You Can Always Turn Back.

(set: $Pickaxe to false) (set: $Pond to false) (set: $MetalBar to false) (set: $RustedKey to false) (set: $Knife to false) This is a short puzzle game made by TheCrystalRiver. To begin, please [[Enter The Dungeon.]]

The light of your torch illuminates the cave. A quiet pitter softly drops in the corner. It sounds wet, like water. [[Investigate the noise.]] In front of you is a large crack in the wall. It seems weak. If you had the right tool... [[Walk to the crack in the wall.]] (if: $Pond is false)[To the right of you is a tall wooden door. It looks rotted, and decayed. [[Investigate the door.]]] (if: $Pond is true)[To the right of you is a [[pond.->Enter the door?]]]

(if: $Pickaxe is false)[As you walk to the noise, your foot hits something metallic. Looking down, you find it's a Pickaxe. You can [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]] (if: $Pickaxe is false)+(link:"Pickup the Pickaxe")[(set: $Pickaxe to true)[The Pickaxe feels cold in your hands.]] (if: $Pickaxe is true)[The noise feels grotesque. You hold back the urge to vomit. You feel like you should [[turn back->Enter The Dungeon.]], or you could [[continue deeper?]]]

You walk to the crack in the wall. You hear whispering behind it. (if: $Pickaxe is true)[[Drive your Pickaxe into the crack!]] (if: $Pickaxe is false)[ The crack looks weak. If only you had the right tool...] [[Turn back for now.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

Your footsteps echo through the cavern, as you stop in front of the door. You have a torch. You can light it [[ablaze?]] You can also try to [[pry it open.]] You can [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

You hit your Pickaxe into the wall repeatedly, driving away the rock and rubble to reveal a dark cave. You light your torch and look inside the [[dark cave.]] You can always [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

You walk deep into the cavern. Your feet grow slimy and step with a slosh in the disgusting sludge below your waist. You don't think you can take much more. [[Continue anyways?]] You can [[turn back->Enter The Dungeon.]]

You set your torch next to the door, as the fire eats away at the rotted wood. The door slowly reveals the entry. [[Enter the door?]] Or, you can always [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

Your hands curl around the door's edge, as you pull back with all your might. It budges. You can [[try again.]] Or, you can give up and [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

Your reddened hands wrap around the rotted door once more. It squeals and creaks, but no luck. Maybe [[once more?]] Or, you can [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

You pull and try with all your might, but still no luck. With an angered fist, you punch the door. It flies open. Guess you didn't try pushing it. [[Enter the door?]] Or, you can always [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

You walk past the door, walking past the debris with a scoff. You come upon a glistening light in the middle of a pond. The fauna and flora cover the area, leaving you in awe. You walk deeper into the pond. (set: $Pond to true) In front of you is a body of water. You can [[peer inside?]] To the left of you is a [[chest.]] You can always [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]

(if: $RustedKey is false)[You walk closer to the pond, looking inside of the clear water. You find a key. Does it go to the [[chest?->chest.]]] (if: $MetalBar is false)[There's nothing you can do right now.] (if: $MetalBar is true)[You can use the [[Metal Bar]] you have to fish the key out of the water.] (if: $RustedKey is true)[You look into the water. It seems the glint was just a trick of the light.] You can [[turn back.->Enter the door?]]

You walk to the chest. There's a lock on it, of course. (if: $RustedKey is false)[There's nothing you can do with it yet.] (if: $RustedKey is true)[You can [[unlock the chest]] with the Rusted Key you have.] You can always [[turn back.->Enter the door?]]

You fish the rusted key out of the water. It's metal digs into your hand. (set: $RustedKey to true) You should [[turn back.->Enter the door?]]

You hear whispers around you. Pushing your torch towards the voices only reveals walls. You feel like you are going mad. (if: $MetalBar is false)[You find a metal bar on the ground, pointed towards you.](link: "Pick up the Metal Bar?")[(set: $MetalBar to true) The end feels wet.] (if: $MetalBar is true)[You find nothing.] (if: $Knife is true) [You slowly pull out your knife. You [[can't turn back.]]] (if: $Knife is false)[You can always [[turn back.->Enter The Dungeon.]]]

You open the chest, revealing a... (if: $Knife is false)+(set: $Knife to true)[Knife. You reach out and grasp it.] (if: $Knife is true)[Nothing. It reveals nothing.] You can [[turn back.->Enter the door?]]

Your body waits in the dungeon depths, collecting dust and flora. Your skeleton decors the crumbling walls, as your story ends... [[Turn back?->Menu]]

(if: $Knife is false)[You walk deep into the goo. You feel your legs slowly grow stuck, and you can't travel further. If only you had something to cut the goo away from your feet. You look behind you. You [[can't turn back.]]] (if: $Knife is true)[You walk deep into the goo. You feel your legs slowly grow stuck, and you can't travel further. You pull out your knife, desperately carving away at the strange mass, creating a path. You run forward, finding a pale light past you. You [[jump out of the cave]], landing on a cliff.]

You walk to the edge of the cliff, and sit down. You pull out your items and throw them off the edge. You wait on the cliff for hours. You look down at your withering hands. With a smile on your face, you jump off the cliff. You didn't give them the death they wanted. That is enough for you to that you never could've [[turned back.]]

Your body is found two days later. Your body is decemated and unrecognisable. You are determined to be the missing fugitive a month later as they traced your location. They close the case, as your body is left with a smile on it's face. [[Turn back?->Menu]]