Inside the silence of those ancient ruins, Arvin and Allen's footsteps echoed softly as they ventured deeper into the main chamber. The sight before them was utterly mind-boggling. Golden light reflected wildly off coins, gems, jewelry, and ornamental goblets that were piled haphazardly into dazzling hills.
Arvin paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping across the expanse of wealth with a calculating gaze, not out of blind greed, but with a cold, deliberate assessment.
"A fortune of this magnitude..." Arvin murmured, his voice sounding awestruck yet controlled. He turned to Allen, pointing toward the edge of the seemingly endless pile. "Do you realize, Allen? The total value of all this is enough to purchase a small kingdom and everything within its borders."
Allen swallowed hard. He looked at the mountain of gold with mixed emotions. On one hand, its beauty was mesmerizing, but on the other, its sheer, nonsensical volume made him feel small.
"So..." Allen's voice sounded hesitant. "Do we really need to take it?"
"Of course we're taking all of it!" Arvin replied with absolute conviction, as if doubt were a word forbidden in his vocabulary. "There is no need for naivety or hypocrisy. We need this wealth for our future, for the three of us."
Arvin then pointed back toward the corridor they had come from. "Not just this gold. We must also take the magic crystals embedded along those corridor walls."
Allen nodded in agreement, trusting his husband's decision completely. "Alright, My Husband."
As soon as Allen gave his consent, Arvin raised his hand. A faint magical aura enveloped the room. In the blink of an eye, without a roar, only a subtle hum, the entire mountainous hoard vanished. The coins, gold bars, gems, and goblets were sucked into his infinite dimensional storage.
Now, the massive chamber felt far more vast, cold, and empty. Only the dusty, ancient stone floor remained. However, with the gold gone, another object was revealed.
On the far wall, which had previously been hidden by the mountain of gold, stood a pitch-black door. It had no handle, yet the carvings on its surface seemed to pulse with life, radiating an unsettling aura.
Driven by a spark of curiosity, Allen instinctively took a step closer.
"Never enter that door!"
Arvin's voice, suddenly sharp and rising, brought Allen to an immediate halt. He turned, startled by his husband's dead-serious expression, which was a world away from his relaxed demeanor just moments ago.
"W-Why? What's wrong with that door?" Allen asked, curious and a little frightened.
Arvin walked over, standing between Allen and the black door like a living shield.
"That door is neither an exit nor a treasure room." Arvin explained in a heavy tone. "It is a death trap. A spatial distortion that will send you falling into a bottomless abyss of nothingness."
He looked Allen dead in the eye, making sure the warning sank in. "You would die instantly if you stepped through, Allen. No healing magic or barrier could save you from that place."
Arvin let out a long sigh, his gaze drifting for a moment toward the past, or more accurately, toward his memories of a 'previous life' as a gamer.
"In the past..." Arvin continued, his voice softening like someone reciting an old legend. "Many believed that a treasure far greater than what we just saw was hidden behind this mysterious door. Greed led them inside. But not a single soul ever returned."
Arvin gestured toward the door with his chin. "They say the only person to ever survive claimed there is only eternal darkness within. Anyone who enters vanishes without a trace, and their bodies are never found."
Of course, the dramatic explanation was a fabrication. However, it was rooted in the bitter facts of 'BL Game: The Sign of Destiny' that he had once played. That door was a legendary "troll trap" created by the developers. Any player who entered would be immediately met with a black screen and the words 'GAME OVER'. it was a merciless trap.
Hearing that terrifying explanation, Allen immediately backed away several steps. His curiosity vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of dread. He decided then and there never to speak of or even look at that door again.
Yet, unlike the innocent Allen, Arvin's heart was churning with a wild curiosity. As the Arvin who now existed in the real world, no longer just an avatar on a screen, he wondered: Where does that door actually lead? Is it truly just death, or is there a mechanic that has never been solved?
I'll have to postpone my investigation for now. Arvin thought, reining in his adventurous streak. Now isn't the right time. Putting Allen at such an immeasurable risk would be foolish. I'll come back alone to investigate another time.
Brushing the thought aside, Arvin turned back to Allen with a bright smile. "Anyway, forget that ugly door, Allen. Let's go grab all those magic crystals in the front corridor!"
Allen's face brightened again. "Yes, My Husband!" he replied enthusiastically. "Let's gather them all!"
The two of them turned around, leaving the now-empty main chamber and walking back toward the corridor where they had first set foot in the ruins.
The corridor walls were encrusted with naturally growing beautiful magic crystals. For a mage, this was an incredible harvest.
Upon arrival, they set to work immediately. Arvin casually touched a large cluster of crystals on the left wall.
Zip!
The magic crystals vanished into his dimensional storage.
Meanwhile, Allen used a magic bag Arvin had made, which had a vast internal capacity, to collect the smaller magic crystals on the right side.
"Hup!" Allen stood on his tiptoes, prying loose a blue crystal and dropping it into the bag.
Not a single magic crystal was left behind. Allen worked diligently, yet his heart felt light and full of joy.
Traveling to new places with my husband is so much fun! Allen cheered silently. He stole occasional glances at Arvin, who was busy on the other side of the hallway.
Until now, Allen's world had been confined to the walls of the orphanage, the academy classrooms, and the dormitory. But today, he had adventured into a forest, entered ancient ruins, and found a hoard of treasure.
I want to see more of the beauty of this world. he thought hopefully.
Allen's eyes fixed on Arvin's sturdy back. He looked so reliable. Would he be willing to become an adventurer with me one day? I think... going on adventures to new places with him would be a very happy life.
A short while later, their harvesting was complete. Every magic crystal that had previously decorated the walls was gone without a trace.
The consequences were felt immediately. The corridor, once illuminated by the natural glow of the magic crystals, suddenly plunged into pitch-black darkness. Total shadows enveloped them in an instant, leaving only a heavy silence.
"Ah..." Allen was slightly startled, but he reacted quickly.
"Light!" he whispered softly.
A small orb of light appeared in Allen's palm, floating upward and illuminating the area with a soft white glow. Arvin's handsome face became visible again, making Allen feel at ease.
"My Husband, how do we get out of here?" Allen asked, looking around at the stone walls that now appeared bleak without the crystal decorations. "The way we came in is just a dead end now."
"Don't worry. We have to head back to the treasure room to trigger the exit mechanism." Arvin answered, recalling the walkthrough of the game he had beaten countless times.
Arvin gave a wry smile as a strange sense of nostalgia washed over him. "In the past... I was just like you, Allen. I was worried sick trying to find the exit here. I was afraid I'd be buried in these ruins forever, all alone."
It's true, you know! Arvin's inner voice screamed in confirmation. When I first played this game, I circled around looking for clues thousands of times. I was so frustrated trying to find all the secrets of these ruins and the way out. It was so hard I nearly smashed my keyboard and computer.
Suddenly, his thoughts drifted back to the mysterious black door. But honestly... even now, I'm still curious about what's actually behind that 'Game Over' door. Did the developers really just put death there, or is there an 'Easter Egg' no one has ever found?
"My Husband, let's head back quickly!"
Allen's voice broke Arvin's reverie. The pink-haired youth looked at him with a slightly anxious face, reminded him. "They will definitely come looking for us if we're gone too long. We're still in the middle of class, aren't we?"
Allen's words snapped Arvin back to reality. Currently, they had "run away" from the group. If they were caught missing for too long, it could lead to some annoying trouble.
He had to keep his curiosity about the black door locked away for now. His main priority was getting Allen out safely and ensuring their alibi held up.
Arvin gave a firm nod and squeezed Allen's warm hand. "Yes, you're right, Allen! Let's head back now."