They were back in the maze again.
But this time… it wasn't the same.
The walls stood still, breathing in quiet. The once-twisting paths that had screamed with terror now looked motionless, like frozen veins of stone. The air was different too — heavy, thick, almost tired. It carried no sound, no wind, no whispers.
It felt as if fear itself had died here.
Samy stood still, her hand brushing against the cold wall, tracing the cracks that weren't there before. She looked at Tin, who was staring down at his shoes, lost in something deep inside his head. For the first time, neither of them spoke. The silence was too heavy to break.
Jet looked around, her eyes darting from one corner to another, trying to recognize something familiar — but nothing looked like before. The maze was the same and yet… completely changed. She couldn't even remember where they had come from, or where they were supposed to go. Tony noticed her confusion, her trembling hands. He placed his hand on her shoulder gently.
"Breathe," he whispered, but even his voice sounded wrong — swallowed by the air before it reached her ears.
Roger stood a few steps away, one hand pressed against her chest. Her breathing was uneven, shallow, as if the air itself didn't want to enter her lungs. Kim moved closer to her, brushing her shoulder, trying to offer comfort. But Roger didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the empty path ahead, wide and unblinking.
And then… it began.
It wasn't sound. It wasn't movement. It was a feeling — like someone watching. Not from afar, but from right behind them, breathing softly against their necks.
Roger felt it first. Her spine stiffened, and she turned sharply, her hair brushing across her face. There was nothing there. Nothing but a long shadow stretching across the ground. Only — the shadow didn't look like hers anymore.
"Did you feel that?" she whispered.
Kim frowned. "Feel what?"
Roger didn't answer. Her eyes moved slowly, scanning the corners, the walls, the floor. The maze seemed to hold its breath with her.
Then, far ahead, something flickered.
A black smudge.
A blur.
A movement.
Samy saw it too. Her pulse spiked. "Tin… run."
They took off without another word, their footsteps echoing too loud in the dead air. But it wasn't the maze chasing them — it was their shadows. Long and dark, stretching farther than they should, bending unnaturally, chasing them like living things.
Jet screamed. Tony grabbed her wrist, pulling her along, but their shadows too had come alive — splitting from their feet, twisting and jerking, forming into tall, faceless figures that mirrored every step, every breath.
The sound of running feet filled the maze. It was the only sound left — footsteps and the faint rustle of something following.
But Roger and Kim didn't run.
They walked slowly, in silence, as if nothing existed beyond the stillness. Roger's mind was fogged — heavy, distant. Every thought was fading, every memory slipping away like sand.
"Roger," Kim said softly. "Why aren't we—"
"Shh."
Roger's voice was calm, too calm. She tilted her head slightly. "Listen."
There was nothing to hear.
And yet, the silence felt alive.
It pulsed.
It breathed.
It followed them.
Kim turned around slowly. Behind them, the air shimmered faintly, as if invisible hands were reaching out, stretching toward them. She felt her heartbeat slow, her chest tightening.
"Something's here," she whispered.
Roger nodded. "Yes. But it's not moving."
"What is it then?"
Roger looked at her, her eyes dull and empty. "It's the silence itself."
The words made Kim's skin crawl. She wanted to run, but her body refused. Every step forward felt like walking through water. The silence grew thicker around them — pressing against their ears, their eyes, their breath.
Meanwhile, Samy and Tin kept running. The corridors twisted, looped, turned back on themselves. The shadows followed, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, as if the maze itself was rearranging to trap them.
Tin stumbled, fell hard on his knees. Samy turned, helping him up, but her hand passed through something — something cold. She looked down, and for a second, her arm looked transparent, like she wasn't fully there anymore.
"Tin… we're fading."
He didn't answer. His lips moved, but no sound came out. The silence had stolen his voice.
Tony and Jet were no better. The further they ran, the darker the maze became. Their shadows began whispering now — voices without sound, mouths moving with no noise. Jet tried to scream, but her throat locked. Tony pulled her close, holding her against the wall, whispering words that didn't exist.
For a brief moment, everything slowed.
The air turned cold — colder than death.
Then, the maze shifted again.
A low vibration ran through the ground, like a heartbeat under the earth. The walls began to ripple — stone turning soft, bending, breathing. The maze was alive.
Roger stopped walking. "Do you feel that?"
Kim nodded. "It's moving."
"It's not the maze," Roger said. "It's us. We're inside it."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
The silence trembled — faintly, almost like laughter.
Samy and Tin were swallowed by a sudden darkness. Jet and Tony's shadows merged into one tall shape that towered above them. Roger and Kim stood still, their eyes reflecting the faint glow from the breathing walls.
Then, everything stilled again.
The silence returned — heavier than before, almost holy.
For one fleeting moment, all six of them felt something strange — not fear, not pain — but peace, as if they were finally part of something bigger.
And then—
The maze exhaled.
The lights went out.