"Well, now that we introduced each other… what do we do next?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.
The girl didn't reply. She just sniffled beside me, arms tight around her bear.
I looked away—and immediately regretted it. The pair to our left were staring straight at us. I hesitated before saying the first nonsense that came to mind.
"She, erm… just won the Pessimistic / Drama Queen competition. She's uh… practising for nationals. You know what they say—practice makes perfect."
They kept staring.
I mumbled to myself, "What bullshit am I sprouting? Even I wouldn't believe what I just said…"
But then—something stranger happened.
The pair looked at each other, nodded solemnly, and turned back to us.
"I see," one of them said. Then, they looked at the little girl and said, "Congratulations."
My mind short-circuited. 'Wait… those competitions exist? I never knew. Maybe I really should've listened to Ma and gone out more…'
A voice chimed in from my right.
"What are you talking about? There's no such thing as a Pessimistic / Drama Queen competition."
I turned.
Two boys stood nearby—an odd pair. One was busy inspecting the back of a mirror like it held the secrets of the universe, and the other had milky-white freckled skin and eyes filled with constant dread.
"Oh really?" I replied, raising an eyebrow. "Good. 'Cause I made that up."
The mirror-boy didn't even blink. "Oh, of course. Because I would've joined it… and won."
I smiled awkwardly. "Ah… I see…"
Then, he flipped the mirror toward his own face.
"Oh, I'm so beautiful. Aren't I?"
I answered, deadpan. "You should flip your mirror to see yourself."
"Oh?"
He flipped it. One second passed.
"AAAHHH!! A BEAST!!!"
He screamed like he'd seen a ghost—then dramatically fainted to the floor.
His partner blinked… then fainted too, like it was contagious.
I stared at the unconscious duo, expression flat.
Did he just think… his reflection was a beast?
Before I could process that, some brutish, armored men appeared from behind the platform and began dragging the fainted pair away.
I gulped.
[Oh, would you look at that? Those two lost without even trying. Aren't you bunnies lucky? One team less. Now that everyone's been paired—let the final game begin.]
Some kids began stretching. Others cracked their knuckles or glared at nearby pairs. The two on our left waved politely.
"Good luck. May the best pair win."
The blue screen flickered. A countdown appeared.
3.
2.
1.
Start!
The moment the buzzer sounded, chaos erupted.
Children rushed into the maze's yawning mouth. Just a few seconds in and already, screams echoed out. Wet splats followed. Metal clashing. Bone cracking.
I didn't move.
I waited… for the little girl to move first.
One minute passed.
She didn't budge. Not even an inch.
I turned to her.
"Want to go now?"
She shook her head without hesitation.
"What's the use? We'll die a horrible death if we go in. I don't like that. Outside is safer."
I glanced at the maze's entrance. A strange aura pulsed from within—cold and sentient, like it wanted to be entered.
I trembled.
"…I guess you're right."
[Oh? So you're forfeiting, my little bunnies?]
My head snapped up. Mr. James's face smiled down from one of the smaller blue screens.
[If that's true…]
He raised a hand—and summoned them.
Brute men. Bigger than the last batch. Sharpened teeth, no pupils, drooling like wild dogs in human skin.
"ACK! They're coming! They're coming at us!" I screamed, voice cracking.
"They look worse than the monsters inside!" I grabbed the girl by the arm and bolted into the maze.
[Au revoir, my little bunnies ~]
"Huff… Huff…" I doubled over once inside. "O-Oui… Those brute men… look like they could eat us whole…"
"Hmm?" I glanced at the girl.
She was pale. Her knees shook. She looked up at me, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
"Scawyyyy…" she wailed, clutching her bear tighter.
"C-Calm down! Don't cry! If you cry… Mr. Bear will be heartbroken!" I took her plush and made it 'talk.'
"Grrr~ Don't worry, little one! Mr. Bear's here to protect you!"
She sniffled. "But what if we die because that stupid girl pulled us in blindly?"
Ouch.
Still, I kept my act. "No worry. Everything will be fine. Trust Mr. Bear. Mr. Bear will protect you."
The girl's eyes sparkled. Her face lit up like the sun peeking from behind a storm cloud.
"Okay! I'll trust Mr. Bear! And I'll protect you too, Mr. Bear!" She twirled in a little dance, her energy suddenly restored.
I sighed in relief and looked around.
Reflections. That was all we had. Our images warped and stretched across endless mirrors. There was no obvious path. No light source. And no sound except our breathing.
I tapped a mirror. "Sigh… how do we get out of this place?"
Then I remembered the dogs. How they were pulled into the mirrors like paper through a shredder.
"How did those monsters… jump in and out of these?"
I tried pushing. Nothing. Just solid glass.
The girl poked me.
"What are you doing? Aren't we supposed to go to the next level? Look!" She pointed at the screen.
It showed several pairs already reaching the next stage.
"Oui… They're fast."
She pouted. "Hurry, slowpoke."
She ran ahead, and I chased after her. "Hey! Wait for me!"
The surprising thing?
She wasn't just fast—she was skilled. Her turns were precise, her pace steady. She navigated like she knew the maze.
Oddly, the maze felt… quiet around her. No monsters. No sounds. Just us and glass.
And then—
"We're here!" she said, skipping toward a ladder in the center chamber.
I pulled her back.
"Hey! What's the big deal?! Let go!"
"Shh!" I whispered. "Did you forget? Mr. James said there's a guardian at the center!"
She pouted. "The guardian's already dead, dumbo! Let me go!"
"It won't respawn?"
She yanked away and slapped my hand. "No, it won't! So hurry!"
She darted up the ladder. I followed cautiously.
Surprisingly, nothing attacked us.
We reached the second floor without incident.
"Whew… Looks like there wasn't any guardian after all. How did you know?"
The girl huffed, annoyed. "Mr. James literally said so just now. Didn't you listen?"
"…Oh." I blinked. "Maybe not."
"Start moving those dumb legs already," she grumbled.
This girl's mood swings like a pendulum…
I shook my head and continued following.
The further we walked, the darker it got.
Not just darker—colder. The air carried whispers that didn't belong to either of us.
I tapped her shoulder. "Be careful. We're not alone."
She sighed. "Of course we're not alone. There are other pairs here, duh. I can't believe I got paired with someone with no brain cells."
That stung.
But before I could snap back—
Bloop.
A monster slipped out from a mirror like ink bleeding through silk.
It was small. Green. Grotesque.
Red eyes with green pupils, long pointy ears, a bulbous nose, and jagged teeth. It held a wooden mace, a dagger, and a bomb tied to its belt.
Goblin.
Nothing else could fit that description.
It blinked at us in confusion.
"What's wrong with that monster?" the girl asked.
"Probably thought it hit something… only to realize it missed," I whispered, backing away slowly.
She snorted. "Are you afraid?"
"…Are you not?"
Gwargh! The goblin screamed, charging with its mace raised.
Without hesitation, the girl pulled three metal needles from her sleeve and threw them with terrifying precision.
Shnk. Shnk. Shnk.
The needles pierced through the goblin's skull and neck. It collapsed, twitching, dead before it hit the ground.
She strutted over and retrieved her needles.
"Easy," she said, flipping her hair.
I stared at her. "O-Oui… Thank goodness she's not my enemy…"
Then—
Kishik. Kishik.
Weird noises above.
I looked up.
My blood ran cold.
Dozens of goblins were crawling along the mirrors above—clinging to the glass with long limbs and weapons in their mouths.
I screamed. "RUN!"
I grabbed the girl and bolted.
"AAAHHH!! IT'S RAINING GOBLINS!!"
They dropped like bombs. The screeches of their war cries echoed in every direction. I zigzagged, dodging as they crashed behind us.
By some miracle, none landed directly on us.
I stopped when I felt we were safe.
Behind us, green blood splattered the floor. Mangled goblin bodies twitched in the reflections.
The girl exhaled calmly. "I guess that's it. What a waste."
I placed her down, my legs trembling.
What kind of place is this? Chimera… now goblins?! This place is trying to break me…
And we weren't even done with the second level.