Lin's Side: Shadow of a doubt

How…how did I get here in the first place? I swear I don't even know where I am. I believe I am
in a temple of some sort…a hellish one at that. Wherever I walk, I sense something creeping behind
me and the portraits on the wall don't seem to be too aesthetic. I think multiple people would agree.
Most of them consist of people being tortured. One picture depicts a man being burned to the
bone. Another one shows a child screaming in great pain being hit with a metal rod by a demon-like
creature. Some were so gruesome, that I couldn't even look at it without my stomach becoming queasy.
I don't belong here. I should have listened to my older brother and been deferential. I should
have not ran off and be cursed to stay here forever. All because I ran away and became completely
careless. You see, I live in a forest with a loving family. We're not related by blood but we still care for
each other. Not long ago, I was beginning to feel tired of living in the forest so long and I felt I needed to
have my own adventure, so I snuck out because I knew there was no way I would get an approval from
my older brother; While venturing, I became lost and ended up staying under the roof of a
supposedly empty house. I couldn't sleep though and I ended up just looking at the roof for about an
hour. I attempted to fall asleep again and finally, I drifted to sleep after many failed attempts. Later that
night, I began having a very strange but vivid dream; Almost as if I was actually there. In my dream,
there was a shadowy figure in the middle of a white abyss of nothing-ness. The shadowy figure held out
its hand. I stood there motionless for about a minute. In its hand was an object shining, enveloped in
darkness.
Silence. Not a single noise could be heard for so long. If I attempted to walk, I didn't
progress forward at all. All of this perplexed me and seemed abstract beyond all means. All I could see
was the shadow ahead of me, and the ominous glowing item in its hand. After waiting for what
seemed to be forever, the shadow slowly approached me with its hand still out and the item still out as
well. My heart race so quickly; I began to believe I wasn't dreaming, but that this was really happening.
The shadow took shape into what appeared to be a monster morphed with a human. It had a hand that
looked like the ashes of burnt wood, but in a more solid form, it was missing a left eye, and its right eye
glowed a dim red color. It was dressed in a very dusty and dark sangria colored rag.
Silence still remained as the creature stared at me with its one red eye. I still stood
motionless and still more frightened than ever. I thought I was going to be killed right there unless I
fought back. Trembling to get my sword, out of nowhere, the creature uttered out: "This is the
melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow." The
creature put the glowing object that has been in its hand for a while in its mouth and readied itself to
play a song. The instrument it had in its hand the whole time was a decrepit looking pan flute; Ironically
though, when the melody was played, the pan flute sounded better than a normal pan flute. The song
played sounded dolefully depressing, yet extraordinarily beautiful. Suddenly, the instrument's ominous
glow began to spread all over the room like contagious virus. As the room began turning a dark red,
the creature faded away into the red void.
I couldn't breathe. I fell down on the floor desperately gasping for air. I thought I was going to
die right there in a painful and indescribable manner. Consternation filled my head due to the fact that
the creature left me alone like that to suffer and die in such a painful manner. My body laid on the floor
like a log that has been lying around forgotten for some time. Before I closed my eyes and passed out, I
thought: "Is this the end of me?"
When I woke up, I found out I was trapped in this temple doomed to stay here for the rest of
eternity (So I thought at least) all because I had not listened to my brother. I thought by wondering
around a bit my troubles will soon be over and I will wake from this "Nightmare." But instead, I
purposely fell on the floor stomping my fist on the ground out of pure anger and despair. When I came
back to my senses, after moping and admittingly weeping for a few minutes, my attitude changed. For
some reason, I began feeling strangely elan. Something struck me, like lightning. I began to realize that
not all hope was lost since I hadn't really ventured in any area of this temple (What I now want to call
dungeon) and maybe, just maybe, I could find an escape from this Hell and return back to my safe
abode. I stood up and with confidence, pulled out my small but handy sword and wooden shield and
ventured into the dungeon ahead.
Already, my hairs stood up and I really thought of heading back and just killing myself
Instead of having to go through this, but I remembered that the goddesses where watching over me and
protecting me from whatever is yet to come. I proceeded to an opening of another area. I crept inside a
room, dimly lit with four lanterns located in the corners. I walked in stealthily and with much care, just in
case there was a monster or creature of some sort waiting to attack anyone who tries to intrude.
Unfortunately, I failed to be sneaky and gave out a yelp when I ran into a stone of some sort. At first, I
couldn't tell what it was but I was able to make out a giant crow statue. Below the crow statue was a
pedestal that was too dark to read. I grabbed my lantern that was in my satchel and lit that particular
part up where the letters were. I was able to decipher: "Make my beak face the skull of truth. My
alternative is to descend you into deep darkness." I tried to figure out what it was trying to say since
the choice of words was a bit complex. After thinking about it for a second or two, I figured out that
I had to shift the statues beak on "The skull of truth." I still don't know what it meant by "The skull of
truth" though

I picked up my lantern which I left on the floor and wondered around hoping I would find some

sort of hint or clue to this puzzle. While flailing about, moving my arm and my hand crazily, trying to find
some sort of clue, my lantern was able to reveal a skull which was sitting on top of a pedestal. Out of
fear, I ran off into the darkness and hit another pedestal with a skull on top as well. Continuing to run
like some idiot, I ran into another pedestal with a skull on top as well. I couldn't take it any longer and I
ran to a corner, hitting my face against the wall, then cowering like a little kid and putting my hands over
my head; My nose dropped a bit of blood. When I was done crying like a baby, I tried my best to stand
up but I felt some sort of force keeping me from standing up. What it was, I do not know. Mustering up
my courage and trying to remember of my loving family back in the forest; I pushed against the force
with my back. My face was full of sweat, rapidly trickling down my cheeks. I thought I was destined to
fail, but luckily, I felt the force leave me and I was able to stand up. It was quite the boon that I was able
to escape that horrible experience. I walked back to the skulls, mustered up all my courage and
observed each one carefully.
I was able to figure out what the pattern was . It was so simple, yet so complicated. The skulls
are all arranged in a circle around the crow. In front of the crow was a panel where you could push it
and the statue would move. Of course it required strength but it's surprisingly lighter than expected. I
tried to look for more hints but all I found was text on the pedestals for the skull which read: "These
skulls are the remains of humans who died by excessive avarice" I thought and thought until my mind
grew tired but I could not find even one solution.
I was already losing my mind again. I couldn't stand it anymore. I have been stuck here for many
hours and I grew desperate and almost a little insane. I had no choice except to either slowly die of
mice eating me up and insanity, or have even just a small chance of making it through this dungeon. I
had no choice but to take a risk and possibly die. My hands where slipping off the panel since my hands
where full of sweat. My heart was beating even faster than last time, but I pushed the panel to the skull
I could direct it to first. The room went pitch black.
As soon as the room turned dark, I fell into a void. I looked up, down, left, and right but all I
could see was complete darkness and nothing more. I cried out loud screaming and shouting out of
desperation. I just wanted to go home. Already, I was crying in an uncontrollable manner. As I cried my
last tear, I whispered solemnly to myself "Is it the end yet? Is it the end of Lin yet?" The last noise heard
was a thud.
"What the hell are you doing, boy?" A long pause…No answer was given. "Hey! Wake up!"
"Agh! Wait! Where am I? W-what is this?" "Boy, have you lost your mind?" The man
said. "No…Well, at least I don't think I did." "Well, You sure look lost! Har har har!" He laughed like a
horse with grass stuck in its mouth. "Contentious man…" I whispered to myself. "What was that?" Said
the man with his hand by his ear. "Oh, nothing." I told him. "You trying to dissemble something?"
Said the man suspiciously. "No! Of course not, it's just-""Just what? You think it's okay to sleep in
people's houses without their permission?" He didn't seem to happy, but then I realized that this whole
time I was just dreaming. "N-no, I was dreaming! You see, I was stuck in a demonic temple and-and
there was this statu-" "Enough" Said the man. "I think I know where this is going." You do?" I said with a confused tone. "Listen, let me clear things up for you. Let's just say, I think I know you. You look just like him" "Who do I look like?" I leaned closer out of curiosity. "Your brother, the hero of this land" Out of amazement, my jaw dropped and I couldn't believe what I was heard.
"You see, years ago, your brother arrived to this sleepy little village. He was on a quest to
stop a horrid evil from rising into power. In order to stop it, He needed to meet up with different
sages scattered across the land and obtain very special items from each of them. Unfortunately, the
evil lurking within the village, an elusive beast, heard of the hero's plan and took away the key to his
success: The sage. When he had arrived, we told him we were attacked by this beast and that the sage
was taken by the beast. He insisted on searching for her but we already knew it would be impossible to
retrieve her. We told him doing so would be suicide and foolhardy but he insisted. We had no choice but
to agree with his will. A protector of our village would teach him a cursed song that would send him to
the beast's lair. When he played the song, he was immediately sent into the temple by a mysterious
power. There, he would take care of whatever business he had to take care of.
"Wow. What a great story…but that doesn't answer why I had that dream" "Dream? Oh, right.
Well, more than likely, your brother never really killed the demon but instead, locked him away in a
void. It's impossible to kill it you know." "So what does this mean?" I asked anxiously. "My guess is that
the beast was messing with your head. He wanted some sort of revenge, even if it was just to his little
brother being you" " So I am safe?" I said with a silly grin and in an avid manner. "As long as you leave
this village, and try not to fall asleep again here, you'll be fine!" "O-okay! Thank you. I waved
goodbye to the mysterious man and left the village. He offered me some food before I left. I
immediately said yes and gladly took the food. I thanked him of course. As I waved goodbye and left the
village, I noticed something very peculiar; My satchel was feeling lighter than before. When I stuck my
hand in it, I could not find my lantern