You're Insane

Aaron trudged behind Sydney, the distorted world of the In Between stretching endlessly around them. 

The air was heavy and oppressive, and every sound felt like it echoed longer than it should. 

The muted colors and jagged, unnatural shapes of buildings and roads made Aaron uneasy, as if he were walking through a place that was alive and waiting for something.

"So," He said, his voice cutting through the silence, "how exactly are we supposed to get out of here? Do we just walk around until we find a way out?"

Sydney glanced over her shoulder, a smirk playing on her lips. "Not exactly. While it's easy to get into the In Between, it's a lot harder to get out. You can't just walk out the same way you came in. You need a door."

Aaron frowned. "A door? Like a normal door?"

"Sort of." Sydney said, turning back to the path ahead. "The In Between has special doors that connect it to the real world."

"They're scattered around, but the tricky part is that they don't always stay in the same place. This whole place is constantly shifting."

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "So we're looking for a door that might not even be where it's supposed to be?"

"Exactly." Sydney said brightly. "You're learning."

"Err… how do I put this?" Aaron rubbed his chin, adopting a thinking pose. "You're crazy. This isn't exactly a comforting thing to hear."

"But it is comforting to hear." Sydney smirked. "Because that's part of the beauty of the In Between."

"Its constant shifting makes it the perfect barrier between Earth and the Outcasts. If it were static, they'd find ways to break through a lot more often."

"A lot more often?!" Aaron stared at her incredulously. "They sometimes break into earth?!"

"On very rare occasions, yes." Sydney answered. "And as humans can't even see them, it's our duty to take care of the Outcasts. Luckily, no royal has been able to break into earth."

Aaron opened his mouth, paused then shut it. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask."

"Doesn't matter. We're here now. All I need to do is find my favorite door out of here."

Aaron sighed, glancing at the warped buildings and impossible geometry around them. "Great. So we're wandering through a constantly shifting maze, hoping to stumble on a magic door. Wonderful."

Sydney chuckled, clearly amused by his frustration. "Relax. We'll find one. I've done this more times than I can count."

Just as she spoke, a sharp growl ripped through the air. 

Before Aaron could react, a shadowy form lunged at them from the side. His instincts screamed at him to move, but Sydney was already ahead of him.

In a single fluid motion, she unsheathed her sword and struck, the blade glowing faintly as it sliced through the creature. 

The Outcast let out a guttural screech before collapsing, its body dissolving into black mist that shimmered faintly. A single card fragment dropped to the ground where it had been.

Aaron stood frozen, his jaw hanging open as he tried to process what had just happened. "What the-"

Sydney bent down, picked up the card fragment, and tossed it to him without missing a beat. "Here. You need this more than I do."

Aaron caught the fragment clumsily, staring at her in disbelief. "You just- What- How did you-?"

Sydney brushed off her hands and started walking again, her tone casual. "What?" Her sword was gone to wherever it had come from.

Aaron gestured wildly at the spot where the Outcast had been. "That!"

He stared at her in accusation. "You just cut it down like it was nothing! You were struggling last night, and now you're taking them out in one swing?"

Sydney glanced at him, her expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. 

"Outcasts have ranks, rookie. The one we fought last night was a higher ranked minion. Stronger, tougher, and smarter. What we just ran into was a basic grunt, the lowest of the low."

Aaron blinked. "You mean we've been fighting minions this whole time?"

"Yep." Sydney shrugged. "And to be fair, I wasn't going all out last night. I wanted to see what you could do."

Aaron stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. "Wait, you were testing me?"

Sydney grinned. "Of course. How else was I supposed to know if you're worth the trouble?"

Aaron groaned, rubbing his temples. "You've got to be kidding me. You're insane."

"Maybe." She said, unfazed. "But it worked, didn't it? You held your own."

Aaron muttered something under his breath and turned away, letting out a frustrated sigh. But as he turned, what he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

The warped cityscape they'd been passing through ended abruptly, as if the world itself had been sliced clean. 

Beyond the edge of the cliff was a vast, chaotic expanse. Far below, the ground shifted and pulsed like a living thing. 

Skyscrapers jutted out at impossible angles, vines creeping up their broken walls. Deep shadows oozed and writhed across the landscape, radiating an almost physical sense of danger.

Aaron felt a chill run down his spine. Even from where he stood, the wrongness of the place pressed against him like a heavy weight. 

He whispered, his voice barely audible, "What… what is this place?"

Sydney stepped up beside him, her gaze calm as she looked out over the expanse. "That," she said, her tone somber, "is an Echo Zone."

Aaron's throat went dry as he stared at the chaotic scene below. 

The air seemed to hum with an ominous energy, and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. 

Whatever this place was, it wasn't somewhere he wanted to be.