We kept walking.
Step after step after step.
The maze stretched endlessly around us, the glass walls rising high on both sides like silent judges watching our every move. Our footsteps crunched against the scattered shards beneath us, the only sound that existed in this place.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
It echoed strangely in the emptiness.
Maya eventually broke the silence.
"May I ask something?"
Her voice was soft, but in a place this quiet it carried easily.
"What did you both see?"
I knew a question like this would come eventually.
But honestly… I didn't know if I was ready to answer it.
Yeah, I got out of whatever that thing was. But that didn't mean I wanted to relive it. Some memories are like wounds—you can survive them, but touching them again still hurts.
I glanced over at Cameron.
His expression had already darkened the moment Maya asked the question. His shoulders stiffened slightly, and his gaze drifted toward the ground as if the memories were already clawing their way back into his mind.
Still, it was only fair.
Maya had been forced to show us hers.
Before answering, I asked something first.
"What do you think this place is about?"
Maya tilted her head slightly.
"What do you mean?" she asked. "Isn't it just Kuruhana's shadow field technique? I mean… she said it when she summoned that monster."
"You're right," I said. "But don't you remember what she said before that?"
Cameron spoke up this time.
"She said she was a lieutenant," he said slowly. "And something about being the leader of the grief division… or grief squad. Something like that."
"Exactly," I said.
I looked at the endless glass corridors stretching around us.
"So what if that's what this place is?"
Maya frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
I took a breath.
"What if this place forces us to see things we don't want to see?"
They both looked at me now.
"What if it shows us the things we regret… the things we fear… or the parts of our past we tried to forget?"
The maze stayed silent.
Even the glass seemed to listen.
"I mean," I continued, gesturing around us, "none of this actually looks that threatening. But every place we've been… it's been connected to one of us."
Maya slowly nodded.
"So what did you see?" she asked again.
I stopped walking.
"I saw everyone dead."
Both of them froze.
The words felt heavier the moment they left my mouth.
"I saw that guy from the docks," I continued quietly. "The one with the cold eyes. I saw him kill every last one of you."
My throat tightened slightly.
"Over and over again."
Neither of them spoke.
"I saw my mom and dad die," I continued. "I saw Zack die. I saw Ava die."
My hands clenched slightly.
"And the worst part?"
I swallowed.
"I saw their blood on my hands."
Cameron's eyes widened.
"I was standing in the middle of it," I said quietly. "And I was smiling."
The words felt disgusting even saying them.
"Like I caused it. Like I enjoyed watching them die."
The maze stayed completely silent.
Maya's voice finally broke the quiet.
"How did you escape?"
I let out a small breath.
"I don't even know how to explain it."
I looked forward again.
"Honestly… I thought it would've been better if I just died."
"Don't say things like that."
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Cameron spoke immediately.
His voice was firmer than usual.
"This place just messes with your mind," he said. "Of course it's not better if you die. We need you."
Maya nodded quickly.
"He's right," she said. "We do need you."
She gave a small, tired smile.
"After everything we've been through… we're kind of like a family now."
Cameron snorted softly.
"A very dysfunctional one," he said.
"But a family."
I couldn't help letting out a small laugh.
Because honestly…
That's exactly how I thought of it too.
Cameron spoke next.
"My mom left when I was young," he said quietly.
His voice had lost all of its usual joking tone.
"So my dad started drinking a lot."
He looked down at the ground.
"And he thought it was my fault she left."
Maya's hand slowly moved to cover her mouth.
"So he would hit me."
The words landed heavily.
Maya looked shocked.
It made sense.
Cameron was always the cheerful one. The guy cracking jokes during training, the one trying to make everyone laugh.
You never expect someone like that to carry something like this.
But Cameron did.
"But that's over now," he said after a moment. "I got adopted by a foster family in Redwood."
He shrugged slightly.
"That's why I'm here."
Then he looked at Maya.
"What about you?"
Now all attention turned to her.
She was quiet for a moment before speaking.
"The woman you saw next to the piano… that was my aunt."
Her voice was calm, but there was something heavy behind it.
"She took care of me after my mom got cancer."
"I'm sorry," Cameron said immediately.
"Me too," I added.
Maya nodded slightly.
"My aunt was… strict."
She chose her words carefully.
"She believed perfection meant everything."
Her fingers lightly touched the bandages wrapped around her hands.
"If I made mistakes… I got punished."
Cameron frowned.
"Are you still living with her?"
Maya shook her head.
"No. My uncle lives in Redwood now. They divorced a few years ago."
She looked ahead at the maze.
"I visit her sometimes."
She paused.
"She's older now. She's not the same."
"But I still can't forget."
Cameron gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
I gave her a small nod.
"We should keep moving," Maya said quietly.
And so we did.
We walked.
And walked.
And walked.
It felt like hours had passed.
The glass maze stretched endlessly around us.
But eventually…
Something changed.
The crimson glass walls slowly shifted color.
The deep red reflections faded away, replaced by something duller.
Brown.
Solid brown glass.
No reflections.
No images.
Just a blank surface.
Maya noticed it first.
"Why is it changing colors?" she asked.
But Cameron and I already knew.
We exchanged a quick glance.
My stomach tightened slightly.
"We found her," I said.
Maya looked confused.
"Found who?"
"Jordan."
The moment I said her name—
The ground beneath us disappeared.
The maze swallowed us whole.
And darkness returned once again
