Brutal.
Everything about the current location was suspicious. From the strange structure to the weird statues. It was all a mystery to the helpless Liam who always jumped from one trouble into another.
"What to do?" Liam thought out loud as he paced to and fro, taking brief glances at the structure from time to time.
Liam contemplated on his next move which was kind of clear… he only had two choices, ignore the structure or explore it.
'I can ignore the structure and move on. But what if it holds something essential for me.'
Liam eyed a door-like structure which he defined as the structure entrance. The structure had a shape unknown to Liam. But, the statues and aura around the structure made Liam see the place as a temple.
It had a huge door with golden-like properties, similar to the statue.
Everything about the place looked like a treasure hoard, tempting Liam to badge in without any plans.
'Should I leave?' Liam surveyed the surrounding which was occupied by mainly plants. 'No… I won't miss this chance!'
Liam built up his courage and determination as he moved closer to the structure. It was rather smooth until he felt his legs getting heavy, every step forward becoming harder and harder the closer he got to the first statue.
'What's going on?!' Liam panicked internally, trying to retrace his steps. But, no matter the effort, he couldn't turn back… Liam only had a choice; to move forward.
'No…! It can't be… have I burned my own hands?!' Liam thought in trepidation, not faltering in his decision to retreat.
Looking straight at the impeccable structure, Liam said in spite. "I'm not interested in your treasure… or whatever you have to offer!"
Liam had hoped that whatever was in control of his current situation would let him go after those words. But, that was a rather foolish choice. Even if whatever creature controlled the region felt infuriated by his words, it'd rather go for his life than let him leave.
It didn't take long for Liam to notice how futile his foolish attempt to escape was, causing him to make a final decision.
'I'll move forward… till the end!'
Liam moved forward with slow and heavy steps, the pressure on his entire being increasing as he came closer to the structure.
Liam has no choice but to fight against the insurmountable force that pressured him.
Bling
Arriving at the first statues, a loud ringing sound could be heard, causing Liam to shiver at the sudden outburst.
Though, Liam refused to fall due to the loud sound, continuing in his path as the pressure increased on his body.
'I'll have to harden my body.' Liam had thoughts of hardening his body; the technique he used while landing.
Recalling how he accomplished the task he deemed difficult in crisis, Liam hardened his palm, spreading it through the other parts of his body slowly. It was a tasking job to accomplish, especially in a precarious situation like this.
"Haaaaaa!"
Liam's body hardened, with every step he took, allowing him to withstand much more pressure as he moved forward.
It was a long and troublesome path. But, Liam was able to walk through it, falling to the ground immediately the pressure on him seized.
"Ha ha ha ha," breathing heavily, he lay on the ground, not bothering to move an inch.
"Thought I was gone, there… seems Lady luck still has some empathy for me… not like it matters."
Using his arms to propel himself upward, Liam stood limply, eyeing the path before him; the entrance to the structure was not that far away from his current position, making him release a sigh of relief.
Twisting his body, Liam caught sight of his former position, which was feet away. He had succeeded in passing the monk's statue and some other weird creatures. Now that he looked closely, goosebumps formed on his skin.
They were rather spooky; like creatures from horror movies… something only noticeable in horror cartoons.
"I'm actually glad I didn't notice…"
Tremble
His words were cut off by the trembling of the earth as cracks formed on its surface. "What the…?!"
The ground behind him crumbled, sinking to an unknown depth. "No! No! No!"
Liam screamed as he ran toward the structure entrance, the ground behind him collapsing at a fast rate. It was like a race; as the ground followed closely behind Liam, almost taking him with the crumbled earth.
"No!"
'If I continue like this, I'll sink to the lowest part of this world before reaching the entrance.'
Liam thought as he increased the pace at which he moved to the entrance.
'No! I have to reach faster!'
Increasing the force on his limbs, Liam leaped for the entrance, successfully landing directly before the entrance.
'Fuck! Move fucking body!' Liam thought in trepidation, forcing his body to move despite its unwillingness.
Successfully rising from the ground, Liam leaned on the door, using his body to push it.
'Fucking open!' Liam struggled, taking glances at his back. 'I have to open the door! Please!!!'
The catastrophe was just a few meters from him, causing Liam's blood pressure to rise steadily.
'It has to work… if not…!'
Moving a little from the entrance, Liam came back with force.
Crack
'I need more force!'
Though Liam could hear the sound of the door giving in, it was not still enough to give him some peace of mind.
Shifting further than the first time, Liam came back with greater force, slamming on the door.
Boom
'At least I made it… I just hope the catastrophe doesn't reach here.'
Liam thought, still worried about the crumbling earth following him into the structure.
***
An eerie silence prevailed in the region as the surrounding individuals watched a well-dressed man perform the last rite of a dead individual.
He had the demeanor of a priest, dressed in all white, and wielding a sun-shaped pendant.
"As a family!" He said in a solemn voice, taking a brief glance at everyone present. "We pray that our brother… though not bound by blood… but, by our understanding of one another."
Saying this, his eyes stopped to observe a huge female with a stoic expression.
"May live on in the afterlife… watching over our every step to glory… as we destroy our enemies… in the most brutal way."