Absolute Cheater

As he walked, he ran through mental exercises, cataloging the layout of the path he was following, counting his steps, memorizing turns. It was a technique he'd trained in during countless hours of endurance training, grounding his mind in logical patterns to counter the illusory attacks. He knew that logic and resilience were his greatest allies here.

Yet the maze was relentless. With each twist and turn, he felt a rising sense of dread, as if he were spiraling deeper into something ancient and unknowable. The whispers became laughter, mocking his every attempt to push forward, to hold his ground. Flickering images of failure sprang up in his mind—visions of defeat, of lost battles, of endless darkness stretching out before him, cold and eternal.

A faint glow appeared in the distance, drawing his attention. He tensed, unsure if it was a trap or a possible exit. He moved toward it cautiously, each step deliberate and measured. As he neared, the light resolved into a faint figure—a baby version of himself, standing in the center of a small clearing. The boy looked up at him, eyes wide with innocence but filled with a haunting sadness.

"Why did you leave me?" the child asked, his voice soft but piercing.

Asher froze, his breath catching in his throat. He knew this was part of the test, yet the sight of his younger self, vulnerable and hurt, struck a chord that resonated painfully. It felt too real, too vivid, dredging up memories he'd buried.

"I didn't… I didn't abandon you," Asher whispered, though his voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

The child stared at him, silent for a moment before a smirk twisted across his face, transforming the look of sadness into something far more sinister. "Then why do you carry so much guilt?" The voice morphed, blending into that same chorus of whispers that had taunted him earlier, now mingling with cruel laughter.

Asher felt his heartbeat pause at the words, and a memory flashed before his eyes—a memory he had always wanted to forget but could never quite escape. It was a memory from his previous life, sharp and haunting, a reminder of something he wished he could erase from his mind. But here it was, vivid and real. How was this possible?

He couldn't help but wonder, What is happening here? Just how powerful was this place, that it could even unearth memories from his past life?

Asher's breath hitched as the memory washed over him, vivid and relentless, far too real to simply be a trick of the mind. The shadows shifted, weaving around him like tendrils as his surroundings faded, replaced by scenes from a past he'd worked so hard to bury.

In front of him was a scene he knew all too well—a cold, silent night, the flickering light of torches casting an ominous glow. He could almost feel the damp chill of the air, smell the scent of smoke and iron. It was the night everything had fallen apart. A betrayal, a desperate decision, and the faces of those he'd left behind—people who had once trusted him, looked up to him—haunted his vision. He had tried to move forward, to shed that part of himself, but no matter how far he went, the memory followed him, like a shadow he could never shake.

Asher's hands clenched into fists. "This… it shouldn't be possible," he muttered, feeling the weight of the Den's power pressing down on him. The maze wasn't just testing his fears—it was dredging up his past, prying into memories and traumas that weren't supposed to follow him into this life. He could feel it, like a living force wrapping around his mind, probing his deepest regrets, unraveling the threads of his very soul.

"Why did you leave?" The child's voice echoed again, sharper, colder. "You could have saved them, yet you ran."

The words stung, not just for their cruelty but because they echoed his own buried doubts. Asher's heart pounded as he took a step back, steadying himself. "I did what I had to," he whispered, but even he could hear the wavering in his voice.

The shadows twisted again, shifting into the faces of those he'd failed. Their expressions were hollow, empty, eyes locked onto him with an intensity that felt all too real. He wanted to turn away, but something held him there, forcing him to confront them. For a moment, he felt like he was drowning in their silent accusations, as if the weight of his guilt alone was pulling him under.

But Asher closed his eyes, steadying himself. When he opened them, the child's smile had twisted into a monstrous grin as it lunged toward him, aiming to bite at his neck. In a swift move, Asher sidestepped, and blood leaked from his wrist, forming a blade that gleamed with a metallic sheen. With precision, he swung it at the creature, and the blade cleaved the child in two, ending the nightmare in a single, decisive strike.

Asher steadied his breath, his blood blade dripping as the remnants of the creature evaporated into wisps of dark smoke. He clenched his hand, watching the metallic sheen slowly fade from the weapon as it reabsorbed back into his body. Despite the unsettling attack, he felt a strange surge of confidence—the darkness here might know his fears, but it couldn't overpower his will to survive.

The shadows around him seemed to pulsate with a low, thrumming energy, sensing his resolve, as if they were waiting for his next move. He knew the maze wasn't done with him yet; this was only the beginning.

A faint chuckle echoed from the walls, deep and haunting, as if mocking his small victory. Asher's jaw clenched. "Bring whatever you have," he muttered under his breath, his eyes sharp and alert. He was done letting memories drag him down. Whatever the Den of Nightmares could throw at him, he would face it head-on.

"I've been haunted by it for a whole 30 years—do you really think it affects me now?" Asher asked, chuckling. But soon, the chuckle twisted into morbid laughter, the kind that only a madman might emit.

"Aha... hahahaha! Let's see what your true color is," he sneered, his voice laced with a new, unsettling edge. A hidden personality, buried deep within, began to surface, drawn out by the traumatic memories and past shadows that had haunted him. It was a side he had knowledge of but what he didn't know was that it has been carried in this world too.