Carter carefully studied the glowing hints again, attempting to decipher their meaning. Three of them made sense, but the first still gnawed at him:
"A DREAM THAT HAS NO END"
He couldn't crack that line. The others were clearer:
"EVEN NUMBER IS THE KEY TO THE END"
"WHO GIVES A DEADLY SCAR, THAT'S THE DOOR"
"THE DEMON LIKES TO FIND BALANCE IN EVERYTHING"
Seven doors stood before him. Only one bore an even number and was positioned perfectly in the center—Door 4. Three doors lay before it, three after. Balanced. On that door, the label read:
(49) – Knight
"A knight… who gives a deadly scar," Carter muttered, realization dawning. He approached the door and stepped inside.
The hall beyond was vast, cold, and abandoned—a dusty castle echoing with the weight of ancient power. A long-dead king slumped on his throne, skeletal soldiers frozen around him. Carter advanced cautiously.
CRACK.
One by one, the skeletal soldiers rose. Bones cracked, armor clanged, and swords were drawn.
They charged.
Carter dodged at first, moving fluidly, but the longer he fought, the stronger the undead became. The Scenario was adapting.
Snatching a sword from the ground, he began cutting through the relentless horde. Still, they came, endless and unyielding.
The king finally rose, his hollow eyes fixed on Carter. Without a word, he lunged. Their swords clashed mid-air with a sharp SHHHING—a single clean strike. The king's head rolled to the floor, and the army crumbled, bones turning to dust. Silence fell.
Carter approached the throne, inspecting its intricate carvings, when a low rumble echoed behind it. Circling around, he discovered a hidden passage, glowing faintly—a doorway waiting. Without hesitation, he stepped through.
Meanwhile, in the Maze of Eznoid, Ron faced Punisher 121, a monstrous entity wielding dual blazing axes. The beast charged, axes swinging with devastating speed. Ron's own reflexes allowed him to dodge at first, but Punisher 121 was learning quickly, predicting his moves.
Then came the opening. The axes struck. SLASH. SLASH. SLASH. Dozens of blows landed, throwing Ron across the maze. His body ached; his lungs burned.
"Too strong… too smart," he thought.
Before he could recover, Punisher 121 descended from above, unleashing a storm of punches—over a hundred strikes, each sending shockwaves that tore through the maze and even shook Sami and Rad's house in the real world. Time flowed differently in these realms, leaving the twins unaware of the chaos.
Ron struggled to rise, his vision fading. Punisher 121 laughed, convinced of victory.
Then, the air shifted. Debris floated around Ron; heat surged through the realm; the entire Maze trembled. His pupils glowed dark red as a terrifying power coursed through him.
Punisher 121 sneered. "Still alive? You should've stayed down."
The beast roared, the sound ripping the very fabric of the maze. But Ron surged forward, fist connecting with its jaw, launching a flurry of attacks—punches, kicks, and energy bursts—sending Punisher 121 crashing across the dimension.
The maze began collapsing from the force. Punisher 121 coughed, weakly raising his head.
"Unbelievable… You held that kind of power? No wonder Dr. Thomas is after you…"
Above the fallen monster, a massive red sword materialized. Ron hovered, his aura blazing red and black like a storm, silently commanding the weapon. The sword pierced the creature's heart. Punisher 121 screamed, then began to vaporize. Even as he faded, a faint smile lingered.
"That power… only activates when you lose consciousness? You're terrifying… Just be careful of Dr. Thomas…"
With the threat eliminated, the Maze of Eznoid lay in ruins behind Ron. He pressed onward, eventually finding a man sitting silently in a chair, still as stone. A door appeared before him, and stepping through, he returned to the hallway where he and Carter had parted ways. Seconds later, Carter emerged as well.
"That power I sensed earlier—was that you?" Carter asked.
Ron shook his head. "I don't remember. I passed out."
Their eyes fell on something new—two doors, previously unseen.
"What? Were those always here?" Ron asked.
"No idea. They just appeared," Carter replied.
They exchanged a knowing glance, then smiled.
"Alright," Carter said. "You take the right. I'll take the left."
They shook hands and stepped forward, ready for their next trial.