Yaxoc and Haven's surroundings shimmered before solidifying into an immense labyrinth. The walls loomed high, their blackened stone surfaces radiating a faint, eerie glow.
"What the hell?" Yaxoc muttered, scanning the surroundings. "It's a maze?"
Haven glanced around nervously, taking in the jagged edges and endless corridors. "Yeah, and it's massive too."
Yaxoc smirked, mischief sparking in his eyes. "Wanna know what else is massive?"
"Don't start," Haven replied, crossing her arms with an annoyed glare.
Yaxoc shrugged and began walking down the dimly lit passage, Haven following reluctantly.
"Where do you think Zarzock could be?" Haven asked, her voice echoing off the walls.
"Who knows? But we'll clear this maze in no time—if it's easy, of course." Yaxoc cracked his knuckles confidently.
Haven raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Yeah, sure. Let me know how that goes once we realize we're lost."
"Lost? Please." Yaxoc scoffed. "This is child's play."
The two wandered deeper into the labyrinth, their steps reverberating through the oppressive silence. After what felt like an eternity, they stumbled upon a vast, shadowy cavern nestled within the maze.
"Is that part of the maze?" Haven asked, her tone filled with curiosity.
Yaxoc narrowed his eyes. "Looks like it."
Before they could step closer, the ground trembled, and hundreds of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness. A horde of 500 vampires rose from the cavern floor, their snarls and hisses filling the air.
"Ah, vampires," Yaxoc muttered with disinterest, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Vampires?" Haven's voice was a mix of disbelief and terror. "Since when are they a thing?"
The vampires charged as Haven's panic escalated. "Yaxoc! Do something!" she yelled, gripping his arm.
Yaxoc raised a hand calmly. "Dream Magic: Red," he chanted, his voice cutting through the chaos. A massive, crimson explosion radiated from his outstretched palm, incinerating the horde in an instant.
As the dust settled, Yaxoc dusted off his hands. "Easier said than done," he quipped, glancing at Haven with a smirk.
Haven blinked in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape. "You could've done that earlier instead of showing off!"
"Where's the fun in that?" Yaxoc replied, stretching casually as they pressed onward.
Yaxoc and Haven trudged through the maze, their steps steady but their nerves frayed. After turning a sharp corner, they stopped abruptly in front of a massive, glowing river that cut through the labyrinth.
"A river?" Yaxoc said, narrowing his eyes. "What's the deal with this—"
Before he could finish, a deafening roar erupted from the water. The river churned violently as a colossal sea monster forged entirely of negative energy rose from its depths. Its form shimmered darkly, pulsating with raw malice, as its roar reverberated across the dimension, shaking the ground beneath them.
"What the hell is that?!" Haven screamed, her voice trembling as she took a step back.
"That's not just any monster—it's a sea beast made of pure negativity!" Yaxoc shouted. "We have to run. Now!"
They turned to flee, but their escape was cut off as massive rocks crashed down, sealing the exit. Haven clenched her fists, panic setting in.
"We're trapped!" she yelled.
"Then we fight!" Yaxoc roared back, his resolve hardening. "Let's take this thing down!"
Without hesitation, Yaxoc lunged at the monster, his fist glowing with power. He delivered a devastating punch to its neck, but the creature barely flinched. With a swift motion, its massive tail whipped Yaxoc, sending him crashing into the maze wall with bone-rattling force.
"Yaxoc!" Haven cried, rushing to his side. She turned her glare to the beast. "Damn you!"
As Yaxoc struggled to his feet, Haven pulled him up, her expression serious. "We need to approach this carefully! This monster isn't just strong—it's intelligent."
"Careful how?" Yaxoc groaned, rubbing his shoulder.
Haven studied the creature intently, her eyes narrowing. "We need to find its weak spot."
Yaxoc rolled his eyes. "That's not exactly a careful plan, you genius."
The creature roared again, its guttural bellow shaking the maze even more violently than before.
"The more negativity it absorbs, the stronger it gets!" Haven yelled over the noise. "We have to counter it with positive energy. That's its only weakness!"
"Alright, fine," Yaxoc grumbled. "What's the plan?"
Haven squinted at the creature's neck and spotted a faintly glowing white patch. "Yaxoc, did you land a hit earlier?"
"Almost. On its neck," he replied, glancing at her. "Why?"
She pointed at the glowing spot. "That's it! Positive energy weakens it. If we focus on that spot and keep overwhelming it, we can bring it down—even if it fights back."
Yaxoc smirked, his confidence returning. "Alright, here's the play: we aim for the tail first, then the neck. Deal?"
"Got it," Haven said, dropping into a fighting stance.
The duo leapt into action, their movements sharp as they observed the creature. Yaxoc pointed as the tail swayed, exposed.
"Now!" he shouted.
Haven lunged forward, her angelic essence glowing brightly. "Angelic Flash!" she yelled, landing a powerful strike on the tail. The monster let out an ear-splitting roar, its grip of pure energy reaching out and snatching Haven midair.
"Agh! It's got me!" Haven yelled, struggling against its crushing hold.
Yaxoc darted forward, his fist crackling with energy, and delivered a thunderous blow to the creature's neck. The beast roared in pain, releasing Haven from its grip. She fell back, landing nimbly beside Yaxoc.
"Finish it!" Yaxoc yelled, his power surging. "Angelic Essence: Faith's Multiplication Fist!"
Yaxoc's fists became a flurry of strikes, each blow hitting the glowing white patch on the monster's neck. With a final, earth-shattering punch, the patch glowed brighter, expanding rapidly.
"Your turn!" Yaxoc called to Haven.
Haven steeled herself and charged, her essence blazing. She slammed her fist into the monster's stomach, creating another glowing spot as the creature howled in agony. But before they could follow up, the monster let out a deafening scream. A shockwave of dark energy erupted, throwing Yaxoc and Haven backward. The glowing patches flickered and vanished as the creature regenerated, its form larger and more menacing than before.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Yaxoc groaned, staring at the reinvigorated beast. "It regenerated?!"
Haven gritted her teeth, determination burning in her eyes. "We're not done yet. We just need to hit it harder—together."
Yaxoc dashed toward the monster, aiming a powerful punch at its tail. The hit landed, but the beast barely flinched. Instead, it roared and countered with a whip of its massive tail, sending Yaxoc flying into a wall. He groaned as he pulled himself up, brushing off debris.
"Ugh! This thing's way stronger than just one of us!" Yaxoc shouted, shaking off the impact.
Haven looked at the towering beast, her expression frantic. "What do we do?! It's unstoppable!"
Before Yaxoc could respond, a deafening explosion lit up the area, drawing the monster's attention. The ground trembled as the beast turned toward two figures who emerged from the shadows of the maze.
Two kids, one appearing about 11 years old and the other 12, stepped forward with an air of confidence.
"Hey," the younger boy said, smirking. "The name's Midonito. The one next to me is my big brother, Sunrito."
Midonito was dressed in a sleek black jacket over a white shirt, gray pants, and black shoes. A glowing moon symbol adorned his chest, and an owl-shaped mask partially concealed his face. His brown hair had a distinctive bacon-like texture.
Sunrito, slightly taller but equally confident, wore a bright yellow jacket, white shirt, orange pants, and orange shoes. His sun symbol shimmered like molten gold on his chest, and his owl mask complemented his fiery presence.
"You look like you could use a hand with that overgrown puddle monster," Sunrito said casually, pointing at the beast.
Yaxoc raised an eyebrow. "Who are you kids? Shouldn't you be at home? Where are your parents?"
Midonito rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "We're independent, pot boy."
"What does that even mean?!" Yaxoc snapped.
"Ignore him," Sunrito said, glancing at his brother. "Right, Midonito?"
"Yeah, not worth our time," Midonito replied with a shrug.
The two turned their attention to the roaring monster, their stances shifting into combat readiness. The beast growled deeply, summoning massive waves to crash down on the brothers. With inhuman agility, they dodged each surge, weaving through the chaos like streaks of light.
Haven watched in stunned silence. "Those kids—they're no ordinary kids! Look at their speed!"
Yaxoc analyzed their movements, his jaw tightening. "No kidding. If the monster can't even react to them, they're moving faster than light—or worse."
Midonito darted toward the beast, delivering a devastating punch to its face. The monster howled in pain, its head snapping back.
"My turn!" Sunrito shouted, summoning a blazing star in his hands. He hurled it with precision, just as Midonito unleashed a nocturnal supernova. The two celestial attacks collided midair before slamming into the monster.
A massive explosion rocked the cavern, obliterating the beast entirely. As the dust settled, the cave around them crumbled, revealing a strange, shadowy expanse—a dark and desolate world.
"What is this?!" Yaxoc asked, scanning his surroundings. The air felt thick with malice, the ground cracked and lifeless.
Midonito crossed his arms, his expression serious. "This is the Negative Maze. It's a dimension formed from the accumulated negativity of people who've died and been consumed by their darkness. It's more than just a trap—it's a prison. Whoever sent you here knew exactly what they were doing."
"Wait, you're saying this place is… a dimension?" Yaxoc asked, his tone incredulous.
"Not just any dimension," Midonito said. "This maze operates on a level higher than a hyperverse. Escaping won't be easy."
Sunrito glanced at Yaxoc. "Who sent you here? Do you know?"
"Zarzock," Yaxoc replied, his tone uncertain. "I'm pretty sure it was him."
"Zarzock?" Midonito echoed, frowning. "Is he affiliated with Lucius or Ogamak?"
"No clue," Yaxoc admitted, shrugging. "Maybe?"
Midonito nodded thoughtfully. "If he's working with them, that means this wasn't random. Either he's reporting to someone higher up, or he wanted you out of the fight. Either way, you're stuck here—for now."
Sunrito tilted his head. "But we can at least give you a way out."
Midonito pulled a scroll from his jacket and tossed it to Yaxoc, who caught it midair.
"What's this?" Yaxoc asked, inspecting the glowing parchment.
"That's a dimensional escape scroll," Midonito explained. "We can't open portals here—this place limits even us. But this scroll will guide you to an exit. Use it wisely."
Midonito and Sunrito turned to leave, their forms shimmering with light.
"Good luck," Midonito said over his shoulder.
Before Yaxoc could say anything, the two brothers vanished, leaving him and Haven alone in the eerie expanse.
"What are you waiting for? Open it!" Haven urged, her voice tinged with impatience.
Yaxoc unrolled the scroll, revealing a glowing, intricately detailed map. "This thing's huge…" he muttered. After a quick glance, he pointed ahead. "Alright, that's the direction we're heading. Let's move!"
The duo dashed off, following the map's glowing markers. As they ran, Haven glanced around, her curiosity growing. "How big is this place, anyway?"
"Bigger than Jupiter!" Yaxoc replied, his tone a mix of awe and annoyance. "And don't forget—Midonito said this dimension is on a scale beyond a hyperverse. So yeah, it's massive."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them rumbled, and molten lava began bubbling up from cracks in the terrain.
"Oh no," Haven groaned, her wings instinctively unfurling. "This is one of those rising lava death traps, isn't it? We need to get out of here—fast!"
Without hesitation, both launched into the air, flying at breakneck speeds to dodge the erupting lava. Streams of fiery liquid shot upward, narrowly missing them as they maneuvered through the chaotic landscape. Finally, they soared through an opening, leaving the fiery stage behind and entering the next level of the maze.
"What the hell…?" Yaxoc said, slowing to a stop as he took in their new surroundings.
They had entered a distorted, surreal realm. The sky was a swirling void of black and white, fractured by floating, spinning fourth-dimensional hypercubes. The laws of physics seemed to have abandoned this place entirely—gravity was inconsistent, and the ground appeared to ripple like water beneath their feet.
Haven scanned the area, her brow furrowed. "What is this place? It's even weirder than the last one!"
Yaxoc rubbed his temples. "This must be the second stage of the Negative Maze. Another hyperverse-level nightmare... but this time, it's like reality decided to quit making sense."
Haven pointed toward the floating hypercubes. "What about those things? Could they be important?"
Yaxoc examined them briefly before shaking his head. "They're probably just here to mess with us. I don't see any exits, either… which means we'll need to make one ourselves."
"Make one?" Haven raised an eyebrow. "How are we supposed to do that?"
Yaxoc smirked, clenching his fist. "Simple. We destroy the entire dimension."
"Destroy the dimension?" Haven repeated, incredulous. "That sounds insane—even for you!"
"Heraphiel said I had the potential to shake dimensions," Yaxoc reminded her.
"Yeah, shake—not obliterate!" Haven retorted.
Yaxoc ignored her hesitation. "Look, when positive energy clashes with another source of positivity, it creates an explosion far beyond a supernova. If we combine our powers and strike together, we might just be able to tear this place apart."
"That doesn't even make sense!" Haven protested.
"Nothing about this dimension makes sense," Yaxoc countered, gesturing to the warped surroundings. "So why should our plan need to?"
Haven hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But if this fails, I'm haunting you."
"Deal," Yaxoc said with a grin. "Let's do this."
Both raised their fists, the energy around them crackling with power.
"Ready?" Yaxoc asked.
Haven nodded, determination replacing her doubt. "Let's end this."
Their fists collided with immense force, unleashing a radiant explosion that shook the very fabric of the dimension. The hypercubes shattered, and the distorted space around them began to crumble. As the dimension collapsed, a rift tore open before them, glowing with the promise of escape.
"There's our way out!" Yaxoc shouted, grabbing Haven's hand as they leapt into the rift.
They tumbled through the portal and landed back on the battlefield they'd left behind. The familiar sights and sounds of Earth greeted them, and they both exhaled in relief.
"We're back!" Haven said, her voice filled with amazement.
Yaxoc wasted no time, his eyes narrowing. "No time to celebrate—we've still got Zarzock to deal with!"
He bolted forward, determination driving every step.
"Wait for me!" Haven called, chasing after him as they plunged back into the chaos of battle.