Herbert and the relic

Adrian, adopting a mischievous tone, inquired, "I'm still not quite clear on why you'd be willing to part with such a precious relic, given how highly you speak of it."

Herbert, perspiring nervously upon hearing Adrian's question, responded, "It's not like that at all. I'm just getting too old, and I can't keep hoarding these relics all to myself. When I saw two young individuals coming here, I thought it must be fate."

Adrian couldn't help but be amazed by the eloquence of the elderly man, who was closer to the nether realm than the living.

Noticing Adrian's silence and receiving a stern gaze with a smirk, Herbert found himself torn between two options: whether to divulge the truth or attempt to compel compliance through force.

A sigh involuntarily escaped from Herbert's mouth. "Fine, you got me. I guess I was just foolish or too greedy, unlike you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been trapped here for my entire life."

Adrian sensed that the old man was finally being honest, but he remained cautious. He wasn't ready to believe everything that came out of the hunched old man's mouth.

Herbert continued with his story: "It all began when I was 37 years old. I was part of a group of nine explorers who stumbled upon this mansion. We were young and inexperienced, venturing into the dream realm for the first time. Our leader was a remarkably wise and knowledgeable young woman, whom we all held in high regard."

Listening to the old man's ramblings, Adrian couldn't help but yawn. He understood that he needed to learn about the backstory of the old man and this relic, so he resisted the urge to interrupt. He knew that he had to gather as much information as possible to make an informed decision about the relic.

"She knew how this place was filled with relics and riddles," Herbert continued.

"We solved the riddles one by one, gaining relics that suited our preferences. Those who wanted to trade between each other did so, as there wasn't much danger here, and our group remained tightly bound under the leadership of our wise and knowledgeable young leader."

Adrian continued to listen without interruption as the old man recounted the events that transpired within the mansion.

"But one day," Herbert continued, "our first member disappeared. We had been here for more than ten days, if I remember correctly, and that had never happened before. At first, we thought something must have happened to her, but after failing to find any trace, we assumed she had run away."

Herbert paused, taking a deep breath, as if recounting the story was taking its toll on him, but he continued nonetheless. "Our leader didn't press us too much to look for her, and we continued to solve riddles and discover relics. But soon, after another ten days, someone else disappeared."

Adrian was genuinely interested in Herbert's account, knowing that it might shed light on their situation. Herbert, oblivious to Adrian's curiosity, continued his tale.

"This time, the other members didn't allow the exploration to continue, fearing they could be next. A few of them suggested leaving, but our leader dismissed the idea."

Suddenly, Herbert paused, and Adrian observed that his teeth were chattering, as if he were cold or, more likely, simply terrified.

Herbert took a shaky breath before continuing. "Then it all began. We started receiving strange riddles, as if someone was trying to make us guess who was behind the disappearances and who might have had affairs within our group. It felt like the relic was sowing the seeds of discord among us. Those seeds soon began to sprout, especially after the third member disappeared, and we found ourselves unable to continue exploring because solving those riddles became an impossible task."

"What transpired afterward?" Adrian inquired, growing more intrigued by the story.

Herbert continued, his voice fraught with tension. "As we remained stuck on that same level with nothing to do except point fingers at each other, mistrust started to fester among the group. Strangely, our leader did nothing to stop it, and she rarely showed herself among us. As I was closer to the other members than to the leader, I didn't pay much attention to her actions either, which I now realize was a mistake."

"Ten more days passed, and another one of us disappeared," he went on.

"Doubts were already swirling around by then, and it became clear that people were secretly sharing the names they believed were responsible. You see, in this place, once you answer a riddle, you can't answer again when you move on to the next stages."

Herbert noticed that Adrian was now reacting to the story; his concern about Emilie was evident. Encouraged by Adrian's attention, he pressed on.

"As there weren't many of us to begin with, the odds were in favor of one of us having the correct answer, and that's exactly what happened,"

Herbert revealed. "We did get the correct answer, but it wasn't a pleasant discovery."

Adrian couldn't resist the urge to inquire, "Was it your leader?"

Herbert gazed at Adrian, remaining silent for a moment before offering a bitter smile. "You're mistaken. It was me."

Adrian found himself genuinely taken aback, as he had believed Herbert to be the victim in this situation. Despite his surprise, he chose to remain silent, allowing Herbert to continue.

"I acted this way because of this relic. I've never been the type to betray those close to me. Initially, it wasn't clear that obtaining just one relic was the objective. But, as we progressed, I received a riddle that, surprisingly, had both its consequences and rewards written beneath it. The rewards included becoming a dream diver and gaining the ability to visit this mansion whenever I wished, which initially appeared to be the most enticing choice," Herbert explained.

Adrian, eager to move forward, urged, "Continue."

"The consequences of answering the riddle incorrectly involved making a human sacrifice every ten days. Our leader somehow became aware of the situation and realized it was me, so she decided to..."

"...depart," Herbert concluded.