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I looked around with the limited light provided by the lantern. Aside from the entrance way that seemingly closed behind us upon entry, there were walls at either side of us – if you could even call them that. When I touched it, I pulled my hand back immediately at the damp, fleshy feeling. As the lantern moved forward, the walls seemed to twitch now and then after the light past over it. Moryuu didn’t mention anything about it.
Did he not notice or was he ignoring it?
“Let’s get going,” Moryuu urged before proceeding down the next available opening.
I listened to the burbling sound of footsteps before looking at the dark liquid coating the floor. It was too thick and dark to be water. I went to look back at the way we had come when I saw ripples coming from behind us. I then followed after Moryuu when the last of the lantern’s glow began to fade as he rounded a corner.
Aside from his footsteps, I listened to the faint pattering of what sounded like water dripping to the floor though I could never pinpoint the source; however, every now and then, I would catch what could have been an additional set of footsteps.
They were light and easily overlooked but they didn’t belong to me or Moryuu.
Even more, there was this whispering sound.
I’ve heard it several times now since we’ve been in this maze of walls. It’s always so indistinct but it also sounded somewhat familiar. I wasn’t too sure if Moryuu had heard it as, if he did, he hadn’t made any indications that he had.
“Jayden…”
I looked over my shoulder to be greeted with nothing but darkness. A chill then went up my spine as I faced forward to see that Moryuu had gone on ahead. Something dripping on the back of my neck had me whirl around before I heard the sound of footsteps coming from ahead of me. They were light, unhurried. They then grew silent aside from that dripping sound somewhere in the distance. When the footsteps started up again, they were much deliberate, louder.
They knew I knew they were out there.
I flexed sharpened claws as they increased in volume before disappearing when I spotted the glow of the lantern coming from behind me.
“Jayden, you do understand we’re on a time limit, right? I don’t want to come back for you each time you decide to stop.” I looked back at Moryuu then back out into the darkened corridor. “What is it?”
He stepped past me with the lantern extended and looked down the path to see nothing there. I then looked from where he came from as I heard the faint sound of footsteps. My attention then went to the small rippling on the floor before they were overshadowed by Moryuu’s as he headed back in the direction he had come.
“Jayden…”
I looked back down the darkened path before feeling something touch the back of my neck. I rubbed at to see black liquid smeared on my fingers before looking around in the waning light. Footsteps from behind me had me lashing out though I froze when Moryuu held a tonfa in defense.
“What’s your problem?” he griped. “Are you scared or something?” I looked elsewhere before he rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go. I really don’t want to be in here longer than necessary.”
“Can we leave him for dead now?” Cordis asked.
I entertained the idea of it.
I really did for several moments before shaking my head as I followed after the hunter in front of me. Aside from the dripping sounds and the sloshing of liquid beneath our feet, it was silent between us. The occasional drip or touch to the back of my neck was more than enough to keep me on edge and I had enough on my mind as it was.
My gaze panned over to the man watching the lantern returning from one corridor before he looked back down the other. He then looked back at me before I looked elsewhere.
“Jayden.”
My eyes went back to Moryuu before I opted to go down the right corridor. I slowed my pace as the light grew dim then looked over my shoulder to see him watching momentarily. He proceeded after me before I just let him by altogether. I watched him go up until he reached another junction before looking over my shoulder as I heard the indistinct sound of footsteps.
I squinted in the dark before spotting something walking steadily towards us. As it grew closer, two golden eyes blinked into existence before a large, toothy grin appeared. I grabbed my left arm at a sudden phantom pain before flinching as something touched the back of my neck.
I took a quick glance behind me before focusing ahead to see that nothing was there. It was the same for when I had faced forward once more but that did nothing to rid me of sudden anxiety.
“Jayden.” I slowly looked over at Moryuu to see him peering around the corner. “Would you get over here? We’re wasting—”
“Time,” I interjected as I walked towards him. “If you’re that concerned with me wasting it, then leave without me.” I gripped my arm tighter. “No one would blame you if you did, right?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Could have had us fooled,” Cordis mused as I walked past.
Moryuu said nothing but his footsteps assured me that he was following. He was then at my side as we came across another junction. The lantern traveled several meters in the left hall then repeated its actions down the right.
“Which way should we go?” Moryuu asked as the lantern returned. He looked in both directions before looking my way. “Jayden.”
“Why are you asking me?”
“We’re in a maze and you’re stuck in here with me,” he stated as I glanced at him, “so why not share your thoughts on the matter.”
“I don’t see why my thoughts on the situation are would matter to you.”
“Well, if I know what you’re thinking then we can have a better understanding of each other and work together much better.”
“You don’t want to know what I’m thinking.”
Cordis snorted as I headed down the left path. Moryuu followed shortly after before we came to yet another junction. I went right before he asked and followed the path. I did it at each split, not bothering to yield to any questions until we managed to get to a dead end.
“Jayden.” I circled around Moryuu to head back the way we came. “Jayden.”
I looked over my shoulder. “What?”
“Can you stop ignoring me for like two minutes?”
“What makes you think I’m ignoring you?”
“You’re making it very obvious that you’re ignoring me,” he pointed out. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for several minutes now.”
“If it’s obvious then take a hint and drop it so we can find a way out of here,” Cordis replied.
“I’m trying to be civil.”
I raised an eyebrow before turning around completely. “You want to be civil? Ok, let’s be civil, Moryuu.” Why not humor the guy. “What do ya’ wanna talk ‘bout?”
“Your thoughts on this place.”
“It’s dark as fuck and quite honestly, it’s creepy.” I then started walking before pausing when the light grew dim. “Can we go now?”
He remained in place. “You’re... afraid of the dark, aren’t you?”
I took a few steps forward before stopping as I stared down the darkened corridor. I then clenched my fists at my side before hearing Moryuu’s footsteps approaching. I went ahead as the light lit the path.
“Since you want to ask questions, why are you here?”
“You already know the answer to that. I’m here to help you get back to where you belong.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said as I glanced at him. “You’ve been running around with the banana even though he’s alive and you’re dead so what gives? What killed you?”
“I died in a battle. Nothing more.”
“What was the battle for?”
“All you need to know is that I died in a battle. The details aren’t important.”
Cordis sneered, “So much for getting to know each other, secretive bastard. Don’t ask questions if you’re not going to answer any yourself.”
“Fair enough.”
“Can I save us the trouble and kill him now?” Cordis questioned as the scythe started to appear in hand.
“Cordis, we have a deal,” I reminded him before the scythe went away again.
He grumbled something in my head before my gaze panned over the hunter. He hadn’t said anything after he stopped asking questions some time ago. If anything, he was more preoccupied with finding a way out of this place.
“What?”
His attention was on me before I looked elsewhere as we rounded a corner. It was quiet between us again but that wasn’t all that bad. I hadn’t heard the whispering for some time nor did I hear any additional footsteps. It didn’t make the place any less unnerving than it had been.
Unfortunately, we ran into a dead end after a few turns.
“Fitting.”
I scowled at the unnecessary commentary before flinching at what could’ve been the light pattering of footsteps. I looked to Moryuu to see that too had seemingly heard them as he had sent the lantern forward to investigate. As the light passed by, the walls twitched and pulsed but no one else was present at the end of the path we had come. The footsteps started up again as the lantern began its return trip before it paused as the light turned towards the steps.
It grew silent again aside from the dripping sounds.
“We need to go that way,” Moryuu stated as he gripped his tonfas.
My attention remained on the path ahead as the footsteps continued. A large smile then appeared just beyond the light before something donned on me. I looked at the walls around us then back at Moryuu as the footsteps grew louder. I saw something gradually stretching from the wall behind him.
“Do not move,” I warned as I flexed sharpened fingers at my side.
“What--?”
“Just don't move for a moment,” I growled as I approached him.
He watched momentarily before turning his attention back towards the corridor. Taking that as permission, I lashed out at the wall beside his head before pulling my hand back as the light returned. I eyed the thin cut to his face then observed the wriggling tendril before tearing it in half when it tried to wrap around my hand.
Moryuu eyed the remnants before glancing at the wall behind him. A rumbling had us both looking down the path before the walling at my side opened. Serrated tentacles ensnared my arm before yanking me through the new opening. Another had done the same to Moryuu before both walls were sealed. The rumbling came again before the floor quaked beneath me enough to offset my balance.
The wall I landed on moved, shifted its position.
The maze was changing.
It continued to do so for several minutes before growing silent.
I then heard heavy breathing.
“Animae, calm the fuck down.” My chest felt tight as the sound grew louder. “Breathe!” I took a deep breath before exhaling. “Again.” I did so. “Focus or switch with me.”
“I... I can handle it,” I muttered between breaths.
“Can you?”
I squeezed my eyes shut until it grew quiet. A chill worked its way up my spine before I opened my eyes to be greeted by the dark; however, it didn’t seem as dark as before. I could make out the walls around me.
They still twitched.
I raised a hand out in front of me to see at least the outline before the rest gradually came into view a bit more. I looked down to see the rest of my surroundings before freezing when I heard the footsteps. I turned in their direction before looking in the opposite direction to see a humanoid shape walking up the corridor. It paused when I took a step back.
“You can see me?” I took another step back. “Ah...”
The footsteps quickened before the thing sprinted forward.611Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKa1qpJMl8
“Animae!”
Claws clashed against the blade of my scythe before I swung to knock the thing back. As it lunged again, two gold eyes blinked into existence before a large, toothy grin split its face. My arm and chest ached at the sight of it while I could tell Cordis was fuming.
“Hmm, your eyes~” I swung to cut off the fingers reaching for my face before swinging to cut the things arm off. “Let’s take care of those shall we?” it questioned as it stepped out of reach.
The smile on its face grew as it lashed out. I sidestepped it before ducking as it struck the wall above my head. It then dragged its claws downwards though I kicked it back before it could do any damage.
“Why does it look like Four!?” I dodged a tendril. “Animae, what the f--”
I took a step back as the thing giggling much like Four before a long tongue slid across sharpened teeth. Several tendrils sprung from the walls but I avoided them while keeping tabs on the Umbra that was watching.
It didn’t make any attempts at attacking when the tendrils from the walls were but it came speeding at me as soon as they withdrew. We clashed hard enough to knock me into one of the walls where tendrils wasted no time in securing my legs. More came to wrap around my waist and another went for my arm when I went to claw them off.
That watery laughter had my skin crawling as Four walked forward with a hand outstretched for my eyes. The teeth from the tendrils dug into skin when I started struggling. Twirling the scythe in my free hand, I slammed the blade into the ground, splintering it and the surrounding walls. I was released almost instantly and wasted no time to distance myself as Four examined the damage dealt.
It didn’t look mad by it.
If anything, it looked rather impressed as the walls began to reform. Its laughter gave me chills before I was snagged from behind and thrown into the adjacent wall. When I managed to get to my feet, I found myself in the same predicament as before.
Four flexed its fingers as it approached. “Hold still~”
I looked down at the tendrils. Another snagged my arm back when I went to swing before I wrenched free to cut the tendrils. Four just grinned as toothed tentacles rose up from the floor behind it. I sidestepped them as they lashed out before hearing footsteps.
“Behind you, Animae!”
I swung the scythe to see nothing there before tensing as I heard footsteps again. Turning in time to block a tentacle jabbing out, I slid back as it pushed into the blade before a second stabbed into my leg. A third reared forward before colliding with the other blade. I then severed the one in my leg before growling under my breath as another snagged my arm. Several more wrapped around my leg, teeth digging in before one coiled around neck.
“C’mon~” It felt like shards of glass cutting deep. “Struggle for me.”
“Switch with me.” My eyes squeezed shut as the teeth dug deeper. “Animae!”
I gripped the scythe tighter as I opened my eyes to come face to face with another set of gold eyes. It then held up a clawed hand before reaching for my eyes.
“Ani--!”
I slammed the scythe down to fracture the floor. Four stumbled momentarily and that was enough off to slash the Umbra in half. I then quartered it before ripping the toothed tendril when it tightened its grip on my neck. I removed the one wrapped around my arm then the ones on my leg. A watery giggle then had me looking around to see that the Four was no longer where it had once been.
It appeared down the hall from me, grin spreading unbearably wide as jagged spikes jutted out the walls from either side.
“Run.”
It was the only warning as more of the spikes extend out to smash into the opposite wall as they raced down the corridor.
I bolted despite Cordis protesting to cut through them. I rounded a corner before backpedaling when spikes jutted from the wall to cut me off. I vaulted over several others before clawing at the tentacles wrapped along the scythe. Footsteps sounded from behind me every time I slowed down and it continued like that for nearly an hour.
Walls continuously shifted before it was a repeat of the same events.
Spikes.
Dodged.
Toothed tentacles.
Cut.
Repeat.
I came to a halt to catch my breath at a dead end prior to hearing the footsteps coming from behind me.
“Animae.”
This was tiring.
“It’s toying with us,” I muttered as the steps grew louder.
“Toying or not, turn around! Four is-!”
“If Four wanted to attack, it would’ve done so by now. You should know that better than anyone seeing how it wanted to eat us. Four wouldn't waste any time in trying to do so.” The footsteps stopped as I twirled the scythe, the lattice growing black. “If you've forgotten, we have it's core because someone was dumb enough to get us speared through the fucking chest. That's not Four. This thing hasn’t attacked us with the intention of killing us.” One of the tentacles snaked around my waist as I raised my weapon. “It’s just wasting our time!” I growled as I swung the scythe.
A deep trough was left in the wake of the swing and the surrounding walls recoiled and twitched before starting to put themselves back together. Spinning the weapon again, I swung it in the same direction before stepping through as the walls started mending themselves. I heard a faint cracking sound in the distance before seeing the streams of red light filtering through. 611Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVCC1AKsmc
I now had a waypoint.
Slashing the tendril still secured around my waist, I looked back to see Four was gone before proceeding forward.
I then felt a dull pain in my stomach before a piercing one in my chest. Reaching down to touch the toothed tentacle wiggling about, I grabbed hold of the the third one before raising my scythe.
“Not good…” Moryuu muttered as he looked around the barely lit hall.
It had been hours since their separation and he hadn’t seen the reaper once. The constant wall shifts, the inability to scale them, did not help. Then there was that thing. It shouldn’t have looked the way it did. Moryuu was sure that he had seen to its demise himself but now, ever since entering this maze, he wasn’t too sure.
Speaking of which, the thing that had been tailing him had gone silent again. His attention then went down to the tarry liquid that coated the floor of the place. As he proceeded forward, Moryuu took a step back as the black liquid bubbled and quaked. He raised his tonfas in anticipation before fatigue started to get the better of him.
He too had to combat the endless tendrils covered in teeth that tried to snag him every chance it got. Wandering the maze aimlessly didn’t help either.
As exhaustion continued to set in, he took another step back as the liquid rose to take on the familiar humanoid shape. A stoic expression settled upon the face of the late Level Five as it proceeded forward. It was accompanied by several tendrils lined with teeth that swayed before lashing out to take a swing at the man.
The first two slashed at his upper arms while the second pair cut into his legs. The fifth went to slash at his Achilles tendon though came up short as Moryuu darted out of range.
“You’re not going to escape here with such simple maneuvers,” Gideon uttered as it watched its opponent dodge and deflect the appendages. A sharp-toothed grin then split its face as one of the tentacles knocked the light to the ground. Another two snagged the man up by the arms, teeth sinking into place while a third tendril slowly curled around his neck. “Why not put more effort into it? Use more energy.” A simple flick of the wrist and the lantern was swallowed by the black substance. “Will you submit—” Gold eyes flickered in the dying light while toothed tentacles tightened around the man suddenly. “—or at least entertain me before you die?”
Dark eyes flashed an electrifying blue as Moryuu gripped a bloodied tonfa. Thin bolts of lightning circulated around the weapon before darting towards the imposter. Several tentacles rose to block the attack before racing towards the man to ensnare him when he tried to get away. Another bolt lashed out before faltering once it hit the barrier. Moryuu’s legs then were entwined before bloodied arms were brought over his head, teeth sinking further into skin.
Laughter ensued soon after as the barrier dropped to show Gideon walking forward with a clawed fingers flexed. “Don’t tell me that’s all you have. I expected more. Surely you could do better.”
Steady steps increased in pace before slowing at a distant rumble. A scowl marred pale features before the creature turned towards the maze entrance, toting the hunter with him. Gold eyes then narrowed as the black tar rippled before the imposter jumped out the way as a blast took down the fleshy walls and continued across the enclosed space to smash into the exterior wall hidden in the darkness. Sharp eyes examined the trough filling in with the black substance as the creature sneered.
Growling as another blast lashed out, the double looked back out before tensing at an audible cracking sound. Its eyes widened as streaks of red light seeped through the growing break scaling up the wall. A few more streaks of light filtered through the crumbling wall making the thing step back to avoid it altogether before unhurried steps had the double looking back at the obliterated entrance.
Tendrils lashed out immediately before Gideon chuckled as one struck something soft. A grin spread across his face as a second shot forward to hit its mark; Its chuckling then grew sinister as a third lunged forward; however, the third tendril paused and bristled as the first two jerked back to reveal severed stumps. Footsteps then filled the space making the entity growl lowly.
“You’re not supposed to be here so how...?!” the entity growled in frustration before it sobered. Several more tendrils rose from behind it. “You shouldn’t have made it this far. I made sure to separate you both!” It snarled momentarily as if had learned something new. “No matter; that just more reason to get rid of you now.”
I staggered at the toothed tentacle that drilled into my leg.
“Jayden!”
A second ensnared my blackened arm to hold above my head before the third took its place at my neck.
“Consider it an honor you have my full attention so I can take the time to watch you die.”
“You want to watch me die?” I muttered as I lowered my head. The tentacle at my neck constricted. “...die....”
“Yes, that’s it,” the double mocked as it grew tighter. “Give me your remaining energy as well as your life!”
It wanted my life now?
The idea of it was funny.
Hilarious.
I just had to laugh before sobering.
Laughter is sometimes the best medicine after all - despite the pain in my abdomen.
“J...Jayden?” Moryuu questioned before the tentacle at my neck was severed followed by the one holding my arm.
“That’s what you want,” I replied, flexing my clawed hand before reaching down to grab the tendril lodged in my stomach. It twisted and curled but I manage to remove it despite the teeth that tried to keep it firmly rooted in place. “You want my life? Definitely a 180 from what you were doing in the maze there. Before you just wanted my eyes.” I staggered forward as the oily substance spilled out in front of me before reaching down to grab the one lodged in my leg. “Then that got me thinking. Why would you suddenly want my eyes? Was I getting too close or was it because you know I already figured it out?” I ripped it out before moving onto the tentacle lodged in my chest, revealing the cracked, gold-colored prism residing there. It then pulsed before I grinned to reveal a set of sharpened teeth. “Do better at hiding the weak points.”
“Weak points?” it repeated with a snarl as I watched the crack running further up the pillar wall. “There are no weak points!”
I twirled the scythe before swinging it towards the wall in the distance. The blast caused the crack to splinter, sending in faint streams of light. The Umbra shied into the dark a bit as expected though tentacles readily loomed behind it.
“I’ll show them to you –” One of the tentacles looming behind me took a swipe at the tendrils holding Moryuu who quickly got to his feet once free. My attention then went to the hunter that was collecting himself “–and you’re going to help me, you walking battery.”
“Jayden, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Moryuu muttered.
“I don’t recall asking for an opinion.”
“We can’t expend excess energy here.”
“And we can’t afford not to. It’s been toying with us this entire time,” I griped as I glanced at him, “and I am not a plaything. It’s been chasing you all through the maze but not once had it done anything to fatally harm you.” Moryuu remained quiet. “Its intent wasn’t to kill you. What good is a dead body when this place needs energy? We got separated on purpose. What better way to keep energy going than to cause a sense of panic? Fear is a great source of energy after all.”
“I never said I was scared.”
“I didn’t say you were,” I growled, “but now is not the time to have any reservations on trying to save energy. I’m already tired from everything I had to do to get to this point and we’re wasting energy being on the defensive anyway. This thing just has to wait us out until we drop from exhaustion and I rather not die here knowing I could try to do something to stop it!”
“Jay–”
I pulled Moryuu close before lashing out at the tentacle that had been looming behind him in the dark. “It doesn’t like the light. That’s another reason why it separated us.” I glanced up at him to see him staring at me skeptically. “It likes to attack you from behind. It’ll distract you –”
“Those footsteps...”
I nodded quickly before pushing him away as two more toothed tendrils shot forward. “It was surprised when I saw it in the corridor and you’re essentially a walking talking flashlight.” I looked about not seeing the lantern. “It already did away with the lantern so now you’re a major problem for it. I need you light this place up.”
“I don’t know about that. I need to save my–”
“It doesn’t need to be the whole freaking room!” Several tendrils reared up from behind me to point at him. “You said you wanted to work together so work with me now, Moryuu. This is a shot in the dark but do you trust me?”
Moryuu just stared at me before sighing as he gripped his bloodied tonfas. “Enough for this idea. Let’s do it.”
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