Mitchell shot up in a gasp, inhaling big gulps of air that burned the back of his throat. He coughed, his body convulsing with each cough. Mitchell scanned his surroundings, his memory still much of a haze.
He was in a dojo, the same one he and Nami used for training earlier. All the same weapons and training equipment were hung on the walls with the heavy bag hanging in the corner.
Nami's basement, weren't we just discussing how to deal with the Puppeteer? He thought, trying to remember passed that. Only for his head to throb in pain.
"You're up, good." Nami emerged from upstairs with a water bottle in hand. She walked over to him with a plain look on her face before kneeling over to hand him a bottle.
"What happened?" He asked, emptying the bottles contents in a few hungry gulps.
"You met my uncle." She said. He balanced himself on his elbow, realizing that his head had been comfortably resting on a pillow the entire time. Scanning his memories, he remembered the image of a gigantic man with silver hair. It was then that his memories snapped back at him.
"Mazekien, where is she." He asked, jolting to his feet. But the sudden rise made his world spin under him. "Woah there big fella," Nami caught him mid fall and eased him back up. "You shouldn't push yourself. Not a lot of people wake up a few hours after getting hit with my uncle's pressure." A pat on the back, as if that would make him feel better.
Mitchell's eyes squinted in confusion. "Uncle's… what? You're no---" He cut himself off as the last memory that returned to him, was hearing this "Uncle" of hers say, "It has been done."
"Please Nami, I need to know. Where is Mazekien?" He asked hurriedly. "She was supposed to be in the Hospital, but I have a feeling that isn't the case right now." Nami's face dropped, pausing before she gestured for him to follow.
She walked to the wall carrying a bunch of spears and put her hand on a tribal one with inscriptions that he couldn't read.
"Would you believe that this right here is my least favorite?" She asked, her voice sounding distant.
"Why is that?" Mitchell asked, humoring her statement as he too found the silence between them awkward.
"It's called Umkhonto wamakhosi. A spear that can never leave its wielders hand." She grabbed the spear, exposing a key like hole behind it. Nami got into a stance before perfectly inserting the spear head into the hole.
"Technically it is supposed to be mine, but I can never get it to come back to me." Mitchell was confused by this and seeing his confusion she answered him.
"It's just some old family drama, nothing you have to worry about." She gave the spear a good twist and then suddenly the walls parted.
"Shall we?" She asked as they both stared down a tunnel that seemed to lead into ever pressing darkness.
Having nothing but questions for her, he asked the simplest one he could think of. "What is this place?" Nami remained silent, walking with the expectation for him to follow, and follow he did.
The darkness pressed in from all angles around them until the light from the room behind disappeared. They walked in total black for a few minutes before they reached the bottom of this tunnel, illuminated by caged lanterns of soft blue light. The drips on moist rock let out an otherworldly chime that hummed in its enchanting ring, echoing on the walls of the expansive labyrinth.
"Answer me Nami, where the heck are we?" Mitchell asked, growing impatient with his unanswered question.
What they had entered was a cave-like system filled with unopened doors and unexplored passages. The ceiling was high up and the damp scent of wet rock permeated all around them. But what mostly set this labyrinth apart from the upstairs, was the buzz he felt ripple all over his skin.
"This is a natural labyrinth my uncle made for himself. I've only been here a few times before, so I haven't mapped out the entire place yet." Her response did little to answer the millions of questions he had in his head, so just to simplify everything he condensed the majority of his questions into one.
"Why?" He asked, but Nami continued deeper into the labyrinth, ignoring his question.
Mitchell gritted his teeth and ran after her, pulling her by the wrist to get her to stop. "Answer me Nami, why is Maze in a place like this, why does a place like this exist in the first place? You can't just leave me in the dark!" His frustration burned in his eyes as he stared down at the uncaring expression on her face.
"You were never supposed to see this place." She whispered with her head tilted down, but he heard her loud and clear.
"Nami please, we're allies here. But I can't work with you if you keep shit like this from me." Mitchell paused, to deliberate his next set of questions. "Why are we here… Why is she here?" His voice trailed off on the second half of that question as he could only fear the worst.
"Well, which is it then, Mitchell. Do you want to see what's wrong with Maze, or do you want to want to annoy me with a bunch of stupid questions?" Mitchell's breath caught at her retort. He released her arm, allowing her to continue her path. He followed after her in an uncomfortable silence, their footsteps echoing in the emptiness between them.
"This Labyrinth has a high concentration of Myst in the air. That's the static you're feeling right now." Surprisingly, Nami was the first to break this silence between them. But Mitchell could tell that she was just doing it to fill in the gap the silence left.
"My Uncle uses this place to run experiments," Nami knocked on one of the iron doors and just when Mitchell passed by, it rang with a thundering crash that made him jump.
"Behind these iron doors are his subjects," She continued her walk, regardless of whether or not he followed. She answered questions, just none of the ones he wanted answers to.
Does she even care that I'm here at all? He began thinking about how the two of them ended up in this situation. Brought together by a common goal and each using the other to advance their agenda. He ran up to her, slowing just a few steps away to match her pace and asked her the question. One that she needed to answer, regardless of their circumstance.
"Hey Nami," He started. Anxiety spiking his heartbeat. "Me and you, we're friends, right?" Nami stopped and a silence heavier than the one before came over them.
"Listen, I know that I really have no right to ask you this. After we find this Puppeteer, we'll probably go back to being strangers, but that's why I want to know. Who are you doing this for?" He felt a weight lifted off his shoulders, replaced by his anticipation for her answer. She turned around and walked up to him, her gaze locked on the rocky floor. Grabbing the emptied water bottle from his hands, she removed the plastic logo wrapped around it and picked up a stone dipped in black mud.
Mitchell watched attentively, waiting for her to say something, and hoping that what she was doing wouldn't detract from his question like before.
"Myst is a substance that can bend to a Mages will, allowing them to do things that are usually limited by their own Mana, but why does Myst only bend to their will?" Mitchell's brow contorted into a frown as her disregard for his question struck him deep.
"Nami that's not---" She smacked her index on his lip, cutting him off from what he wanted to say.
"In high Myst density places like these, something special occurs." She placed the plastic logo on his hands and he read what she wrote on it. A crescent moon like diagram in the center surrounded by arrows written "press me". Mitchell raised a brow at Nami, wondering what the aim of this entire ordeal was, but after seeing the soft smile she gave him he pressed on the diagram.
"The Myst grants itself to the iron willed." She said as the plastic wrap floated up before it crumpled itself and combusted into small white flame, forming a white ball of light that floated in front of him. Mitchell's eyes blew up in shock as the ball of light floated around his hand as if caught in orbit.
"I don't know who Mazekien Schmidt is. I've never spoken to her a day in my life. But I know who you are, Mitchell. Despite what she did to you. You care, even if it means working with an outsider like me. The Myst grants itself to the iron willed. I grant myself to you, that's why I'm here." Mitchell stared at her, astonished by the warmth he never knew she could express.
"I'm sorry it took so long for me to say this, I'm not good with words." A chuckle burst from Mitchell, his voice echoing all over the labyrinth walls. Nami looked away from him, grateful her dark skin hid the blush that formed on her.
"You truly are a mystery, aren't you?" He laughed some more before slapping his hand on her shoulder. "One day I'll figure you out, but for now I'll let you lead the way, Nami." She looked at him through the corner of her eye before her gaze returned to the floor.
A light thud echoed through the labyrinth, but its origin wasn't entirely clear. "Is that another one of the creepy things your uncle keeps?" Nami shrugged, unsure if her uncle kept anything that would make thuds that deep.
"I hope so, we still have plenty of time, so it can't be that." She said, mostly to herself.
"There you go with the secrets again." Mitchell walked past her, walking in the general direction they were heading to before stopping. "Well, what are you waiting for? I thought I told you to lead the way." He said, not even needing to turn to see the relieved smile on her face.
"I promise, one day there won't be any secrets between us, but until then, you won't mind waiting for me, would you?" Nami ran up to him and jumped, straddling him in a piggyback.
"Mush my loyal stead!" She shouted pointing forward, only for that thud to echo yet again. A silence fell upon them, but they laughed it off.
"I guess I finally got my promotion. From trusty chair to loyal stead, you truly honor me." He teased, adopting a theatrical tone. The two laughed, relishing their own playfulness.
"Well, what's a princess without her loyal subjects?" She rubbed her cheek on his, getting a light blush from the blonde. The two continued their bickering with Nami leading the way deeper into the maze-like labyrinth. They heard a few cries and howls from the beasts kept behind the iron doors, but a constant in their journey was the foreboding thud that continuously echoed, which wouldn't have been a problem if they hadn't grown louder the deeper they traveled. Even while Nami talked and joked on their journey to Maze, she couldn't fight the growing sense of dread that came with every thud.
To distract herself from it she'd draw sigils for Mitchell to touch, producing multiple white lights surrounding them. Like fireflies, they danced around them and Mitchell's smile every time he'd produce one was a worthy distraction for her. He was like a little kid.
Though that feeling of wonder vanished as they heard the thud echo again, like a bomb going off next to them. They stood next to an iron door that muffled the sound with little effect.
"So this is where it's coming from." Mitchell said, looking up at the metal door, it easily being twice his height. Examining it he noticed the chains hanging on the handles, the only door in the labyrinth with its chains undone.
"I do not wanna know what's on the other side of that." Mitchell joked, continuing his trek before Nami jumped off his back.
"We're here." Mitchell's heart nearly stopped after hearing those words.
"You mean…" He trailed off. Nami's nod confirming his fears. He rushed to the door, grabbing both handles before giving it his all to shove it open, but to no avail. He tried again, and again, but the door didn't budge.
"Mitchell, I need you to calm yourself." His gaze snapped on to Nami, seething in desperation. He calmed himself, seeing the somber expression on her face. "It won't open," She walked next to him, holding one handle with her left. "Not unless I'm touching it."
"We're in this together, no matter what happens beyond this point, understood?" She said, her words more of a reassurance for herself. Taking a calming breath, he took Nami's hand to answer her question.
She wrapped her fingers around his and gripped tight. "Let's push, 1… 2…" Before she could call out the last number, they both pushed. The doors swung open with minimal effort. A chilly breeze blew past them, extinguishing the balls of light surrounding Mitchell.
"Do you feel that?" She asked, bringing attention to the intensifying buzz Mitchell felt under his skin.
"Follow me." She ran in, Mitchell in tow with their hands still locked.
They came across a large opening leading to a wooden cabin at the far end. The opening was littered with glowing blue mushrooms and spores that surrounded the cabin like a garden. The damp scent of the cave was at its most concentrated in this area. Even the humming chime in the air echoed like a concert of bells. There Mitchell noticed the two silhouettes on the porch. When they got close, they saw a concerned looking Mohammed consoling an anxious Chris.
"What's the status?" She asked hurriedly.
"Oh, Mitchell, you're here." Moe said, acknowledging his arrival with dead enthusiasm. His gaze seemed to be focused on their joined hands.
"The candles are dying out, there's not many left." Chris whimpered, his voice trembling as he was on the verge of tears.
"Please Mitchell… save her." He pleaded and instantly Nami began pulling him in the cabin. They made their way to the back room. Its door emanating a blue light. Nami rushed to the door and palmed the knob, but just as she was about to rush in she felt Mitchell squeeze her hand, unable to move forward.
"Nami, what's behind that door." He asked. Nami calmed herself, knowing that rushing him in wouldn't benefit them.
"Your answer," She said, opening the door and allowing it to swing open.
Terror built in Mitchell as he saw Maze's body sprawled on the floor in a pool of her own blood. The origin of the blood, being the gaping slit on her throat. A mix of sickeningly sweet incense mixed with the metallic scent of blood in the air. Mitchell pushed past Nami to inspect her.
"Maze!" He shouted desperately as he collided with an invisible field surrounding her, the field feeling like the icy surface of glass against his skin.
"Maze!" He called out to her, slamming his fists against the invisible field over, and over again.
"Enough." A deep voice echoed from the shadows of the rooms corner. A man, his silver hair and bright blue eyes tearing through the shadows. Just as Mitchell was about to slam his fist against the barrier again the man reached out his hand, and like iron around his wrist, Mitchell's arm snapped back and pinned him against the door. An invisible force held him captive, but the origin of that force was obvious.
"That barrier is the only thing keeping your friend alive. Break it…" He let the threat hang, allowing Mitchell to understand the gravity of the situation. Aldred released Mitchell's wrist.
"I don't understand," Mitchell started, struggling against the pull of his invisible bind. "How is she still alive?" Nami walked beside him and pointed to the sigils under Maze.
"That's a mixed sigil of Sulfur and Salt. It's a tether seal designed to keep the body tied to the soul." She then directed his attention to the candles encircling the sigil. Carved in these candles are minor sigils of the same type. They were supposed to prolong the sigils effects, Aldred What happened!?" She turned to the man, her brow contorted in anger.
"Your little friend here owed a debt to a Collector. I was able to strengthen the field, but she doesn't have much time before it collapses."
"Then wake her up! We can't just let her die here!" Mitchell shouted in desperation.
"We can't." She paused to let her words sink in. "The Myst grants itself to the iron willed, so If she doesn't want to live then there's nothing we can do." A booming sound erupted from the field surrounding her. Mitchell felt travel in his skin, threatening to tear him apart, but both Aldred and Nami looked on, unaffected. Once the shockwave ceased, he collapsed. Only caught seconds before hitting the floor.
"Eat this." Nami handed him a glowing blue mushroom, the same as the ones outside. He ate the fungus, no hesitation in his actions. Slowly the effects of the tremors faded, and he got up, only for his gaze to be met with a pair of red eyes staring back at him. Its body hidden behind an ethereal black mist hovering over Maze. He stood, unable to move despite his desire to run as far away from the being as possible.
"That's what's causing these tremors, the Collector." Aldred announced. "As long as the ritual is in process, I can't exorcise it." Nami held his hand, snapping him out of his frozen state. He squeezed her as the fear he felt faded into fury.
"How much time do we have left?" Mitchell asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Nami kept her gaze stuck on the dying candles, only three left. Her worry grew as their light dwindled.
"Only 10 minutes."