Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 165: Outside the Tomb

They had been there for four days.

Four full days of nothing but stone walls, the looming silence of the tomb’s sealed entrance. It felt like the tomb itself was alive—watching, waiting, whispering in voices only the mind could hear.

Sophia sat against the wall, knees drawn up to her chest. Her head rested on them, blonde hair tangled and dusty. She hadn’t spoken much. No one had, really. The chatter had died out sometime on the second day, replaced by long silences and anxious glances. Her eyes flicked every so often to the entrance—still sealed, still pulsing faintly with a magic none of them understood. And still no sign of Liam.

Mariel was pacing again. The only one with energy to burn, though even that was wearing thin. Her boots made soft taps on the stone floor, rhythm out of place with the rest of their stillness. "It’s been too long," she muttered. "Too long."

Jason sat nearby, fidgeting with his crossbow. He had dismantled and reassembled it three times in the last hour. "If they were dead," he said quietly, "wouldn’t the door have done something? Cracked? Released a smell? I don’t know... anything?"

Eleanor leaned against the wall, arms crossed, sharp grey eyes watching everyone. "It’s a tomb sealed by forgotten magic," she said calmly. "It doesn’t follow your logic."

Sera hadn’t said anything since day two. She sat away from the others, eyes unfocused, legs crossed beneath her like she was meditating—but she wasn’t. Borik had tried talking to her, once. She hadn’t responded. Just stared at the floor like she could see something the rest of them couldn’t.

Von was asleep—finally. The big man had insisted on standing watch every night, even though no one was coming, and now he was collapsed against a boulder with his arms crossed and head tilted back. His snores echoed quietly in the chamber.

Borik stood near the sealed stone door, staring at it like it might open if he just glared hard enough. "It’s not right," he muttered, beard twitching. "Not right at all. Four days? Four days without word or breath or sound?"

Marcus, who had been leaning back with his eyes closed, opened them slowly. "He’s still alive."

The others looked up.

"You sure?" Jason asked, the words cautious, like he didn’t want to jinx it.

Marcus nodded. "I can feel him. Not clearly—but it’s there. Like a thread, pulsing under the surface."

"You’ve said that every day," Mariel said, but there wasn’t any bite in her voice.

"And I’ll keep saying it until the thread snaps," Marcus replied. "Liam’s alive. I don’t know what he’s going through in there, but he’s still fighting."

Sophia looked up at that. "Fighting?"

"Yeah," Marcus said, voice low. "I don’t know how to explain it, but it doesn’t feel like he’s just surviving. It feels like he’s pushing against something. Struggling."

"Tests," Eleanor said.

Everyone looked at her.

"The treasure," she went on, "was never meant to be claimed easily. It would test them. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually. And Liam’s not the type to fail a test like that."

Sophia rubbed her face. "And the queen?"

"She’s dangerous," Mariel said instantly.

"She’s not our enemy anymore," Jason added. "At least... not right now."

Sera’s voice came then, soft, distant, as if it had drifted in from some other world. "She’s not the same. She’s walked through too many lifetimes. She sees more than we do."

That made everyone quiet again.

The torches flickered. The wind howled beyond the crumbled archways, blowing grit and cold into their bones. Time passed slowly, every minute dragging like hours. Food was low. They had already divided the last of the rations yesterday. Von’s stomach growled so loud it made Sophia jump.

Still, no one suggested leaving.

Because if they left... and Liam came out... and they weren’t there—

No. They would wait. Even if it killed them.

Mariel sat down beside Sophia, brushing dust off her pants. "If he doesn’t come out soon..."

"He will," Sophia cut in.

Mariel gave her a look but didn’t argue.

In the far corner, Borik muttered something to himself. It might’ve been a prayer.

The silence stretched on, thick and heavy, until Jason finally broke it, voice low and cautious.

"Do you ever wonder... what happens if Liam and the queen don’t make it out?" His fingers tightened around the crossbow.

Sera’s eyes flicked up, unfocused but sharp. "I don’t want to think about that."

Marcus let out a slow breath. "If they die in there, then we’re all screwed. This whole mission was about getting that treasure and getting out."

Von stirred awake at that, rubbing his eyes and sitting upright. "We can’t think like that. Liam’s the strongest one we’ve got. He’s been through hell before."

Eleanor nodded. "But even the strongest have limits. Four days... it’s hard to ignore."

Sophia’s jaw tightened. "He wouldn’t leave us waiting like this if he could help it."

Borik grunted from his spot by the door. "Old magic doesn’t care about strength or hope. It’s cruel and patient."

Mariel looked at the dwarf, then back at the rest. "We’re running low on supplies. If they don’t come soon, we’ll have to decide what to do."

A chill passed through the group at that.

Jason shook his head. "No way. We don’t leave without them."

Marcus met his gaze, fierce. "Exactly. We hold this spot. We survive. We wait."

Sera’s voice was barely a whisper. "I can feel... something wrong. Like a shadow stretching over all of us."

Eleanor leaned forward. "You’re sensing the danger, but it’s also a warning. We need to be ready for whatever comes."

The group exchanged looks—tired, scared, but determined. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Sophia stood, stretching out stiff limbs. "Then we wait. Together. For as long as it takes."

Von stood beside her, cracking his knuckles. "We fight if we have to."

Sophia’s voice cut through the tense silence, steady and firm. "We need to stay strong—not just for ourselves, but for Liam and the queen. They’ll need us when they do return."

Marcus nodded, his usual bravado softened by exhaustion. "She’s right. We can’t afford to fall apart out here. Liam’s counting on us."

Borik grunted in agreement, his hand resting on the haft of his axe. "Aye. And we’ll be ready when he comes back. No matter what."

Eleanor looked around at the group, her calm presence grounding them all. "This feels bigger because it’s personal. But that doesn’t mean we won’t overcome it."