The Labyrinth of Trust – Completed

Orris

Orris was in nothing.

No streets.

No throne.

No table.

Just void.

And yet—he wasn't alone.

There were people.

Shifting.

Moving.

Flickering in and out of existence like unfinished ideas.

And standing just beyond them—

Was a child.

A mirror of himself.

But not the same.

This one was younger.

Softer.

Weaker.

And the moment Orris took a step forward—

The child flinched.

Orris froze.

Because suddenly—he remembered.

He knew who this was.

And if he was right—

Then he knew how this ended.

And he didn't want to play.

He stared at the younger version of himself.

The boy was terrified.

His hands were shaking, his breath ragged.

Orris took a slow step forward.

The boy flinched.

Orris's stomach twisted.

Because this didn't make sense.

He didn't remember this.

He had never been this weak.

Had he?

The boy's hands trembled as he clutched something tightly to his chest.

A small glass vial.

Orris's breath caught.

"Where did you get that?"

The boy's voice was barely a whisper.

"I made it."

Orris's fingers twitched.

Because that was impossible.

He had never made something like that.

Not in this life.

Not in any life.

And yet—the moment he saw it, he knew exactly what it was.

He knew what it could do.

And he knew—this moment was not a memory.

It was a choice.

And if he took the vial, he would become someone else entirely.

~

The Labyrinth was never meant to trap them.

It was meant to undo them.

Not by force.

Not by torture.

By placing them exactly where they thought they belonged.

Because that's how trust worked, didn't it?

People didn't trust the truth.

They trusted what felt real.

And now, as Xyro, Veynn, Zkarn, and Orris walked through their own worlds, one question loomed over them.

Was this real? Or was the Labyrinth just showing them what they wanted to see?

The answer?

It didn't matter.

Because the moment they started believing in it—

They had already lost.

_____

Xyro

The second Xyro stood beside him, watching the empty streets.

The people had stopped moving.

Their bodies stood frozen, expressions neutral, like puppets waiting for a hand to pull the strings.

"Do you trust yourself, Xyro?"

Xyro's hands clenched.

"I don't know."

The second Xyro smiled. "That's why you're here."

A pause.

Then—he gestured to the city around them.

"Go ahead. Find out who you are."

Xyro's pulse pounded in his skull.

This wasn't a test.

This was something worse.

Because the moment he started looking for answers—

He would start believing in them.

And that was the real trap.

______

Veynn

The guards didn't move.

Their hands were on their swords, waiting.

Veynn stood at the base of the obsidian throne, her fingers lightly brushing the cold stone.

She knew how this ended.

She had lived this before.

Exile.

Betrayal.

But this time—

She could change it.

The realisation burned through her chest.

The sand of imotions suddenly started boiling in her heart.

This wasn't an illusion.

This was a second chance.

She turned toward the guards, chin held high.

"Kneel."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—

One by one, they lowered their heads.

They obeyed her order!!

Veynn's breath slowed.

She could not believe it. It was real.

Suddenly the things she has cried for before, now was in front of her.

It had never happened like this before.

Had the Labyrinth actually given her what she wanted?

Or was it just making her believe she had already won?

__________

Zkarn

The first card was placed.

Zkarn smirked, fingers tapping against the table.

His opponent—a man with too-clean clothes and too-familiar eyes—watched him carefully.

"You play with confidence."

Zkarn chuckled. "I play to win."

The man placed another card. "Do you?"

Zkarn's smirk faltered for half a second.

Because there was something wrong.

The cards in his hands—

He had seen them before.

Not just in this game.

In other games.

In games he had played a thousand times over.

Like this had happened before.

He did not know anything at that moment. The only thing he knew was his life was in front of him.

And suddenly—he realized.

The game wasn't about winning.

The game was about seeing if he would play it again.

And he had.

Every single time.

_______

Xyro

The second Xyro exhaled, stretching his arms behind his head.

"So? What's it going to be?"

Xyro's jaw clenched.

The city around him felt real.

But he knew what this was.

This wasn't a second chance.

It wasn't even a test.

It was a decision.

He could stay here.

Find out who he had been.

Walk the streets, ask questions, dig for answers.

But the moment he did—

He would be choosing this version of reality.

And that meant—everything else would cease to exist.

That was the real game.

Not trust.

Not lies.

Just choosing which truth to believe in.

And suddenly—

He knew how to win.

[ Veynn's fingers tightened on the throne.

Zkarn's eyes flicked toward his opponent's unchanging expression.

Orris's hand hovered over the vial, his breath coming too fast. ]

Xyro took a slow breath.

Then—he stepped back.

The second Xyro blinked.

"Huh."

For the first time, he looked surprised.

Xyro's voice was steady.

"I don't need to know who I was."

The second Xyro's smile returned. "Are you sure?"

Xyro exhaled.

And he did something none of them had done yet.

He closed his eyes.

Because if this world existed through his trust in it—

Then if he stopped believing in it, it would cease to be real.

The moment he let go—

The city crumbled.

The streets collapsed.

The people vanished.

And in the last moment before everything turned black—

The second Xyro's voice came softly.

"Clever."

Then—

He vanished like sand.

He was gone.

One by one—

They all made their choice.

Veynn let go of the throne.

Zkarn folded his cards.

Orris pulled his hand away from the vial.

And in that moment—

The Labyrinth ended the game.

The illusions shattered.

The rooms collapsed.

And when the four of them opened their eyes.

They were back.

Together.

And standing before them—

Was the next door.