Run or Die Runner

On a colorful stone pathway that seemed fit for a giant body but there was a young man, dressed in a white t-shirt and black jeans, lay sprawled out on the pathway looking at him he appeared to be motionless at first glance, almost as if he were dead. However, upon closer observation, his body slowly rose up and slowly fell down, meaning that he was still breathing.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he sucked in deep a breath of air that he almost chocked because of it, but it didn't happen because his expression was filled with panic as his eyes was darting back and forth quickly scanning his surroundings.

Where am I?

Then past memories flooded back into his mind, fully gaining back his memories after a couple minutes remembered he had been having breakfast with his mother and father when suddenly he heard his name being called out loudly from high above in the sky. That's what explained why he was here, cause he knew what it mean when his name was called out from the sky. In panic ran into his room in a panic tripping also hurting himself but he ignored the pain as he was now trying to hide and stop from what was about to happen but before he could everything went dark an his parents saw in his room he disappeared.

His name was Kofi Reynolds, and the reason why he was here was because he had been chosen to enter one of the world's mazes something that suddenly unexplainably appeared over 5000 years ago. All over the world in different countries mysterious gatelike portals had appeared suddenly, leaving everyone puzzled of course no one had any ideas what it was.

So the government did the best decision in every country by deciding to sealed off the area around the gate, then a week later, unknowingly a thousand people from each country vanished without a trace, what the world didn't know as that the people enter the gates into what was now know called by humanity as mazes gates as only five of them returned one of the five most powerful countries, traumatized and bearing tales of horrors within the gates.

Mazes, as they came to be known from the five people all over the world explain what happened, the gates were like pockets of chaos connected to the human world. Within these gates, what the survivors said was chaos reigned supreme was a maze, inhabited by now the world called demonic creatures because there characteristic as they were all lurking around every corner. Survival was the only rule, with both humans and demonic creatures as both side showed no mercy to those who was inside.

As Kofi remembered why he was there, tears streamed down his face, and he pounded his fist onto the ground in frustration. "No, no, I don't want this. Why would you choose me?" he cried out.

"Tap!, Tap!"

Kofi's heart skipped a beat as he heard heavy footsteps, sounding like boots, echoed towards him, sending shivers of fear down his spine. Could it be a demonic creature? Before he could even the slightest muster the courage to look up, a commanding voice cut through the air passing through his ears.

"Boy, what are you still doing here? Quickly, get up or you'll die!" The voice, deep and commanding, it also snapped Kofi out of his panic state.

Finally having the courage to look up, what Kofi saw was a muscular man dressed in military camouflage clothing, causing him to relax slightly because it was a human but also a military someone who fought for they country even despite there are less military. "I-I," he stuttered, struggling to speak for some reason he couldn't quite grasp.

Suddenly, Kofi felt something warm splatter onto his face, and as he wiped it away, he saw his hand stained red, almost like blood. 'Why is he eating no? When we could easily die out here!' he thought, bewildered.

Just as Kofi began to comprehend what was on his hand by the smell as it didn't smell like ketchup as he felt, suddenly he saw the man dropped to his knees in front of him, he face was sprayed again with red this time he saw what was the red as it blood was spraying from the man neck as there wide multiple cut. His face contorted with fear and panic as he desperately tried holding his neck to stop the bleeding but his hand just kept slipping and the cut was to wide.

Kofi's breath caught was his throat as he sucked in, as he struggled to make sense of the scene in front of him. Then, he noticed something perched atop the man's shoulder a grotesque toy standing at two feet tall. Its yellow skin resembled human flesh, its sharp teeth creating a menacing grin. With disturbingly human-like green eyes and a sewn-on hat adorned with a jingling bell, the toy exuded an eerie presence.

The toy's hands, made of sewed-up cotton, featured four sharp claws dripping with blood. Its patchwork torso and pants, along with its hard-made shoes adorned with bells. With each tap on the man shoulder, the shoes jingled softly.

The bloodthirsty toy grinned widely at Kofi, its mouth dripping with moisture as it leapt towards him. With little space to maneuver, Kofi swung his hand at the toy, barely sending it flying but not without consequence as it was a demonic creature they were way stronger than normal human even if small so now he saw he had long cut that was now across his palm dripping with blood.

Kofi knew he had to escape but he struggling to his feet, at the same time he watched as the toy regained its footing with a cheerful sound. "Oh my god... what... what is that thing? It killed him... It killed him so easily." he wondered aloud, he feeling a constant surge of panic building up inside of himself as the toy advanced on him once more. Without hesitation, he fled down the stone pathway while he didn't know where it was heading he felt it was better than being near the toy.

As he ran, Kofi entered a set of double doors, what he didn't notice a sign with the word reading "Do pway fun insi' or else!"

But when he was inside, he found a large, brightly multi colored rooms reminiscent of a child's play area, but it large enough to accommodate hundreds of people like a daycare.

Continuing to flee, while so Kofi searched for any means of escape from the relentless toy. Despite its diminutive size, it closed in on him, every time he looked behind him its cheerful noises growing louder with each passing moment he knew it was getting closer and his adrenaline was already peak as his vein was appearing on his body.

Finally, he spotted an open door, the only way to escape beside running Kofi dashed inside and slammed it shut behind him, then he heard the toy scratching and pounding against the door after a couple of seconds of what seemed like an eternity the sound finally faded away.

Kofi then completely collapsed onto the ground leaning against the door, struggling to catch his breath his lung was burring. "I-I almost died. I can't do this. That is the first time I've seen someone die for real," he muttered, shaken by breath and word. Accustomed to action and horror movies deaths scenes, he hadn't anticipated facing such danger of scene and fear in real life.

"Cal...calm down, Kofi," he stammered, forcing himself to stand but his legs and arms wobbling from trembling with fear barely being able to keep himself up. "If I do survive this maze will I become a runner... no! no! I can't you said that you don't want to be a runner," he reasoned, then taking deep breaths to steady himself, though looking down he saw his hands still shaking uncontrollably.

What Kofi meant by "runners" is that after people first went into the mysterious mazes and faced all the horrors inside, some survivors made it out alive. These people, without even knowing it, soaked up some strange energy called Labyrinthium while they were in the mazes. Then later on accident breaking items they were experimented on slowly finding out that the Labyrinthium energy gives them special powers like controlling elements or being super strong. Meaning that having Labyrinthium in their bodies makes them way more powerful than regular human, so they can fight off the demonic creatures living inside the mazes and for the country.

Survivor's now known as runners, are not just ordinary fighters; they are seen as champions, humanity's last defense against the mazes that threatens to engulf humanity as before when there became runner there protect the countries from war but the mazes keep appearing so every country and a treaty and focused on the mazes.

Additionally, those who survived the mazes that want to live a normal life found out that they had to live in constant fear because a couple of time the mazes pulled back those who wanted a normal life so there never when they will be pulled back into the maze forced to confront the nightmares once more like it happen before.

Kofi had a small smirk on his face 'Is that the right choice' he thought as he had a flashback memories of his younger brother's leaving him with the final words, "We are no longer of the same world," echoed in his mind, haunting him for years.

Suddenly, a loud, agonizing scream pierced through Kofi's thoughts, jolting him back to reality. Deciding to peer through the door keyhole, he witnessed something that shocked him to his core it was a man being viciously attacked by the same toy that had chased him earlier, but this time it had multiple and they were tearing him apart with blood-soaked brutality.

"Help me, please!" the man's desperate cries echoed through the maze corridor.

By witnessing the gruesome scene, Kofi's resolve solidified. "No, this is not the job for me. I won't become a runner if this is what I have to face on every run," he declared, shaking his head in disbelief.

...

[Maze: Unknown]

[Death Count: 100]

[Time Limit: 2 hours, 30 minutes, 10 seconds]