Runecraft Volume 1: Takeo's Beginning [12.4k Words]

Takeo Yuudai's Beginning- Part 3

The pair turned to what they had to traverse next- a long set of stairs that trailed into a basement.
“This is why the ground level is so small, the trial happens underground.”
“Well no shit Keisuke,  there is a 10% chance this ritual is safe. And they can't risk the public to dangerous amounts of radiation, like they'll do to us.”

Takeo didn't bother to wait for a response, he charged straight down the stairs as if they weren't even there, missing some steps as he descended. Large creaking noises came from within the stairs as a result. Keisuke took a more timid approach to the stairs after hearing said noises. Gracefully, she slowly made her way down the stairs. Keisuke was baffled by how Takeo managed to make it down the stairs in one piece the way he tackled them.

At the bottom of the Staircase stood a dual corridor, one path going  to the left, one path that went to the right. A voice began to play. A woman’s voice.  This is your first test- preferences. Between the Dark and the Light, the pure and the chaotic, pick the path you believe is safest. This will determine where you will end up. At some point in your journey, you will come across two embedded paths, choose there and
Your destination will be at the end.
“Takeo moved silently off to the right path, the dark and chaotic. Keisuke confidently made the decision to go to the left of light and pure.

He did not utter a word, he walked slowly and solemnly. He did not care for this immature minigame. However time was of the essence. It is all a test of reaction.

Meanwhile, Keisuke ran directly to her goal. The embedded paths. This was when she had been brought to a halt. Her blazer had got caught on something sticking out of the wall, a hook, it was obviously used for a lantern or light of some sort, however  her blazer would not come free from the grasps of the rusty metal claw. She discarded the outerwear of her school uniform and took the phone. She placed it in her shoe as she had no other pockets.

Takeo reached his fork in the road, there was a sign. It read
“Thou Average Humans help one in need, however much aid do they receive from thee?”
“Left Fork shall take the Benevolent to their destiny, the right supports the malevolent.”

“What on earth, why is it written in Shakespearian english? Who is running this? A ninth grade idiotic drama student?
I guess I'll help someone in desperate need, but not with money. Fighting for their life, now that is something I can do.”

He moved to the left corridor and heard the same voice from earlier but this time it talked in the Language of Shakespeare.
“Thou hast made ones decision, your fate has been decided, may the destiny you seek be granted”

Takeo was getting irritated at this point, and gave up on the solemn walk, he transitioned into a charge similar to the one he used to descend the stairs, he was blinded by the end of the tunnel as he ran directly into the light. By the time his vision came to,  he was in a large white room. There were hundreds of desperate individuals in the room, ones who wanted to initiate the rune. They had all been told the story or had been dragged here by a friend. Conversation buzzed around the room, it was inconceivable. Across the other side of this baron scape of a room was keisuke. Blazer missing, tie clenched in her hand, she was stressed, upset. Whatever had been on her path had saddened her greatly.

Earlier….

After running what felt like forever, Keisuke finally reached the fork in her path, much like Takeo there was a sign that read a question in Shakespearean english. It read:

“Help those less fortunate than thee or help those close to thee in times of need?”

However, the voice chimed in afterwards, a slight tone of manipulation.
“The decision you choose will affect you, this is your destiny. Choose wisely”

Keisuke was stuck, she always wanted to help everyone, now she had to make a life changing decision. Then she calmed down, and thought about the comments Takeo had made on the way here, she started to think logically.
“How is a door going to decide what I do with my Life? How is anything going to stop me? I have the third highest IQ in my class, why am I not thinking about these things? Am i letting the stress get to me? Choose the one that is best for others, put others before myself. Left it is!.”

She thundered down the corridor, ripping her tie from around her neck. Clenching it within her fist, suffocating it, channelling the emotions that she had pent up from that decision. Her face became slightly red, head down she continued to march through this long empty corridor. She soon reached the light. Stood in this baron room she entered behind hundreds, wondering where they all were earlier, are groups let in in allocated slots? No, or they wouldn’t have gotten in. She looked around quickly, scanning the room, no sign of Takeo. Of course there wasn't,  the way he faded into the darkness. Maybe he'll arrive soon.

Present…

Takeo walked over to Keisuke, empty as usual,
“Did you really let that nonsensical choice crap get to you? How pathetic. Move over here, there is more room.”

“Ok.”

The pair moved to the opposite back corner of the room. The conversations continued to rage on, while the pair said very little, the air around them carried the whispers of conversations from the other side of the room. Soon silence befell the room, a manly figure walked out on the elevated platform before them, dressed in all black, wearing a mask, he was closely followed by a womanly figure and another manly figure. Something was about to begin.