Meanwhile, Anna and Zade remained same place after a few searches, their gaze shifting between the timer and remaining players, who were still like them searching for the correct path. "What do we do?Everyone's already in the game just like us, but no one has found the path." Anna murmured in a dull, disappointed tone, leaning against the rough bark of the tree wall.
"Why do I still feel dizzy? How did I end up here? Everything feels like a dream to me.... A ton of questions raced through Zade's mind. "It's square, right?" he asked to clarify his doubt, his eyes tracing the impossible path until they strained, blurring with the distant heat haze.
" Yes...." Anna nodded quickly. "The system announced, We can start our game wherever we want is the rule. If we reach the midpoint, the Game is clear." She recalled the rules again and again to crack the code, and she immediately turned towards the Zade with enthusiasm of a sudden, sparking idea. "What was that in the center? If this were a fire game... There must be something...? Perhaps that's the key to save us from the danger...."
"What if a fire extinguisher were there? "Zade answered.
"Nope... There must be something different?" Anna murmured as her gaze fixed on dry swirling leaves, and her mind was still processing and figuring out the possibilities.
No!!!!! Anna, we have no time for guessing the midpoint secret. We need to find the right path is the only option we have left....Zade thought and understood the seriousness of the current situation. He made a despondent shrug and let out a deep breath, and stood up for a mission, extending his hand towards Anna. "Come on, we have to start. We left no time," he asked, his voice clearly urgent and determined.
A subtle flicker of uncertainty in Anna's pupils and a hesitant half-smile appeared on her lips, and the same question escaped again from her mouth. "But....what was in the midpoint?"
"Just stop it, Anna..." Zade called out, squinting as a sudden idea realization struck him. He shifted toward the maze entrance. His eyes scanned and calculated each path—one, two, three, four... up to fifty. It became clear we couldn't examine every maze path. He wondered for a moment, then a new idea sparked in his mind. He turned towards Anna, his face brightening as he excitedly started, " Anna... I found the answer... If my assumption is correct, each side has at least one path," he murmured, glancing toward the timer.
"What?" Anna inquired, her skepticism evident. "How can you be so sure?"
Zade nodded, a quiet confidence settling over him. "Anna, listen to the rules: 'We can start wherever we want is a rule... if a square has four sides. Just make an assumption, this side, 'A side,' is probably a kilometer long. It takes at least fifteen to twenty minutes to walk from one end to the other. If someone tries to check just one side of this maze, it could take more than an hour. To check all four sides? That's roughly four hours to even reach the center." He gestured, mentally mapping out each side.
"That's fucking hard?" Anna said, arching her brows in disbelief.
Exactly," Zade countered, outlining the stark reality. "We can't even finish one side by a single person, on time.... which unity is the key to this game...."
"But we left 28 minutes," Anna questioned, as her gaze fixed on the timer, a look of dawning horror etching itself onto her face.
"We need players on our side...." Zade declared as his gaze shifted towards others. Still entering the path, and others returned to the same path.
"Huh?" air escaped from Anna's mouth.
"Yes.... We want more players to save time and find the way. This game's core concept is unity." Zade explained.
"But who's gonna listen to our words.... Everyone is busy finding a path in the vast square maze." Anna yelled, no trace of hope for a stranger.
Outside, heat waves shimmered, but when they get inside the maze, the shadow of trees protects them through a temporary shield from the relentless sun.
At the center of the Maze area, a small women's group leaned against the wall, their eyes fixed on a seemingly closed path. "We are on the A side of the square. What if there's no path on the A side?" A big-sized woman named Marina questioned, her breath catching after their long, fruitless walk.
"A side? Marina, did that voice say this was an A side?" Another woman, wearing bright red shoes, questioned. Her tone resembled her genuine confusion.
"Seriously, Florence? I'm speaking hypothetically!" Marina's voice was a tight murmur, rolling her eyes upwards to the heavens in exasperation at having such a seemingly dense teammate. "Look around! Everyone else is searching for their lives, and you still can't figure out what I mean!" she roared, her hand scrubbing across her forehead as if to wipe away the mounting frustration that raked at her when every second ticked on the timer.
"You told me.... There are A, B, C, and D sides...But that voice didn't say about those things....." Florence asked innocently, taking a slow sip from her water bottle, unaware of Marina's fury and adding petrol to a boiling volcano.
Marina closed her eyes, the ridiculousness of Florence's words almost too much to bear. "You dumb bitch...." she shrieked, chasing Florence in mock anger while others in the group burst into laughter.
"Look at the time, 25:00. We only have twenty-five minutes left! If you ask another nonsensical question, I swear I'm going to kill you!" she yelled from a distance and returned towards her group.
Other players near them were unable to find a comfortable standing due to heavy leg pain, and a continuous sweat flowed down like rain on their faces and bodies, soaking their clothes. Their eyes looked tired and blurry in the heat, as if they were staring through a shimmering maze of paths. It all seemed the same, and they could see confusion flashing across their faces.
Another side of the player's legs was moving relentlessly, never taking a break, as they searched for the right path. Their breath came in short gasps, and they gradually began to slow their pace.
"I don't think this is going to work out," Anna confessed, disbelief coloring her voice as she watched the sheer exhaustion of the other players.
Nearby, Zade's eyes landed on a small group who were stepping out of the maze with laughter on their faces—a jarring sound echoing the tense situation. They leaned against the wall coolly. "I found my target!" he whispered, his voice low and determined.
"What?" Anna questioned as she noticed Zade's gaze on the girls' group.
Without any signal, Zade began to move, a proud smile stretching his lips, his movements deliberate and focused to execute his idea.. He took a glance at the nearby players, then abruptly broke eye contact, his mind clearly processing something vital.
"Hey… wait!" Anna called out and ran behind him.
"Hi, girls... I'm Zade..." He pulled a sleeve up slightly to reveal his wrist and extended a hand towards Marina, his gaze dropping suggestively to her lips. A smooth, suggestive smile played on his face.
.
"Hello..."Marina glanced at the group, a steady nod of approval of his gesture and a satisfied smile that played on her lips, before she extended her hand towards him. "I am Marina!"
Nearby, Anna's mouth fell open in surprise as she watched Zade's sudden change in tone and behavior, but she quickly closed it. Seriously? Zade... I thought he must be the one.... but not now, she thought, pressing her lips together so tightly she could feel the strain. She gripped her pants hard, looking away in raw jealousy.
"I need your help, guys," Zade asked, glancing at everyone in that group, his voice firm and cool, not flirty.
"Hmm... What help? Go ahead," Marina waved him to continue.