The Ally

Thirteen days had passed since David had found Solomon. Fifteen days had passed since he had been last forced to restart this never-ending cycle. Well, only never-ending because he refused to end it.

"How long have you been in the maze?"

"Long enough to stay alive it in"

"I'm still alive in it" David retorted.

"...every time you get reborn you loss some motivation to fight. In a sense, you die, and then are reborn, but weaker, eventually you decide to leave, abandoning the only thing you promised never to abandon...and Legion wins the game. I've seen it...many times."

"And that doesn't happen to you?"

"No...not anymore, once I decided to win the game I decided not to die," Solomon said this as if it were a simple thing, like choosing between what way to cook your eggs.

"Then you have died?"

"Yes...once..."

David's jaw dropped slightly, "ONCE?!"

"Yes...this is your...?"

David swallowed as he looked away, "one hundred and ninety-third life"

Solomon looked at him without comment for a moment. "Everyone I've met has given up around one hundred...I'm impressed you've resolved to make it this far. Whatever or whoever is ahead must be quite something."

They were walking in a long tunnel. After putting each other through a series of tests they decided to trust each other for the time being. This allowed them to alternate sleeping and resting while the other guarded and then they would continue on. This also increased their chances against enemies, so they advanced through the maze quickly. Solomon explained that, while he didn't understand how the maze changed every time you died, so if you Didn't die, it wouldn't change and it would give you a better chance of finding the center.