The light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
There was a wall in front of me. Looking up, its top vanished into the clouds.
I was dressed in a bright orange tracksuit made of thick fabric. It fit almost perfectly — not too tight, not too loose. The suit consisted of a T-shirt and shorts. My feet were wearing black sneakers — shoes I didn't have on before.
Was this always on me? Game uniform?
The metal bracelet tightly wrapped around my right wrist, digging into the skin.
At the touch of my finger, the bracelet's screen lit up. Two timers flashed into view:
07:57:53 — time remaining
01:00:00 — time spent in the burrow.
The air was wet, heavy with the stench of mildew and mold.
Above us, no ceiling — just a gloomy sky stretched tight with thick gray clouds. No sign of the sun.
I wasn't alone. Two others stood close, wearing the same outfit I had on.
The first was a girl, maybe twenty. Dyed green hair cut into a sharp bob.
"I'm Fleur. From Lyon," she said. "I dance hip-hop. I like to run."
She introduced herself — trying to show she's no threat?
Massive walls towered around us, built from damp, time-worn blocks. The surface was uneven, slick, cracked in places. Water dripped from above.
I couldn't even see where the path led past the next bend.
The last person was her — a girl barely up to my waist, with two small ponytails. Silent, her wide-open eyes watched us intently.
A child? I hadn't noticed any children in the crowd. Probably because they were below eye level.
Fleur took a few steps aside and began doing squats, stretches, controlled kicks.
Curious, I shifted my gaze to her.
"Just warming up," she muttered.
Her movements were precise. She was fit — focused.
I knelt in front of the child, careful not to scare her.
"Hey. What's your name? I'm… Toru," I lied.
There's no need to reveal my real name yet.
The girl blinked, then whispered softly:
"Ayumi."
Her voice was feather-light.
"I'm ten. I like drawing… mostly dogs. And I have an older brother…" she added quietly.
Needing time to gather my thoughts, I sat on the cold stone floor. It was uncomfortable, but better than standing aimlessly.
"Hey!" I called.
Fleur paused her warm-up and glanced back.
"What do you need from us?" she asked warily.
"We'll last longer if we stick together. And… there's a child. We can't leave her behind."
She stepped closer, narrowing her eyes.
Our gazes met.
"This is survival. Everyone's on their own. So… what use are you to me?" she said.
"Everyone was scattered across the labyrinth in groups of three. I think each group started the same distance apart. That means we have time. No need to rush."
A surge of anxiety gripped me, but my voice stayed calm.
Fleur listened silently, without looking away. Then she asked the question:
"Why are you telling me this? What's your goal?"
Good question. She's testing me.
I want to be frank.
"Because I'm sure you don't have a clear plan. It's better to stick close to someone who actually wants to figure this place out."
Ayumi listened closely to our conversation, silently watching us.
"Okay, I'll be on your team," Fleur said, stepping closer to me.
I stood up from the floor and waved to Ayumi with my hand. She slowly walked over to me.
Forming a triangle, I spoke.
"We're in a labyrinth, but I doubt it's the only one."
"How do you know?" Ayumi asked shyly.
I smiled and continued, "Do you remember how many people there were? A few thousand, maybe even tens of thousands."
Fleur frowned.
"You mean there's more than one labyrinth? What makes you so sure about that?"
I exhaled and answered, "First of all, it's just a guess. I doubt they could fit all those people into groups of three inside a single maze. But that's not the only reason."
Ayumi grabbed my shirt and asked, "What else?"
"The whole thing is about the cheese. I doubt it's scattered randomly. I think there must be a certain radius where it's located."
The French girl gave me a skeptical look.
"Are you serious? I thought you had solid arguments, but these are just guesses?"
"Yes," I admitted. "But I'm sure the cats showed up where the cheese is. And most likely, the cheese is in the center. We're somewhere in the middle or outer parts of the labyrinth."
Ayumi chimed in softly, "Like free cheese in a mousetrap?"
I nodded, confirming her thought.
Fleur spoke, her voice low but firm.
"I don't know how sound travels here, but I haven't heard a single scream. Were you hoping someone would find us?"
She paused, then came closer and rested her hands on my shoulders as she continued.
"You knew the others wouldn't wait. They'd move on."
I met her gaze.
The green-haired girl leaned her face closer to mine. Her once stern gaze softened, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"If the cheese is in the center… and the cats came from there… then they will most likely encounter those who left first. Am I wrong?" Fleur asked quietly.
I froze, silent for a moment.
Looking at Fleur, it's easy to think she's hard to deal with — sharp-tongued, blunt, confrontational. But she's far from ordinary.
We're at Point A — the people.
Point B — the cheese. And the cats.
If every living thing starts heading toward the opposite point, then the ones that move will be the first to collide.
So maybe… for now, the smartest move is not to move at all.
"You're right. But it's time we start moving," I said firmly, taking Fleur's hands and gently lowering them from my shoulders.
I've played dozens of games. Strategy, survival, horror. Maybe something will help now.
Looking around, it was hard for me to choose which way to go. So, we took the closest path—to the left.
But before that, I picked up a small stone lying on the ground, chipped off from the wall.
Ayumi asked, "Why do you need that stone?"
I replied, "For markings."
I scratched an arrow into one of the walls.
Then explained, "The arrow shows direction. Its tip tilts upward if we go left, and downward if we go right."
We had nothing with us. No weapons. No map. Just the weight of uncertainty pressing down with every step.
At the turn, I slowed and cautiously peered around the corner. Empty.
The girls stayed close behind, their footsteps soft, uncertain. We moved in silence, wrapped in tension too thick to speak through.
The maze stretched onward—endless, indifferent.
The walls, damp and cracked, looked just like the ones we'd already passed. Like we were circling a single point. Going nowhere.
Above us, the same oppressive sky—gray, unmoving.
The air hung heavy with the sour stink of mildew, clinging to our clothes, sinking into our lungs.
Time felt warped here, dragging endlessly. Every step was a loop — forward, but never closer to anything.
We ran into dead ends more than once. And each time, we had no choice but to turn back.
I kept carving marks into the walls as we walked. Arrows. Simple, but vital.
Without them… I might've started doubting everything.
"Where are we going?" Ayumi asked, stopping to catch her breath.
"First, we need to find a safe zone," I said, pausing.
Fleur stepped up beside us.
"A safe zone?" Ayumi tilted her head.
"In games, it's a place where nothing can hurt you. Here… it'll be a burrow."
She clenched her small fist. "Got it!"
Before continuing, I touched the bracelet screen and glanced at the timer:
06:25:26 — time remaining.
Ayumi took my hand.
Warm.
Please… just let her get through this.
I moved forward and carved another mark into the wall.
The maze pressed in from all sides.
Moisture soaked through my tracksuit, clinging cold against my skin.
"How much longer do we have to wander here?" Fleur asked.
"I think we'll finish soon."
I wish I believed that.
Fleur walked with steady steps, like this stone trap was just another training ground.
Around the next bend, only the sound of our footsteps echoed… and the slow trickle of water.
The walls seemed even taller here. My heart pounded harder.
"Do you play games like this often?" Fleur asked.
"I used to," I replied, trying not to let my nerves show. "But this… this is different. This is real."
Ayumi squeezed my hand tighter.
Suddenly — we froze.
A sound echoed from the next bend. It sounded only once.
"Who's there?" I whispered.
No reply.
"Could be a person," Fleur muttered. "Or… a cat."
"Or just the wind," I added, though I didn't believe it.
We pressed our backs against the wall, barely breathing. Sweat clung to our foreheads.
I peeked around the corner.
Someone was there — a body lying motionless on the ground.