Game

The haunted maze was darker than it had any right to be. The fog machine was working overtime, and eerie howls echoed through hidden speakers. Ai gripped Kiyomasa's sleeve tightly, her fingers cold and clammy.

"Why do we keep trusting Zazm?" she whispered, glancing around.

Kiyomasa didn't answer. He was frozen, wide-eyed, staring at a flickering light at the end of the hallway. "I-I think he wants us to suffer."

The moment they took a step forward, a ghoul popped out from behind the wall with a bloodcurdling shriek. Ai screamed. Kiyomasa screamed louder.

They pressed forward, Ai in the lead.

"You're the brave one, right?" she muttered.

"I punch lava, not phantoms," Kiyomasa whispered back, eyes darting around.

Suddenly, a fake corpse dropped from the ceiling.

"NOPE—NOPE—NOPE—" Kiyomasa shrieked, practically climbing over Ai to flee.

They crept deeper into the maze, every corner bringing new horrors: animatronic zombies, shifting floor panels, a fake decapitated body that rolled toward them. Kiyomasa jumped into Ai's arms. They both toppled to the ground.

"Stop climbing me, I'm also scared!" he yelled.

"You're solid and reassuring!" Ai said still scared.

Finally, they reached a hallway that seemed calm. Too calm.

"Maybe we're out?" Ai said, hopeful.

Suddenly, red lights flashed. The walls closed slightly. From the end of the corridor, a demon nun with glowing eyes began sprinting toward them.

They shrieked in unison, holding each other as they ran full tilt through the hallway, knocking over props and pushing past other frightened people. At the exit, they collapsed into a heap.

Ai lay on the floor, panting. "I think I died twice in there."

Kiyomasa rolled over. "Same. Never again."

---

The boutique was full of lights, pink walls, and disco music. Miwa had already picked out three different outfits, none of which matched. Minos followed her like a ghost, arms crossed, a deadpan expression glued to his face.

"You need to loosen up," Miwa said, plopping a fedora on his head. "You look like a very tense detective."

Minos removed it silently and placed it on a mannequin.

Miwa grinned. "You're no fun. Fine. If I try on something normal, will you try on one thing I pick for you?"

He sighed. "One. Thing."

Five minutes later, Minos stood in front of the mirror wearing a bright pink hoodie with glittery ducks all over it.

"I look like I fell into a child's art project."

"Adorable," Miwa said, eyes twinkling.

They walked out of the changing room section and were about to leave when a glowing heart symbol lit up above their heads.

"What the heck is that?" Minos asked.

A voice from a hidden speaker chimed, "Congratulations! You've entered the Couples Zone! For the next five minutes, you may not leave this section unless you pose together in a romantic photo at the sparkle booth."

Miwa burst out laughing. "Oh my god. This is so cursed."

Minos was stone-faced. "We're not doing that."

Miwa looked at the velvet rope blocking their exit and pointed. "See that scanner? It doesn't open unless we take a photo."

He turned to glared at the ceiling, 'ZAZM THAT FUCKING ASSHOLE.'

Five minutes later, the two of them stood awkwardly in the photo booth, Miwa making peace signs, Minos looking like he wanted to evaporate.

As the camera clicked, Miwa said, "This one's going in the group chat."

"NO! Delete it."

"Why we should show it to everyone."

---

Jennie and Jahanox were walking along a cobbled street lined with trees. The mission was over—they'd confirmed no awakened powers in the apartment building—but they hadn't said much since.

It hit her all at once: They were alone. Completely alone.

The Swedish air was light, crisp, and carried the quiet calm of a town not yet woken up by midday bustle. The sun filtered gently through a thin veil of clouds, brushing the streets in a soft glow.

Jennie walked beside Jahanox, her arms folded awkwardly, her cardigan sleeves slightly too long, brushing against her fingers.

She could feel it. That unbearable silence. Not the peaceful kind, but the kind where everything felt loud—her footsteps, the flutter in her chest, the way her breaths were slightly uneven.

'Why am I like this?' she screamed internally.

Next to her, Jahanox looked entirely unaffected. Calm. Stoic. The kind of presence that never shifted no matter what universe he was in.

Jennie bit her lower lip.

They were alone. Actually alone.

It hit her all over again. The others were nowhere nearby. No cracking jokes. No Miwa causing chaos. No Kiyomasa nervously trying to keep up. Just her. And him.

Her brain decided it was time to malfunction.

"U-um," she blurted out, trying to kill the silence. "So… you sleep on slides often or…?"

Jahanox gave her a glance, eyes widely opened at the question.

"Only when I crash-land into a new timeline."

Jennie let out a short, too-loud laugh and immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. "Haha—yeah. Same."

'What does that even mean, Jennie?! 'SAME'? You've never crash-landed on a slide in your life!'

She turned her head away, cheeks tinged pink.

They walked a few more blocks in silence. Jennie found herself glancing at every window display they passed—florists, bookstores, a tiny café—but her eyes kept returning to him.

He walked with his hands in his pockets, broad-shouldered and utterly unreadable. She wondered—not for the first time—if Jahanox had any idea how attractive he looked in the sunlight.

Nope. Don't think about that. You're here to find Alternate Jennie. Focus. Focus, you socially challenged mushroom.

"Do you think," she began hesitantly, "the other me is like… me? Or different?"

Jahanox shrugged slightly.

"Probably the same. Maybe even more kind and nice."

Jennie looked away even more flushed. "I-I see."

There was a flicker of amusement in his expression. The tiniest smirk.

Jennie blinked. Her heart did something weird.

She picked up her pace instinctively, only to trip slightly over a crack in the sidewalk. With an embarrassing yelp, she pitched forward

and a strong hand caught her by the wrist.

"Careful," Jahanox said simply.

Jennie froze. His hand was still on her wrist. His fingers warm, firm.

A beat passed.

He didn't let go immediately.

Her brain scrambled for words, but all that came out was, "I-I'm fine! Gravity, you know. Always trying to assassinate me."

He raised an eyebrow. Still not letting go.

"You're acting weird," he said.

Gee, thanks, Captain Observant.

She tried to pull her hand back casually. "N-no, I'm just, y'know, adjusting to the atmosphere here. The air's… Swedish."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you nervous by any chance?"

Her eyes widened.

"What?! Me?! No! Pssh. Nervous? Why would I be—okaymaybealittle."

Jahanox blinked again. "Why?"

"Nothing much at all let's just go."

"Okay I guess....."

---

Back at the mall, Zazm sipped bubble tea like a man with no responsibilities. His coat fluttered with each casual step as he passed a group of people panicking over a haunted maze, a girl dragging her friend out of a photo booth, and a couple arguing over glitter shoes.

He checked his phone.

No messages from Miwa, Minos, or Jahanox.

"Perfect."

Then he pulled up a bench with a full view of a water fountain and relaxed like a proud producer watching three live sitcoms unfold.

"This," he said to no one, "is what I call training."

He stretched, glanced at the sky, and smirked. "Just doing my part."

He pulled out his phone and looked around, "Lets see what else do we need now..."

---

The front door of their temporary Swedish base flew open with a bang.

"WE'RE BACK!" Miwa yelled, tumbling inside dramatically with Minos close behind.

Jennie walked in next, calm and humming to herself, holding a paper bag of Swedish pastries. Jahanox followed her with his usual unreadable expression, but there was a faint smudge of frosting on his sleeve.

Then came Ai and Kiyomasa—dragging their feet, pale as ghosts.

Finally, Zazm strolled in last, hands in his pockets, expression unreadable but calm. He glanced around as though double-checking everyone had made it back alive.

Minos didn't wait a second.

He lunged.

Zazm didn't flinch when Minos grabbed him by the collar with both hands, forcing him back against the wall.

"YOU ABANDONED ME," Minos hissed dramatically. "In a trap room. With Miwa."

Miwa grinned innocently behind him. "I thought the glitter cannons were a cute touch."

Zazm tilted his head slightly. "You seemed to be bonding well."

"BON—?!" Minos choked on his own outrage. "She broke three doors trying to escape because she thought it was a 'challenge map.'"

"I got a high score," Miwa added proudly.

Ai suddenly appeared beside Minos, jabbing a finger into Zazm's chest. "You! You told us it was a 'fun little maze'! You didn't say there were ghosts. Realistic ones. With voices. And shadows."

Kiyomasa popped up from the other side, gripping Zazm's shirt. "I screamed, Zazm. I screamed so loud a security guy gave me a lollipop. I don't even like lollipops!"

Zazm glanced between the two of them, calm as ever.

"I thought it was a good bonding activity."

"FOR WHO?!" Ai and Kiyomasa shouted in unison.

Jennie, now seated on the couch with a blanket and tea, sipped calmly and said, "They did bond. Mostly through shared trauma."

Jahanox gave a short nod beside her. "Fear therapy. I approve."

Miwa, meanwhile, had wandered into the kitchen and was now throwing cookie dough into the blender with reckless glee.

Zazm gently pulled Minos's hands off his collar and stepped forward, brushing the crease out of his shirt.

"I'll buy you ice cream," he said.

Minos froze. "...What kind?"

Zazm gave a tiny smile. "The expensive kind."

Minos narrowed his eyes. "Two scoops."

Zazm raised a single finger. "Three."

Minos released him immediately and stepped back. "Fine. But next time I get to pick the death maze."

Kiyomasa flopped dramatically onto the carpet. "Why would anyone willingly walk into horror like that…"

Ai sat beside him, hugging a pillow and muttering, "It whispered my name. That ghost knew my name. It was like—Ai~ come play~—No thanks, I'd rather be unconscious."

Zazm sat down on a chair, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes for a moment.

No laughs. No smug remarks. Just a brief, tired sigh. Then, quietly—

"It was fun watching you guys panic."

That earned a book thrown at him by Ai, a pillow from Kiyomasa, and Minos loudly threatening a rematch in a mirror maze.

Miwa peeked her head out of the kitchen, holding a suspicious smoothie.

"Zazm, if you drink this, I'll forgive you."

He cracked one eye open. "What's in it?"

"Love and three-day-old bananas."

"I'll pass."

Meanwhile, Jennie nudged Jahanox and whispered, "He looks tired today."

Jahanox glanced at Zazm again, noting the absence of his usual playful grin.

"Yeah," he murmured. "But he's still enjoying it. Just quieter."

Jennie smiled softly. "Guess even chaos lords have their slow days."

Jahanox tilted his head thoughtfully. "Or maybe he's just planning something worse."

They both took a bite of their pastries and watched the storm unfold.

Zazm, surrounded by shouting friends, chaos, flying cushions, and Miwa's questionable smoothies, leaned back in his chair and allowed himself one more small, content smile.

Just a small one.

The last of the cookie smoothie had been disposed of. Ai had recovered from her haunting trauma. Kiyomasa had stopped shaking—mostly. And Minos, despite the emotional scars, had forgiven Zazm... under the condition of triple-scoop bribes.

That was when Zazm stood up.

His posture straightened with unusual clarity, hands no longer in his pockets but calmly resting by his sides. His gaze swept the room—not playful, not cold, just steady.

"Alright," he said. "Now that everyone's settled, let's move on. Tomorrow, we leave this universe."

The room fell into absolute silence.

Minos blinked. "Wait, what?"

Miwa tilted her head. "Like… leave-leave?"

Zazm nodded. "We're going to a far universe. Different structure, deeper divergence. It's time we start the real mission."

Ai sat up straight, eyes wide. "Already? I thought we were going to hang around Sweden for a bit! There's still, like, four museums I haven't tricked Kiyo into visiting!"

Kiyomasa groaned. "You promised that was a botanical garden—"

Zazm didn't flinch. "We're not here for a vacation."

Jennie, lounging in the armchair, raised her hand like she was in class. "But… didn't we rent this house for a week? We've only used like four days. Wouldn't leaving be… you know. A waste of money?"

Jahanox, arms crossed at the edge of the room, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Come to think of it… where did we get the money for this place?"

Everyone turned slowly toward Zazm.

Jahanox squinted. "Zazm. Don't tell me you brought your parents' card again."

Zazm gave the smallest shrug. "Even if I did, it wouldn't work across realities. And I'm not dumb enough to carry that much cash."

Now they were all staring.

Kiyomasa leaned forward. "Then… who did pay for all of this?"

Zazm simply raised his hand and pointed lazily.

Right at Minos.

Minos blinked. "...Huh?"

Zazm spoke like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We've got a walking money maker, don't we?"

There was a pause.

Miwa's mouth opened. "Wait. You mean—"

Zazm nodded. "Minos. I just asked him to print us money."

The room exploded.

"WHAT?!" Ai shouted, shooting to her feet. "That's—That's illegal! You committed multiversal counterfeiting!"

Minos rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I mean… I just needed to see a bill once. Then I, uh, duplicated it. Copy-pasted, basically. Couple thousand in one night. Easy."

"You—" Kiyomasa was now on the floor, face in his hands. "You're telling me we're basically fugitives?!"

"No," Zazm said smoothly. "We're self-sufficient multiversal agents."

Miwa clapped her hands. "I knew there was a reason I liked Minos."

Jennie blinked. "Wait. How do you even know the money's accurate?"

Minos gave a thumbs-up. "I copied the same slight tear on the corner of the bill five times. That's how good I am."

Ai groaned. "That's literally how banks catch counterfeiters!"

"I've since randomized the imperfections," Minos added proudly. "Statistically undetectable. Probably."

Jahanox just chuckled from the side. "So. We've been living in luxury on… forged money created by a teenager with god-hands."

Zazm nodded. "Exactly."

Jennie sipped her tea. "You scare me sometimes."

"You'll live," Zazm replied, giving her the faintest smile.

Ai fell back onto the couch, flailing a little. "So what if someone tracks the serial numbers?! What if this gets us blacklisted across every timeline?!"

Miwa leaned over. "We could say it's for a school project."

Minos tilted his head. "An economics thesis?"

Zazm added flatly, "We're multiversal travelers trying to save the multiverse."

"Too believable," Jennie muttered.

"Agreed," Jahanox said.

"Can we at least finish the muffins in the fridge before we go?" Kiyomasa groaned.

Zazm folded his arms. "Only if someone throws out that thing Miwa made."

Miwa gasped. "You dare call my smoothie a 'thing'?!"

"It hissed," Jennie said.

"It tried to bite me," Ai added.

Zazm was already walking out of the room, faint amusement flickering in his eyes but nothing more.

Behind him, the house was alive with noise again—shouting, laughter, chaotic theories about counterfeit money and dimension-hopping tax evasion.

---

The morning sun barely crept over the horizon when the group assembled once again at the Border—an invisible line between universes known only to those who could cross it.

The ground here looked like nothing special—just an open clearing with dew-kissed grass, fog still clinging to the air like breath held too long. But those who had seen beyond the veil could feel it: the invisible tension, the humming ripple, like reality waiting to peel itself open.

They were back. And this time, they knew what was coming… mostly.

"Ugh, I'll never get used to this feeling," Ai muttered, clutching her arms.

Kiyomasa nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Feels like my insides are trying to reformat themselves."

"It's like deja vu, but in surround sound," Miwa said, half-awed, half-horrified.

Minos blinked. "...I don't even know what that means."

Miwa grinned. "Exactly."

Zazm stood in front of them, once again wearing that windbreaker that didn't match the season, hands deep in his pockets. His hair rustled slightly in the breeze, but he didn't react. He simply stared forward, eyes narrowing as he began forming the portal.

Jennie looked over his shoulder. "It's taking longer than usual?"

Zazm's brow furrowed slightly, but his tone remained calm. "We're going… far this time."

"How far?" Kiyomasa asked, eyes widening.

Zazm tilted his head. "Far."

Miwa leaned in. "Like a different continent kind of far?"

"Far far," Zazm replied.

Minos raised an eyebrow. "Another timeline?"

Zazm's lips quirked. "Far far far."

Jennie squinted. "You're going to say one more, aren't you?"

Zazm glanced back, deadpan. "Farrrrrrr away."

Collective groaning ensued.

"Why?!" Ai asked, exasperated. "Why do we need to go that far into the multiverse? Can't we just, I don't know, go to another peaceful Earth variant where dogs run convenience stores or something?!"

Zazm didn't turn around. He kept focusing on the growing shimmer in front of him, a slow-blooming ripple in space, glowing with layered fractals of violet and silver.

"You'll see when we get there," he said.

"Could be anything," Jahanox said from the back, arms crossed as usual. "We might pop into a universe where gravity pulls sideways or language is sung instead of spoken."

"Or where everyone's just… a toaster," Minos added.

Miwa laughed. "Oh no, what if I fall in love with a toaster?"

Jennie made a face. "That actually doesn't sound too unrealistic for you."

Zazm gave a faint smile at their banter but said nothing.

Ai stepped up beside him, more curious than annoyed now. "So… are you saying our versions don't exist in this next universe?"

"Correct," Zazm answered without looking at her. "No variants. No shadows of you, me, or anyone else. It's a blind spot. Entirely detached. Probably untouched by whatever's affecting the multiverse."

Kiyomasa tilted his head. "So… a clean slate?"

Zazm nodded. "Exactly. But because of that… nothing will make sense."

He turned to face them, finally, his gaze serious.

"Things might look wrong. Feel wrong. You might see people flying. Trees walking. Inverted oceans or double skies. Nothing in that world obeys the logic we're used to. We don't even know if it has logic. So I'm warning you now—don't assume anything."

Jennie looked hesitant. "Even gravity?"

"Especially gravity," Zazm replied.

Miwa clapped. "So we're going on a mystery vacation!"

Minos groaned. "You're way too excited."

Jahanox, ever still, muttered, "Not a vacation."

Ai crossed her arms. "So why are we going to a place that's completely chaotic and broken?"

Zazm looked at her quietly for a long second.

Then he said, "Because somewhere in chaos, we might find the pattern."

The group fell silent.

Behind him, the portal flared open at last—a wide spiral of glowing rings that spun in opposite directions, shimmering with impossible colors, pulsing with strange echoes. A strange wind blew out from it—soft, whispering, and just a little too warm.

It smelled faintly of honey and metal.

Zazm stepped forward, one foot already into the unknown.

He looked back at them.

"Well," he said, voice still light, "ready to get weird?"

Jennie sighed. "Here we go again."

Miwa grabbed Minos's arm. "Let's go meet the flying trees!"

Kiyomasa muttered, "I'm going to throw up…"

Ai grinned. "You'll be fine. Maybe."

Jahanox and Jennie followed behind without another word—calm as ever.

And just like that, the Catalysts stepped through the glowing spiral, one by one, toward a reality none of them understood.

The mission had officially begun.

One by one, they jumped through the shimmering spiral.

Jennie disappeared into the swirl of color.

Then Jahanox, as quiet and composed as always.

Miwa dove in with a gleeful "Wheeeee!"

Minos followed, dragged by her wrist, groaning.

Ai gave one last look at the grass, then vanished.

Kiyomasa braced himself with a deep breath and stepped in.

And finally—Zazm.

He stood alone before the radiant spiral, now trembling faintly, like a living thing struggling to contain itself. The edges of the portal danced in fractured echoes, shimmering faster than light but slower than sound. He watched them for a moment—his expression unreadable.

Then he stepped in.

The moment his body touched the vortex, his threads responded.

The threads of his being—fine, near-invisible filaments of reality woven into him—unraveled and tangled with the portal's essence.

The Portal didn't carry you. It became you. It matched your threads, wrapped around them, and rethreaded you through the multiverse.

And Zazm?

Zazm felt the unraveling immediately.

He'd done this countless times before. He knew the feeling of his threads linking with space, weaving smoothly into the next world. But this time—

Pain.

Not the sharp pain of a wound.

But the hollow, sucking pain of absence.

His body jolted as if punched from the inside out.

His eyes widened, his breath caught. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He clenched his jaw and focused, pushing his perception inward.

Where are they?

His threads. The essence of him. They were…

Weak. Thin.

He hadn't replenished them. Not completely.

After that one-month sleep… he had rushed.

Too fast.

Zazm's mind raced.

The portal doesn't transport you—it reconstructs you. Threads are how it grabs and replicates your being across space.

And he didn't have enough.

"Damn it."

He tried to rebind the threads mid-transit, tried to tug what little he had together. His body burned, flickered, twisted in the current of the multiverse.

He was slipping.

If he kept going like this…

Only part of him would arrive.

Or worse—

His threads would scatter. Lost. Forgotten.

Erased.

"No," he muttered, jaw tightening.

He tried to stabilize his form, but it was like holding water in a cracked bowl. The portal was pulling him forward, stretching what little thread he had.

He couldn't hold on much longer.

But still… he couldn't abandon them.

Were they safe?

Did they arrive yet?

The swirling multiverse around him whispered nonsense. Colors folded into shapes that didn't exist. A voice from somewhere screamed in reverse.

His body flickered in and out.

He had to make a decision.

Up ahead, there was only endless current.

Below him—nothing.

Void.

The space between universes.

A fall into that was near-certain death. Or worse.

But there was a narrow option.

Zazm clenched his teeth and raised his hand, forcing open a threadless gap—a hole in the portal. A crack between its rotating bands.

"Guess I'm winging it."

He shoved every last shred of space-control into that crack.

The portal screamed.

He dove downward.

Out.

Away.

The portal above snapped like breaking glass.

And Zazm—

Zazm fell into the void.

A silent world with no thread, no up, no down.

Just drifting, like a broken painting torn from its frame.

As he plummeted through the endless gray, his body half-formed, pain dancing through every nerve, Zazm's mind went quiet.

His threads scattered behind him, vanishing like snow in a storm.

And still… he didn't smile. Not even the usual smug twitch of his lips.

He just whispered into the dark:

"…I hope they're safe. My luck never misses to fuck me off."

_________________________