[3rd Level Maze]
"…"
I walked quietly behind the little girl, my eyes flickering between her and the mirrors lining the endless path. Black smoke, faint but persistent, curled around her like whispers of malice. I'd seen it from the moment we met. A warning. A curse. A kill mark.
Why do I keep getting bad vibes from her? Is she planning to kill me? Oui...
My gaze shifted. There—a chest, half-hidden between shattered tiles and a fractured mirror wall.
Nice! Hopefully, I got a weapon to defend myself.
I stole a glance at the little girl. She hadn't looked back.
Whew. Better be quick before she notices I'm gone.
I dashed toward the chest and cracked it open.
Creak.
Inside was a simple, pitch-black cloak. No glow. No text. No clues.
Hmm? A cloak? What does it do—raise defense?
I turned it in my hands, flipping the material.
No stats? No tooltips?
I hesitated, then threw it on.
And vanished.
I blinked and stared at the mirror beside me. There was no reflection. No shadow. Nothing.
Huh? I'm gone?... Wait—is this an invisibility cloak? Cool! I've scored!
I quickly folded the cloak and stuffed it under my shirt.
By the time I returned, the little girl was pacing anxiously, eyes darting around like a cornered animal.
I approached casually. "Hey. Looking for something? Need my help?"
Her head snapped toward me. Her expression twisted into a glare.
"Where the hell were you? Where did you go?"
I stiffened at the sudden switch. Oh right, there's the other personality I had to deal with.
I laughed it off. "Sorry, the mirrors here confused me. I thought you went the other way and followed you, but it turned out I was wrong."
She didn't speak. Just stared.
Is she checking if I'm lying? Sorry, kiddo, but when it comes to lying... I'm unbeatable.
I grinned. "What's wrong?"
She finally sighed and turned away. "Don't leave my sight. Come on, you meathead."
I followed obediently. Oui... Just pick one personality already.
Swish. Whoosh. Splat.
She tore through the slime monsters with her giant needle like a seamstress gone mad—efficient, precise, brutal. Slime guts splashed across the floor. I stayed behind her, quietly stepping over the remains.
She's good with that needle. But her monster sense is trash. If I wasn't here, she'd have been one-shot five times over by now.
She wiped her face with a handkerchief like a noble finishing tea. "What are you staring at? Move it."
I grumbled and caught up. "Hey…" I hesitated. "I've been meaning to ask—"
"What!" she barked.
Boy, is she mad...
I pushed forward anyway. "You aren't a contestant, are you?"
Her foot slammed down. The air turned ice-cold. My body tensed.
She didn't speak.
The silence... was suffocating.
I reached a hand out, carefully. "Err… Hey, you oka—"
SHING!
She swung.
I jerked back just in time—the glint of her needle slicing past my neck.
"Whoa, what are you doing?! I know you've got a temper, but this is way too much!"
She grinned.
No—she bared her teeth like an animal.
"What am I doing? Killing you, of course. Oh… I've been itching to kill you since the start of this maze."
I stumbled back. "Well, yeah, I figured. You suck at hiding your murderous intent."
She twirled her needle. "Oh really? Why didn't you say so earlier? I could've given you an early death."
I laughed nervously, sweat forming on my neck. "Thanks, but no thanks. If I wanted to die early, I would've let the mirror monsters chew on me."
She walked forward. Each step rang with weight.
"Well, that would be boring, wouldn't it? I'd miss out on the joy of killing you myself."
I mirrored her pace, backward.
"That's true, that's true. Hahahaha…"
Click. Click.
My foot hit something.
Click? Ah!
I raised my hand, yelling, "Wait!"
She paused.
"What's the matter? If you're going to beg, it's too late now." Her needle spun in her hand like a drill.
"Let's talk a bit before you kill me."
"…Talk?" she echoed.
I nodded frantically. "Yeah. The three of us—you, me, and Mr. Bear."
She fell silent, pressing two fingers to her lips. Her eyes drifted off—like she was listening to someone beside me. Someone who wasn't there.
I glanced toward the mirror.
Why the hell is it taking so long? Hurry up!
Her voice cut the silence.
"Sorry, but that won't be necessary."
She raised her weapon.
"You fooled Master last time. But you won't fool me."
I crouched, ready to dodge—
CRACK—!
The mirror beside her exploded as a hulking beast emerged.
WHAM!
The Minotaur's massive fist slammed into her. Her body bounced off the wall like a ragdoll, crashing through a mirror with a sickening crunch.
Bones shattered. Blood sprayed.
Her limbs twisted the wrong way, her body unmoving.
She twitched once. Twice. Then went still—eyes wide open.
"Y-You—"
Her words died on her tongue.
So did she.
I stood, frozen, staring at what was left of her.
I didn't know a monster's slam could be that deadly.
RAWRRR—!!
The beast turned toward me.
Its head and tail were like a bull's, body like a human gladiator. Veins bulged across its muscles. Its eyes burned red.
Is that… a Minotaur?
I stepped back instinctively—and crushed a stone under my foot.
Crack.
No…
The Minotaur snapped its head toward the sound.
"Oh shit."
It charged.
I whipped out the cloak, flung it over myself just as its axe swung down.
BOOM!
The ground shattered where I'd been standing.
The Minotaur looked around, confused. It stomped, snorted, and swung wildly.
I held my breath and slipped behind it, barely dodging its axe arcs.
I crept toward the girl's mangled body, squatted, and nearly vomited at the sight.
Her spine's twisted like rope...
I whispered a prayer and took her weapon.
Clink.
Glass from a broken mirror dropped.
NO—
The Minotaur stopped and stared.
Then stomped toward me.
It crouched.
Sniffed.
Tilted its head.
Its eyes locked with the space where I stood.
My heart stopped.
It sees me?
It snorted, then stood.
Fsshh…
The cloak rustled.
I grabbed it, clutching tight.
It huffed one last time... and walked back into the mirror.
I collapsed. My whole body trembling.
"OH MY GOD. That was so scary. I was so close to dying. Oui. My head hurts…"
I looked up at the massive screen overhead.
More than half the contestants—gone.
If I make it out of here alive, I'm gonna kiss the floor.
My eyes drifted to the girl's broken body again.
"The punishment... Argh."
I dropped to the ground.
"So damn tired. I can't move…"
Then I remembered them.
The brutes.
The executioners Mr. James summoned.
My eyes snapped open.
I leapt up. "This isn't the time to rest. Carry on!"
Step. Step.
I wandered for what felt like hours.
Dead ends. Loops. Mirrors reflecting only frustration.
"I walked for so long, but I couldn't find anything… All I could find were dead-ends… WHY!!!"
I stomped the ground like a toddler mid-tantrum. "Grr~ I feel like destroying this useless, irritating maze! Buwahhh!!!"
Wheeze. Wheeze.
I sighed. "Why am I getting mad? It's not gonna help…"
Shoulders drooped, I trudged forward.
Turned a corner.
Thud.
My head slammed into something.
"OW! What did I just—"
Something fell.
Bang!