As I woke up next day, I could see Elysa's room still locked.
I guess she didn't wake up yet.
I heard a crashing noise from the bathroom and I saw Luke and Deeno struggling among themselves to use the toilet.
I sneakily walk past them and went inside myself. I could hear them both scream at me but ignoring them I recollect my thoughts and look over my current objectives.
First, reach the Great halls and interogate Rosa about her real intentions.
Second, unfolding the truth behind my purpose here and why I am [The last Vessel of the damned darkness]
Third, my connection to this place.
These are my current objectives that I have to complete.
I got up and went outside the toilet, I felt a strange sense of danger. It was quite.
It was way too quite. Luke and Deeno were both just fighting a moment ago but now it was dead silence. I reach over to Elysa's door and knock a few times. I had knocked a dozen times but she still hasn't replied.
Suddenly the carriage started shaking vigorously and I grabbed onto a nearby pillar for support.
I know something is wrong. The carriage stopped moving and I try to get out through the front door.
As I take a step out of the carriage, I was suddenly pulled by a mysterious force and my body was dragged out of the carriage.
The force had now stopped so I try to run into the carriage again only to find that the entrance was blocked. I was trapped.
I didn't know where I was, it was maze like dungeon with walls of pale yellow colour along with Marks of wear and tear.
I explored for a bit before trying to find the exit. As I ventured deeper into this hall like labyrinth, I realised I was stuck here as the walls were repeating again and again and I stood at the place from where I started.
As I quickly ran deeper into these rooms i was again thrown back to starting place. Now I knew I was fully screwed.
***
At the entrance of the toile, Deeno and Luke were arguing again when suddenly they felt something wrong.
Something was off.
Suddenly Elysa burst out from her room and screamed Zai's name as she also reached infront of toilet.
"You felt it too."
"Yeah, something's off"
"Should we burst this damn door?"
"Maybe we should."
Before both of them could even activate their power, strong wind current crushed the door as Elysa quickly went inside and in a very serious distressed voice told both Luke and Deeno
"Zai's been kidnapped"
***
It's been half an hour since I got lost in this maze and here's what I have observed
First, it's never ending and it is looped meaning I return to same place again no matter where I go.
Second, I tried breaking the walls but somehow they always get repaired whenever I am returned to my starting point.
Third, I don't know why but each second I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker.
As I was trying to figure out mystery of this place something in the corner caught my eyes. I wanted to go there and check what was up but my instinct were telling me to not go there.
As I was lost in my thoughts I saw a black shadow sprinting across from the corner. I was shit scared but I couldn't scream because I don't know what that thing might do.
I was confident in my abilities to fight now. I could surely take on atleast 4 ghouls. But I don't know if the enemy is a ghoul or not moreover I can't afford to be reckless.
Neither Elysa nor Luke is here to protect me, I am here all alone, by myself.
Suddenly an old memory of an empty classroom flashed in my brain. But I can't afford the luxury to indulge in the memory of past.
I again walked across this labyrinth and again destroyed a few walls and I taken back to the starting point again. I was frustrated. So frustrated in fact, I took the pocket watch I had in my pocket and was about to throw it on the floor.
That's when I discovered something unusual. It was stopped. The time in watch was frozen. This watch was given to me by Elysa just the day before then how the hell could it be broken.
At this moment, I thought of something. I set the watch about 15 mins foreward. As I walk to the end point -that is the where the room was looping- i again, as expected reached the starting point.
As I looked at my watch,I realised the true nature of this room.
My watch had gone 15 min back meaning it's not that there is someone who is repairing or actively hindering my escape, it's simply due to the time that is repeating itself.
The moment I reached ending point the time resets and I again reach the point prior to starting. Since I figured out how this room worked. I now had to see how much time does this room resets.
Right now time is stopped. So I set my watch 12 mins ahead and destroy some walls. I wait for 2 hours by conciously counting each second.
Exactly 2 hours later I walked to ending point but time restarted once again and I reached starting point with my watch 12 mins behind. I try this bunch of times but it kept failing. Again, frustrated I break the walls. The rubble fell. Suddenly a strange idea popped in my head.
I took a stone, size of the fist in my head, and sealed it exactly 5 feets in front of wall. I run to the E.P. (ending point) and was transported to S.P. (starting point). This time, my experiment was successful. The wall had been repaired but the piece I sealed floated in air like last piece of puzzle waiting to be completed.
Finally, I made progress now my task was to actually escape this place. This time I made a plan again.
I ran to the E.P. but did not cross it. Right before the end point, I sealed my whole body expect my toe which I kept in such a position so that, only it could cross the E.P. line.
As I sealed my whole body, my consciousness began to fade, only my last command, that was to cross the E.P. line remained and I finally lost my consciousness.
I found myself outside with the front of my toenail missing. I am glad I did not cut my nails after coming here. I look at my pocket watch again and see that it's only been 1 minute in real world. But to my surprise I was not in the carriage but at a random grassfield.
I stood up and observe the vicinity. I could not see signs of a carriage or even a path, at this random patch of grassfield.
Suddenly, my body became stiff as if I was under a rock and my legs started shaking. It was instinctive fear but I didn't know what was happening. I started sweating profusely and my throat was somehow becoming hoarse.
I heard clacking of sharp metal behind me. I was too scared to even turn.
"You.. You... B-B- Broke.. the [The never ending maze]... W-w-who are you!!"
It was a voice resembling a dry husk, like voice of a hollow zombie. Suddenly it dissappeared. I gathered my courage and turned to look behind only for a sharp blade to be held against my neck.
"Y-y- you must die."
***