Keiko - 二

Now alone, I notice the jade statues slightly glowed, casting an ethereal light throughout the chamber, their serene faces bathed in a soft, emerald glow. Each statue was uniquely posed, their stances both intricate and bizarre, spewing water into a circular pond that surrounded the room's center. The construction of the chamber was meticulous, with intricate carvings and ornate designs adorning the walls and ceiling. The entire room seemed to hum with a quiet, ancient power.

Guided by the light of the statues, I explored the chamber, marveling at its construction and the beauty of the jade. Bored and with nothing else to do, I began to practice the beginner moves of our sect, looping the exercises several times. My movements created a circle around the center of the room, each stance blending seamlessly into the next. The hours passed as I immersed myself in the familiar rhythms of training.

Eventually, I grew tired of the repetitive motions. My final move brought me face to face with a statue, its pose both challenging and strange. Intrigued, I decided to mimic its position. My body moved clumsily as I tried to imitate the difficult stance, feeling a mix of frustration and determination. I then had an idea: to create an exercise by mimicking the stance of each statue, slowly dancing around the room as I tried to perfect each position.

Hours passed as I continued my makeshift exercise, moving from statue to statue, each pose more challenging than the last. Finally, I reached the statue directly opposite the door. As I assumed its stance, its eyes lit up with a brilliant white beam that shot toward the center of the room. I felt an increase of pressure upon my body after mimicking its stance. The sudden light and force startled me, blinding me momentarily and causing me to fall. The phenomenas ceased as soon as I lost the pose.

Rubbing my eyes and massaging my legs, I thought about what could be happening. When my vision returned, I tried the position again, and once more, the statue's eyes glowed. Excitement bubbled within me as I walked over to the next statue and attempted its pose, but the eyes did not light up, and the first statue's eyes were no longer glowing. Frustrated, I repeated the process several times, but to no avail.

After much contemplation, I deduced that each statue was part of an overall sequence, a dance of sorts, that needed to be carried out while moving between each statue in the correct order. However, without knowing the exact poses or sequence, it seemed an insurmountable challenge. Exhausted, I decided to sleep and tackle the puzzle of the statues with a fresh mind.

Upon waking, I drank from the water flowing from the statues into the pond, feeling a strange sense of clarity. I returned to the center of the room to meditate, replaying the events in my mind. I realized the light had illuminated the central platform and was far too bright to stand directly in front of. Reconsidering my theory, I decided to assume the position of the first statue while standing in the middle of the room.

As soon as I struck the pose, the statue's eyes glowed white. Excited, I rotated in place to face the second statue, mimicking its position. Its eyes glowed as well. Overzealous with joy, I lost the pose and had to restart. After calming myself, I resumed the sequence, each pose a great strain on my body.

I started with the first statue, carefully positioning my hands, arms, and legs to match its intricate stance. The statue's eyes glowed white, a sign that I had succeeded. Slowly, I rotated to face the second statue, shifting my body to mirror its unique pose while fighting against the mysterious force. Again, the eyes glowed, and a sense of hope filled me, but then the force doubled.

I barely kept my stance, my legs trembling beneath the intensity. Breathing to center myself, I began to turn towards number three, but as I moved to the third statue, my balance wavered. My foot slipped, and the light in the statues' eyes extinguished.

I sighed, knowing I had to start over. Painstakingly, I recreated the first and second poses, my muscles already beginning to ache from the strain.

I continued this pattern, each movement doubling the previous pressure. The fourth statue's pose required an awkward twist of my torso, and I could feel my muscles protesting underneath the increasing force. The fifth demanded an extended reach, testing the limits of my flexibility.

I failed this stance a great deal. Each time forced me to begin anew, recreating all previous moves with exact precision. Enduring a prolonged exposure to the supernatural weight.

By the time I reached the seventh statue, sweat dripped down my face, and my limbs trembled with exhaustion. My breaths came in heavy pants, and my vision blurred from the effort. I held true to the position, though almost to my limits.

The eighth pose required a deep lunge, my legs burning as I held the position. I faltered, and the sequence reset once more.

Determined, I pushed through the fatigue, recreating each stance with growing difficulty. My body screamed for rest, but I pressed on, knowing that giving up was not an option. When I finally reached the ninth statue, my entire being felt like it was on the brink of collapse. With every ounce of strength and focus, I matched the final pose.

The statue's eyes glowed brighter than ever, and the water from all the statues ceased flowing. The central platform began to spin and descend, revealing the hidden antechamber beneath. As the platform settled, I collapsed to my knees, utterly exhausted but triumphant.

As the platform came to a halt, I stepped off, marveling at the hidden chamber that lay before me. Rows upon rows of ancient scrolls and texts lined the walls, their presence filling the room with an aura of knowledge and power. Then, I succumbed to the exhaustion.