The Monster's Room - Chapter 20
Thunk.
The cotton doll that had been nestled in Marie’s arms climbed down from her lap and trudged over to a pile of toys.
It began stacking wooden blocks, forming a tower. Marie was able to read the letters on the blocks as they were arranged so high it looked like it would fall over.
K
E
E
P
Y
O
U
R
P
R
O
M
I
S
E
A new rule had been established. Marie’s eyes widened with realization.
* * *
The next day, after a peaceful day, Marie was assigned a new task.
[Iron Horse Knight]
Serial Number: SCP-▉▉▉5
Class: Euclid
It was an SCP that needed to be managed on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of every month. Despite being warned of its danger by Kevin, Marie, who daily conversed with the Keter-class SCP Spiegel through the bathroom mirror, found the Euclid-class designation somewhat lackluster.
Special Containment Procedures:
Every ten days, a dueling opponent is to be sent. The duel ends after a single attack is dodged and the opponent surrenders. However, if the attack is not dodged or surrender is not given in time, the duel cannot be stopped until one of the participants is destroyed.
Marie sharpened her focus. The instructions indicated that throwing a glove at the Iron Horse Knight would initiate the duel. If she did not throw a glove and remained still, the creature would throw a glove instead.
The problem was that these gloves were also iron, and anyone who got hit by them would be injured. Therefore, to avoid injury from the start, she had to throw the glove first.
Marie’s expression visibly faltered. The idea of challenging a knight to a duel, dodging an attack, and then surrendering seemed to take her life from tumultuous to fantastical.
<SCP-▉▉▉5 door opening.>
Despite her grumbling, Marie’s task was coming. She pushed her way through the unusually heavy containment door. Unaware of how fearlessly she acted compared to other test subjects, she proceeded into the chamber.
* * *
The inside of the door revealed a stark, expansive white space. It almost resembled a modern art gallery, enhanced by the imposing statue of a knight on horseback in the center. Marie flinched at the sound of the containment door closing behind her, fearing it might prompt the knight to come to life immediately.
“……”
However, the Iron Horse Knight remained as still as a statue, seemingly destined to stay that way forever.
“Hello.”
She attempted a greeting, but the knight remained silent.
Feeling slightly embarrassed, Marie observed the anomalous entity more closely. True to its name, the Iron Horse Knight was made of iron, its surface a grimy, almost pallid gray. The horse, with its raised hoof and missing head, exuded a chilling aura.
Yet, what overshadowed all these impressions was its charisma. The knight atop the headless horse appeared as a warrior on the battlefield, a harbinger of death. And Marie was in the position of having to challenge this deathly figure to a duel.
‘Damn it, John Doe…!’
Muttering her frustrations, she retrieved a pristine white cloth glove from her pocket. The Foundation had provided it with unnecessary attention to detail. Now she had to throw it.
“Hmm.”
Marie gauged the distance and slowly approached the Iron Horse Knight. She wasn’t confident in throwing the lightweight glove from far away. But even up close, she faced a problem.
‘Where should I throw it?’
The knight on horseback was positioned higher than she had anticipated.
It was difficult to aim for the helmeted head, and she would be fortunate if she could even reach the chest. Marie hesitated for a while before gently placing the glove on the saddle.
……
Was this the right approach?
Staring at the seemingly motionless, truly iron-like statue, Marie felt unsure. While she idly touched the side of the horse, she was surprised to find it warm and surprisingly soft, contrary to her expectations of cold and rigid.
It almost felt like a real horse.
As she absentmindedly stroked its side.
Crack.
An iron glove came into her field of vision.
Marie screamed silently and stepped back, her heart racing as the headless horse, which had seemed immobile, suddenly came to life. The thunderous sound of its hooves hitting the ground echoed like a storm. Her mind raced with thoughts.
Had the duel already started because she hadn’t made a challenge?
If she was hit, would she be injured?
Did the duel have to be initiated by being struck by the iron glove?
Clang!
“Um…”
The sound of the hooves snapped Marie out of her thoughts. Contrary to her fears, the knight seemed to hold no hostility towards her. What she had thought was the iron glove was actually the entity’s hand, and it was…
Clang!
Extended towards her, as if inviting her to take it.
* * *
‘This wasn’t in the report.’
Marie realized that the anomalous situations she was facing were far from ordinary. Still, the frustration of having her meticulously studied information rendered useless was unavoidable.
Clang.
When Marie didn’t take the knight’s hand, it circled around her, making her fear being trampled by the large horse as it approached.
Clang.
“……”
As the headless horse stopped, the knight extended its hand once more. Unable to ignore it any longer, Marie placed her hand into the knight’s outstretched one as it leaned forward.
Was it just her imagination?
A sensation, like a chilling breeze or laughter, brushed over the top of her head.
