Work Text:
If I was dying on my knees…
You’d be the one to rescue me.
And if you were drowned at sea…
I’d give you my lungs so you could breathe.
Brother - Codaline.
<1>
It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the leaves sway in the gentle breeze.
Oh who is she kidding. It’s hot, unbearably hot. There’s no breeze to cool her off and there aren’t even any birds trapped underneath the definitely real sky. It’s not real, she knows that, but she just chooses to ignore it. And she’s sweating profusely. Actually, maybe she’s melting underneath her armour. It sure feels like she’s turning into a puddle of Magic goo.
Surely taking off her armour before going in the maze won’t cause any issues. It’s fine, she’s just going to the tree again or maybe to clearing two. It’s not that far and she knows how to navigate the treacherous area. She’ll be fine!
Quickly going inside she takes off her diamond gear, it’s hot underneath her touch. Owen would surely have a heart attack if he sees her going in like this. So she just has to make sure she doesn’t get caught. It’s fine! She’s a pro at this. He just worries too much.
With a casual stroll and absolutely no suspicious glances over her shoulder to see if anyone spots her, she makes her way to the large board near the entrance. She trails past the many names before stopping underneath the one saying ‘Magic.’ With a flick of her wrist she pushes her lever down, signalling she’s going in.
Two other levers have been activated besides her own. Apo’s, of course… At least their sign is still there. Maybe she can speak to them again, if she can find them, convince them to come back to the clearing. Owen hasn’t been taking the loss very well… He’s convinced his best friend is dead, no matter how many times Magic insists they’re alive. Speaking of which, Owen’s lever is flicked down as well.
Her eyes grow wide as she gets an idea. Maybe she can get Owen and Apo to meet up again in the maze! It’s perfect! She just has to find Apo and then get Owen there too and voila, best friends reunited.
With a spring in her step she takes off, rushing past the familiar corridors. Soon enough, she finds herself in the overgrown area leading to the second clearing. She didn’t really mean to go there, but apparently her body had other ideas. That’s fine, maybe Apo came this way. Or Owen, whoever she finds first.
There seem to be a tad more vines then she remembers though… And the path is going on much longer than she expected… Shouldn’t she be there by now? Did she take a wrong turn?
Nah! Magic is an expert at navigating, especially this part of the maze. No-one knows this area better than herself.
Worries resolved, she continues on, pushing past the vines with haste.
Wow… It’s really overgrown here. There appears to be a curtain of vines separating her from what has to be the entrance to clearing two. Because no, she is not lost, she never gets lost. Unsheathing her sword from her belt she starts hacking her way through. Uncaring of the few thorns getting stuck in her skin.
Thwack!
A vine shoots back up from under her foot, wrapping itself around her ankle with a surprising amount of force. Furiously she kicks at it with her other foot which just ends up wrapping that one in vines too.
Uh… Uh oh…
She wriggles her feet the best she can, thorns pierce through her leg at the motion, staining the vines with a small amount of blood the more she struggles. She aims her sword down, determined to slice the stupid plants clean through. She misses… Horribly. Her arm catches on a vine, it’s like these plants have a mind of their own filled with evil thoughts because it completely wraps around her arm causing her to lose her grip on her sword.
Okay… This isn’t great. But she’s strong, she can get herself out. Hopefully…
After minutes of struggling, fighting, biting, clawing and tearing she is- still not free… The opposite actually… She’s very stuck. Somehow all her limbs have gotten tangled up and with every slight movement more thorns and other sharp edges cut open her skin.
She might… Need some help.
Scrap that, she definitely needs help, and fast.
From her position she can barely see the sun going down. With a bit of luck she still has three hours before the gates close. Maybe two…
That leaves only one solution. Screaming.
“HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! OWEN? ANYONE! HELP!”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Owen is exhausted. Sweaty and exhausted. With a limp in his step he makes his way to the board, letting his gaze trail over the many signs and levers. Well, except for one. He doesn’t want to see the lever flicked down underneath Apo’s name. His friend is dead and it’s all his fault. The horrible words he said still haunt him. Would Apo still be alive if he had been kinder? More forgiving?
He’s about to walk past until his eyes catch on another lever. Magic…
She’s still in?
That can’t be good. She’s always back before him. Sure, he is a little early today but not by that much. She should be fine though, right?
Right!?
Oh, damn it all!
With a heavy sigh he puts his helmet back on and turns around. The strange air current welcomes him inside. Beckoning him to stay in the maze.
Where would Magic be? Probably the forestry area by the second clearing, she always goes there. Or did she go back to that higher-up platform where she claims that watcher on the wall, Ash, has been staying. He understands her hope, thinking that maybe she saw it wrong and her friend is still alive. But that’s the thing about hope, it only hurts more when it inevitably gets shattered. Like his hope of ever seeing Apo again.
Owen is careful as he navigates the maze. Looking out for hidden traps, despite having seen them countless times already. He can’t afford to be too careful though, he has to find Magic or be sure enough that she gets out, before it turns night. He glances at the clock he always carries with him, approximately two hours and fifteen minutes. Not a lot of time…
His leg aches as he jumps over the stone pillars slick with water bubbling in the pool around them. Still he continues on. All the most likely places Magic could have gone are in the same general area, so at least that limits his search.
Soon enough he’s hacking his way through countless vines, leaves, branches and other plants.
“Help! Anybody!”
Owen stops. What was that?
“Somebody, please!”
Magic!
He starts walking again, quicker now, heading towards the sound.
“I’m coming! Where are you?”
Slash. Hack. Slash. Hack.
Further and further.
“Owen? OWEN! HELP ME! PLEASE, I’M STUCK! OWEN IT HURTS!”
Closer and closer until finally he spots her.
“Magic!”
She’s wrapped up in vines, her sword abandoned on the ground. The ground is tainted red with her blood. It doesn’t take long for him to realise she doesn’t have any armour on. Of course she doesn’t… He’d scold her, but he’s too tired for that. Besides, there's not enough time for a lecture. Doesn’t mean she’s not going to get one tomorrow morning though.
“Don’t move, I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I’m getting you out of here, okay?”
With careful and practised precision he slices at the plants, making sure not to get caught himself, that’d be disastrous. With every passing minute the sun sinks lower in the sky.
One hour and a bit left…
They might not make it back on time.
Finally though, the last of the plants give way and Owen can scoop Magic out of their reach, setting her down besides himself.
“Here, take this. It’s a bit sweaty but you’ll have to deal with it.”
Within seconds he takes off most of his armour, giving it to the girl who seems hell-bent on giving him a heart attack one of these days. He only keeps on his boots, since he made them specifically to fit the weird shape of his ankle and bottom part of his leg. It wouldn’t fit Magic, thanks to his malunion.
Surprisingly enough, she puts the armour on without complaint. Still seeming a little shaken by her thorny encounter.
“Come on, let’s get you home. I think I have some alcohol at my place to clean those scratches.”
She nods, clearly tired. Otherwise she probably would have made a joke about him being an alcoholic or something.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Right as the two clear the last corner the doors start to close. The horrific sound of stone scraping over stone fills their ears as they run. Magic glances behind her, Owen is still there keeping a close eye on her, he seems to be limping though, strange… This is not the time or place to talk about that though, she’s in a world of pain and all she wants to do is sleep and get this stinky armour off of her.
Panting heavily they walk out of the little entrance, making their way to the board. Owen quickly flicks their levers up before guiding her to his little home. She sits on his bed, hurriedly taking off the armour and throwing it on the ground. Her nose is scrunches up at the smell.
How long has Owen been wearing this stuff? It smells absolutely ratchet.
Meanwhile the tired man scurries around his chest, grabbing a rag and the alcohol before sitting down in front of her. Wordlessly she takes off her shirt so he can clean the wounds, she doesn’t mind, this is kind of par for the course in this deathtrap.
“Thanks, big bro.”
She says with a smile in her voice, before wincing as Owen cleans another cut. He lets out a deep sigh which makes Magic chuckle.
“Just- wear your armour next time…”
They both know she probably won’t.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
<2>
Magic feels like she’s forgetting something. She flicked the lever, she got her weapons, she even has torches to make sure she doesn’t get lost. Not that she ever gets lost. So what else could it be?
Eh, it’s probably nothing. She’s got a mission to take care of, that’s way more important! It’s a very delicate mission that requires the utmost precision and planning. Which is why she’s going into the mazy early today. She needs as much time as she can get. It has to be perfect.
Deeper and deeper into the maze she goes, placing torches on the left wall to guide her way back. She giggles to herself as she jumps from pillar to pillar above yet another bubbling pit of water. The last gap is a big one and she steadies herself carefully before jumping.
“WOOHOO!”
She exclaims happily as she makes it across, although barely. Her feet slipped at the last second, nearly causing her to tumble to the ground. But she didn’t, because she’s just that talented. Nobody could beat her! That gives her an idea, she should challenge some of the other Outsiders to a race some time. Mhmm but where would the race go?
Her thoughts get interrupted as she’s met with some very treacherous terrain. This time the pillars are closer together, but underneath isn’t the water she’s gotten used to. Instead it’s piping hot magma. She really can’t afford to fall here. Luckily she’s a self proclaimed parkour pro.
Still that doesn’t take away the nervousness as she steps on the first pillar. Feeling the heat lapping at her shoes. Oh- that’s what she forgot. She forgot her armour…
Yeah… Owen is not going to be happy.
It’s fineeee! She never gets injured.
Okay, that last part may be a bit of an exaggeration. But she’s never gotten super seriously injured. She’ll be fine. She’s a strong independent woman, she doesn’t need no older brother to save her.
Taking a deep breath which only serves to burn her throat with the hot air, she jumps and lands perfectly on the next pillar.
“HAH! Take that maze, you can’t beat me!”
Fueled with a bit more confidence she takes the next jump and the next, until she finally gets to the other side, unharmed.
“Magic one, Maze zero!”
The lava pit seems to have been the threshold between two different areas. The one she came from was more of the usual mossy walls and stone bricks. This one is a lot more overgrown. Though it’s red- not green. The stems of some very strange trees almost seem to pulse with a faint red glow.
Surely this area holds what she’s searching for, right?
With more confidence then she should probably have in the undiscovered terrain, she treks onwards. This time being a lot more careful with the hanging vines, they may be red- but they’re still dangerous. Not that she’d ever get stuck in vines… That’s lame.
Okay… Maybe the maze has one point on her. But if she’s counting that then she has to count her other wins as well. So really it’s Magic one million and the Maze one. So what if a million is an exaggeration, it’s close enough, probably.
It doesn’t matter anyways. After she finds what she’s looking for she’ll be unstoppable. She can already imagine his face as she shows it to him.
After a lot more walking and a decent amount of torches later, she finds it.
There, about twenty blocks away from her grows a beautiful flower. The top is a bright and cheerful orange held up by a reddish stem. The leaves are a dark green before fading into purple at the tips with sharp looking thorns attached to them. It almost seems to glow, lighting the area underneath the strange trees.
It’s wonderful.
She has finally found it.
The perfect ‘cheer-me-up’ gift for Owen!
He’s going to love this, she’s sure of it. The orange reveals his hidden enthusiasm and kind nature while the green and purple thorny leaves show the shell he’s made for himself. Making him appear distant or annoyed. And old, very old, ancient even!
On top of that, this flower has clearly been thriving in these woods. So it shouldn’t be that difficult to take care of. Maybe she should take some of the soil here as well, that’ll help out.
She quickly scoops some of the strangely rocky dirt and pours it into her backpack. Maybe she should have brought a jar… Ah well- who cares. She’s got the perfect gift for Owen! That’s way more important than a dirty bag.
With an energy that knows no bounds she runs over towards the flower.
Ten blocks away. Five blocks away. Three blocks away.
She reaches for it and-
Right as her fingers close around the flower the floor gives way and she plummets into a hidden pitfall. Her left ankle twists underneath her as she lands on the cobbled stone sending a shockwave of pain through her system. With a cry she drops to the floor, her ankle howling in pain.
At least she still has the flower, that’s a win right?
Carefully she puts it on the ground. One of the purple bits is looking slightly darker than before. A single drop of blood hits the floor. Stupid flower, how dare it sting her! Well, that’s the least of her concern right now.
Slowly she starts prodding at her ankle, trying to deduce whether she broke it. She hopes not, that would suck. She’s really far out.
It hurts, that’s for sure. But she doesn’t feel anything out of shape. Maybe she just twisted it? That’s fine. She’s fine! She can just climb back up and head back to the clearing.
In one smooth motion she loosens her backpack and swings it around. A wave of dizziness washes over her right after. She blinks, confused. That’s weird… Ah well, it’s probably nothing.
She opens her bag, carefully stuffing the flower inside. She can’t exactly get out of this pitfall with one arm occupied and there’s no chance she’s leaving Owen’s cheer-me-up gift behind.
With that done she puts the backpack back on and stands up. Only for another wave of dizziness, worse this time, to send her back to the ground.
That’s… Not great.
It doesn’t fade… Instead it seems to get worse. Her stomach churns, her vision spins, her chest hurts, actually, scrap that, everything hurts. Like she’s being burned alive from the inside out.
She takes a shaky breath, trying to calm herself. It doesn’t work.
Gods it hurts! It hurts!
Another wave of pain washes over her forcing a pitiful whimper out of her. Tears gather in the corners of her eyes.
Another wave. She cries out. Tears now streaming down her face.
And another one.
And another one…
Until the world fades to black.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
He’s not sure where he's going, all he knows is that he’s been following an unequally spaced out trail of torches for a while now, for no reason. His mind isn’t nearly as focused as it should be, despite the unfamiliar terrain. It’s a recipe for disaster. He knows it is. Yet, he can’t help it. Every few seconds his thoughts start to drift, no matter how hard he tries to stop them. He can’t.
“Did you pull the lever Apo?”
He sighs in frustration, kicking at the strange dirt. It does nothing. Somehow that makes it even worse.
“Don’t think it. Don’t speak it. We’re through!”
He’s an idiot. An absolute fool. He never should have said those words. Why did he care so much about a stupid lie? They’re stuck in a maze with strangers, trying to survive this hellish deathtrap, of course people are going to lie to save their own hide.
And yet…
Apo is, no, was, his best friend. The one person he was sure he could trust. But apparently not.
“We can still be friends, Owen!”
And now they’re dead.
Lost forever to the dangers of the maze. Which is exactly why his thoughts shouldn’t be drifting so much! He could be skewered by a falling spike or shot by harming arrows. Still, his mind drifts.
“Never leave a brother behind, you hear me!? A brethren dies under your watch, you best throw yourself into the nearest ravine before I take the privilege of seeing to it myself.”
No, not that memory! He doesn’t want to remember this! He’s better off living in blissful ignorance of his past, the snippets he’s gotten don’t make it seem all too good anyways.
Maybe he should have thrown himself into the nearest ravine for abandoning Apo like that…
A familiar anger greets him, urging him to break something. He clenches his fist, counts to ten… It doesn’t work. Of course it doesn’t, Apo is the one who taught him that technique.
Damnit!
He punches the nearest wall, welcoming the pain blossoming from his knuckles.
“Wha- is someone there… He-Hello?”
The anger vanishes within seconds as he hears a raspy voice echo against the walls. Is that…
“Magic? Is that you?”
Maybe he just imagined it. It wouldn’t surprise him, his thoughts have been particularly loud today. Or the voices in his head are just playing a prank on him, which isn’t funny by the way.
“Owen… H-Help…”
That’s definitely Magic! Why does she sound like that?
“Magic, what’s wrong? Where are you?”
Before she can respond he spots her. Down in a decently small pitfall, curled up on the ground. Her entire body seems to shake. In her hands she clutches her backpack which contains a strange looking flower.
He quickly grabs his own bag, taking out a very sturdy stick and some rope. Finally his thoughts are clear and focused, only disrupted by worry coiling in his gut. It’s not like Magic to be this quiet. He doesn’t like it. No matter how much he jokes about needing some peace and quiet, her silence is unsettling.
Still, he doesn’t let it distract him as he hammers the stick into the ground. He tugs and pulls, making sure it’s secure before tying the rope to it. He tosses the end into the pit. Magic watches it fall, before her eyes drift shut again.
“Stay awake, please. I’m coming down. You’re gonna be okay, just hold on.”
Never leave a brother or in this case, a sister, behind. He will not leave another! He’d rather die than lose Magic too.
After about four metres he lands safely on the ground. Quickly kneeling down next to his little sister, no! His FRIEND, yes, that. He kneels down next to his friend, putting the back of his hand against her forehead. It’s hot to the touch.
Did she get hit by a poisonous arrow?
Or…
He studies the plant carefully, it seems to have some nasty thorns. Could it have been poisonous? He’d rather not find that out personally. Why does she even have that thing?
Luckily he always brings milk with him, yet another precaution. That should at least help a little to get any bad poisons out of her system.
“Here, drink this.”
She does so albeit with some difficulty as her hands shake vigorously, nearly dropping the glass a couple times. But after a couple minutes the shaking mostly stops and the pained whimpers halt in place.
“Thanks…”
Her gaze is downturned, clearly upset.
“It’s all good, smart thinking though, placing torches to mark your path. I’m assuming those were yours?”
That seems to cheer her up a little.
“You think so? I mean, of course! I am very smart after all.”
He can’t help but chuckle. Being near her always seems to make him smile. Or have a mini heart attack because she’s doing something dangerous again. Both are equally likely, sometimes they go together. Like today.
“Think you can climb?”
Owen notices her gaze shifting to her ankle.
“It’s okay if you’d rather not. You can climb on my back.”
She nods.
“I’d like that…”
A soft smile makes its way on his lips again. The other Outsiders would have a field day if they saw him like this. He’d never hear the end of it. He has no doubt Magic will remind him of it every opportunity she gets. It’s worth it, anything for her.
“Alright. Hop on little monkey.”
Her mouth falls open, her eyes twinkle.
“Excuse you! I am a very tall monkey, thank you very much.”
They both laugh.
The thoughts that have been plaguing Owen the entire day finally disappear. He knows they’ll be back, but for now, he’s okay.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
They make it back to the clearing about an hour before the gates close for the night, despite Owen having to carry Magic on his back the entire time. It’s worth it though, if only for the little laughs she lets out as she reaches for vines hanging high from the trees.
“Wait, Owen, set me down!”
He quickly obeys, also because his leg is really starting to complain about the extra weight. That probably won’t give him any problems tomorrow. Who's he kidding, the damn limb always seems to give him trouble. Disregarding that upsetting train of thought before it can spiral, he sets her down on a little bench.
“I got you something!”
That wasn’t what he was expecting, but okay. She grabs her bag, carefully taking out the flower.
“Tada!”
Really… She gifts him a potentially poisonous flower? Yeah that sounds like something she’d do.
“It’s a ‘cheer-me-up’ gift! See, the orange reminds me of your sweet side, the one you don’t show too often. And then the green and purple thorns are the shield you put up in front of others, but if you just chip away at them- it reveals the beautiful orange!”
That's… Really sweet actually.
He’s definitely not tearing up right now.
Absolutely not.
He doesn’t cry.
But maybe he does wipe away a stray tear before accepting the flower with a laugh.
“You really risked your life to give me a flower?”
“Yep! Worth it!”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
<3>
Why can’t anyone in this stupid clearing just get along for once! It was supposed to be a fun day!
Tears burn in her eyes as she takes off running. She doesn’t care about the shocked and angry faces of the other Outsiders. She doesn’t care that it’s turning night soon. She doesn’t care that she isn’t wearing armour. She doesn’t care that Owen is calling her name, sprinting after her, despite a heavy limp.
The whole idea of the challenge was to improve teamwork and have a fun competition with each other. How was she to know someone would mess with the water breathing potions? How dare they blame her and Graecie for just trying to do something fun for once.
Her breathing is heavy, lungs begging her to take a break, still she doesn’t.
She’s long since entered the familiar overgrown area. But this time, her journey doesn’t end there. No, she goes further and further into the maze. She doesn’t know these parts very well, but right now, she couldn’t care less. She just runs.
Vines turn to moss. Dirt to stone. Trees to, well, more stone.
A strange groan sounds to her right and she barely has any time to react as an undead creature jumps from the shadows. The thing- whatever it is- swings wildly at her. She quickly jumps to the right before punching the creature. It stumbles before lunging again, this time going in for a bite. She kicks at its legs, causing it to fall over.
Her mind clears and she takes a deep breath.
It’s night. She’s in the maze and it’s night time. The doors are surely closed already…
Uh oh…
She sprints past the creepy creature, trying to find somewhere she can hide away. Her heart hammers in her throat, skipping a beat each time she hears yet another strange sound.
What if The Creature finds her? The one that destroyed her previous clearing, the one that murdered her friends?
She doesn’t want to die…
She doesn’t want to die!
Three undead humanoid creatures lunge for her, one grabbing hold of her arm while the other bites her leg. The third swipes at her face, leaving a nasty cut over her nose. Now fueled by fear and anger she fights back.
It’s not going well… She doesn’t have a weapon. Of course she doesn’t. She hadn’t expected to be trapped in the maze overnight because today was supposed to be fun!
And this… This is not fun.
A fourth zombie, or whatever it is, appears from behind her. Claws rake across her back and she falls to the ground. Instantly the creatures are upon her, scratching, biting on whatever surface of her body they can find. She curls up into a ball, hands shielding her face. She should keep fighting. Stand up. Do something! But she can’t.
The anger made her so tired.
She just wants to sleep.
A furious groan sounds before one of the zombies gets flung off her, soon followed by another. She peeks through her lashes, trying to see what’s going on. There’s somebody there. She can hear their laboured breaths. But she can’t tell who it is.
With a renewed spark of energy she continues her own fight. Kicking off the third zombie, who’s gnawing on her hip. Within that time the first two get back up but instead of joining the involuntary cuddle party on the floor, they walk past her.
She doesn’t pay it much mind, instead focussing on the one still laying atop her. Its jaw opens wide, reaching for her neck. Her hands shoot up, grasping at the zombie’s face. Slowly her fingers start to move towards its eye sockets, while still keeping its gaping mouth at bay.
From behind her sounds a pained inhale. Whoever is with her, they have their own problems to deal with. She’s got to do this herself. With all of her strength she pushes her fingers in, hooking it around the creature’s eyes before pulling it out. Bloody strands are all that is left as the eyeballs fall atop her. It nearly makes her gag.
The creature screeches, flailing about wildly, giving Magic plenty of opportunity to kick it away. It falls on the ground, dead, soon afterwards. The third comes back, but alone it’s not much of a threat. Although it did get in yet another good scratch on her arms.
She turns around, panting heavily. Her entire body aches from the various gashes sporting her scarred skin. Though that pain fades to the background as she notices who’s with her.
Owen…
Her older brother stands, hand clasped over a nasty bite in his side. He seems to be putting most of his weight on his good leg. His bow lays discarded on the ground and he holds a pike in his other hand. Before she can turn to help, the last remaining zombie keels over, dead.
That is the moment her adrenaline wears off and she too falls to the ground. She hears her brother run closer, kneeling beside her. She leans against him without meaning to.
“Magic…”
His voice trails off.
For a while they just sit, both breathing heavily.
“We gotta move Magic. Before the Griever finds us. Come on, you can lean on me. I have water on me, we can clean the wounds with that when we’ve found a safer spot.”
She doesn’t respond.
There’s a pit in her stomach. Eating away at her, much like those zombies did. It feasts on her every thought, urging her to drown in the guilt she feels. She’s the reason Owen is here. She’s the reason they’re stuck in the maze overnight, something that is considered a death sentence. She’s the reason Owen got hurt.
Tears prick in the corners of her eyes but she refuses to let them fall. She doesn’t deserve to cry because this is all her fault. If only she didn’t run away. If only she had turned around when he called for her. If only she had noticed Owen was following her.
And now they’re both going to die because of her stupidity.
The pit grows into a black hole, sucking her dry from the inside out. Sapping away her last remaining shreds of energy until she can’t walk anymore.
“Magic? Magic come on, please. I can’t lose you too!”
He’s crying, she notes. Still she doesn’t speak.
One moment she’s leaning on him heavily the next she’s in his arms and they’re running.
“Stay awake Magic, stay awake. Please, just, hold on a little longer!”
Oh… She hadn’t realised she was falling asleep. It makes sense, she’s tired after all. Why can’t she sleep though? Maybe he’s mad at her? She deserves it. She screwed up big time.
Her eyes slip closed again.
“No, Magic, please! Just a little longer.”
He sounds so desperate, it hurts to hear. Maybe she can stay awake, for him. To make up for all of her wrongs. But it’s difficult, so, so difficult.
“It’s going to be okay sis, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. I promise, just hold on a little while longer.”
Sis?
A faint smile tugs on her lips. Her eyes, however glazed over, twinkle slightly.
She’s seen Owen as her older brother for quite a while now, shortly after joining this clearing actually. Especially after the whole incident with Bek tying her up and leaving her to die, and Owen and Graecie finding her the day after. She never thought Owen would feel the same way.
“Here, this will do for now. We’ll find a better spot later, okay?”
He lowers her to the ground before letting go. Without meaning to, she lets out a small whine at the loss of his touch.
“I’m here Magic, you’re gonna be okay.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
It takes precious seconds to take off his chestplate, discarding it behind him. He makes quick work of his t-shirt, ripping it into strips to use as bandages later. The overwhelming panic makes him faster but sloppier. It thrums in his veins, in time with his too quick heartbeat.
His little sister’s eyes have closed again, he bites back a sob at the sight of it. His fingers tremble as he washes the rotten gunk of those things out of her wounds. It’s not perfect. But he doesn’t have the right supplies to do anything more. No matter how prepared he is, even on a day where he really shouldn’t have needed to be prepared, it’s never enough.
Most of his shirt is gone by the time he’s wrapped up all her wounds. Still she’s not responding.
“Magic… Please…”
His voice breaks off, interrupted by a harsh sob.
He can’t lose her too… He can’t!
Not after Apo…
A loud screech echoes through the hallways. Crab like legs tick against the stone floor. Closer and closer.
“Come on Magic. We have to go.”
She doesn’t respond.
He doesn’t waste the time it would take to put his chestplate back on, instead opting to leave it behind. As careful but quick as he can, he picks up his little sister.
Despite the added weight his steps are silent, measured. Inching further and further away from the creature stalking them. All he can hope for is that it gets distracted by their scent and stops at their previous hiding spot. If not…
He’d rather not think about that.
His brain doesn’t listen though, as it imagines all of the cruel ways they can die. Despite the unhelpful distraction, he continues. It’s slow going, despite the lack of traps and the large width of the corridor. His leg is burning in agony, as if it’s being melted by acid from the inside out. The added weight is not doing him any favors.
The ticking of the metallic legs continues, getting closer with each step.
It would be really great if the corridor could shrink or have some cramped pass through to get away from it. Of course that doesn’t happen, Owen is not that lucky.
The ticking stops, right at their previous hide-out.
Before he can breathe a sigh of relief, the creature starts moving again in their direction.
Closer. Closer. Closer. Closer. Closer.
“I’m sorry Magic, this is gonna be uncomfortable.”
She doesn’t respond.
Ignoring the pang of worry, he starts running. The acid burning in his leg now seems to move upwards, sending waves of agony through his veins. The bite from before also doesn’t seem to agree with his change in movement as it aches terribly.
This is exactly why Apo is dead. There is no surviving the maze at night. There is no way they’re alive. No matter what the others say, they’re dead. And it’s all Owen’s fault.
Maybe he can say sorry in the afterlife? He hopes so…
To his right a small passage appears, just wide enough to crawl through. This is it. Their only means of escaping certain death. But they don’t have a lot of time.
Scrap that, they have extremely little time.
The creature is a mere twenty blocks from them, zoned in on their location. There’s a chance though… If he pushes Magic through and runs off… The creature wouldn’t be able to reach her. She’d be safe. And he… Well that doesn’t really matter, does it?
“Never leave a brother behind…”
He mutters.
“Maybe I can make an exception this time.”
With those words, the plan is set in motion. He runs to the alcove, pushing Magic through it as far as he could. Leaving his backpack with her.
“Goodbye Magic… You’re the best little sister I could have wished for. Live on, for me.”
Her eyes open, clouded and confused.
“Owen?..”
She whispers.
He doesn’t respond.
Tears run down his face as he nocks an arrow into his bow, aiming at the creature. The arrow harmlessly bounces off of its hard shell, as expected. The goal wasn’t to harm it but to keep its focus on him.
It works.
He sprints down the corridor, the Creature right behind him.
Fifteen blocks.
Ten blocks.
Five blocks.
Three…
Two…
One…
It’s over.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
<+1>
Magic’s world shatters before her eyes, wide in disbelief, as she watches that grotesque Creature plunge one of its long legs straight through Owen’s shoulder. Slowly, as if wanting to draw out the moment, it lifts her brother’s limp body in the air, swaying gently in the wind like a gruesome trophy.
It’s her worst nightmare come true.
His pale and grey face is contorted in pain, eyes clenched shut and mouth open in a silent scream. Maybe that’s worse, Magic thinks. The silence. If he screamed at least she’d know he’s alive.
She too wants to scream, wants to yell out his name so loudly everybody in the clearing can hear it. But she can’t. The horror of it all grips her throat and she can’t breathe. It feels like she’s choking on air.
With a cruel finality the Creature turns around, unhurried as it walks off, dragging her brother’s body with it. A trail of blood is all that is left.
A sob finally tears from her throat at the sight and she crawls out of the little hole, desperately reaching for her brother who is no longer there.
No.
No, she can’t accept this!
She has to help him!
…
…
…
How is she going to save him?
She can’t exactly run at the Creature and fight it bare-handed. She can’t even run! Her injuries still tug at her sore limbs. Her vision still swims from blood loss. She’d wouldn’t even be able to catch up to it before passing out.
Saving him might be a little more difficult than she’d hoped. Maybe a lot more difficult actually…
Still, her resolve doesn’t dwindle. She’ll just have to get creative.
Her eyes catch on Owen’s backpack. He’s always prepared, surely he has something in there that can help.
With a frantic panic still burning through her veins she rummages through the backpack. Anything that isn’t immediately helpful gets thrown onto the floor, which is everything, because she’s way too stressed to actually take a good look at it. Too stressed out to think.
The sobs catch up to her again and she tugs the backpack close to her chest. It still smells like him. Gross and sweaty, with a hint of something so uniquely him. For a moment, it feels like she’s hugging her brother. She can almost imagine him whispering to her that everything will be okay, that he’s there for her.
But he’s not.
He’s dying. Because of her.
“I’m so sorry Owen! Please… Come back! Come back!”
The only response is her own sobs drowning out her voice.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
His eyes flutter closed as a comfortable warmth spreads out from underneath him. It’s not enough, he still feels cold.
Why is he so cold?
Something happened, right?
His breathing hitches in his throat as a surge of pain travels all throughout his body. The cold is back, stronger than ever. Why is it so cold?
It’s dark when he opens his eyes. Too dark.
He needed to do something, didn’t he?
But what was it?
He can’t think…
Everything hurts.
Why does it hurt?
A strange ticking sound catches his attention, dragging him out of the sludge of his mind for just a moment.
Right… The Creature. It…
Oh no…
That can’t be good…
It stung him, it pierced his shoulder…
Pressure! He needs to put pressure on the wound. He’s going to bleed out.
It takes a while before he remembers how to move his arms. Long enough for his mind to start drowning in the sludge again.
Why did he need to move again?
It hurts too much to move…
Maybe he should just close his eyes for a little.
He’s tired after all.
No, he can’t. There’s something he needed to do.
What was it?
He can’t remember.
It’s probably fine. It can’t be important if he forgot.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Her heart hammers in her throat as she moves closer and closer to the Creature’s nest. Just a couple more corridors and she’ll learn whether Owen is there or not. On the one hand, she really hopes he is. Because if he’s not, it’s going to be impossible to find him.
But on the other hand… If he isn’t there, maybe he got away. Maybe the injury wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Maybe she just imagined all of it. Maybe he’s fine!
He’s got to be fine right?
He’s alive, surely. Waiting for her to find him. For a moment she dares close her eyes and she imagines what’s going to happen.
She’ll find him, sitting against a wall for support. A hand lightly pressed against some cloth around his shoulder. He’ll see her and smile in the way that lights up her day. She’ll run to him, hug him tightly as he whispers that he’s okay.
It will be her turn to support him while they walk and she’ll tease him for it, because she knows he’s going to be okay. They’ll arrive at the doors as the sun graces the sky and the gate opens. Everyone will be there, waiting for them, cheering at their arrival.
Soup will drag them into her house, bandaging their wounds and giving them potions against the pain. Graecie will scold them for staying in the maze overnight before giving them both a big hug. Owen will groan in mock annoyance and they’ll all laugh as they pull him into a group hug.
They’ll go to his house to get some rest. Sleeping next to each other, just wanting to be close to one another like brother and sister. United in something much stronger than blood.
The daydream shatters before her eyes as she opens them. She’s still in the maze, alone and hurt. Owens backpack rests on her shoulders, once a comforting presence and now nothing more than a reminder of how far away he is. God she misses him. She misses him so much.
She takes a deep breath, steeling her nerves. She has to be strong right now.
Determined, she walks on. Her gaze drifts over the walls, the floor and the path ahead until it lands on a set of vines. At first glance there’s nothing special about them, they cling onto the wall going nearly all the way up to the top, just like all the others. That’s not what catches her attention though, it’s what’s behind the vines. Hidden from sight is a little alcove, high enough from the ground that the Creature wouldn’t be able to reach it. But not too high that it’s impossible to climb.
With renewed energy she quickly climbs the vines before jumping the last bit. Her hands catch on the ledge and she pulls herself up with ease. It’s not a huge space, the only opening is the way she just came in. The walls are sturdy, the ground surprisingly mossy but not slippery. It’s perfect.
Now all she needs to do is get Owen here.
Maybe that’s easier said than done. What if he’s unconscious? What if he is too hurt to climb? Is she strong enough to drag him all the way here and then pull him up? She has rope, sure, but that doesn’t make it easy. What if she hurts him on accident?
What if he’s already dead?
She shakes her head vigorously to rid herself of those thoughts. Owen is fine. He has to be! She will not accept anything else.
Shrugging off the backpack she sets it in the corner of the room. Once more she looks through it, it’s a mess… That’s not her fault of course, despite throwing in all the items after having emptied it out without any sort of organisation. It’s Owen’s fault, obviously, what man can ever need this much stuff? Why does he even need three sticks, a couple of rocks and a singular apple that’s definitely starting to rot?
After a little bit of struggling and throwing the items on the ground again, she finds what she’s looking for. A sturdy rope and a thin blanket. She really hopes she doesn’t need to use the blanket. It’s a last resort in case Owen really can’t climb or even walk. She’ll need to cut the rope, very carefully tie a piece of rope to the four corners of the blanket and then tie those to the larger piece that she can use to pull him up. At least she has a knife to do so now, thanks to Owen’s backpack.
There’s only one more thing to do. Check if Owen’s there and how he’s doing. Preferably without getting either of them stabbed by the Creature. Again…
She swallows nervously.
While she does have a plan to lead the Creature away if it’s there, it’s not foolproof. Of course it’s not. Nothing can ever be easy in this place. Said plan is to throw the rocks Owen has in his backpack into some hallway she doesn’t need to be in and pray it works. Maybe he was smart for putting rocks in his bag.
She slides down the vines, carrying nothing with her. No matter how much she would love to do this first try, she has enough brain cells to realise that rushing in without scouting the area beforehand is a bad idea.
On her tiptoes she walks to the last corridor, separating her vision from the nest.
Ten steps.
Five steps.
Three. Two. One.
She takes a breath and peeks around the corner. A scream nearly rips from her throat as she sees the Creature standing over her brother’s body. Owen isn’t moving. While she can’t see much from here, it’s clear that he’s definitely not going to be able to climb that wall.
She can’t see if he’s breathing…
She can’t tell if he’s alive…
Is she… Too late?
Is he…
No… Surely not.
He can’t be!
It takes all her willpower to turn her back on her brother. It takes even more to walk away, back to the vines and the secret room.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The edges between reality and the poison rushing through his veins is starting to blur. From bright burning lights to the darkness of a large body covering his own. A hazy dance between consciousness and forgotten memories. His mind is caught in an explosion of sensations, none of which he can quite place. Throughout it all the pain is a constant companion. It ebbs and flows in time with his heartbeat, but it never goes away.
Vaguely he hears a familiar tick, tick, ticking sound against stone floors, getting further and further away. Another wave of pain washes away the sensation, as if it never happened in the first place.
He teethers back into the warm embrace of his subconsciousness, falling deeper and deeper into the never-ending darkness.
A distant voice tugs at him, beckoning him to stay awake. He recognizes the voice, he knows that voice… Yet he can’t place it. Through half-lidded eyelids he watches the world go by. The walls of the maze seem to shift before his eyes, constantly moving and yet staying where they are at the same time.
With each shout of the voice he is lifted further and further from the comfort of unconsciousness. A figure stands above him, its mouth moves, spitting rapid words he can’t hear.
The person grabs him below his armpits, dragging him over the floor. He squints his eyes shut against the pain in his shoulder. A weak groan leaves his lips, barely reaching the other. The figure is talking still, more rapidly now. The sound is comforting even if he can’t decipher the meaning of the words. It reminds him of lying on the grass watching stars flicker in a sky he knows isn’t real.
He gasps for breath with lungs that can’t remember how to breathe as he’s finally laid down. His shoulder hurts like the ever-burning fires of hell, consuming his mind with pain. It drowns him, pushing him back down into unconsciousness.
Even that doesn’t give him a reprieve. The once comforting darkness is now a swirling mass of shadows. The shadows form a circle around him, incomprehensible words falling from their lips. The pain is still ever present as he lays on the ground in the middle of the circle. One shadow stands above him, a sneer on his face. Despite not understanding what he’s seeing, he feels shame pool in his gut. Every fiber of his being tells him to get up but he can’t move because the pain is still there. Never-ending and all consuming agony burning through his body. Cold as ice and warm as the fires of hell at the same time.
A strange sensation cuts through the confusing swirls in his mind, something soft laid beneath him. Whispered words echo in his head.
“Stay with me please. Stay with me.”
He wants to smile, wants to tell the person that everything is fine, yet he doesn’t understand why he wants to do that. It doesn’t matter as a fresh wave of agony pulls him back under. He’s moving again, his shoulder rubs against a floor he can’t see. He tries to cry out, tries to yell at the voice to stop, but all that comes out of his mouth is a hoarse groan. They don’t stop, instead they continue dragging him along as if he’s merely a burden to shoulder.
He hates that thought. He hates being a burden. Hates being useless.
Yet that’s what he is, unable to free himself from the poisoned tendrils holding his body in a death grip. No matter how much he struggles, no matter how much he wills himself awake, no matter how close he gets, he always fails.
The poison whispers sweet nothings in his ear as it drags him down again. It promises a better past, one where he was useful. It shows him pride and power yet tinged underneath the golden exterior is a feeling of guilt and hurt.
He doesn’t want to know. He doesn’t want to see that past. There’s nothing that angers the poison more than that. It sinks its fangs deeper in his head, showing him more hazy fragments of a past he doesn’t remember.
Fighting. Blood. Pain. War. Cries. Fire. Loss. Hurt. Alone. Guilt.
The memories overwhelm him, choke him, until he feels he’s dying. But the poison isn’t done yet. It drags him along on an unwanted journey through an endless maze. It shows him Apo, suffering and dying alone, a spear through their chest. It shows his body moving closer to Apo, smiling cruelly. It whispers hateful words in his own voice directed towards his best friend.
Demon. Plague. Disease. Mistake. Weak. Coward. Genocide. Cure.
Finally he’s lifted from the depths of his mind by a force unknown to him. It’s not until his eyes open slightly that he notices his body is being lifted in the air too. It feels as if he’s flying above the ground, held up by nothing but sheer will. His gaze drifts absently, unable to focus on anything.
The figure is there again. The comforting one. It’s a girl, he realises. He knows her. What was her name again?
Magic?
What’s she doing here? It’s dangerous in the maze and she isn’t wearing armour. He can spot strips of clothing around her legs and arms and chest. Some of them are tinged red. She’s hurt.
He tries to call her name but his tongue seems to have forgotten how to move.
Darkness blurs around the edges of his vision, tendrils of poison reach out to him. His eyes flutter shut against his will. He tries desperately to fight them off, clinging onto the fact that Magic is here like a life-line. She needs him. He can’t fall asleep now. He has to stay awake. For her.
He stops moving, or rather, his body stops being moved. He’s on solid ground again, though softer than before. There are arms pulling him up and into a hug. The warmth of the embrace is enough for the darkness to dissipate slightly.
His eyes open again. Magic is hugging him, tears streaming down her face. Sobs wreck her body as she tries to talk but fails. It takes all his energy but he manages to lift his arms and reciprocate the hug. He tugs her close, his head on her shoulder.
The two siblings stay like that for a while until Owen’s body becomes too heavy for him to keep up and he slips into the greedy arms of unconsciousness.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Owen is there, safe in her arms and Magic refuses to let go. As if the strength of her embrace and her desperation are enough to cure her brother. If she ignores his shallow breaths and the tremors running through his body, she can almost pretend he’s okay. But he’s not.
She doesn’t want to acknowledge the fact she has no idea how to help him. She doesn’t have the knowledge nor the means to drive away the darkness eating away at him. The Maze had played a cruel hand, pitting her against an opponent she couldn’t hope to defeat with her youthful and unwavering energy. Because for once, she feels tired.
More than the lack of knowledge that gnaws at her, it’s the heart-wrenching fear of seeing her brother withering away before her eyes that makes her hold on so tightly. She can’t bear to witness the decay that seems inevitable. Those creeping black lines pulsing underneath his pale skin, like writhing worms consuming him from the inside out. It’s a sight that nearly made her puke the first time she laid eyes on him.
Still, as she holds him close the fact remains that she has to let go. No matter how horrifying the sight, no matter how much she would love to pretend that he’s fine. She has to let go.
It sounds too permanent in her ears. As if letting go would mean giving up, leaving the poison to fester and take him away from her. Just like that Creature took him away from her. Piercing his body and letting it sway in the air like a trophy before turning around and walking off, dragging her brother along.
Tears well in her eyes, her fingers tremble as they desperately cling to him. A gut-wrenching sob tears from her throat as she has to wrench her fingers loose. One by one they let go. Until finally she lays him down on the ground again. Forcing herself to take a step back.
She closes her eyes for a moment before steeling herself. Taking a deep breath and then another.
She opens her eyes. Those black lines are still there, pulsing in time with his too slow heartbeat. His skin is so pale that the dark lines look like cracks running along his body, as if he’s actively shattering.
Her gaze lands on his shoulder, the area around it is blacker than the rest of his body. The wound is still open, bleeding sluggishly. It seems thicker almost. Maybe another side-effect of the poison that Creature must have unleashed on him?
She doesn’t know what to do about that. Vaguely she remembers Soup telling her not to close a wound in the case of poison because it traps it beneath the skin. Yet, she can’t just let him bleed can she? It’s long since spread to the rest of his body, that much is clear. So how much would it hurt to just stop the bleeding? She doesn’t know. But doing nothing feels worse.
Without letting herself doubt her decision for much longer she gets to work. She cuts a stroke of the thin blanket before wrapping it tightly around Owen’s shoulder. She props some of her own already torn clothes underneath it.
It’s done before she knows what to do with herself. She glances at the sky through the vines covering the opening, it’s still dark out, barely past midnight. There’s not much she can do now anyways. She can’t get to the clearing and ask for help. She certainly can’t start dragging her brother along with her on the journey. There’s nothing she can do right now. Not that she knows of at least.
So she doesn’t do anything.
She just holds him close, lying down next to him.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The sound of a horrible choking breath whisks her away from the grasp of sleep. Her eyes open to darkness, it’s still night. She can’t see a thing, but she can hear something…
She can hear Owen’s breathing. It’s raspy, broken, as if each breath is slowly killing him. It sounds more like sobbing than exhaling. She can feel his trembling fingers barely touching her hand laid next to him. As if he’s been trying to wake her up for a while now.
“Owen?”
Maybe it’s a relief she can’t see him. Because the way his wheezing stops for a moment before continuing tells her enough. He’s dying.
It shouldn’t be a surprise. She’s seen how horrible he looked before, she doubts it’s any better now. He sounds even worse, although awake.
A thought pushes itself to the forefront of her mind, a thought so cruel she wants to scream at the universe for doing this to her.
He’s not going to survive ‘till morning.
If she stays here, doing nothing, he’s sure to die before help can even arrive. She has to do something.
“Owen… I trust you can hear me. I’m going to get help okay. You’re going to be fine.”
His breathing hitches again. A groan leaves his lips as if he wants to answer but can’t.
“I promise, I will do anything to keep you alive. But there’s one thing I need you to do. I need you to keep fighting. Even when I’m not next to you, I need you to keep breathing despite how much it hurts.”
He wheezes, high-pitched and painful.
“I know you can do that. You’re a fighter Owen, you’re strong. You don’t give up even in the face of despair. I need you to keep fighting just a little longer. I’m going to get help.”
He tries to take a deep breath as if promising to keep fighting, but fails. She can hear his lungs expanding before they deflate much too soon.
“There’s a flare in your backpack, I saw. I’m going to light it and Apo will find you, because they’re alive. They're here. They know how to get through these nights and they’ll help you. And I… I’m going to the clearing.”
His hand reaches for her, painfully slowly, until it finally takes her hand. He’s not gripping tightly, he’s barely even managing to curl his hand around hers. But she knows what he means with that gesture. As if he can dissuade her from leaving this little alcove of safety and go on the dangerous journey back to the clearing, in the dark, with the monsters still roaming around. With the chance of the Creature hearing her.
“It’s going to be okay, I’ll be safe. I know that is the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever said, with my track record of getting in trouble. But I will. It’s my turn to save you. You never gave up on me and I won’t give up on you.”
She can barely keep herself from sobbing.
“Owen… Remember all those times in the clearing we spent gazing at the sky. At those beautiful twinkling lights even if they aren’t real. Or the clouds drifting by and I tell you what they look like. Those are some of my favourite moments. Because I get to spend them with you.”
Her fingers reach for the flare.
“I think… I think we were always meant to be siblings. Even if it turns out we didn’t know each other before all this, I like to think that in another universe, we’re brother and sister, forever. Always there for one another in the good times and the bad times. I’m here for you Owen. Even when I’m walking through the maze I’ll be with you. So stay with me too, okay?”
He rasps again, words unable to form in his mouth. She takes it as a promise nonetheless.
“Apo will come for you… And then when it’s morning, I’ll be back with help. Graecie, Krow and Soup and whoever else can help… I promise…”
It’s not a promise she knows she can keep. It’s one she will do her very best to achieve.
She squeezes his hand once before letting go. Ignoring the pang in her chest as she hears his fingers desperately reaching for her but being unable to find her.
She takes a deep breath, and another, before climbing down the vines. She looks at the sky, looks at the moon still taunting her. It looks to be between 2 and 4 AM. She hopes it’s the latter. The earlier the sun comes up, the better.
She lifts the flare gun in the air, her hand on the trigger.
“Please Apo… Please come. He needs you… Owen needs you.”
She shoots.
A beautiful ball of orange and red shoots into the sky, a streak of colour following behind it. Its screeching sound screams for the help she’s so desperate to arrive.
The light disappears and Magic starts to move. She has a long way to go.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Weary eyes scan the night sky, one they had become all too familiar with in their nightly escapades. Being a demon, even if only a minor one, certainly has its perks. Like the low-light vision they rely on every night to warn them of incoming danger. Travelling during the day would certainly be safer, but sleeping at night is much too dangerous. Apo’s sleeping schedule has been a mess ever since they left the safety of the clearing.
Their thoughts drift, like they often do, despite the many dangers roaming around at nighttime. A deep sigh leaves their lips on a cloud of condensation. If only their desperation to escape hadn’t pushed them to flick that lever. They’d still be in the clearing. Owen and Rasbi would still be their best friends. If only they hadn’t lied, maybe Owen would have forgiven them. If only they hadn’t followed Bek in the maze and instead rotted away in that prison cell like they deserved to.
Maybe their friends are looking at that very same sky, wishing on a star they’d come back. Do they even know they’re still alive? They probably do, some Outsiders have seen them, talked to them, desperately trying to convince them to come back. They always tell them the same thing, they can’t come back. They don't tell them why though. The reason is simple, they’re a coward. Too afraid to face the consequences of their mistakes.
Their thoughts are interrupted, not by the familiar groans of the undead. But instead by a strange streak of red light shooting through the otherwise clear skies. For a moment they’re mesmerised by the colours as they explode in the darkness. Until the meaning of the signal cuts through the haze in their mind.
As far as they know, there are only two flare guns spread out amongst the Outsiders. One owned by Graecie, to signal for any dangers inside the clearing. And one owned by Owen, as the leader of the runners. This one seems to be coming from inside the maze. What idiot decided to stay in the maze overnight? Well, besides themselves that is.
It seems to be coming from an area just on the other side of the Creature’s nest. One that can be accessed in two ways, either taking a really long roundabout route to avoid the nest. Or going straight through. They really don’t want to risk the Creature seeing them, they’d rather not get killed. But… whoever sent the signal is clearly in serious danger. Can they really risk taking the longer route?
Why are they even pondering this question? This shouldn’t be their problem to deal with. Whoever fired it probably meant for it to reach someone else. Yet… They can’t help but feel responsible. They have the supplies to help, the wits to escape the Creature if necessary and on top of all that, They’re close.
The glow of the flare fades, as if it never existed in the first place. But it lasted long enough to awaken a sense of determination in Apo. They know how hard it is to survive in the maze all alone. They know how much they've longed for a friend to watch their back. They don't want someone else to have to navigate the dangers of the maze all alone, hurt and scared. Wishing someone would help them but knowing no-one will come for them.
With a hurry in their quiet steps, they tread in the direction of where the flare was shot from. Keeping their ears perked to any sounds that don’t belong. It isn’t long until they’ve crossed the nest, the Creature nowhere in sight. That’s a little worrying. They continue nonetheless. Their heart beats faster in their chest with every step that brings them closer to where they think the light came from.
A fear grips their throat, one they can’t swallow away no matter how hard they try. Finally they round another corner, finding the empty shell of the flare laying uselessly on the ground. Their eyes scan the surroundings, trying to find the person that shot it.
Moss… Vines… Stone… Wait… They recognize this area. They’ve been here before, they’ve set up camp here at one point. If they remember correctly there should be an opening behind some vines, high above any dangers.
A smile tugs at their lips as he spots the opening of their old camp. They miss this place, it was comfortable with the moss on the ground. Too close to the nest though, which is why they moved.
The smile fades as they hear a laboured wheeze coming from inside their camp. One they recognise all too well… Even after all this time.
Their heart beats against their chest so loud it nearly drowns out the pained whimpers. Thoughts echo in their head, words split from an anger so intense they can never hope to forget it.
“YOU LIED TO ME!”
“I TRUSTED YOU AND YOU LIED TO ME!”
I’m sorry! They want to shout, they want to beg for forgiveness though they don't think they deserve it.
A wet gurgling sound like someone choking on their own blood escapes from the alcove reminding Apo of the situation at hand. With trembling fingers they haul themselves up into their old base.
It’s dark. Too dark to see even for them. But they can hear the sounds much more clearly now.
Their once best friend is reduced to nothing but pitiful whimpers and restless shuffling. Like a wounded animal trapped in a cage. Scared and hurt and alone. The sounds cut through the darkness and slash against their heart, as if trying to rip it out of their chest. The stark difference between the shouts of hatred still echoing in their head and the guttural coughs of someone choking on their own blood, makes Apo’s head spin.
They’re scared. Maybe just as scared as Owen must be. They don't want to light their lantern, they don't want to see their friend like this. They want to pretend that Owen is fine, that Rasbi is fine, that everyone in the clearing is fine without them. At least that way they don't have to worry about anyone but themselves.
Something barely graces his leg, on instinct they draw away nearly falling out of the hole. A voice, weak and breathy, reaches their sensitive ears.
“M-Ma..g..ic?”
It takes them a while to understand what Owen said. Magic. Is Magic here? Why are they both out in the maze at night? Is she hurt too? Or is she the one to set off the flare, since Owen doesn’t sound like he’d be able to in this state.
They don't have time to worry about it as the dark shape of the body in front of him lurches upwards before harshly falling back down, coughs rattling against the person’s chest.
Enough. They need to help, there’s no time to steel themselves any further. With quick fingers they unclasp his lantern from their side and light it. The fire flickers on, illuminating the hollowed out part of the wall that they’ve spent so many weeks in. They carefully place the lantern on a less mossy part of the floor.
With one last breath, they look up. Horror seeps into their bones, slowly filling their entire body until they’re a hair's breadth away from drowning.
The first thing they see is Owen’s ashen skin, pale and sunken in, with a hint of greyness to it. He looks like a dead body. If Apo didn’t know any better, they’d think they’d just lost their best friend. Dark lines cross over the uncovered parts of their friend’s body, pulsing weakly against his skin.
The second thing they notice is Owen’s pain stricken face, filled with fear. They’ve never seen their friend quite this scared. Shivers wreck his body despite a sheen of sweat resting atop his forehead. A fever?
Their gaze drifts to their friend’s shoulder, a ball of torn up clothes is held haphazardly against it, together with a thin string of cloth. Despite the very makeshift bandage, blood still drips down from underneath it, sluggish but consistent. The once green moss has been turned red in that area. Much too red for Apo’s liking.
This is some kind of joke. Some kind of ploy by the universe to shatter them completely only to wake up in the maze again, alone. This can’t be true. Owen is one of the most if not the most well prepared, cautious and undoubtedly skilled runner they have. This shouldn’t happen. Not to him.
It’s not fair.
But when is the maze ever fair?
Apo doesn’t know what to do, so they do whatever their body thinks is right. They press against the makeshift bandage, stopping the bleeding temporarily. Their heart cracks even further as Owen weakly tries to stop them. Eyes unseeing.
Words leave their lips at a rapid pace, they can barely hear them. But they hope they reach their brother nonetheless.
“Come on. Stay with me Owen. Stay with me. You’re gonna be okay. I’ll figure something out. I promise. That’s not a lie… I won’t break my promise to you again. I swear it.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Magic is starting to regret her decision. It’s dark, she can barely see a thing and monsters keep lunging at her from the shadows. Even worse, she forgot to take Owen’s pike with her so she still doesn’t have a weapon to fend them off with. Her injuries scream at her to stop moving, to just curl up in a ball on the ground and sob until the pain ends.
She should have just stayed with Owen. Maybe he’s fine now, maybe he can make it back with her to the clearing and she doesn’t have to get help. She should have just waited for morning.
Despite her doubts, she continues on. Past pitfalls, hungry vines, lava traps and water that sucks you down into its depths. Not to forget about the tripwire hook triggering damage laced arrows from dispensers if you so much as touch them. Said tripwires are a lot harder to see at night she’s found. It’s a miracle she isn’t dead yet.
It’s darker than ever before in these moments. When the moon has already dipped beneath the walls and the sun hasn’t breached them yet. It does mean however, that soon, very soon the dawn will come. The gates will open and she can get Owen the help he needs.
That’s the one thing that keeps her going through this living nightmare.
In the darkness her mind plays tricks on her. It shows her Owen’s body, writhing worms bursting from the black lines and consuming him. She shakes her head, tries to ignore those thoughts only for a new one to pop in. She sees herself running to his location, the others close behind, only to find him already dead. She imagines his corpse coming to life and telling her that this is all her fault. He wouldn’t be dead if it wasn’t for her mistakes.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!”
She’s crying at this point. With no-one to hear tearful apologies and heart wrenching sobs.
She’s alone. Alone and scared and tired and she just really wants to curl up in bed and forget this day and night ever happened. But she can’t. She’s stuck living it and it won’t be ending for a while.
Another zombie emerges from the dark, nearly grabbing her wrist. She kicks it away and forces her legs to run. Her vision swims, her breaths come out in too short bursts, her limbs feel like they’re going to fall off at any second.
For a moment she considers giving up. Taking a break. Surely a little nap won’t hurt anyone?
Her body collapses on the ground, arms shakily holding her up, head looking at the sky searching for a sign that it’s worth getting up. For once, the universe answers as the sun finally breaks away over the walls, bathing her in a soft light she’s so desperately missed. A second sign echoes through the corridors shortly after, the screeching noise of the gate opening.
Tears still spill from her eyes, but this time they’re filled with just the slightest bit of hope. Maybe things will be okay…
While her limbs still complain as she gets up, she barely feels them anymore. Step by step she draws nearer. It’s not long before her ears catch the sound of running footsteps coming her way.
“MAGIC!? OWEN!?”
Mohwee… Mohwee is here! Searching for them.
“M-Mohwee!”
“MAGIC!”
This time it’s Soup’s voice.
She nearly collapses in their arms as they reach her. People surround her, asking questions but she can barely hear them anymore.
“Owen… Owen you have to- I… He… I couldn’t and then he- the creature and…”
Her thoughts jumble around in her head as exhaustion catches up with her. But she isn’t done yet, she has to help Owen. She needs to focus. She needs to… But she doesn’t know how to. She can’t think clearly. Everything is swimming before her eyes.
“Focus Magic. Breathe in. Breathe out. Good now draw the string back. Keep breathing- don’t hold it in.”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“Hold it still, focus on your breathing, not on the string. That’s it.”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“When I say breathe out. I want you to release the string okay? Don’t be scared, I know you can do it.”
Breathe in…
“3… 2… 1… Breathe out.”
Breathe out…
“You did Magic! I’m proud of you sis…”
She feels warm arms around her body, cradling her in a much needed hug. She allows herself a few precious seconds to just breathe before gathering her thoughts.
“Guys, I need you to help me, we have to get to Owen, he’s hurt.”
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
An ethereal mist swirls around in his mind, his thoughts floating around with it always just out of reach. Sometimes he manages to grasp one of them, holding it tightly to his chest before it disappears beneath his touch. There’s one thought that no matter how often it flickers, he isn’t willing to let that one go.
Magic’s voice still echoes in the depths of his consciousness. Telling him to think of the stars and the clouds. Of the little moments of happiness they shared within the clearing. He tries, he promises he tries. But it’s hard. Because down here, there are no stars, no clouds, no peaceful company. He’s alone and he’s scared.
He’s so scared and he doesn’t know how to deal with that. He tries to push it away but it never leaves him. It clings onto his pain-wrecked body and whispers hateful things to him. How Magic doesn’t care about him. Or that she died because she was trying to save him. It doesn’t make sense. It keeps changing the narrative each time and yet Owen can’t help but believe it just a little bit.
He grasps another thought, holding it close before it disappears.
“I think… I think we were always meant to be siblings…”
Magic cares, she does. She’s his little sister and he’d do anything for her. Owen doesn’t want to die but if it means she’s safe, he’s willing to face his fears.
The incessant cold seemingly emanating from the walls of the maze, curling around his body with a death grip brushes away the thought. Instead it highlights his own laboured breaths as it pushes against his injuries. He can hear himself letting out a broken sob.
It whispers in his ears. Telling him there’s nothing left to cling onto, the fear will stop, the pain will stop, he just needs to let go. It’s easy, it promises.
He just clings harder to Magic’s fading voice instead, keeping him safe from the clutches of his demons circling beneath him like hungry wolves.
“I’m here for you Owen. Even when I’m walking through the maze I’ll be with you. So stay with me too, okay?”
For a moment he swears he can feel her skin against his fingers until the ghostly touch disappears.
“M-Ma…g…ic?”
Fear has a way to distort even the most comforting of thoughts, turning them into echoes of doubt. Magic went out there, all alone, he can’t help her if she falls. She’s injured, she doesn’t stand a chance against the dangers of the maze. It’s ruthless, unforgiving. He wants to stay with her, but how can he do that if he doesn’t know if she’s dead? She isn’t here and he isn’t there.
It could have been minutes since she’s left. Or maybe it’s been years. Maybe he’s already dead but his body hasn’t caught up yet. Time has lost all meaning in the inky blackness of head.
Something warm presses against his body. For a moment he swears he hears a familiar voice, one he hasn’t heard in too long. Maybe he is dead after all. Because Apo’s voice surely can’t be real.
“Come on. Stay with me Owen. Stay with me. You’re gonna be okay. I’ll figure something out. I promise. That’s not a lie… I won’t break my promise to you again. I swear it.”
Maybe death isn’t so bad if it means being reunited with his once best friend. He still needs to apologise for his words.
Still, something is keeping him locked in the present, whenever that may be. Unwilling to let him go, to let him move on from this hell.
Time drifts and Owen drifts along with it.
Nothing changes for a while. The warmth is still there, fighting valiantly against the cold trying to freeze him solid, neither side winning.
Until… There’s something else. Another voice, the same voice who told him that they’re destined to be siblings. The same voice who he’s been clinging onto all this time. The one who told him she would always be there, even if not physically.
Magic…
She’s back.
She’s back…
She’s alive…
She’s here.
“We made it Owen… We made it. You’re going to be okay.”
She’s crying, he notes. He can just barely see her face, he can see her bottom lip trembling as he looks at her. Next to her Apo sits, quietly, a soft smile on their face.
He tries to lift up his shaky hands to brush away her tears, to pull them both in a hug. He doesn’t care if he’s dead, if this is the afterlife he got. But his body refuses to move. He still hurts. He can still feel the tendrils of poison infecting his very being.
Is he… Alive?
“Yes, Owen! You’re alive.”
He smiles, he thinks, as his eyes close again.