"Wake up, Poke! Wake up!"
Inside the maze, Xi shook Poke's body relentlessly.
"Where... is this?" Poke's weak voice suddenly sounded. He had finally awakened from the looping nightmare and fully returned to reality.
He tried to move, only to find himself buried up to his waist in the dirt. A thick, black chain pierced his chest, and the ground around him was littered with withered hallucinogenic herbs. Staring at the massive black wall, Poke felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't quite remember why.
"I'll get you out of there first."
Xi placed his hands on the ground around Poke. As his healing power activated, the earth melted into a puddle. With a heave, Xi pulled Poke out of the mire.
"And this chain..." Xi frowned, looking at the thick chain. He didn't know its structure. Without a "pathogen," he couldn't activate his healing.
