AWAKENED

"Bloody forest!" Leomere spat out. "So you've been toying with my life all this time?"

"Oh come on now, Josephus" the voice said.

"My name is not Josephus!"

"Oh why do you deny your true identity? Isn't this what you always wanted?" Leomere looked at his parents, this time their faces weren't empty - they were bright and full of hope and love. They pleading with him to hear them out.

"Just look at them Josephus are you this heartless? Think about it, this is the life you always prayed for, to be reunited with your family, to get showered with love. This is your own world Josephus, no rules, no kings, no queens, no questions, no pain. Only PEACE."

Leomere didn't speak for a while he kept mulling over the words he just heard. Because deep down he just wanted a peaceful life.

"No!" Leomere shouted, pointing an accusing finger at his father. "I am not your son, you traitor!" He turned to his mother, whose eyes were full of tears. "And I am not your son either, Elena! How could I possibly belong to such a family of traitors?" His face was contorted with fury, his hands trembling with rage. "I will not be known by your name. Just know that your son Josephus, he's not me. Josephus died alongside you that day," he hissed, his voice cold and hard. "And the man standing before you now is LEOMERE GAZA. He is Bhabu's only son. I owe my life to him. For eighteen years he cared for me, while you were gone. Where were you then huh? Oh I don't know, DEAD?! And why? Because you betrayed your king NOA! And here you are now, trying to claim me as your own what right do you have?" He cracked hot tears streaming down his face.

A portal appeared, a great surge of power radiating from within it.

His way back!

He looked at it with teary eyes. "The way back only opens, but once." He began to walk towards it.

"Josephus!" His father called out to him. Leomere didn't turn back.

"Son, I swear I didn't kill the queen that day." Leomere looked back and for once he actually saw sincerity in his father's eyes. He wanted to go back and embrace them one last time, to tell them how much he loved them, how much he missed them every single day, to tell his father he believed him. But No, he didn't, he couldn't.

"Farewell Noa and Elena, I long for the day we shall meet on the other side." He said and walked through the portal.

"Congratulations once again soldier!" Venus exclaimed, his voice brimming with pride. He gestured to one of her guards. "You there! Take him to the palace, and let it be known that the princess's royal bodyguard has arrived." His words echoed through the courtyard, and a murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd.

Later that day, Joz and Parele stood before Venus, their faces gaunt and haggard. They had barely survived the horrors of the maze, their clothes stained with blood and their swords dulled by battle. But to their dismay, they learned that Leomere had already emerged victorious and claimed the title of royal

body guard.

Venus was stunned by their return, and even more surprised by their survival. He looked from one to the other trying to fathom how they escaped the maze.

"That guy is really something else," Joz said with a laugh. He turned to Parele, who was still sulking over his loss. "I can't believe he just left without saying goodbye! He's lucky I can't snap his neck right now." His voice was filled with mock anger.

"Hey, Parele kid," Joz said, giving him a playful shove. "I could kill you for putting us through all this, but I have to admit, it was the most exciting adventure I've ever had. So eh I'll keep you alive."

Parele blushed. "I miss my life a month ago, before I got to know about this contest. But I'm grateful to have made such great friends along the way, even if they are all a little evil and red," Parele finished with a smile.

Time seemed to stand still as they waited for any sign of mohieazttha. They couldn't bring themselves to speak her name, as the thought of what she might be going through in the maze was too much to bear. But still, they held on to a small spark of hope. Venus returned with refreshments, breaking the tense silence. "Guys, I don't think she made it out," he said gently.

Joz's face crumpled with emotion. "No!" he screamed, "MOHEZA is strong and she can take care of herself.

Mohieazttha had already conquered her fears, confronting chi's illusions and knowing in her heart that he could never truly be her brother. She had realized that he was nothing more than the spirit of the forest, and that she was not bound to him. She had the courage to face her greatest fear: the knowledge that her brother had chosen to exchange destinies with her. But it was a choice he made on his own, at last, the gateway portal opened before her, and she stepped through, triumphant. Like the others, she too had survived the maze of madness.

Mohieazttha was relieved when she saw her friends waiting for her at the end of the maze. "You made it!" she sobbed. Parele hugged her and whispered, "It's okay, shorty. Shh." He wiped her tears away as she continued to sob. "None of it was real, you understand? It was all just an illusion," he told her. Joz looked on with a smile, but inside he felt a strange sense of unease.

He watched the scene unfold with a bittersweet smile on his face. He saw the way Parele held mohieazttha close, the way her tears flowed freely onto his chest. It was a tender and intimate moment, but it also made Joz feel strangely unsettled. He didn't know if he was jealous, well...as a red he didn't even know what jealousy was. But he felt something that he couldn't put a name to. It was a nagging feeling, like an itch that he couldn't scratch. He didn't like it.

"Though I loathe to say this," he began. "It's getting late, I think we should all return to the place we call home."