Inside the Maze

"I didn't," Kalsie replied.

However he, too, was a bit taken aback by the unexpected turn of events but had started to adapt to the bizarre nature of this survival test.

"B-But he-!"

"I don't know where he went, but it seems he's been eliminated from this test," Kalsie explained as started moving ahead. 

He couldn't afford to waste any more time here when his friends might be in danger.

"W-Wait!!" Toby desperately called out as he felt Kalsie leave.

However, Kalsie had already disappeared into the maze.

"Damn it..." Toby muttered, looking at the spot where his friend had vanished.

He felt helpless but knew he had to continue on and protect himself from the other candidates.

As Kalsie ventured deeper into the maze, the environment grew increasingly perplexing and eerily quiet.

Furthermore, the absence of the sun made it impossible to discern directions.

'This entire place is designed to divide and confuse us, ultimately making us targets,' Kalsie thought to himself.

After a while, he decided to halt and catch his breath.

"Hah, hah, hah."

"Damn it," Kalsie cursed under his breath.

The pain in his injured arm had begun to intensify. Although his recent altercation had been brief, the strain on his wounded arm had exacerbated the pain. He was acutely aware that reopening the wound could lead to more significant issues.

"I hope I find everyone soon," he muttered, his concern for his friends outweighing the physical discomfort he was enduring.

 ****

Somewhere distant from Kalsie's current location, three of his companions laid unconscious on the ground, their bodies huddled together.

"Mhh." Sylvie stirred, her eyelids fluttering open.

"Huh!? Where am I?" She quickly sat up, a sense of panic washing over her as she realized she was in an unfamiliar place.

"You two!!! Wake up!!!" Sylvie felt a rush of relief upon discovering Wendy and Nicole lying beside her. She urgently shook their bodies, coaxing them awake.

"Mhhm?"

"What?"

As Sylvie roused them from their slumber, Wendy and Nicole too regained consciousness, their expressions filled with confusion and anxiety.

"Where are we!?" They soon grasped the gravity of their situation and stood up, their panic growing.

"I don't know. I just woke up too," Sylvie responded, her gaze fixed on the imposing maze walls that surrounded them.

Pop! They all stood there, staring at the labyrinthine walls, when a message identical to the one Kalsie had received materialized in front of them, alerting them to their circumstances.

Sylvie observed as she noticed the blue tags above their heads. She turned to the others and inquired, "What should we do now?"

"I think we should focus on reuniting with everyone first. Kalsie mentioned the same thing before we were engulfed by the light," Nicole suggested.

"That's easier said than done, though. Just look at these walls! They're massive, and who knows how vast this maze is!" Wendy exclaimed, her gaze sweeping across their surroundings.

"Yeah, she's right! Where should we even begin looking for everyone?"

"I...I don't know," Nicole admitted awkwardly.

"Hah. Then I guess our only option is to keep moving forward, right girls?" Wendy affirmed, looking at both of them for agreement.

"I suppose so."

They didn't dwell on their decision any longer and continued down the path in front of them, venturing deeper into the maze. After walking straight for a few minutes, they found themselves at a crossroads, with pathways splitting to the left and right.

"Which way?" Wendy inquired, looking for their input.

Nicole shrugged, her uncertainty evident.

"I have an idea~!" Sylvie announced, taking a few steps ahead and positioning herself between the two diverging paths. She retrieved her dagger and planted it upright in the ground, its blade facing downward.

"Alright, it looks good!" Sylvie released her grip, allowing the dagger to fall flat on the ground with its blade pointing toward the right path.

"Yup, that way. Let's go!!" Sylvie confidently strode toward the right path after retrieving her dagger.

"Um… Sylvie..." Wendy questioned, her tone laced with uncertainty. "What was that?"

"Oh, you don't know? I always use this method when I get lost! It works pretty well!" Sylvie replied cheerfully.

"…" The other two were left momentarily speechless, unsure of how to respond to this unusual navigation technique.

"Come on, let's go!" Sylvie urged them forward.

Without further discussion, they followed Sylvie. Despite their concerns for their missing friends, they concealed their worries behind determined expressions. Through their previous experiences, they had come to understand that useless anxiety and fretting wouldn't solve their problems.

"I wonder how long it will take to find the others…" Nicole mumbled quietly, her thoughts drifting.

"You don't have to worry. If we are together, then they must be together as well," Sylvie reassured her.

"Are you sure it's not just one specific person?" Wendy suddenly teased Nicole as an amused smile came on her face.

"You mean her brother?" Sylvie asked curiously.

"No, not him… Just someone special who Nicole has in her mind! Hehe… I saw you sneaking glances at him from time to time. You can't deny it~!" Wendy explained with a playful smirk.

"Oh... I see now," Sylvie said, grasping the playful insinuation and teasingly looked at Nicole.

"Wha-? What!?!?!!!" Nicole turned red.