Rapid breaths echoed in the labyrinth. Flames wavered on wooden sticks, their light flickering as a gust of wind blitzed by. Footsteps drummed on the gravel, sweat mixing with the puddles below.
Cel stumbled, gasping in startle. She rested her arm on the stone walls, her eyes trembling and slightly unfocused.
"Damn it!" She stomped on the ground, her blood bubbling inside her.
"DAMN IT!"
During the chase, she and Michelle had to split up because Vincent ran too fast.
"All we had to do," she gritted her teeth, and in her mind, she imagined punching Jeffrey right in the nose, "—is HIDE! Like proper people! But nooo! That bastard just had to be a real-fucking-hero and now look at us!"
She gritted her teeth, trembling as her heart pounded against her chest. "Fuck me," she looked around.
The torches barely provided any light, and the tunnels were too damp. In moments, her already sweaty clothes clung tighter to her skin.
"Where the hell am I?" She rubbed her furrowed brows.
'Well, at least, Vincent's off my ass.'
.
.
.
Adrian hid behind the Tree of Eden.
He saw it all; the two girls running out of the theatre and Vincent running after them.
And before it all happened, he was already out of sight. The way Croniel was eliminated gripped his heart.
'We were talking… and then, it just—'
Half of the bench fell through the ground, carrying Croniel with it. The sickly boy tried to scream, when black, vine-like tentacles clogged his voice. It crawled through him, before he was swallowed whole.
The floor closed, but his friend's unspoken wails remained in his ears. Where Croniel once was, only a tombstone remained—a tombstone that crumbled a few seconds later.
"We should've known…" He whispered to himself, his eyes glued to where Vincent went.
"Vincent is the Seeker," he wiped the sweat off his palms on his pants. He took his phone out.
[1:37]
"It's almost 1:45. If I eat the golden apple… I'll know who the Watcher is," he lifted his head, looking at the red apples far above, "If I'm the Watcher, then all the better. That way, I won't get eliminated."
He had thrown away the book in a garbage can before he left the Garden of Eden. But after escaping the labyrinth, he checked the garbage can, and the book was gone.
"Luckily it didn't have clues or important puzzles," he chuckled.
He didn't memorize all the effects, but he memorized what he could gain.
[1:38]
Seeing no one around, he stood up.
"Who got eliminated?" He mumbled and walked a few steps away from the tree. The board remained the same.
Apart from Croniel's name, no one else had been eliminated.
"So… did Vincent not mark anyone last round? Where's Jeffrey?" He furrowed his brows.
He turned around, then froze. There, a boy stood like a predator with a smirk that could cut.
"Hey there, little Adrian~" Vincent chuckled and patted the petrified boy. "Those two bitches had some braincells, so I turned back. Who would've thought that my gamble was right?" He grinned.
"Don't be like Jeff. Don't resist, you've been caught~" He waved his hand as he ran toward the classrooms. Michelle ran there, and he didn't see her leave. As long as he could touch her, the game was his.
Behind, Adrian couldn't help but chuckle.
"Damn," he scratched his head and messed up his hair. He watched Vincent enter the classroom, his mind absent. 'Like Jeffrey…'
He blinked.
"Don't be like Jeffrey?" He looked back at the enormous board above the tree.
Jeffrey's name wasn't crossed out.
"He ran out of the theatre… If he's sure that he marked Jeffrey, then, Jeffrey must be in the theatre… along with the protector! I-I can be saved!"
He laughed, already bolting toward the theatre.
[1:40]
But the floor beneath him split open and swallowed him whole.
On the Tree of Eden, an apple started changing skin. Its red skin cracked to reveal gold underneath, and the branch it was on lowered itself further. The air around it went rigid, as though they'd freeze with the lightest touch.
From the theatre, two figures sneaked out.
"Are you sure we can hide here?" Jeffrey whispered as he and Anderson hid behind the massive Tree of Eden. Around them were two gigantic flower pots facing the theatre. Unless someone came out of there, no one would notice them.
At the very least, it'd be very difficult to do so.
"Yeah, I, I—I hid here, for a while," came Anderson's shaky voice. "Adrian… has been eliminated," he whispered.
"Yeah, now all that's left is Cel, Michelle, you, and me. You're the protector," he looked at Anderson.
"Mmm," Anderson nodded. "Uh, does the garden have vegetables? Even tomatoes would be great, I feel weak…"
"Uh," Jeffrey looked up. "There are apples up… wait, that one is strange," he nudged Anderson, pointing at the tree tops.
Anderson followed his gesture.
"A golden apple?"
[1:43]
Before either of them could do anything, Vincent walked out of the classrooms with a smile. Behind him was Michelle, who followed behind him without a word. Vincent paid her no heed.
He was walked toward the labyrinth like it was his backyard.
[1:44]
The two disappeared into the maze.
At the same time, the golden apple dropped to the soil. It bounced a twice, then rolled toward them, its skin bruiseless.
"Eh?"
[1:45]
Michelle's name was crossed out.