The Flower Is Finished

Farrel managed to grab the rope, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief when he caught it. I hurriedly pulled the rope upward. I was still terrified that something might happen to him.

"Never let go of the rope. If you let go of this rope, I will hate you for the rest of my life," Farrel said in a halting voice, and I gave a faint smile.

"Be quiet, you're giving me a headache with your rambling!" I said with a thin smile as memories of being with him crossed my mind. This time, I trusted Farrel's nature, because he was the same as he had been before entering the palace. So who is he, really? That question often lingered in my thoughts.

"Don't disappoint me," he continued speaking, as if I had no intention of helping him. I ignored him, focusing on pulling him out of this trap.

After I managed to pull him up, he immediately wrapped his arms tightly around me. He sobbed softly, and I was unsure how to respond.

"Aren't you being a bit too dramatic?" I asked. He immediately released his grip and punched my shoulder.

"You don't know how scared I was of falling. I didn't know whether I would live or die," he said. I rolled my eyes lazily.

"Don't you trust me?" Farrel nodded firmly, answering without hesitation. After that, we decided to find a way out of this place.

"So where do we go?" Farrel asked after looking around. There was no other path left except the steel door standing before us.

"We have no choice but to open it." I saw Farrel let out a sigh. He looked confused by my decision, since there was no clear plan that wouldn't risk his life again.

"Didn't you say earlier that it was a trap door? If we open it, won't something happen again?"

I fell silent for a moment, thinking of a solution. But there was no other option. The rope wasn't long enough either, and I knew the risk might be greater than before.

"I have a suggestion," he said, staring at me intently. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking what his plan was.

"Let's tie our belts together. That way, if one of us falls, the other might be able to help."

I exhaled sharply at his suggestion, then took the rope and tied it around my waist. After that, Farrel also tied it around his waist, so both ends of the rope were secured to us.

"Let me put my armor on first."

I pushed the door and struggled to open the extremely heavy steel door. When it finally budged, a sound like heavy rain echoed clearly.

"The sound of rain?" I narrowed my eyes as I saw water that looked real. I listened carefully—it seemed the water was coming from the opposite direction.

Swing—

Swing—

Swing—

Swing—

Several arrows suddenly shot toward us. Farrel didn't seem to realize the sound of the bowstring, so when they were about to strike, I shouted at him to duck. And indeed, several arrows flew past—if we had been even a second late, they would have pierced us.

"Farrel, duck!" I shouted while pulling his shoulder. He gasped in surprise as I yanked him, then quickly lowered his body.

The arrows kept coming. Panic rose in my chest, because I had nothing to rely on except the sword I still carried.

"Can you hold my sword? I'm going to force the door open," I asked Farrel, since I needed both hands to deal with the steel door.

"Are you sure?" Farrel asked, his voice just as tense as mine. The sound of water was getting closer.

"Yes, hurry and hold it. I'm going to force this steel door open."

He crawled, and I did the same, switching positions with him as we moved closer to the door.

I tried to pry the door open, but the steel was incredibly strong. I was nearly crushed when Farrel accidentally failed to hold the weight of the door.

Crack.

Finally, the door began to open. The sound of rushing water grew louder. I used all my strength to push the heavy door.

"Can you open it faster? I can't hold the weight anymore!" Farrel pleaded. Without responding, I forced the door wider.

"There's water coming this way," I said. I could clearly hear it rushing toward us.

"Hold on a bit longer. I'll force it open again."

I pushed harder, and the sound of water grew even closer. Farrel was panicking now.

"Xanders! Hurry up! I don't want to drown in this damn corridor!" he shouted desperately. I could see his hands trembling as he struggled to support the weight.

Little by little, the opening widened.

"Farrel, can you go in first?" I asked when the gap was wide enough.

"Then how will you hold it?" he asked anxiously.

"Go in first, then brace it with your body," I ordered urgently. He hesitated, clearly unsure.

"But what about you?"

I swallowed hard. "Go now, Farrel. This is an order—from your superior."

He flinched at my words, then fell silent, staring at me for a moment. Finally, he crawled forward and slipped inside.

"Hurry and come back," I urged.

Once inside, he immediately used the sword as support to brace the door.

"I'm waiting for you here!" he shouted.

I crawled after him, but the water was rushing closer. I glanced back and saw a violent surge of water racing toward me, freezing me in place.

"Xanders, hurry! The water's almost here!" Farrel shouted, snapping me out of it.

I tried to squeeze through, but my thick armor made it difficult. Farrel groaned in frustration.

"This damn armor is slowing you down!"

"I'm almost out of strength!" he shouted as he struggled to hold the door.

The water surged forward and slammed into me.

Crash.

Crash.

The pressure of the water forced the door outward, sending a sharp pain through my waist as I resisted it. Farrel pulled at me desperately, still bracing the door with one hand.

"Come on, Xanders! You can do it!" he shouted, trying to drag me free.

My necklace throbbed violently—a sign that demons were approaching. I looked back and saw a group of demons moving toward me along with the water. Their echoes filled the corridor, a clear sign they intended to kill me.

"Your necklace?" Farrel noticed and grew even more panicked, pulling harder.

"Xanders, it's glowing!"

I took a deep breath, then forced my arm through and used my elbow to pry the steel door open further. It worked.

But the water kept pouring in, and Farrel struggled to breathe as it splashed into his face through the gap.

The water level rose until it nearly submerged his face.

"Are you having trouble breathing?" I asked between gasps. He didn't answer, but I heard faint, unclear sounds from him.

Once I finally got through, I slammed the steel door shut behind us. Darkness swallowed the space.

Water still seeped in, making it hard for Farrel to breathe.

Because the difference in our height was significant, I decided to carry him, even though he tried to refuse.

"Let me carry you."

He stared at me as we stood side by side, his head barely above the water.

"I still like women," he said suspiciously. I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

"Look at the water level—it's almost at your head," I snapped. He punched my head in response.

"Even if I'm shorter than you, I'm still normal. I'd rather swim."

He started swimming, and I warned him not to touch the bottom—we had no idea how deep it was or what traps lay ahead.

"Don't touch the bottom. I don't know what will happen if you do."

He nodded and swam forward.

I glanced back—the door was completely sealed now. The water had calmed somewhat, though the sound of flowing water still echoed faintly.

After handing the sword back to me, he continued swimming. I scanned the surroundings.

What kind of place is this? I wondered. The area was completely empty, devoid of any objects, which made me uneasy.

This was another trap.