Unwrapped

Chapter 3: The Protector

I dragged Caius and myself out just in time before the entrance shattered, its fragments dissolving into the air as though consumed by some invisible force, leaving us back in the dimly lit hallway. Everyone around us was a gasping, wheezing mess, clutching their sides as they struggled to regain composure. “C...Caius!” I rasped, shaking him with one hand while trying to steady my own erratic breathing. My gaze landed on his side, and my stomach twisted—it looked awful, a deep gash leaking crimson. Panic surged through me. “Does anyone have an extra piece of clothing!?” My voice cracked as I yelled, my eyes darting wildly around the group. They stopped on Lirael, whose face was already contorted with worry. Without hesitation, she peeled off her brown tracksuit top, revealing a thin, sleeveless shirt beneath it that seemed barely adequate against the chill. Concern flickered across her face, but her resolve didn’t waver as she thrust the jacket toward me.

“What about you?” I asked, my voice tight with guilt as I took in her exposed arms, the goose bumps already prickling her skin. If I had anything else to offer, I would have, but my own shirt was all I had. “It’s fine! Just stop the bleeding!” she urged, her eyes wide and frantic. Nodding quickly, I tore the blood-soaked Bugs Bunny shirt from Caius’s torso, the fabric clinging stubbornly to the wound. The sight beneath made me grimace, but I didn’t let myself falter. Wrapping the tracksuit top tightly around his waist, I pressed down with as much pressure as I dared, hoping the thick material would stanch the bleeding. Caius’s trembling didn’t subside, and his breaths came in shallow, uneven gasps as his pale face glistened with sweat.

“I... I don’t remember that girl...” he rasped suddenly, his voice hoarse and broken. He coughed weakly, his chest rattling with the effort. I hesitated, unsure of how to respond, so I focused on tying the makeshift bandage as securely as possible, my hands trembling from the effort and adrenaline. Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity as I worked, acutely aware of the weight of everyone’s gazes on me.

Finally, I leaned back against the wall, my arms heavy and my breaths shallow. “Thanks Thorne,” Caius whispered faintly, attempting to shift into a sitting position. I watched as Nyx, who had been silent until now, quietly shrugged off his coat and held it out to Lirael. The gesture was so unexpected that Lirael froze for a moment, her brows knitting together in surprise. Nyx, however, didn’t wait for a reaction and turned his gaze elsewhere, his expression unreadable. Lirael accepted the coat without a word, her fingers brushing the fabric hesitantly before she passed him a small, grateful smile and slipped it on.

Selene, on the other hand, seemed lost in her own thoughts, her eyes fixed on her door as though she were seeing something far beyond its frame. Her silence only deepened the uneasy atmosphere. With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes and let my head rest against the wall. I needed to conserve energy; my door was next, and it was already wide open, its gaping maw radiating an ominous pull. The moment I stepped close enough, I would be sucked in, and the nightmare would begin anew.

I had no idea how this all started or why we were trapped in this surreal, tormenting ordeal. My mind scrambled for answers, piecing together fragmented memories and half-formed theories. What disturbed me most was the inescapable exposure—there was no hiding from these trials. They laid our deepest wounds bare, forcing us to relive them with an audience. Caius’s experience had proven that no one could sit out.

“We need a solid plan before blindly rushing through the doors,” Lirael muttered, her voice steady but laced with tension as her eyes flitted from one door to the next. “What do you think, Nyx?” she asked, startling him out of his reverie.

“I... I don’t know,” he stammered, his voice barely audible. His shy, almost haunted demeanour caught my attention, and I narrowed my eyes, studying him more closely. There was a flicker of something in his expression—a longing that vanished as quickly as it appeared, like a candle extinguished by a gust of wind. He seemed so guarded, as though he carried a burden too heavy to share. Whatever his reasons, I resolved to help him break free from his shell, if only to ease the tension that seemed to weigh him down.

“To clarify things,” I began, my gaze fixed on my lap as I gathered my thoughts. “These trials are forcing us to confront our pasts and battles we need to win alone. Why? I’ve got no clue. But if we want to proceed, we’ll have to clear all six doors. It’s as much about teamwork as it is about individual strength. And the objects we received from this so-called ‘Secret Santa’—they’re clues.”

A murmur swept through the group as everyone glanced at their respective items. I stared at my shield, its polished surface catching the dim light. “Does mine represent running out of time?” Caius wondered aloud, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “Because... because that girl... died, and there was also the hourglass...”

Encouraged by his attempt to piece things together, I nodded. “Perhaps,” I replied. Caius sighed heavily, running a hand through his dishevelled hair as he slumped against the wall.

Nyx, who had been silent, spoke up, his voice barely above a whisper. “I think... these trials are lessons. And whoever this Secret Santa is, they’re linked to all of us somehow—maybe tied to the same timeline in our pasts.” He twirled his locket between his fingers, avoiding my gaze.

The theory struck me as plausible, and I nodded in agreement. “That’s highly probable,” I said. “Anyways, let’s get this over with.” With that, I pushed myself to my feet, bracing for what lay ahead. Walking over to my door, I braced myself, heart pounding with apprehension. Even so, it wasn’t enough. A sharp cry tore from my throat as I was yanked forward by a strange, invisible energy. It gripped me like a vice, dragging me into the void. The others followed close behind, their shouts of alarm blending into the roaring darkness.

Time lost all meaning as we were pulled through an endless abyss. Just as panic threatened to consume me, the oppressive blackness lifted, depositing us unceremoniously into...a Bastion?

We stumbled into its centre, disoriented. The air here was different—thick and electric, crackling with a weight that pressed against my chest. I looked up, and the sight stole my breath. The fortress loomed above us, its walls impossibly high and laced with glowing chains that pulsed like veins. Escape by climbing? Not a chance.

But before I could gather my thoughts, the ground trembled beneath our feet. A low, resonant groan echoed, and to my horror, the Bastion seemed to awaken. Its shifting walls moved as though alive, adjusting and reshaping themselves with a terrifying sentience. The corridor ahead widened, inviting us forward with an eerie intent.

“That’s an invitation, I guess,” I muttered, recalling something Selene would’ve said. Turning back, I caught the hesitant postures of the others—Lirael’s fidgeting hands, Nyx’s darting eyes, Caius’s furrowed brow.

I opened my mouth to apologise, guilt gnawing at me for dragging them into this. But then I stopped. This wasn’t my fault. I didn’t ask anyone to relive my past. Straightening my shoulders, I swallowed the apology and steeled myself. “Let’s go,” I said, stepping forward.

The walk was long, the walls narrowing with every step. The closer we got to the fortress’s core, the more suffocating the space became. Then came the whispers, faint at first but growing louder with each step.

“Failure...”

“You really think you can save them all?”

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. My heart pounded as the corridor closed in around me, the walls so tight I could barely move. “Hurry up!” I shouted, shoving myself through the last narrow gap.

Finally, I burst into an open space, gasping for air. Lirael emerged next, followed by Nyx and Caius. But just as Selene tried to push through, her foot caught.

“Selene!” I cried, watching her fall to her knees. She threw her hands out to break her fall, but the ground beneath her cracked ominously.

“No!” My voice was hoarse as I lunged to help her, but figures erupted from the earth like shadows made flesh. They clawed at her legs, dragging her downward.

“Go on without me!” Selene shouted, her voice raw and desperate. She shoved me back with surprising strength. “Go! You have to fix your past to save me!”

“Selene—”

“GO!” she insisted, her voice breaking.

Helpless, I nodded, biting back tears as I turned to help Caius, Nyx, and Lirael break free. Together, we stumbled forward, leaving Selene behind. Her screams echoed in my ears, each one slicing through me like a blade.

When we finally reached the fortress’s foyer, the atmosphere shifted. Flames ignited on the pillars one by one, their sickly green light casting eerie shadows that danced like phantoms. The air was venomous, stinging my lungs with every breath.

Then, without warning, the others cried out. I spun around, my heart sinking as masked figures dragged Lirael, Nyx, and Caius into separate corridors.

“No!” I shouted, running after them. But the scene shifted again, disorienting me.

I was on a familiar street. Cars zipped by in a blur, and the red light for pedestrians glowed ominously. Across the road stood the girl from Caius’s past. She stepped off the curb, ignoring the signal.

“Hey—” I started, but my past self appeared, sprinting toward her. My scream made her pause mid-step, and in that moment, the bus hit her.

The sound of impact was deafening. I stumbled back, clutching at the nearest pillar for support. My breath came in ragged gasps as the realization hit me.

“She’s dead...because of me?” The words tasted bitter, laced with disbelief and guilt.

The scene shifted again, pulling me into my parents’ room. Their voices clashed, arguing over unpaid bills. The memory was achingly familiar.

“Where’s your brother?” my mother’s voice cut through the chaos.

The next moment, I was at his school, standing outside the bathroom stall. The door creaked open, revealing his lifeless body.

“No,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision. Grief tore through me, raw and unrelenting. “I...I could’ve saved him.”

The scenes came faster now, each one a reminder of my failures. My chest tightened, the weight of regret and guilt suffocating me.

Suddenly, chains materialised, wrapping around my body and dragging me to my knees. They pulsed with a heartbeat, each throb sending pain coursing through me.

“You built this prison to punish yourself,” a voice whispered.

I looked up and saw...myself. The boy in the green hoodie stepped closer, his hollow eyes filled with quiet accusation.

“It’s your fault,” he said, his voice cold and unyielding. “You’re not protecting them. You’re trapping them.”

“I don’t know what to do! I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!” A strangled sob tore from my throat as I spun in place, my anxiety threatening to crush me. I wanted to hide, to cower behind the shield that had always been my refuge. But no amount of steel could block out the haunting images—my dead brother, the girl in the street, all the lives I had failed to protect.

“What did they all have in common?” I muttered, my voice trembling. My heart raced as realisation dawned.

My head snapped up, eyes wide. “The shield,”

I clenched my fists, willing the shield to appear, and within moments, it materialized at my feet. A flicker of memory surfaced—Caius during his trial, summoning the clock from his pocket and using it to pierce the serpent. The tools we carried weren’t just weapons; they were anchors to our guilt, our fears, and our choices.

I stared at the shield, my reflection warped across its polished surface. The weight of its presence pressed against my chest. “I think I’m supposed to let go,” I whispered.

Bracing myself, I lifted the shield, its edge catching the eerie light of the collapsing Bastion. The void below swirled like a hungry maw, ready to consume everything. With a deep breath, I tipped the shield over the edge.

“No!” Caius and Lirael gasped their voices heavy with longing as they watched the shield fall.

The Bastion shuddered violently, walls crumbling into dust. Around me, the voices grew louder, overlapping in a chorus of despair.

“You can’t save them!”

“You’ll fail again!”

“You’ll fail them all!”

Their whispers were like daggers, slicing through my resolve. My brother’s face appeared, pale and accusing. The girl stood beside him, her eyes empty and unforgiving. My parents, their faces twisted with disappointment, joined the chorus of haunting figures that surrounded me.

I closed my eyes, the chaos around me threatening to pull me under. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my knees buckled. But then, through the storm of doubt, a quiet voice rose within me.

“Maybe I will fail,” I murmured, my voice steadying as the words left my lips. I opened my eyes, meeting the accusing gazes of the phantoms. “But I have to trust them to protect themselves too.”

The chains that bound me fell away, clattering to the ground like broken promises. The Bastion trembled, the walls cracking and splitting as the structure began to implode.

As the void surged toward them, Caius moved first, his sharp instincts taking over. He grabbed Lirael by the wrist and pulled her out of the path of falling debris. “Watch it!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Lirael, her eyes wide with determination, summoned a flicker of light in her hands using her broken mirror, creating a barrier that deflected a shard of rock heading straight for Nyx. “Nyx, move!” she called, her voice stronger than I’d ever heard it.

Caius didn’t hesitate. He leapt to his feet, grabbing a jagged piece of rubble and jamming it into a crack in the collapsing floor to create a makeshift bridge. “Come on!” he yelled, motioning for Nyx to follow.

Nyx, who always seemed so detached, nodded sharply and sprinted across the precarious path, his balance precise and sure. He turned back at the edge, his usually distant expression filled with fierce focus. “Lirael, I’ve got you!” he shouted, extending a hand.

The sight of them—working together, saving each other without hesitation—took my breath away. They weren’t the same people they had been when we started this journey.

The green light burst forth then, radiant and blinding. The shield reappeared where it had fallen, its glow forming a protective barrier around them. The sphere expanded, lifting them gently from the chaos and setting them down on solid ground.

I stared in astonishment, my chest swelling with relief and pride. My trust in them hadn’t been misplaced.

Cradling my broken arm, I stumbled toward the light at the Bastion’s edge, stepping into its warmth.

Selene was waiting on the steps, a familiar smirk tugging at her lips. Her eyes sparkled with a mixture of relief and humour. “Was that your past-self? You definitely needed the glow-up,” she teased.

I managed a weak laugh, the weight on my chest lifting as we walked out of the shadows together.

As we reached the hallway again, I didn’t waste any time diving into the discussion. “That girl must be the reason why our pasts are tied,” I said, my voice steady but laced with urgency.

The group turned to me, their expressions ranging from curious to wary.

“The one who said, ‘You’re not done yet,’ in that creepy voice while glaring at me?” Selene asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Selene, that one,” Lirael replied, rolling her eyes with a huff.

Selene gave an exaggerated nod. “Oh, I see. Shocking. Truly groundbreaking.”

I bit back a grin at her dry humor but pressed on. “So,” Lirael turned to me, her expression thoughtful. “We just need to figure out who this girl is and...whatever happened to her, huh?”

“There’s more to it than that,” Nyx muttered, his voice quiet but firm enough to draw all our attention.

We turned to him, surprised. Nyx rarely spoke unless absolutely necessary.

“Either she’s... her spirit, I mean, is out for revenge,” he began hesitantly, glancing between us as if gauging our reactions. “But that doesn’t fully fit. We’re reliving our pasts, confronting them, and that doesn’t seem like revenge. It’s more like she’s... teaching us lessons. About the consequences of our actions or behaviors.”

His voice grew steadier as he continued, the words coming faster now. “But she’s also accusing us. Like she’s forcing us to face guilt or something deeper. So... I suppose it’s both.”

We all stared at him, the weight of his analysis settling over the group like a heavy fog. It was the most I’d ever heard him say since we met.

“Sorry if I interrupted,” he quickly added, his voice dropping to its usual low volume.

I shook my head immediately, meeting his gaze. “No, Nyx. What you’re suggesting makes sense. In fact,” I said, my voice softening, “I think we should be glad to have your brain with us.”

He shifted slightly, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he dipped his head in acknowledgment.

The silence stretched as we turned our attention to the next open door. Selene’s door.

Her smirk faltered as she stared at it, her shoulders tensing. Then she laughed, the sound brittle and sharp, like glass cracking under pressure. “Well, I’m doomed,” she said, her voice carrying a forced lightness that didn’t quite mask the fear behind it.

The laughter faded, leaving only the hum of tension between us. None of us said anything. We all knew what lay behind the doors was far from a joke.