Emi sat on the cold, white floor of the featureless room, her body trembling from exhaustion. The adrenaline that had kept her going was fading, leaving behind the weight of everything she had endured so far.
Her bracelet displayed 00:05:32, frozen in time. The orb she had retrieved earlier still glowed faintly in her hands, but its light felt heavier now, as if it was absorbing her own strength.
"Prepare for the next trial," the distorted voice repeated, louder this time.
The white room began to ripple like disturbed water. Emi scrambled to her feet, clutching the orb tightly.
"What now?" she muttered, her eyes darting around.
The walls folded in on themselves, dissolving into darkness. Suddenly, Emi was standing in the middle of a bustling high school hallway. Students milled about, chatting and laughing, their voices blending into a familiar cacophony.
Her breath caught in her throat. This was her school.
Emi looked down at herself. She was still in her tattered Maze attire, but none of the students seemed to notice. They walked past her as if she didn't exist.
"What is this?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
The distorted voice returned, though this time it sounded oddly cheerful, as though it were mocking her.
"Welcome to the Trial of Deception. Find the truth hidden in the lies, or be consumed by the falsehoods around you. Your time begins… now."
Her bracelet resumed its countdown: 00:05:32… 00:05:31… 00:05:30.
Emi scanned the hallway, her sharp eyes picking apart every detail. Everything looked perfect—too perfect. The posters on the walls were pristine, the students' uniforms unwrinkled. Even the air smelled faintly of fresh flowers, a detail that felt painfully out of place.
She tried to focus. "Find the truth hidden in the lies. What does that mean?"
A familiar voice called out to her.
"Emi! There you are!"
She turned sharply, her heart skipping a beat. Standing a few feet away was Yumi, but she looked different—clean, cheerful, and untouched by the horrors of the Maze.
"Yumi?" Emi said cautiously.
Yumi ran up to her, smiling brightly. "Come on, we're going to be late for class! You know Mr. Takeda gets mad when we're late."
"Class?" Emi repeated, her voice flat.
"Yes! Don't tell me you forgot. Did you hit your head or something?" Yumi's tone was light, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.
Something was wrong. Emi could feel it.
"Where are we?" Emi asked.
Yumi laughed, brushing off the question. "What are you talking about? We're at school, obviously. You've been acting weird all morning."
Emi narrowed her eyes. The way Yumi avoided the question felt deliberate.
The crowd of students around them began to blur, their faces indistinct. Only Yumi remained clear, her too-perfect smile unchanging. Emi's bracelet continued to tick down: 00:04:45… 00:04:44.
"I don't have time for this," Emi said sharply. "This isn't real, is it?"
Yumi's expression faltered for the briefest moment before she tilted her head, her smile returning. "Of course it's real, Emi. Why would you think otherwise?"
"You're lying," Emi said, stepping back. "This is the Maze, isn't it? Another one of its tricks."
Yumi's smile faded entirely. Her eyes darkened, and her voice took on a hollow tone. "Why do you always have to ruin the fun, Emi?"
The hallway dissolved around them, the students vanishing into black mist. Yumi's form began to distort, her body elongating and twisting unnaturally.
"You could have stayed here," the distorted voice said, now emanating from Yumi's shifting form. "A perfect, happy illusion. But no—you had to chase the truth. So be it."
The space around Emi warped and changed again. She was now standing in the middle of a dark, circular room. Five identical doors surrounded her, each one marked with a strange symbol. Her bracelet read 00:03:58.
"Choose the truth," the voice said. "Only one door leads forward. The others lead to your end."
Emi cursed under her breath. There were no clues, no hints. Just the symbols: a flame, a drop of water, a tree, a crescent moon, and an eye.
She forced herself to focus. "Think, Emi. What's the Maze trying to test this time?"
The symbols pulsed faintly, as if alive. Emi's gaze lingered on the eye—it felt significant, as if it were watching her.
"Choose quickly," the voice taunted. "Your time is running out."
00:03:20.
Emi's pulse quickened. She didn't have time to overthink. Trusting her instincts, she stepped toward the door with the eye symbol and gripped the handle.
The door swung open, revealing a swirling void. Without hesitation, Emi stepped through.
The void pulled at her, disorienting and chaotic. When she emerged on the other side, she was back in the white room. Her bracelet stopped at 00:02:45.
"You have passed the Trial of Deception," the voice said. "But the Maze is far from finished with you."
Emi collapsed to her knees, her body trembling. She didn't feel victorious—just drained.
"How much longer can I keep doing this?" she whispered, staring at the faint glow of the orb in her hands.
The Maze gave no answer.