediately after your speech. He's waiting just outside." Elena frowned.

"Outside? Who?" Maria glanced down, as if searching for the right words.

"He didn't give his name, Madam Secretary. He just said… that it would be the most meaningful meeting you will ever have. And he congratulated you on the speech." Elena's frown deepened, her mind racing. She had anticipated fallout, but not this—an unknown visitor, speaking in riddles, requesting an immediate meeting. The timing was unsettling, to say the least. But the fact that he could even be here meant he was not a nobody and had significant backing.

"Did he say anything else?" Elena asked, trying to keep her voice steady. Maria shook her head.

"No, just that." Elena sighed, glancing around the room at the few remaining faces still watching her, some with open curiosity, others with guarded disapproval.

"Send him to my office. We will meet there." Elena waited several minutes in the empty conference room, taking steady breaths to calm herself before heading to her office. When she arrived, the man was already there, standing by the window. He was impeccably dressed in a tailored black suit, his hair neatly combed and a stylish mustache accentuating his clean-shaven face. The phone on her desk rang repeatedly, the sound sharp in the otherwise quiet room. As she entered, the man turned to her with a slight smile.

"Your phone seems to be quite active today," he remarked, a hint of humor in his voice. Elena silenced the ringing phone with a press of a button and took her seat behind the desk, her eyes never leaving the man.

"What do you want?"