Twisted Paths

Alex blinked into existence at the starting line of the maze.

The air was thick. Heavy.

Like stepping into another world.

He had heard Freya's voice just before he left.

Desperate. Reaching.

But he ignored it.

His reasoning was simple.

He refused to be put in a situation where only one of them could move forward.

It may not happen now.

Maybe not even soon.

But eventually, he had no doubt the game would force them into that kind of choice.

If Alex were the one designing this nightmare, he'd do exactly that.

Make people care, then make them choose.

So he decided it was better to separate now, before attachment took root.

He exhaled and turned his attention to the maze.

The walls loomed high, jagged and uneven—twisted like molten rock frozen mid-eruption.

Their sheer size made the path ahead feel smaller, and narrower. Like a trap.

Above, the twin moons hung still in the sky.