A quiet stillness lingered in the air—less a calm and more the eye of a storm that had just passed. The heavy breaths, the adrenaline, the blood on the floor—all of it felt like a memory already, fading into the dim corridors of Hallow Prison.
Jace walked steadily, his back slightly hunched, not from fatigue but from the unconscious weight he now carried—Ava. Her breathing was faint but steady. Blood matted her hair and soaked part of Jace's shoulder, but he didn't flinch. His steps were steady, like he had walked this path a thousand times before.
Owen walked beside him, still wincing every now and then from his own bruises. His shirt was torn, his nose crusted with dried blood, and his lips slightly swollen. But none of that mattered to him anymore. His gaze flicked between Ava and Jace.
"You really survived that monster... the Warden?" Owen asked, the disbelief in his voice not from doubt, but awe.
Jace didn't answer immediately. His eyes remained forward, scanning the halls out of habit now, sharp and measured.
"It wasn't about strength," Jace said quietly. "It was about not freezing. I froze before... but not again."
Samuel, limping slightly but far less injured than the others, followed behind. His hand was on his ribs, where Victor had gotten him good. But his expression was composed.
"I saw it today," Samuel said. "You didn't just survive. You beat Victor too. You proved it now.You're strong."
Jace finally turned slightly to glance back at Samuel. His expression was unreadable. But he gave a small nod. That was all he needed to say.
The hallway stretched on in front of them. Cold. Dim. Echoing only their footsteps.
Victor was gone now. The key was in their hands. The puzzle had been solved. For the first time in what felt like days, they were walking without a sense of hopelessness trailing behind them.
"Ten minutes ago, it felt like we were going to die," Owen muttered, looking at the key in his palm. "Now… everything's solved."
"Not everything," Samuel replied. "Victor's still out there."
"He dropped the key," Jace said firmly. "He ran. He's done."
"Maybe," Samuel responded. "Or maybe he's just following another plan."
Silence followed, only broken by the distant creaking of the prison structure.
They kept walking.
As they continued walking through the desolate halls of Hallow Prison, a faint stirring came from Jace's back.
A soft cough.
Then a quiet voice, dry and barely audible.
"W-Where…?"
Jace stopped walking. Carefully, he knelt down and helped Ava slide off his back. She stumbled slightly, still dizzy, but caught herself on the wall. Her eyes blinked rapidly, unfocused at first. Samuel quickly handed her the bottle of water he'd been carrying.
"Easy. You're safe now," Samuel said gently.
Ava took a few sips, then a few more, before pouring some into her hand and splashing her face. The cold helped bring her back to reality. She looked around—at Samuel, Owen, the long hallway—and finally, her eyes landed on Jace.
Her breath hitched.
"Jace...? You're—"
"Alive," Jace interrupted softly, standing tall again.
Owen chuckled under his breath, limping slightly forward.
"Yeah, and apparently unkillable. Fought the Warden, survived, came back, and then beat the absolute hell out of Victor."
Ava's mouth slightly parted in shock. She stared at Jace for a moment longer, as if confirming he wasn't an illusion. Her voice was still weak, but sincere.
"I thought… we all thought you died."
"I almost did," Jace replied, brushing blood away from his temple. "But I didn't. I couldn't."
"How did you even escape it?" Ava asked, eyes wide. "That thing— it wasn't human."
Jace looked down for a second, then away, his jaw clenched. He didn't answer directly, but the look in his eyes said enough.
"He faced it," Samuel said, stepping in. "Didn't run. Didn't scream. That's how."
Ava nodded slowly, still processing. She lowered herself to sit on the ground, her body still recovering, but her eyes not leaving Jace.
"I don't know what happened while I was out... but I'm glad you made it back," she said.
Jace finally looked her in the eyes.
"We all did. That's what matters now."
The group stood there for a moment longer, the air heavy with unspoken words. The horrors they had faced, the betrayals, the pain—it still clung to them, but there was a strange peace now.
They had survived.
They had the key.
And ahead of them… was the exit.
After all the suffering, the puzzles, the chaos, and the bloodshed, the hallway finally narrowed into a familiar path. The air felt lighter, less oppressive. The echo of their footsteps wasn't filled with tension anymore, but anticipation.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Some small exchanges—brief jokes from Owen, soft sighs from Ava, a rare half-smile from Jace. The weight of survival was beginning to lift.
Then… they saw it.
The exit.
And more importantly—the four silhouettes waiting patiently by the metal gate.
Evelyn, Sierra, Callen, and Lawren turned their heads as soon as they heard footsteps echoing closer.
Sierra's eyes widened instantly. She took a hesitant step forward.
"No way…"
Evelyn gasped, covering her mouth.
"Jace…?"
Jace gave them a small nod, his face still streaked with dried blood. Sierra stepped forward, her mouth slightly agape, then broke into a disbelieving grin.
"You're alive?! You're actually alive!" she said, rushing toward him.
"And you got the key!" Callen added, eyeing the item in Owen's hand. His tone was half-shock, half-relief.
Evelyn approached more slowly, still trying to process everything.
"We thought you were gone. That thing— The Warden— we thought it killed you..."
Jace looked at all of them, then spoke, his tone calm.
"It tried."
Lawren stepped forward now, his usual stoicism cracked just slightly as a proud smirk pulled at the corners of his lips.
"You look like hell," he muttered. "But you made it back."
Sierra nodded, her expression filled with something between amazement and admiration.
"All of you did... I can't believe it. You actually solved the whole thing."
"We didn't just solve it," Samuel said, stepping up beside Jace. "We beat it. Everything it threw at us. The lies, the traitor..."
Callen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Victor…?"
Jace nodded once, coldly.
"Gone. Ran like a rat."
"But not before we got the key," Owen added, holding it up proudly. "This damn thing nearly cost all of us our lives."
Everyone stood in a circle now. Eight survivors. Wounded, bloodied, but not broken. The group was whole again.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity… they had a way out.
And no one had to die for it—at least not anymore.
As they all gathered near the gate, the relief began to fade slightly. There was still something heavy lingering in the air.
Samuel looked around at everyone. His expression hardened, his jaw tight. He held the key loosely in his hand, like it had a story of its own.
"Before we open this door," he began, "you all need to know the truth… about Victor."
The group turned to him. Sierra's brows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Samuel glanced at Jace and Owen briefly. They gave him a silent nod. He inhaled deeply.
"Victor... wasn't with us."
"He was against us."
The words hit the group like a slap.
"What?" Evelyn asked, stunned. "What are you talking about?"
"He had the key the entire time," Samuel said. "He took it from the cell when no one was looking. He misled us, delayed us… all to protect himself."
There was silence for a moment, then Lawren muttered under his breath.
"Bastard..."
Samuel continued.
"And it's possible… he's the reason Noa and Riley died, too."
Sierra's face dropped. Her body tensed, like she'd just been stabbed.
"Noa…?" she whispered. "Riley...?"
Callen clenched his fists tightly.
"That coward. All that time… all those games. He was with us."
"And he was stabbing us in the back the entire time."
Evelyn looked like she was going to be sick. She turned away, eyes glossing over.
"I trusted him," she said softly. "I thought he was protecting us. I thought he cared…"
Jace spoke quietly.
"He didn't. He only cared about surviving. Alone."
Sierra's face twisted in fury.
"He let them die. Riley… she died alone out there."
"He even tried to kill Owen, me and Ava," Samuel added.
Lawren's eyes burned with rage now.
"I swear to God, if I see him again…"
"You won't," Jace interrupted, his voice cold and steady. "He's done. He's either crawling into a hole to die, or he's going to throw himself into something worse than any of us can imagine. Let the place deal with him."
Everyone stood in silence for a moment. Mourning. Processing. Feeling the sting of betrayal.
Then Sierra stepped forward and looked at the others.
"Then let's make sure no one else dies for his choices."
She looked to the key in Samuel's hand.
"Let's get out of here."
As Samuel turned to the gate, ready to insert the key, Owen suddenly called out.
"Wait, Samuel!"
Samuel paused and looked over his shoulder.
"Do you remember…?" Owen's voice grew tense. "The rules of the tower we came through…?"
Samuel's eyes widened, his entire body pausing mid-motion.
"Oh… yeah."
"I completely forgot about that."
The rest of the group—Sierra, Ava, Evelyn, Callen, and Lawren—looked confused.
"What tower?" Ava asked, taking a step forward, her brow furrowed.
Before anyone answered, Samuel, Jace, and Owen began looking around, their eyes scanning the area near the gate, flipping over rocks, peeking behind broken crates and old debris.
"What are you looking for?" Lawren asked.
"The Band of Conjunction," Samuel muttered. "It should be near the exit."
"Band of what?" Evelyn echoed, looking increasingly concerned.
Owen spoke quickly as he continued searching.
"Anyone who enters this place from the tower… gets one. It's a band, like a bracelet. It keeps the group connected so they stay in the same phase and exit together."
"It's how we will all stay together," Samuel added.
After a few more moments of searching, Owen's voice rang out.
"Got it!"
He held up four metallic wristbands, each inscribed with strange glowing symbols. Everyone gathered around as he showed them. One by one, he counted them out.
"One for me… one for Samuel… one for Jace…"
He paused.
"And one… for Victor."
A silence fell. The final band, untouched, lay in Owen's hand like a ghost of what could have been.
"Guess we know who's not coming with us," Jace muttered, his voice low.
Ava stepped forward, still confused.
"Tower? Phase 11? What are you all talking about?"
Samuel turned toward her and the rest of the group.
"Alright. You deserve to know everything."
He looked at Jace and Owen. They both nodded in agreement.
Samuel continued:
"We didn't start in this place. We came from a phase called Phase 11. It was… different. Quiet. Peaceful. A place with a massive tower at the center—one that connects to every single one of the 9,999 phases."
"Wait, what?" Sierra blinked. "Nine-thousand—?"
"It's real," Owen said. "The tower isn't just a structure. It's like a hub. A way to travel between phases. But you can't just leave. The rule is simple: you can't exit the tower itself until you complete a phase."
"And once you enter a phase," Jace added, "you can't go back until it's finished. You're trapped until it's cleared and we all know it."
Samuel held up his own Band of Conjunction, letting the dull light from it catch their eyes.
"These bands—they keep you tethered to the people you enter with. Without them, we might be separated at random phases when we exit a phase. This way, we will all be sent into the same phase together."
Ava looked at the band in Owen's hand.
"And Victor… had one too?"
"Yeah," Owen said quietly. "Not anymore."
Samuel added
"And then there is the Echo Effect. One of the tower's curses. It shows you the last moments of the people who died in a phase. They replay in your mind like memories. It's… disorienting. But also gives you clues. A way to understand what you're up against before it kills you."
Callen crossed his arms, deep in thought.
"So this whole place… every phase… is part of some massive, connected system."
"Exactly," Jace confirmed. "And this—" he gestured around the prison walls "—was just one phase. One hellish phase."
Lawren looked at the band, then at the others.
"So what happens now?"
Owen took a breath, then slowly slipped the key into the gate's lock.
"Now?" he said.
"Now we finish this."
Owen reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, stained object—Noa's utility knife.
Once clean and silver, it now bore signs of rust and dried blood. A quiet symbol of everything they had lost. Originally hers… taken by Victor after her death… and now, in Owen's hands once more.
He held it tightly, his knuckles whitening.
"This belonged to Noa," he said quietly.
"Victor took it after he—" he stopped himself. Everyone understood.
With solemn precision, he passed the knife to Samuel, who took it wordlessly.
Samuel, Jace, and Owen all stood in a triangle, the three remaining holders of the Bands of Conjunction.
"Alright," Samuel said. "Let's set the bond."
They each held their left hand forward.
With practiced calm, Samuel drew the blade gently across his palm—just deep enough to draw a line of crimson. Jace and Owen followed suit.
Each of them let a single drop of blood fall onto their respective bands.
As the blood touched the surface, the bands shimmered. A faint glow pulsed through them—golden, ethereal. Then, just as suddenly, the bands vanished.
Gone.
Absorbed.
The bond was sealed.
They would stay together now. From here on out, whatever phase awaited—they would not be separated.
But then, the silence.
A single band remained.
Owen stared at it lying in his palm like a question waiting to be answered.
"There's one more," he said slowly.
Samuel looked around at the others.
"We can take one person… with us."
Everyone froze.
Ava. Sierra. Evelyn. Callen. Lawren.
Five people. One band.
One choice.
The room grew tense—not from hostility, but from the sheer weight of it. Who would stay with the trio? Who would be left behind to trust the next phase's randomness?
"What do we do?" Owen asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Samuel didn't answer yet.
He was still looking at the group—at the fear, hope, and exhaustion in each of their faces.
Everyone stood silently around the last Band of Conjunction.
No one spoke.
But everyone wanted to.
Their eyes flicked from one face to another—quietly hoping, quietly fearing.
Evelyn looked at Callen. Callen glanced at Lawren. Sierra stared at the floor. No one wanted to seem desperate. No one wanted to beg. But inside? They all wanted to go.
Samuel's group had proven themselves. They had the leader. The fighter. The planner. The survivor. If there was any chance of making it through the future phases, it was with them.
Still, no one said a word.
Until Samuel finally broke the silence.
He turned to one person.
"Ava."
Ava's head snapped up in surprise.
"Yes...?" she replied, unsure.
Samuel looked directly at her.
"Would you like to come with us?"
Ava blinked. Stunned. Everyone turned to look at her.
Even Owen raised an eyebrow. Jace didn't say anything, but he kept his eyes on her.
Ava's voice trembled slightly.
"Me...? Are you... sure?"
Samuel gave a small nod.
"You fought with us. You endured this phase with us. And..." he paused, glancing toward Jace and Owen for support. "You never gave up. Even when it got bad. That matters to me."
Ava's lip quivered just a little. She looked at the others, who now wore mixed expressions—supportive, but sad. Sierra gave her a small, knowing nod. Evelyn forced a half-smile. Callen sighed, trying not to look bitter.
Lawren looked away.
Ava turned back to Samuel.
"I'd be honored."
Samuel handed her the final band.
Ava looked at it—trembling in her hand like it was made of glass.
Then, slowly, she cut a small line on her palm. Let the blood drop onto the band.
It shined gold.
Then vanished.
The bond was set.
She was now part of their team.
The air was thick with unsaid words. The last moments before they would part hung heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The door to the next phase loomed before them, but they couldn't move, not yet. Not until the final words were said.
Samuel stood at the forefront, his heart tight in his chest. His gaze swept over the group in front of him—Evelyn, Sierra, Callen, and Lawren. They had fought together, bled together, and in some ways, had become family. Now, it was time to say goodbye.
"This isn't the end," Samuel said, his voice thick with emotion. "We'll meet again. I believe it."
Evelyn's eyes were glassy, but she smiled through it. "I hope you're right, Samuel. I hope we all get out of this together. Just… promise me you'll make it to the end."
Samuel nodded firmly, the weight of her words settling on him. "I'll make it. I promise."
Sierra stepped forward, her lips trembling. She clapped a hand on Owen's shoulder, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to spill.
"You better not be a stranger, Owen. I swear, if I don't hear from you again—"
Owen laughed, the sound tinged with sadness. "I'll come find you, Sierra. I'll make sure of it."
Sierra let out a short laugh, but it quickly turned into a sob. She pulled Owen into a fierce hug, burying her face in his shoulder. "Take care of each other, alright?"
Owen hugged her back, his voice soft. "We will. You too."
Callen stood apart, but as he met Jace's eyes, he stepped forward, clasping Jace's hand firmly.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm proud of you, man. You've got a hell of a heart in you. You made it through the worst."
Jace, bruised and battered, gave a small smile. "Thanks, Callen. Means a lot."
Callen gave him a knowing look, his voice quieter now. "You're stronger than you think, Jace. Don't forget that."
Jace's smile widened just slightly. "I won't forget."
Lawren approached Ava with a soft look in her eyes, pausing for a moment before speaking.
"You've got strength, Ava. I see it now. You've earned your place here. But remember…" She took a deep breath, her voice thick. "Don't lose that strength. Whatever happens next, you've got what it takes."
Ava nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "Thank you, Lawren. I'll carry that with me."
They stood there for a moment, the weight of everything they'd been through sinking in. Each one of them knew they were leaving something behind—something irreplaceable. A bond that couldn't be easily broken.
But as the silence stretched, it was clear they were all trying to hold it together. They couldn't be the ones to break first.
Finally, Samuel broke the silence, his voice thick with emotion. "We've all been through so much, but I don't regret a second of it. You all gave everything. And that means something."
Sierra wiped her eyes, offering him a shaky smile. "I don't regret it either. You all... you made me stronger."
Lawren's voice was steady, though her eyes were wet. "We'll see each other again, right? I can't imagine this ending like this."
"We will," Samuel said firmly, turning to face the group once more. "Even if it's not here, we'll find a way. The world's too small for us to never see each other again."
Owen's voice was quiet as he spoke to everyone. "It's been a hell of a ride. But… I guess it's not over. Not yet."
Callen grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "I'd say I'll miss you all, but I'm not going anywhere. You know where to find me."
Sierra gave a soft laugh through her tears, looking at everyone. "You've all made it through something most people would never survive. You're stronger than you think."
Jace stood at the back of the group, his expression stoic, but his eyes were darker than usual. He glanced at Samuel and then to the others.
"I never thought I'd find people I could trust in a place like this. But you guys… You made me feel like I wasn't alone."
His voice softened. "So, thank you. For everything."
Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes a mix of gratitude and sorrow. She embraced Jace quickly. "You've proven yourself more than once. I'll never forget it."
"You won't have to," Jace said quietly.
There was a brief moment of silence. Then Samuel spoke again, his voice firm but full of emotion.
"It's time."
They all looked at the door. The next phase awaited them. But as they stood there, they knew that no matter where this journey took them, they would never forget each other. Not for a second.
Evelyn gave a sad, but proud, smile. "Good luck. All of you."
"You too," Samuel said, nodding.
Sierra cleared her throat, wiping away one last tear. "You better survive. Or I'll come back for you."
Owen gave her a small grin. "Wouldn't dream of it any other way."
They turned to leave.
But before they did, Ava paused, glancing back at the others.
"Goodbye, everyone," she said softly. "I'll make sure they get to the end. You can count on me."
With one last shared glance, the group stepped toward the door.
The light from the next phase surrounded them, and one by one, they disappeared from sight.
A blinding light engulfed Samuel, Owen, Jace, and Ava. The light was so intense that it seemed to stretch across every inch of their vision. For a few moments, they were suspended in a place between worlds—neither here nor there.
Then, as abruptly as it had come, the light vanished.
The world around them shifted. The brightness faded, and their eyes gradually adjusted. Samuel blinked, looking around, trying to make sense of the new environment. Owen followed suit, his heart racing in disbelief. Jace did the same, his gaze sharp and observant. Ava, still in shock, glanced around, her mind catching up to the sudden shift.
And then, it clicked for Samuel. He understood where they were.
"We're back… We're back at the Tower."
Owen let out a shaky breath. "Finally… all of this is over." The words felt like a relief, a weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying.
Samuel, too, relaxed. He turned toward Owen, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah… we're safe now. Now, we just need to get out of the Tower, meet up with the others if they've completed their phases, and gather information."
Jace nodded in agreement. Ava, still trying to wrap her head around the situation, spoke up hesitantly.
"So this is the Tower that connects all the phases?"
Samuel nodded. "Yeah, it is. And now that we've completed one phase… we can get out of the Tower."
Owen nodded quietly, but his mind was still racing. The relief was palpable, but the lingering uncertainty about the others gnawed at him.
They began their descent down the Tower, moving with purpose. But as they reached the fifth floor, they paused. They looked around at the familiar yet distant surroundings of Phase 5.
"Ethan, Riley, Milo, and Lena… they aren't back yet." Owen's voice was quiet, but there was a trace of worry beneath it.
Samuel let out a slow breath, his expression thoughtful. "I hope they're okay. They've got to be… right?"
Owen pressed his lips together. "I hope so too."
Ava, who had been observing them, was clearly confused. "Who are these people? What's going on?"
Samuel turned toward her, his face softening. "They're part of our actual group. We've been staying in Phase 11. It's a peaceful city. There's no threat there. It's essentially a place for rest and relaxation."
Ava looked relieved at the mention of a peaceful place. She'd been through so much, and the thought of a safe place to unwind was something she couldn't ignore.
Samuel continued, his voice growing a little more serious. "But there's one more person in our group. His name is Ethan."
Ava's brow furrowed. "Ethan?"
Samuel nodded. "If he'd been with us in Phase 10, he would've completed the phase much faster. We might've saved more lives. Maybe… none of this would've happened."
Owen, his voice quiet, added, "If Ethan had been there, things could have been different."
Ava was in shock, her mind racing with the implications. She didn't want to believe it, but there was something in the way Samuel and Owen spoke that made it feel real. A flicker of excitement, mixed with confusion, crossed her face.
Jace, as always, was silent, his expression unreadable. But his gaze lingered on Ava, and she could feel his eyes on her, the weight of unspoken thoughts heavy between them.
After a moment, they continued their descent through the Tower. They reached the ground floor, where the entry door loomed ahead. Jace pushed it open, and they stepped out into the world beyond.
It was early morning, just before dawn. The Tower, now behind them, had started to fade, its immense form slowly becoming a distant memory. The soft light of morning crept across the horizon. Owen checked his watch and confirmed the time.
"It's somewhere around 5 AM."
They stepped outside the Tower, breathing in the cool morning air. It felt like they had just emerged from a long, strange dream—though none of them would ever forget the horrors of the phases they'd just endured.
Samuel spoke first, breaking the silence. "Alright, let's head to the hotel. We need to find Noah and Johnathan. We need to check on Johnathan. He's covered in injuries."
Ava looked nervous at the thought of meeting more people, but she didn't voice her concerns. She simply nodded. "I… I guess I'll meet them when we get there?"
Owen gave her an encouraging smile. "You'll be fine, Ava. They're good people. You'll see."
Jace remained quiet, as always, but he walked steadily ahead, the weight of their journey still evident in his movements.
As they walked away from the Tower, the cool morning air felt like a fresh start—a new chapter.
But as they walked toward the unknown, they couldn't shake the feeling that the journey was far from over.
*EPILOGUE*
As morning began to rise over the city and Samuel's team walked away from the Tower, elsewhere—
Heavy boots echoed across the blood-slicked halls of Hallow Prison.
A man stepped through the gates without hesitation.
"Well... what have we here?"
His voice was deep—gritty, confident, laced with something feral.
A wicked smile grew on his face— like he was ready to slaughter whatever was foolish enough to exist here.
He kicked a skull aside and kept walking, dragging his fingers along the crimson walls.
A name etched itself into the silence
Jason Todd.
And now, The absolute fall of the Hallow prison begins.