The Aurigan Republic

Chapter 10

A man in ragged clothes ran towards the hill. He could make out the palisades and the slightly open wooden gate. His heavy breathing couldn't conceal the terrible noise coming from the creature behind him. The Sanctuary was so close but his muscles and lungs were screaming in pain. The man also knew that the creature was determined to catch him. Rumors claimed that the creature was given very little food, so, when an unfortunate soul like him came along, it would pounce on the opportunity. In a way, both of them were fighting for their survival. In addition, they were also part of the entertainment available to only those with questionable tastes. The man knew that anyone who enjoyed these shows had more than a few screws loose.

The terrain went from solid dirt to mud. The man found his feet getting stuck and struggled to make progress. He sneaked a peek behind him to see the creature closing in. The creature was slowed by the mud too, but it was handling it better than him. The distance between them closed until the man could almost feel the creature's claws. In desperation, the man half ran, half swam through the mud to open the gap between them. The audience cheered at the sight of the man's final struggles before the creature got its claw on him. Yet, the final kill they anticipated never took place. Puzzlement showed on the audience's faces until their eyes registered what was happening.

The creature slowly sunk in the mud. Its brain refused to accept this but, when it finally realized what was happening, the creature moved frantically in the mud. Despite its struggles, the creature kept sinking in the mud until it could no longer be seen. The man, frozen by the sight of the creature struggling, eventually made his way through the mud towards the wooden gate. The death of the creature brought no sense of victory to the man. He felt some sadness despite surviving a trial where most expected him to die. He looked back at the mud one last time before he stepped through the wooden gate. He was apparently one of the few humans to reach it.

Once through the gate, the man was first given a shower with a fresh change of clothes. The clothes were incredibly comfortable compared to anything he wore in life. Following the shower, he was given the best tasting food he ever had. The stew was reinvigorating given that he had been starved for the last couple of weeks. After the man was fed, he was led to a room with a bed where he laid down without instructions. Once the adrenaline was exhausted and the warmth of his meal spread throughout his body, the man couldn't resist the temptation of sleep. He didn't know what fate awaited him when he woke up but, for the time being, he needed rest. If more trials were coming up, he would need the energy to tackle them.

Sleep came easily and the man eventually woke up feeling much rested. It took him several minutes to recall what happened before he slept. He was alone in the room. A tray of food was left on the table, reminding him how hungry he was. The food was already cold but the man didn't care. His stomach initially disagreed with him over the cold food but, once the hunger was resolved, the man felt no more discomfort. Uncertain what he should be doing next, the man walked out of the room into a lengthy hall. There were many doorways similar to that of his room but they all had their doors shut. After trying a few of the door knobs, he gave up trying to find an unlocked door.

It was after he took his eyes off the door did he notice the arrow carved into the floor. He stared down the hallway but only saw a corner up ahead. He had no way of confirming what was around the corner. However, he understood that he had no choice in the matter. Being fed and well rested, the man was ready to fight whatever awaited him. He was certain that an audience had gathered to see what he was doing next. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing him go down easily. He was certain that the audience members probably wanted to see him ripped to pieces.

After a couple of deep breaths, the man made his way down the hallway. His eyes scanned for any shadows that could hint what he was facing. The only shadow he noticed was his own and even the silence was unnerving. Before turning the corner, he took another deep breath. He did a few jumps and loosened his joints. Then, he turned the corner to find himself at the entrance to a large room. The room was completely white, like the hallway, with nothing decorating the walls. Only a gray door opposite him stood out in the room. The white floor easily merged with the walls, making it difficult for him to differentiate where he could walk. With nothing else serving as a guide, the man walked towards the door across from him.

He took one step at a time and paused between each step. He was so disorientated by the white walls and floor that he had to close his eyes to steady himself. At some point, the man relied more on his sense of touch and hearing than his sight. After what seemed like an eternity, the man reached the other side. He finally opened his eyes only to be greeted by a very ordinary door. His hands traced the door surface until his fingers came in contact with a lock and a door handle. He first tried the handle and, to no one's surprise, the door refused to open. He then felt the lock until he concluded that a key was needed to open the door.

Relief came to him when he first reached the door, but that relief came and went. His hunch told him that the key was somewhere in the room. With nothing else being visible in the room from his earlier scan, the man knew that he had to navigate blindly and feel for it. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a hidden compartment somewhere or the key was painted white to blend in with the room. Regardless, he needed to explore a room relying on senses that he wasn't very accustomed to. The challenge had just begun and the prospect of being trapped in the room made the man very anxious.

With no other options available, the man went to work. He got on all fours and felt around him. He wasn't surprised to find different elevations in the room and made sure to feel all the surfaces for anything that resembled a switch or a door handle. It took him awhile to register that the surfaces he felt were different from any materials he came in contact with before. The new material felt cooler and his fingers tingled upon contact. The tingling reinvigorated his body in some ways, giving him more strength to keep going. What started as a terrifying ordeal soon became a relaxing experience. He found himself enjoying the process and wasn't bothered by the fact that he hadn't come across any keys. As he grew more accustomed to feeling around the room, he felt something calling out to him. The call only got stronger the longer he was in the room.