Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 114: We die trying

The group stood before the towering gate of the palace, its surface cracked and worn with the passage of centuries. Vines crept along its massive slabs of ancient wood, and the iron studs hammered into it were rusted deep orange. Despite its battered look, the gate still loomed strong and heavy, defying time itself.

The stone walls surrounding the palace reached high into the sky, jagged in places but solid enough that climbing seemed foolish at best. Liam ran his hand along the rough surface of the gate, feeling the weight of history pressing against them.

"Von," Liam called, nodding toward the door.

Von grunted, cracking his massive knuckles. He braced his thick legs apart and placed both hands against the gate. With a mighty roar, he pushed with all his strength. For a tense moment, it seemed like nothing would happen—then, with a loud groan and a cloud of ancient dust spilling into the air, the gate creaked open.

They stepped through cautiously, each person casting uneasy glances around. Inside, the courtyard stretched wide, broken statues littered the cracked stone paths, and patches of dead grass pushed up between the broken tiles. Even in its ruin, the palace had a haunting beauty. Arched windows, shattered yet proud. Grand towers collapsed yet somehow still dignified in the way they leaned against the sky.

Jason whispered low, "This must have been incredible once..."

Sophia nodded, wide-eyed, her hand still clutching her bow.

But before they could fully take it in, a loud BOOM shattered the air behind them. The massive gate slammed shut on its own, sending a deep vibration through the ground under their feet.

Everyone spun around, panic flashing in their eyes.

Marcus and Von rushed back to the gate immediately. Marcus grabbed at the handles and yanked hard, the muscles on his arms straining. Von joined him, throwing his full weight into it. They pushed, pulled, kicked—but it didn’t budge an inch.

"Damn thing’s like it’s fused shut!" Marcus cursed, slamming his fist against the wood.

"Let me try," Gorr said grimly. Before anyone could stop him, the agile warrior ran at the wall. His fingers and boots found the smallest holds in the stone as he scaled upward with impressive speed. With a strong leap, he vaulted over the top of the wall—only to slam into something unseen. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

There was a sound like shattering glass, a flash of invisible light, and Gorr’s body was hurled back down like a rag doll. He hit the ground hard, coughing violently. Blood splattered from his lips onto the cracked stone.

Sera rushed to his side, helping him sit up. Gorr groaned, clutching his ribs.

Liam’s face hardened as realization settled heavily in his gut. There was no escape. Not now.

He turned to the group, who were gathering around, their faces pale and strained.

"It’s either we complete the mission here," Liam said, his voice clear and resolute, "or we die trying."

A heavy silence fell among them, broken only by the wind whispering through the ruins.

They exchanged grim looks, tightening the grips on their weapons, drawing courage from one another.

There was no more room for doubt.

Only the mission, and the thin hope of survival.

At last, after catching their breath and steeling their nerves, the group resigned themselves to their fate and pushed forward through the heavy palace doors.

The inside was vast and haunting. High, vaulted ceilings loomed overhead, though much of the ornate stonework had crumbled over the years. Dust blanketed everything like a thick, suffocating shroud. Massive pillars lined the main hall, cracked but still standing stubbornly against time. Bits of faded murals clung to the walls, depicting forgotten kings, battles, and creatures none of them could name.

But what really stopped them in their tracks were the bones.

Dried, blackened skeletons littered the floor. Some were ancient—just brittle frames covered in tattered armours—but others looked more... recent. Flesh clung to some of them in shriveled patches. Their features were contorted in expressions of agony, frozen mid-scream. Liam crouched beside one and noticed the leather straps of its gear still looked somewhat new. This poor soul hadn’t died centuries ago. Maybe a few months at most.

Sophia swallowed hard and stepped closer, covering her nose from the acrid, burnt smell that still lingered faintly.

"What the hell happened to them?" she asked quietly.

Jason knelt beside another corpse, running his fingers gently over the charred remains of a sword still gripped in skeletal fingers. "Looks like... they were burned. But there’s no signs of a fire sweeping through the whole hall. It’s too... contained."

Marcus snorted sarcastically from the back, crossing his arms. "What? Are we dealing with a fire-breathing dragon lurking somewhere in this dump?"

The others gave weak chuckles, more out of nerves than humor. But Liam wasn’t laughing.

He wasn’t even looking at the corpses anymore.

His eyes had shifted to the walls.

Something gnawed at his senses. The walls looked solid—aged and cracked—but too many of the cracks were blackened around the edges, scorched as if licked by flame. His nose caught it then, just faintly: the smell of oil. It was subtle, masked under the stink of rot and mold, but it was there.

He sniffed again, sharper this time.

The smell was everywhere... almost.

Except for one small corner of the hall—where Jason just happened to be standing.

Liam’s instincts screamed at him.

"Jason! Stay right there! Everyone—GET BEHIND JASON NOW!" Liam roared.

There was no hesitation. Trust ran deep between them now. The group scrambled, Sophia grabbing Mariel’s arm and pulling her along, Borik and Von hauling Gorr between them as they all rushed toward Jason’s corner.

They pressed themselves against the stone wall, confusion and fear knotting their faces.

Before anyone could even ask Liam what the hell was going on—

PSSSSHHHT!

Sprays of oil burst from hidden slits in the cracked walls, misting the entire hall except the small corner where Liam had steered them.

And then, with a bone-rattling WHOOSH, flames ignited in a roaring inferno.

The entire hall was instantly consumed in a wall of fire, the heat slamming against their corner like a living, breathing beast trying to devour them whole. The oil-fed flames rolled violently across the floor and ceiling, eating everything in sight. Charred bones cracked and split under the intense heat.

The group could only watch in horror, huddled together against the only safe patch of wall, the orange and red inferno dancing just feet away from where they stood.

Sophia clutched Liam’s arm tightly, her body trembling.

They were alive—barely—but the message was clear.

This palace was no ruin.

It was a deathtrap.