19th of Gremlin's Grin

I should've known.

I should've seen it coming from a mile away. But of course, I was too busy marveling at the fact that my stupid spoon actually did something remotely useful to consider the consequences.

So there I was, alone in the final chamber of the labyrinth, spoon in hand, wondering what on earth I was supposed to do next. The ogre, who I had apparently defeated with the power of absurdity, was gone. It had been teleported out like some bad magical teleportation experiment gone wrong. And the silence that followed... well, it was deafening.

But then it happened.

The walls shifted. Not in the ominous "everything's about to collapse" way that happens in those annoying stories - no, this was different. It was like the labyrinth itself was laughing at me. The walls opened into a wide, circular room filled with glowing crystals. It was almost... too perfect. As if the labyrinth had been waiting for me to make one final, completely stupid mistake.

Then I heard the voice again.

The same booming voice from before, but this time it sounded a bit more... sarcastic.

"Congratulations, Klem. You've done it! You've completed the challenge. You've come this far!"

"Wait, what?"

"All that remains is for you to face your final trial."

I glanced around, trying to spot anything that looked even remotely like an actual challenge. But there was nothing. No monsters. No traps. Just a lot of glowing crystals.

"Face your final trial? What do you mean? Where's the - what's the trial?" I asked, still gripping the spoon like a weapon.

"It's simple. You just have to make a choice."

A choice?

This was the final trial? After all the chaos, the ogre fights, and the poorly timed spoon magic, it came down to a choice?

Well, at least it wasn't a giant spider, right?

I sighed. "Alright. Fine. I'll make a choice. Hit me with it. What do I need to choose?"

"You must choose... the Spoon."

What?

The Spoon?

"Yes, Klem. The Spoon has been your companion throughout this entire journey. You've wielded it, wielded it with the greatest absurdity this labyrinth has ever seen. And now, it's time to choose your path. Will you use the Spoon's true power to unlock the ultimate treasure of the labyrinth, or will you leave it behind and walk away?"

Now, hold on. The Spoon had ultimate power?

I thought it was just some magic trick. I had been laughing about it for days, convinced it was a joke. But now the labyrinth was asking me to make a choice based on this glorified eating utensil?

I mean, I don't want to seem ungrateful, but the ultimate treasure wasn't exactly a golden spoon - right?

"So, you're telling me that my entire journey here was because of... a spoon?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it.

"Yes," the voice said, dripping with sarcasm. "A spoon. It was always about the spoon. You just didn't realize it."

I stood there for a moment, trying to decide whether I was in a dream, or if I had actually lost my mind. The thought of "ultimate treasure" being attached to the Spoon made no sense. And yet, at this point, what else was I supposed to do? Walk away and say, "Well, I guess I didn't get my treasure after all"? No, that wasn't the Klem way. The Klem way was to be ridiculous and absurd, just like the journey I had been on so far.

I looked at the spoon.

Then I looked at the crystals.

Then I looked at the spoon again.

And I made my choice.

I slammed the spoon into the center of the crystal-filled room, hoping for something to happen. Anything, really. A door, a hidden treasure chest, a giant talking rat - anything.

For a brief moment, nothing happened. And then...

BOOM.

The crystals exploded with a blinding light, and I was thrown back against the wall.

When I opened my eyes, the room had transformed.

It wasn't a treasure chamber.

It was a bar.

Not even a fancy one. Just a run-down tavern in the middle of nowhere, with the same crappy wooden tables and dusty stools.

The only thing different was that there was a sign above the counter that read:

"Spoon Tavern: Where the Legends Are Half-True."

I just stood there for a second, completely confused.

"Well, this is... disappointing," I muttered.

I looked at the bartender, a grizzled old man who was polishing a glass.

"I don't get it."

The bartender looked up.

"Oh, you're the one. The one who thought they'd get the ultimate treasure, right?"

"Yeah, but... this is a bar."

He grinned.

"That's the treasure, kid. You wanted a legend. Now you've got one. Welcome to the Spoon Tavern."

And that, dear reader, was when I realized the truth.

There was no treasure.

There was no grand hero's journey.

It had all been a joke.

A joke, and I was the punchline.

I was the fool.

I sat down at the bar, holding my spoon like it was some kind of trophy.

Maybe I wasn't the hero after all.

Maybe I was just the guy who took the most ridiculous path to a mediocre tavern.

But hey, at least I could drink away my misery.