Day 5 in the Abyss: Azzy and Aranya

"So What is the venue for the game?" Tod asked looking at Azzy. "Well it is a maze filled with puzzles and traps, whoever wins will get a reward from me" She winked at them both.

"…Why do i feel like that wink was specially meant for me" Tod awkwardly said. "Hmm, Who knows" She said teasingly.

"Ugh stop flirting and let's start" Aranya rolled her eyes. "Ok then, let's start" As Azzy said that. The surrounding began to change as Azzy disappeared and then a huge gate with walls around it appeared in front of the two.

"Fancy, let's go" Aranya held his hand and immediately dragged him inside the entrance, After they entered, there were three paths in front of them. "I think we should go through the left" She said looking at the other two.

"Or we could just split up" Tod raised an eyebrow at her. "…Yeah we could do that too…but.." Before she could continue talking, she got cut off by Tod. "But i think it would be interesting to get to know each other while we try to reach the end of the maze." Tod smiled at her making her become a little flustered.

"h-hey don't take it the wrong way, i-i'm only agreeing because…because we are friends yeah that's why?!" She immediately said, Tod tilted his head in confusion, Aranya became more flustered and then immediately took his arm as both of them took the left passage.

Tod looked around, The maze has big walls and seemed to be mad up of a white marble texture, there were vines silently decorated on them. The sky was visible.

"So do you want to talk about your dad" Tod asked, Aranya's grip on his arm tightened for a moment and then became loose. She sighed and then turned to look at him, her blue eyes seemed sad.

"It's…Complicated"

"Are you alright though, We may have met a day ago, but i am here to help"

"…Thanks Tod, though maybe it is embarrassing for me, A thousand year old being to sulk about hating my dad…"

"Even if you are a thousand year old…Girls will be girls.."

"Hey!!, What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…."

The two continued forward towards the maze, As tod was walking, something under him made a click. He looked down to find a tile deepen into the ground, he stood there for a second.

"I stepped on a trap" Tod realized looking at the sunken tile. "…Yes, yes you did" Aranya said with a slightly unamused expression.

*Crack*

Suddenly the sound of something breaking was heard by both of them, a wall near them sunk into the ground to reveal targets

"Oh dear, it looks like one of you stepped in a trap, But no worries, since this is a friendly challenge, i have made the traps harmless but entertaining instead" Azzy's voice echoed

through the maze.

The targets began to spin, and a stream of harmless, colorful foam darts shot out, hitting Tod squarely in the chest. He laughed, brushing off the foam. "Well, that's a relief. For a moment, I thought we were in serious trouble."

Aranya smirked, "Serves you right for not watching where you step. Now let's keep moving."

They continued down the left passage, navigating through twists and turns. Every so often.

they encountered more whimsical traps set by Azzy. At one point, the floor tiles started to light up in different colors, and they had to step on the correct sequence to open a gate. Another time, a series of riddles appeared on the walls, each more puzzling than the last.

"Azzy really went all out with this maze," Tod remarked as they solved another riddle.

"She always does," Aranya replied. "She loves making things fun and challenging."

As they rounded another corner, they came to a fork with two paths. This time, Tod looked at Aranya, waiting for her input.

"Right," she said confidently. "I have a feeling this is the way."

Alright, lead the way," Tod agreed, following her down the right path.

The air grew cooler as they progressed, and the marble walls were now adorned with glowing crystals that cast an ethereal light. They walked in silence for a while, the only sound being the occasional drip of water echoing through the corridor.

After what felt like an eternity, they entered a large chamber.

"You guys have reached the end of the maze, For the last challenge" Azzy's voice echoed through the chamber, "you'll need to work together to unlock the final door."

In the center of the chamber stood a large, ornate door with intricate carvings and glowing symbols. On either side of the door were two pedestals, each with a different object: one held a small, ancient-looking key, and the other held a gemstone pulsating with light.

Tod and Aranya approached the pedestals, examining the objects closely.

"Looks like we need to figure out how to use these to open the door," Tod said, picking up the key.

Aranya studied the gemstone, feeling its warmth in her hand. "Maybe the key unlocks something, and the gemstone powers it?" she suggested.

"Could be," Tod nodded. He approached the door, inspecting the carvings and symbols more closely. "There's a keyhole here, and a slot that looks like it could fit the gemstone."

They worked together, Tod inserting the key into the lock while Aranya placed the gemstone into the slot. As soon as the gemstone settled into place, the symbols on the door began to glow brighter, and the carvings started to shift and move.

With a deep rumble, the door slowly began to open, revealing a room filled with shimmering treasures and a golden pedestal in the center, holding Three small rings.

"I thought we should wear matching rings" Azzy said in an excited voice.

Tod laughed, "You had us running through a maze for matching rings?"

Azzy reappeared beside the golden pedestal, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course! What's a good game without a fun prize at the end?"

Aranya rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Only you, Azzy. Only you."

Azzy picked up the rings and handed them out. "Here you go. One for each of us. They're enchanted, you know. A symbol of our friendship and the adventure we shared today."

Tod slipped his ring on and looked at it, a warm feeling spreading through him. "Thanks, Azzy. This was… unexpected but fun."

Aranya nodded, putting on her ring. "Yeah, thanks. It was a nice distraction."

"Great, now let's go back" Azzy clapped her hands and all three of them were back at Tod's flying islands.

"Thankfully the reward isn't what i thought it would be" Tod sighed looking at the ring with a smile.

Azzy and Aranya looked at each other for a moment, and then had a mischievous smile on both their faces.

Azzy went towards tod and put her arms around his arm, Aranya did the same as she did. "…uhm…what are you two doing?" Tod asked with a forced smile.

"hmm~, Well since you are new to the abyss, you haven't gone through initiation" Azzy said as if she was a wise scholar.

"…What is the initiation" Tod realized he was being teased

"Just a little kiss from both of us" Aranya said enthusiastically.

Tod's face turned a shade of red. "A kiss? That's your idea of an initiation?"

Azzy grinned, "Why not? It's a tradition we just made up, after all."

Aranya giggled, "And who are you to break traditions?"

Before Tod could protest further, Azzy leaned in and planted a light, playful kiss on his cheek. Aranya followed suit, her kiss equally quick and playful.

"There, initiation complete," Azzy declared with a satisfied smile.

Tod touched his cheeks where they had kissed him, feeling both embarrassed and amused. "You two are impossible."

"Welcome to the abyss," Aranya said with a wink.

"Meooowww~?!!" Violet flew towards him with the intention of trying to defend him.

"…Too little too late, But i do admire your courage" Azzy said patting the flying cat, Violet looked upset but didn't pull away from the free pampering.

"Gloop" The Koi fish declared as a small bubble came out of its mouth and then floated towards Aranya popping on her face.

"Alright, alright," Tod laughed, still a bit flustered. "I guess that's one way to start a new adventure."

Azzy and Aranya giggled, clearly pleased with their playful prank.

"Now that we've had our fun, what's next on the agenda?" Azzy asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

" I am going in to sleep" Tod said turning around to go to his room.

"i woke up from sleep, i don't want to go back" Azzy pouted. "Why don't you just follow and sleep with him?" Aranya asked curiously.

Azzy's eyes lit up at the suggestion, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Why not? It'll be fun!"

Aranya shrugged, her smile widening. "Yeah, and you might enjoy some company."

Tod, already halfway to his room, turned around with a bewildered look. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"

Azzy playfully pushed her way past Tod. "Of course! It's not every day you get to share a sleepover with new friends. I promise we won't be too disruptive."

Aranya followed with a chuckle. "Besides, it's not like we're asking for anything too crazy. Just a bit of company."

"…huh, I have only been here for five days and this two are already going to my bed…I wonder if i am cursed or extremely lucky?" Tod questioned, he knew he was going to sleep peacefully no matter the intrusion.