The Legend of the Labyrinth

"The one who suggested the game told us a legend. At midnight, just before going to sleep, the door opens. This door leads us to a labyrinth with no way out, hidden in dreams, and with each passing day, the dreams in the labyrinths become more real. We, all of us, didn't believe in something so childish."

"So, you wanted to try it?" Anton's expression became serious.

He truly didn't know what these young people were thinking. It's true that if he were in their position, he might have been influenced by friends to practice something so terrifying. However, now, with the recent outbreaks of dark entities, it's unimaginable that one could exist in the dreams of those who invoked it. The mere fact that it's real would drastically change how the Association of Light and any special organization to eliminate dark entities around the world would view it.

For the young people, it was just a game of no importance; they wanted to try it out of simple curiosity. And these naive youths didn't know that they had invoked a dark entity into their dreams. Now, knowing that, the world is becoming absurd.

"Tell me the details," Anton said, paying attention.

Elizabeth nodded and continued, "The way to enter the game is very simple. First, we must be in a room with only the participants. Then, the lights must be turned off at that moment. When the lights are off, everyone should have a candle in their left hand."

"A mirror is needed to enter the labyrinth, and since I have a huge full-body mirror at home, everyone can stand in front of it at the same time. We all stand in front of the mirror and wait for midnight."

"Two minutes before midnight, one friend's candle went out suddenly, so we helped him find a match to light it again."

"Just as we lit his candle, we turned around and saw a doll with a red balloon in its hands, a drawn smile on its face, and those black eyes that wouldn't stop staring at us."

"That doll wasn't scary at all. No matter how we looked at it, at that moment, we felt like everything was fine. The doll in the mirror extended its hand and handed us the balloon. My friend, the one who proposed the game, cautiously accepted the balloon. Then, the one holding the balloon realized that the balloon turned into a human head, blood stained his hand, and shortly after, he lost consciousness."

"The doll told us that it wanted to play a game with us. If we fail, our friend who lost consciousness would die a horrible death."

"It made each of us take a candle and hide in the complex before coming to find us. The paper in our hands is the key to entering the labyrinth. However, when we were all hidden, no one came to find us."

"Only... time later, we all started having dreams appear in the labyrinth. At first, it was only for a few hours; the hours turned into days, and when finally no one could get out of the labyrinth, we would have to find the exit in our dreams to be able to wake up."

That was Elizabeth's story.

She took the paper out of her pocket.

The faceless doll standing at the door was obviously the smiling doll Elizabeth had mentioned in her story.

"We were all crazy scared at that moment and hid in the residential house. However, it didn't find us in the residence; that doll searches for us in our dreams. That doll has already found three of our comrades. Later, we discovered that as long as we had this paper, that doll could appear at any time!"

Anton held the piece of paper and gently slid his finger over it.

It seemed that the paper was infused with resentment, hatred, and malice.

This so-called smiling doll didn't seem to be as simple as it appeared. It should be a very problematic, dark entity.

"The three comrades found by the smiling doll could never wake up and are in a coma."

"We were all terrified and didn't want to sleep, so we gathered at a hotel under the pretext of helping each other not to sleep... However, I received news days after that that my parents and younger sister..."

However, with a trembling voice, Elizabeth said, amidst tears and anguish, "But my parents and my younger sister... Both were found unconscious in the living room of our house. Their bodies were intact, and there were no traces of any drug or toxic substance that would cause their indefinite sleep."

"However, it was discovered that inside my parents' brains..."

"The bodies were intact without problems or signs of injuries. But according to medical examinations, they suffered brain death."

At this point, Elizabeth paused, as if she couldn't speak.

Resisting nausea and fear, Elizabeth said quietly, "Their brains were damaged. Maybe the smiling doll punished me for not entering the labyrinth. There were some words written in blood on the hospital room table where they died."

"They couldn't escape."

"My younger sister is still alive, but she won't last long. I wanted to enter the labyrinth to find her. But the place is too big; I couldn't find her no matter how much I tried to search for her."

"Today, we found out that one of our comrades, who was still in a coma, died suddenly. Our school had already suspended classes at that time, so everyone went home. When he died, his whole body was covered with signs of torture, including signs of struggle on his knuckles. According to the forensic examination, the cause of his death was shock. So far, no one knows what he experienced in the labyrinth."

After listening to all that, Anton nodded.

Basically, he had heard everything clearly. According to the dark entity, it didn't limit itself to attacking the people who had invoked it. On the contrary, it attacked Elizabeth's parents and younger sister.

"Could it be punishment?" Anton thought to himself.

"Since this piece of paper will lead to the smiling doll, why don't you throw it away?"

Elizabeth quickly shook her head, her face filled with fear.

"We dare not!"

"When the smiling doll gave us this piece of paper, it said that we could never break it or throw it away. When this piece of paper is damaged, the doll will come and kill us. If this paper is away from us for more than three hours, we will also die."

Anton nodded upon learning this information. No wonder Elizabeth was so nervous after losing the newspaper. The piece of paper was related to their safety.

"We had no choice but to seek help from shamans and witches. However, the smiling doll warned us that we can't let anyone else know about this game."

"I tell you this because I have no other choice. Maybe..." As she said this, Elizabeth sobbed.

"Don't worry." The details were already laid out, so Anton placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her.

Drinking hot beverages could help a person calm down.

"If you hadn't met us and hadn't lost this paper back then, what were you planning to do?"

"I planned to find the user who created the labyrinth game. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be in such a miserable state. Since he knows this game better than anyone, he might have a solution."

Anton nodded.

This creature had already set its sights on them. Unless they killed it, there was no other way to escape unharmed from its claws.

But from Elizabeth's point of view, there was nothing wrong with doing it.

"Can you gather everyone? I should be able to help you." Anton suggested an idea.

Elizabeth shook her head. "That will be difficult. I'm afraid it's impossible for anyone else besides my best friend to believe... Are you a priest?"

Anton smiled, but neither confirmed nor denied it.

Once Rafael arrived, Anton asked another question: "Among the people who participated in this psychic game, how many are still alive?"