Chương 33: The Hanging Chain Chandelier.

The moment I saw the symbol, my stomach dropped. It took me a second to know what the marking was on that particular pillar. Then I remembered the markings on that pillar he pointed had circles connecting to each other by a line. At first I had no idea what that shape meant 'o-o-o'. But I understood immediately. It was the chain. The answer should've been simple, symbol 'o-o-o' had to mean chain. Except it wasn't. Chains hung everywhere from the ceiling, across the chamber.

It was nearly impossible to find the button among these chains. Too many possibilities but no way of knowing the exact location. A metallic sound came to my ears, like a slow groan, my eyes stopped. It landed on that. The hanging chain chandelier. I looked up at the very top of the ceiling, a massive square shaped structure suspended by the thick chains, a metallic chandelier attached to the ceiling at the very centre of the chamber.

The chains were hanging down from the structure, like a curtain covering the windows. At its centre was the heat vent releasing hot air constantly, it was still open. There, that had to be it. The button has to be at the place where there are a lot of chains.

"Guys, I think I found the next location, I know where the button is."

"Really, where?" Eli asked.

"Look, it's just above you, do you see it?"

"No, what?"

"The chain chandelier."

"The… what?" Of course he doesn't know what the chandelier is, how could he.

"It's above you, the giant thing hanging above you." What kind of lab has a hanging chandelier and in the middle of it a heat vent? It just doesn't make any sense. When it comes to the Log nothing makes sense. The chandelier was far from where I was standing, it was directly above that circular platform where Eli was standing. I looked around trying to find a way to the chandelier, but couldn't find any connection that would lead towards it, no ladders, no beams, nothing.

Just the chains hanging all across the chamber. If I had to shut the vent the only way through was by swinging across and making it over there by the help of chains. It was perhaps the most dangerous thing I was about to face. One slip, one mistake and my life could end in an instant. If I have to make it across somehow, I need to climb the chains and swing it to the other one, but would I be able to do that? With these sweaty palms of mine. I can't make it there in this condition and might fall.

But if I wait anymore this place will turn into an inferno. And those chains will only get hotter as temperature increases, I wouldn't be able to grab it anymore, let alone make it there. I know delaying it will create more problems for me, but I don't see any other better option than this. I wiped my sweaty palms and wore the gloves again. It was wet, but if I had to make it to the other side this was the time.

Doubts rushed into my mind, would the chains be able to withstand my weight, would I be able to make it there in time. But there was one thing that made me want to do it despite all those doubts flooding. I have to save them. I took a deep breath, a voice reached my ears.

"No, don't tell me. Nova what the hell are you thinking?" Eli said.

"Wait, what is she doing?"

"Are you crazy?" Aeris shouted and gazed at me.

"I am sorry, but it's the only other way to reach the button and shut down the vent."

"Says who, you? I am sure it isn't the only way forward. But no, you always have to come up with the stupidest solution there is. I don't understand, why do you always come up with these stupid ideas?"

"Okay genius, you got any better ideas? Lay it on me then I am all ears."

"Well no, I haven't thought of any, but I am sure there has to be something that —""I don't think there is." I jumped from the uppermost platform and extended my hands towards that chain. Her voice followed.

"Nova! No!"

"Are you out of your mind?" My right hand grabbed the chain in time, I quickly wrapped it around my wrist to get a better grip and extended the other hand as I swung forward.

"Listen to me, go back while you can, it's too risky. We can find some other way." I grabbed the other chain and let go of the one behind me.

"Are you even listening to me?" I did not reply, just kept moving forward.

"Damn it, Nova. Why are you so stubborn?" At that moment I chose to not listen to her, if I did I was certain to change my mind. Even if there was another way it would have been too late. So far I knew the only way through was going through the chains, because the clue meant chain. Every other clue so far meant a location and the clue was chains so it was obvious the only path through was by chains. As I was moving forward I saw Aeris making her way towards me.

"What are you doing, Aeris?"

"What does it look like, I 'm coming there to help you." If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"No, just stop there, don't be stupid."

"Oh, so you're the only one who gets to be stupid."

"We don't have time, you have to close the last heat vent, instead of coming here."

"No, can't do it, I am coming there to help you. If you don't listen to me then I won't listen to you either."

"I am sorry, Aeris. But it's the only way. You have to trust me on this. So just go and close the last vent." She ignored me and kept moving forward towards me.

"Aeris, please stop." I shouted.

"I know you are worried, and it's the stupidest way there is, but can you just trust me on this? I am telling you I got this. If you really want to help me, go and close the last vent. I am counting on you for that. Don't worry I'll be just fine, I promise."

"Fine, but once I am done with that, no matter what you say it won't change my mind, and I will be there to help you, and I won't hear anything."

"Okay, but first go and close that vent."

"You better be alive or I'll be the one who will end you." Great, another death threat. Well what can I do, that's my life now. I started swinging my legs back and forth, to get me that — lost momentum. My arms started to feel like it was burning from inside. Palms started getting sweaty, I began to feel the chains slipping through my fingers and fingers getting swollen. Like it was printing its shape on the surface of my hands. A flicker. The display appeared in my peripheral vision.

00: 00 INCREASING TWO DEGREES IN EACH VENTS. CURRENT TEMPERATURE: TWENTY TWO DEGREES. TIME REMAINING FOR TEMPERATURE INCREMENT: 00: 02: 00 Just these two vents are remaining, the temperature has reduced but not for long. If we delay it will only grow stronger, just a little further and then we could get out of this nightmare, my arms are getting numb from holding this for too long. I have to push past the pain and keep moving forward. Even if this is the last time I ever have to use these arms, I have to do this.

The more time passed the worse pain started to get. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, my breath getting heavier, fatigue catching up to my absolute limit. Sweat poured down from my head into my eyes making everything blurry. But I couldn't wipe it with my palms. If I did then I would have surely lost my balance. I wiped the sweat by rubbing my eyes into my shoulder. Then my vision got better. I looked ahead, I was finally there.

I reached the chain which was hanging on the chandelier and started climbing up on the chain. Wrapping it around my arms and carefully moving upwards one step at a time. I grabbed the beam's edge and pulled myself upwards, and just sat there on that beam for a moment. Catching my breath, I began to feel the pain shooting across my body with exhaustion and stress, muscles torn, started to burn within. Finally, I made it. Now lets get this over with.

I stood up on the beam of the chandelier and started searching for the button, the vent was just above me. I could feel the heat up close on my skin, the hot air blowing it on my face and blinding my vision.

"Nova, do you see anything up there?" Eli shouted.

"Not yet, it's hard to tell but I'll find it."

"Okay just be careful." It should be somewhere around here, was I wrong? No that can't be it, I am sure of it, but where it could be, it's not on this beam. The clue mentioned chain but this should be the only logical explanation. No, don't tell me it's over there. The chandelier was supported by the chains which were all connecting with each other at the centre, the only problem was the chain.

"Find anything?"

"Yeah, I did. It's in the centre a little further above me, connected with the chains."

"So, you can climb it right." I wish it was that simple.

"I'll figure something out, you should focus on helping Aeris." It was not hanging but rather attached to the beam at an angle. It meant that the chain was more delicate over there and would not support the weight more than its already holding. Why does this always happen to me? How the hell am I supposed to climb up at the very centre? If I try I am certain the chandelier would break. Think, how do I get there? I got to calm down and think this through, one thing at a time.

First I need to find the strongest chain here. and then figure out the way to make the climb. I walked around and started shaking each and every chain to check its rigidity. And analyse the situation carefully. This one looks weak, no but all of them are the same. I don't think I could find the solution just by shaking it. There has to be another way to analyse it and find the strongest point. This chandelier has a square structure, which means each side is equal to each other.

Judging by that the corners are the ones that have the highest rigid point because it intersects two beams with each other. Whereas the chain hanging from the middle has the lowest possible rigidity. If I have to make the climb it would have to be out of these four chains attached at each corner. Now I have to figure out a way to climb it without it breaking.

Considering the length of each side which is five metres approx, the height is about three and a half metres, meaning the chains are connected at forty five degree angle. If I maintain that angle and climb up at forty five degrees, parallel to the chain. The risk of breaking down would be significantly reduced and the weight would be distributed towards its axis.

But if I hang vertically and climb along its axis, at the time I reach the middle the chain would not be able to withstand my weight and will snap from one of its ends. The only way to climb is, I go underneath the chain and adjust my body at forty five degrees, but this heat will make things worse. It will directly blow into my face, which would make it difficult. That means I have to climb from above, facing my back towards the heat vent. But that would be much more difficult to balance.

It's not like I have any other choice. I carefully positioned my body along the chain axis, overlap my feet around it and put one over another. I couldn't help but look down, the sheer height was enough to send chills down my spine. Slowly and steadily I started moving forward, pulling myself forward with one hand and putting the other ahead of me. Suddenly, I felt the chandelier shaking, tilting upwards. I somehow managed to keep my body stable, moving then could have caused structure to break.

As it got more stable I continued moving forward and finally pressed the button. I looked up above me. The vent above me continued blasting hot air, somehow it bothered me more than it should, made me wonder if it failed somehow. It should have closed the vent, why is it not shut? Did I press the wrong button? Was I wrong all this time? No that can't be it. I know I am right. If that were the case the Log would definitely warn me with a temperature increasing warning.

Maybe this button isn't wired to this vent and has closed the other heat vent. I should check it with Eli and ask him about it before I go back.

"Hey, Eli, I pressed the button, could you tell me if all of the vents are closed other than this one?"

"Let me check."

"Yes, hurry if you can."

"Yes, all the four vents are closed other than this one."

"Okay." I was right this button did close the vent in another location, so all of it depends on Aeris now. I should go and help her now. I started descending carefully and stepped on the beam of the chandelier. A flicker. The display appeared. MYSTERY LOG QUEST: PROVE YOUR MIGHT. ALL VENTS ARE CLOSED USER SURVIVED THE HEAT WAVES. A deep relief filled my heart. The vent above my head finally shut, it meant Aeris closed the last vent. Strangely after that it was silent.

No more of the heat waves, no more of the hot air pouring down from those vents. For the first time after entering this chamber I felt relieved.

"We did it, we actually managed to survive somehow." Eli said.

"Nova, I did it. I closed the vents " Aeris shouted from below. A grin spread across my face.

"Yeah you sure did." But something felt off, it felt like something was missing. When I stared at the display, every quest before this one had shown the 'status completed' without fail. This time it wasn't there at all. A cold feeling settled in my stomach, we had completed the quest, we had shut all the vents, then why hadn't it shown 'status complete'? Suddenly a chain snapped out of its joint. For a moment nothing happened. Then the second chain snapped. And then the third.

"No!" Aeris shouted. My blood ran cold. The entire chandelier shifted beneath my feet.