Adrian walked into another tunnel, but without surprise, it led deeper into the endless labyrinth.
'My feet hurt,' he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to ignore the stinging pain. 'This was a mistake. I can't take a rest,' he gritted his teeth.
Although it felt like the soles of his feet would peel off if he took another step, he forced himself to move forward. The walls of the labyrinth would move from time to time, and if he lingered in one place for a step too long…
'At that point, I'd rather be eliminated. Unless I'm the damn Watcher, I won't die. But if I get squished between solid stone walls, I'd certainly meet my maker.'
Although only a few minutes had passed since he entered the labyrinth, he was often forced to run when the ground trembled.
Sometimes, the walls closed behind him. But sometimes…
'I'm almost certain that someone is nearby,' he took a deep breath and looked behind him. The tunnel was brightly lit with warm torches, yet darkness seemed to twist the path.
'Why's there no ambient noise?' He frowned. 'Come to think of it, both the Garden of Eden and the Classrooms were quiet. The only noise that can be heard are those we make.'
He walked toward the torch and leaned forward. He turned his head to the side and pointed his ears at the flames.
'Torches should emit faint, crackling sounds, right?' Carefully, he stepped back.
'These torches aren't real,' he eyed every single torch in his sight. 'If…' He shoved one hand into his pocket and grabbed his phone.
'If they're fake… then what are they?' Carefully, he lifted his hand.
"HEYA!"
He stiffened up and yanked his hand out of his pants. With it, his phone yearned for the ceiling.
"OH SHIT!" A loud yell jumpstarted his heart that seemed to malfunction from shock. A blur appeared in his eyes, and his brain recognized the person.
It was a boy, a friend.
"Geez," the boy stood up straight and waved Adrian's phone that he rescued with great effort. He brushed his golden hair back and grinned at the frozen boy, his blue eyes locked with Adrian's earthy ones.
"I didn't know you were a scaredy cat, Adrian."
"Niel," Adrian let out a long breath and nursed his temples. "Why in the hell," he glared at the other boy, "would you scare me like that?!"
The boy, Croniel John Evans, snickered, his grin like that of a playful tiger. Though, his somewhat sunken cheeks and pale face made him look a bit unhealthy. Even his uniform simply hung on his body like he was a cloth hanger.
'Make him age a few more years and you have a spooky guy fit for every Halloween show,' behind his glare, Adrian couldn't help but grin.
Croniel clutched his heart. "I'm hurt! My best friend, my future husband, is angry at me! Someone, help!" Still holding Adrian's phone, he tapped the back of his other hand on his forehead and closed his eyes, his knees slightly bent.
"Haaa," Adrian shook his head. "Future husband? Since when did you propose to me?" He snatched his phone back from Croniel's hand, who didn't resist.
"Oh! My!" Croniel's eyes widened like saucers. He fell down to one knee and raised both of his hands in front of him.
"My knight in shining armor," slowly, he parted his hands like he was holding a ring box. "Will you marry me?"
For a second, Adrian wondered if he should kick the mixed-blood in front of him.
"Why… are you here?" Adrian ignored the other's antics and glanced at his phone. He checked the current time, before he focused back on Croniel.
The boy stood up and washed off the theatre on his face. "I'm here 'cause I've only been here," he rubbed his nose.
"Though, I have a teeny tiny theory."
"And that is…?" Adrian raised an eyebrow and walked ahead of Croniel, who wordlessly followed him. Needless to say, the latter also knew about the moving walls.
"I landed here with someone else… The, 'Labyrinth of Fools,' the clown called it," Croniel squinted hard and wiped the sweat off of his forehead.
"There's someone else here?" Adrian looked behind him and saw the other boy covered in sweat. "...you know what, forget it—"
"No, no," Croniel huffed as he shook his head. "I forgot their name, but yeah, there's someone else in here, in, in these foolish walls," he wore a stoic mask and tried to deepen his voice.
"Pfft," Adrian refused to rate the roleplay. "Either way, it's not that important. How about you tell me your 'theory' instead?" A small smile played on his lips.
Croniel nodded and cleared his throat, only to break in a fit of coughs instead. Adrian tuned out the noise. There was nothing he could do to help—if he showed concern, Croniel's condition would worsen.
After what seemed like dozens of minutes, Croniel wiped his spit stained lips with the back of his hand. "Anyway, as I was saying…"
Adrian perked his ears, but Croniel said nothing. "As you were saying?"
"I forgot, what were we talking about?" Croniel scratched the side of his jaw.
"Uh, nothing," Adrian chuckled and slowed his pace. Soon, both of them stopped and stared into yet another fork in the tunnels.
"Oh right," Adrian blinked and faced Croniel, who was observing the moss on the walls.
"Adam's been eliminated."
"...huh? Isn't he the super buff guy?" Croniel blinked his way to his foggy memories. "He's usually good at everything. Not to mention, lucky. How come he was already out?"
Adrian grinned. "I think Anderson is the Watcher."
The ground beneath them trembled.