The twisting corridors of the maze shifted again, hedges parting slowly as Leonel followed Aranea deeper into the shadows.
"So, the aim is to just go through these maze, do the memory echoes and then find the middle of the maze, to win the game, right?" she asked, excitement laced in her voice.
"Yup, that's the gist of it," he confirmed, patting the top of her head. "You seem to be eager. I wonder what the prize is?"
"That's the fun part, actually! It's the prize I'm looking forward to! It's a surprise!"
He laughed then they continued onward. "Alright. Let's win this, then!"
For a while, everything was quiet—until the air grew heavier. The temperature dropped unnaturally. It wasn't cold, not in the literal sense, but oppressive. Like sorrow pressing on his chest.
"Aranea," Leonel called softly. "Do you feel that?"
"What is this?"
She didn't answer.
"Aranea?"