The silence after Emma's death was suffocating. Damon stood frozen, gripping the now-dim sphere, as the hulking creature's remains dissolved into the faint light of the Maze. The others stared at her lifeless body, the blood pooling around her stark against the dimly glowing patterns on the chamber floor.
Julie's hand trembled as she reached for Damon.
"She… she's gone. Damon, she's really gone."
Damon swallowed hard, his throat dry.
"Yeah,"
he said quietly.
"And if we don't keep moving, we'll be next."
Kai stepped forward, his expression a mix of anger and frustration.
"This is insane. We're supposed to work together, right? That's what you said. But look at what happened! She didn't even stand a chance."
"None of us do if we just stand here!"
Damon snapped, turning to face him.
"Do you think this thing cares how scared we are? Do you think the Maze will give us a break because we're not ready?"
Kai opened his mouth to argue but stopped. The weight of Damon's words hung heavy in the air. Around them, the chamber began to hum faintly again, the glowing walls shifting and pulsing as though urging them forward.
"We… we have to move,"
Julie said softly. Her voice shook, but there was a resolve in her eyes.
"Emma wouldn't want us to just stand here and wait for the next monster to show up."
Damon nodded, gripping the sphere tightly.
"She's right. We need to keep going. We'll figure this out as we move, but staying still? That's a death sentence."
Liam, who had been quiet since Emma's death, finally spoke up.
"Where do we even go? There's no map, no instructions… just endless passages and… things trying to kill us."
"We follow the Maze,"
Damon said. He motioned to the faintly glowing patterns that led to another passageway.
"It's not random. Look at the floor, it's guiding us. Whatever's at the end of this, it's where we're supposed to go."
"Supposed to?"
Kai said bitterly.
"Says who?"
Damon met his glare.
"The same thing that marked us and brought us here. You can question it all you want, but right now, we don't have a better option."
With a reluctant grunt, Kai gestured for Damon to lead the way. Damon turned toward the passage, his grip tightening on the sphere. He glanced at Julie, who gave him a small, shaky nod, and together they began walking. The others followed, their footsteps echoing in the narrow corridor.
The new passageway was narrower than the last, its walls etched with patterns that seemed more erratic and complex. The air was colder, heavier, and every step felt like it carried them deeper into the unknown.
Julie walked close to Damon, her eyes darting around nervously.
"Do you think the Maze… planned this? Like, Emma's death?"
Damon hesitated. He didn't want to answer, but he also didn't want to lie.
"I don't know,"
he said finally.
"But whatever this place is, it's testing us."
"Testing us for what?"
she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Survival,"
Damon said.
"And maybe something more."
They reached another chamber, smaller than the last but no less ominous. This one had no pedestal, no glowing orb. Instead, the walls were lined with strange, carved symbols that seemed to shift and shimmer when Damon tried to focus on them. At the center of the room was a large circular platform, its surface etched with grooves that formed a labyrinthine design.
"What now?"
Liam asked, his voice trembling.
"Is it another trap?"
"It's always a trap,"
Kai muttered, his fists clenched.
"The question is, how do we avoid getting killed this time?"
Damon stepped onto the platform cautiously, the sphere still in his hand. The moment his foot touched the surface, the entire chamber lit up, the symbols on the walls flaring to life. A deep rumble filled the air, and the platform began to shift, rising slowly.
"Damon!"
Julie called out, her hand reaching for him.
"It's fine!"
Damon said, holding up a hand to stop her.
"I think it's… supposed to do this."
As the platform rose, it revealed a new passage below, dimly lit but inviting in a way the previous corridors hadn't been. Damon stepped back off the platform, motioning for the others to follow him down.
"Let's go,"
he said.
"Whatever's next, we'll face it together."
Julie hesitated, her eyes flicking to Emma's empty spot in the group, but she nodded and followed. The others trailed behind, their faces grim but resolute.
The new passage opened into another chamber, this one larger and more open. The floor was littered with debris — broken stone, shattered weapons, and strange, glowing shards that seemed to hum faintly with energy.
Damon crouched to pick up one of the shards, turning it over in his hand. It was warm to the touch, and as he held it, he felt a faint surge of energy pulse through him.
"What's that?"
Julie asked, kneeling beside him.
"Not sure,"
Damon said, holding it up for the others to see.
"But it feels… powerful. Like it's connected to the Maze somehow."
Liam reached for another shard, his hand shaking.
"You think these are part of the… gifts the voice talked about?"
"Maybe,"
Damon said, slipping the shard into his pocket.
"Let's collect what we can. We might need these later."
The group began gathering shards, each person holding them with a mix of awe and caution. The hum of the Maze seemed to grow louder as they worked, the glowing walls pulsing in rhythm with the shards.
"Hey,"
Kai said, his voice sharp.
"You hear that?"
Everyone froze, their eyes darting to the far end of the chamber. A faint, rhythmic sound echoed through the air, the steady clatter of footsteps. Damon's heart sank as he realized they weren't alone.
From the shadows emerged another group of people, about five of them, all looking just as disoriented and wary as Damon's group had been earlier. Their clothes were torn, and their faces were a mix of exhaustion and determination. At their head was a woman with short, dark hair and a steely gaze that seemed to pierce through the dim light.
"Well, well,"
she said, her voice calm but commanding.
"Looks like we're not the only ones trying to survive this nightmare."
Damon stepped forward, raising his hands in a gesture of peace.
"We're not looking for trouble. Just trying to figure out what the hell is going on."
The woman studied him for a moment before nodding.
"Same here. Name's Zara. You?"
"Damon,"
he said.
"This is Julie, Kai, Liam, and… well, we lost someone."
Zara's expression softened slightly.
"I'm sorry. We've lost people too."
Damon nodded, glancing back at his group.
"Maybe we can help each other. Strength in numbers, right?"
Zara hesitated, her gaze flicking to her own group. Finally, she nodded.
"Alright. But if you try anything…"
"We won't,"
Damon said firmly.
"We just want to survive."
As the two groups cautiously joined forces, the Maze seemed to hum louder, as though acknowledging the alliance. Damon couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning and that the Maze had far more in store for them than any of them could imagine.