I glare. “So you’re okay with that? That we just stand here, blinking, while monsters rearrange our bones?”
He glances sideways. “I’m okay with staying alive. One step at a time.”
Trust in this maze is as brittle as the walls. I feel distance lurch between us, something I can’t quite name. Because if Dravven and Borzen knew what that thing meant… what itis… would they see me differently?
I shake it off. Now’s not the time for doubt.
The door ahead opens to a circular chamber. The floor is a ring track—etched metal plates that rotate slowly, like a giant spinner. The walls are etched with lines of text—encoded phrases, symbols I recognize from earlier rooms. Lines of code I once wrote as puzzles. A cruel twist: the maze makes me recite what I built.
A speaker crackles. Low, smooth voice:
“Walk the circuit. Recite the phrases. Stay in sync. One misstep and punishment will be swift.”
Borzen steps forward. “Stay close.”
I nod. Dravven takes the rear. The civilians—two of them—shuffle between us, eyes darting. The mute boy is just a shadow against the wall.
We begin to walk. Clockwise. Soft mechanical hum underfoot. I memorize the phrases as we move: “Arc of the shift,” “Echo’s reflection,” “Binary’s fall,” “Light reversed.” Each turn in the track triggers a syllable we must speak in perfect cadence. My heart thuds in my throat, but I steady my voice.
“Arc of the shift.”
“Echo’s reflection.”
“Binary’s fall.”
“Light reversed.”
We complete one revolution. The pressure eases, for a heartbeat.
I dare a glance at the civilians. Their faces are taut with terror. The younger one whispers a phrase wrong—her tongue slips.
I freeze.
Before I can backtrack, the wall behind her dissolves—like vapor pulling away—and she vanishes. No scream. No warning. Just one moment she’s there, then gone. The track continuesspinning. My feet carry me forward automatically, but my mind staggers.
Dirk’s avatar appears overhead, truncating the ceiling glow.
“Bonus round unlocked!” he purrs, mock-lilting. “Only the worthy advance!”
The floor lurches. The remaining panels shift. The track reverses. We’re forced to run.
I don’t argue. I sprint, reciting on the fly. My voice shakes.
“Arc of the shift… Echo’s reflection… Binary’s fall… Light reversed…”
We emerge into a corridor. My legs feel unsteady. The maze air tastes like charred plastic and ozone.
Borzen slaps the wall. “That bastard.”
Dravven goes white. “He’s taunting you.”
I keep my eyes forward—focus on breathing, on pulse, on feeling the air in my lungs. But a tremor’s inside me: fear, rage, bewilderment.
We reach another chamber. It’s quiet. Too quiet.
Suddenly, walls flicker. The Maze Master’s avatar swirls into existence—less cartoon, more twisted hologram.
“Do you like what I did with your code, sweetheart?” His voice is syrupy, venom soft. “I added some new features. You’ll love the climax.”
