Following the skeleton’s defeat, the hiss of poisonous gas came to a stop and the door cutting off our escape opened up, letting in much needed fresh crypt air. Witney and Troy help me free myself from the Skeleton’s literal death hug and I find everyone else sat down, looking completely exhausted. “I vote for a thirty minute rest. Any takers?” Urthor panted.

  “Aye,” came five tired voices.

  “Well, you all look like you had fun.” Witney jeered, looking no worse than when she walked into this room.

  “Shut your trap; not all of us can plug away from the back line.” There was no hint of Urthor's usual humor in his voice.

  Seeing that this wasn’t the time for jokes, Witney chose to sit down beside me and inspect my arm. I still could barely move it but at least it had stopped bleeding. Without a word, she took out a bandage and began wrapping it around the wound. “Thank you,” I muttered.

  “You did well, Elvira. I am glad you joined us on this quest.”

  That caught me off guard. I turned to stare at her with my mouth agape, but she was already moving to check on the others. Placing my arm on the bandage, I couldn't hide a soft smile from spreading across my face. I may have not saved a city from some legendary monster but this was close enough, I suppose.

  “So, who’s butt did you have to kiss to get two levels in one day?” Urthor asked.

  Shit, I had no excuse this time. No one else but me had gained a level after killing that monster; and so soon after my last level up. Obviously something strange is going on with me but I can’t think of a good excuse to tell them!

  “I don’t know what happened,” I shrugged, hoping to hide behind my apparent ignorance as a new adventurer.

  “You don’t know? START doesn’t just give out experience all willy nilly–you did something! Did you sneak off and kill something why we weren’t looking? I bet you and the other Rogue kept some treasure to your-”

  “Urthor, shut up. Who cares if she gained another level? Maybe the system was feeling generous because we’d be dead without her,” Witney cut in.

  Startled by her scathing rebuke, Urthor glanced around for support but Troy was on the ground with his eyes closed, while Darrick wasn’t even paying attention. Finally resting his gaze on Sasha, he was once again left disappointed. “If anyone deserves an extra level, it’s her,” Sasha agreed.

  “Gah, fine! I’m too tired for this anyway. Are we ready to move on yet?”

  “Move on?!” Troy shrieked, instantly sitting upright. “Aren’t we done?”

  “Quest is still active,” Darrick informed, shaking his head. “We were supposed to defeat a skeleton council, not a knight.”

  “There’s no way we can fight another monster like that! What if it’s even stronger?!” Troy looked to be on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

  “I was thinking the same thing. I believe we should leave and come back after we have rested.” This statement caused Troy to visibly relax and fall backwards onto the ground again.

  "Couldn't hurt to scout ahead before we leave; aye Elvira?” Sasha offered.

  I nodded with a grin and began walking towards the open doors on the opposite end of the room along with Sasha.

  “Just be careful you two! We’ll wait here until you get back!” Witney called after us.

  The doors led to a long halfway lit by faintly glowing embers. The torches were clearly nearing the end of their life. Sasha spotted no traps so we trudged on in silence until we reached its end and entered a final room containing nothing but a stone throne and a single nameless skeleton sat atop it. There were also no doors that could seal us in, should we step inside.

  The skeleton wore elegant robes of black and purple. In its right hand it held a withered staff that looked like it had been pulled straight off of a decayed tree. Lastly, all ten of the skeleton’s fingers sported rings of various shapes and sizes.

  “Is this our council skeleton?” I asked quietly.

  “Can’t be,” Sasha shook her head. “No nameplate. Either someone already killed this monster or it never became one to begin with.”

  “Then where-” I stopped when Sasha casually strolled into the room.

  “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” I hissed.

  “Killed by what? I don’t see anything dangerous.”

  Hesitantly, I stretched one leg over the threshold to see if anything would happen. When nothing did, I slowly stepped inside. At least for now … it seemed like Sasha was right.

  I stepped further in and carefully studied the room but could find nothing of note. Even compared to the previous rooms, this one was weirdly plain. As if it was specifically designed to contain nothing but this throne. The only other thing of note was a single lever to the left of the throne.

  “At least we found where all our loot went,” Sasha said, gesturing towards the skeleton.

  She reached out to grasp at the withered staff but the moment her hand made contact, a boney hand shot out and grasped her face, lifting her into the air.

  “W-what?!” I shrieked, falling backwards onto my butt as I watched the nameless skeleton rise to his feet and turn its head towards Sasha.

  “Ahh, tis not often the victim delivers itself onto the victimizer,” A low voice echoed through the room. It sounded like two individuals with the same voice were speaking at the same time; but I could see no one talking!

  “W-what is this? It has no nameplate, how is it moving?!” I cried.

  I turned towards Sasha, desperate for answers, but she remained firmly in his clutches. She had begun clawing and kicking at the skeleton but the attacks had less effect than if she had been striking a brick wall. Desperate wails escaped from her but she seemed unable to open her mouth behind the skeleton’s iron grip.

  Turning away from Sasha, the skeleton fixed its hollow eyes upon me. I feared death was at hand but instead of attacking, it … bowed? “We greet thee, oh nefarious villain. It is a pleasure to make thy acquaintance.”

  What did it just say? No … no, no, no; that can’t be right. I’m supposed to be hidden, I have a trait! How does that thing know what I really am?! I look over at Sasha and pray that she didn’t hear him or didn’t believe him but I can see the war of emotions in her eyes. Surprise, Confusion, bafflement, betrayal, fear, and then sheer fury. Unable to say a word, Sasha glares hateful daggers in my direction.

  “What are you talking about? I’m a Rogue!” I lie to the skeleton and Sasha, desperation in my voice.

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  “So they believe, but a mask is merely a mask I’m afraid. Come, let us move on to the matter at hand.”

  This doesn’t make any sense! Why is there a skeleton in some random cave that knows who I am?! Why is it moving and talking?! Was it waiting for me? How did it know I would be here?

  “W-who are you?” I ask, voice faltering.

  “Forgive me, I am a servant of the mother, but I suppose you may call me Council, for that is my role.”

  So this is council. That means it was already here when the quest was given to Darrick! Why is it addressing me then and not him?

  “How did you know I was here? What do you want?” I yell.

  Somehow the skeleton manages to breathe a tired sigh. “So many questions … so be it. I was sent by Mother to provide assistance to you. She is not always so generous but she is well aware of your personal struggles and thus, has sent me to aid thee.”

  “Who … who is Mother?” I ask carefully, already suspecting the answer. Other than my own mom, there is only one other thing that comes to mind when that word is spoken.

  “Why Mother is Mother, of course. The guiding hand of all beings. The spark that begins their journey of adventurer. The beginning of all things; the … start, if you will.”

  “START…” I breathed. So this skeleton was sent here by START and was just expected to wait until I stumbled across him. No … wait, I didn’t stumble here. I joined Darrick on his quest at the adventurer’s guild … a quest given to him by START!

  This is insane!

  Standing up, I look to the skeleton with barely controlled terror and find myself hesitantly asking; “What exactly are you here to help me with then?”

  The Skeleton spreads its arms wide and turns its head upward, still holding tightly onto Sasha’s face. “Why thy quest of course! Opportunity has fallen into thy lap and I am the humble mechanism of its inception!”

  “You’re … you're going to make me kill these people?!” I gasped, feeling a cold shiver run up my spine. I try my best to avoid looking at Sasha’s look of terror.

  “Make? No child. I can do no such thing. The System does not reward actions a being did not intend to do. It rewards decisiveness. It rewards action. It rewards … choice. Mother does not want mindless slaves. If I were to use your hand to commit the dead that would not satisfy the needs of Mother’s quest. No, I will not make you. Thine own hand must be the one that runs red, not mine.”

  “But what if I don’t want to kill people? What if I turn around and leave?” As if I had a choice, now that Sasha knows who I am.

  The skeleton turned its head back to me and raised a boney hand in my direction. I stepped back hesitantly, fearing an attack, but no such thing came. “Then you shall suffer. Unimaginable pain will by thy companion as you cower in fear from reality. Until the day The Hero finds you, that is.”

  “What kind of choice is that?!” I shriek. “You … you say that the system rewards choice but then you give me the choice between killing people or pain and suffering?! What kind of choice is that?!”

  “Ahh, but it is a choice,” The skeleton countered, voice raising to a crescendo. “Should a brave adventure not be rewarded for overcoming a life or death trial? Should a noble soul be punished for saving the day, purely because the foe was stronger? Did you just not save your own life by defeating the skeleton knight?! You had the choice of simply giving up and dying, but you did not, and you were rewarded for it! Do you believe that to be an error?!”

  “That’s … that’s different! There’s a difference between killing innocent people to save my life and killing a monster to save the lives of others!”

  “Is it different?” The skeleton questioned, approaching me until I had my back against the wall. “What difference is there in the eyes of Mother? Do you think only the death of the guilty should reward experience? Do you believe a monster should only give experience if it had killed before? How many individuals do you think the dead in this tomb had the time to kill before you arrived?”

  “The system cannot be biased for it governs all things and thus must do so equally. After all, if it was, who would create the monsters for The Heroes to slay?” it whispered harshly and pulled away.

  I felt myself fall to my knees as the weight of its words fell upon me. “Is that really what I am? A monster created by the system so The Hero has something to kill?” I bemoaned.

  “No, child. You are balance. There can be no good without evil and there cannot be heroes without villains. Your destiny be thine own. Should The Hero slay you … well, then that is his choice.”

  “How can my destiny be my own when I’m goaded on with excruciating pain?” I fumed.

  “Fear not, for that is the only quest with such a punishment. Mother knows the first kill is always the most difficult. She knows a stronger guiding hand is required at first but once you are on the right path, thy choice of direction is thine alone. You will receive more guidance, but it will merely be as such.”

  I paused, feeling a spark of … of something well up inside me. “Is that true? I just have to do this one quest and then I can do whatever I want? I don’t have to keep killing people? What if I want to just go on quests and help people?”

  “That is … thy choice to make,” The skeleton said, raising a boney finger. “Be warned however, that will not absolve thee of thy title.”

  “That’s fine. I will just have to change everyone’s perception of what a villain is,” I nodded. It was the same plan I had all along. I will become a villain that everyone respects, instead of fears. I don’t care what class START gave me, I will always try to do what I want with it.

  “So then, what happens now?” I ask, voice hardened with resolve.

  “Now…” He motioned his free arm over to the lever by his throne. “Now you must make your choice.”

  Studying the lever closer, I noticed for the first time that same symbol I had been doing my best to ignore for the past three days. The lever had no name or level, only the red mark shown above it. Mother’s guiding hand.

  I didn’t need to know what the lever would do. He’s guiding me towards it so that I can complete my quest. Everyone else besides me and Sasha will still be waiting for us in that room where we fought the Skeleton Knight. The same room whose doors sealed shut; locking everyone inside while the room filled with toxic gas.

  “Ah, but aren’t we forgetting something? Oh, yes, …. I remember,” The skeleton stated, addressing the women in his hand for the first time since we started talking. His skull drew uncomfortably close to Sasha whose eyes were firmly closed. Leaning in, he spoke in a harsh whisper: “Leave no witness!”

  I withdrew my hand from the lever and began to walk towards Sasha. The girl who had been at my side during this entire adventure. The girl who had started off quite rude but had warmed up to me over time. The girl who I was going to kill to save myself from pain and suffering.

  The skeleton started laughing as he held her head away from me, guaranteeing that Assassinate would trigger. Sasha began to wail through his hand as she flailed around more violently than before. I could hear her muffled pleas as I drew out my dagger. I could hear her voice but I felt too hollow to care at this point. I would kill these people and then I would do everything I could to make up for it. I just had to keep telling myself that I will make this right. Five deaths for the ability to save hundreds or thousands more.

  “I'm sorry," I whisper, voice breaking.

  I grit my teeth and closed my eyes as I raised my daggers high into the air, driving out the wailing voice of the girl I had recently fought beside with a cry of my own.

  And I kill her.

  Tears falling from my face, I know that I can’t hesitate. The moment she died everyone will have felt her presence fade away. I don’t want to pull that damn lever but I don’t have a choice, I’ve come too far. I ignore the howling laughter of the skeleton beside me and pull hard on the lever with my own hands because I don’t have any other choice.

  But I guess I did all along, didn’t I?