Labyrinth of Despair

The shrill alarms sliced through the air like blades, echoing through the narrow corridors as the group sprinted along the escape route. The shouts of the guards reverberated in the distance, growing closer with every passing second.

Willy stumbled, nearly falling, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

"How are we going to get out of here?" he gasped, his voice shaky and desperate. "I... I can't run anymore!"

"Stay calm and follow me!" Ezra shouted, clutching a flickering flashlight that cast distorted shadows on the concrete walls. "If we take the right path, we can avoid the patrols and get straight to safety."

The floor creaked under their hurried footsteps. Gideon, his face hardened by tension, dragged Johan along as if he were carrying a corpse.

"If he wakes up now, we might be slightly less screwed," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Nero hesitated at every turn in the tunnel, his eyes scanning the darkness. His mind seemed at war, torn between continuing to run, watching their backs, or helping Gideon carry Johan.

Salen moved swiftly, carrying the others' belongings without complaint.

Troy kept glancing back, his heart pounding. "If that bastard shows up again, I swear I'll—"

"Focus, Troy!" Ezra interrupted, pointing to a metal door at the end of the corridor. "Through there!"

The tunnel narrowed, the cracked and dripping walls making the air feel heavier. The smell of mold and rust filled their lungs, making every breath suffocating.

Inside Cyrus's mind, the storm of voices grew louder.

"If that damn guy hadn't used his powers, I could've easily crushed him," Johan's voice rang out, filled with frustration.

"He wasn't even taking it seriously," Nathanos laughed, his tone mocking and irritating. "If he wanted to, we'd already be dead. At least that idiot Khaz didn't get us all killed... for once."

Khaz snorted but couldn't deny that his plan had almost gotten them all killed. "I did what needed to be done. Without me, we'd all be captured or worse."

Tian intervened, his voice calm but firm. "This isn't the time for arguing. We need to focus on surviving. Khaz, do you have a plan?"

The door at the end of the corridor began to lower with a loud clang.

"Hurry!" Ezra yelled, quickening his pace.

Willy stumbled again and fell, but Troy yanked him up before it was too late. The group slipped through the opening just a second before the metallic crash echoed through the tunnel.

Then came silence.

It hit like a slap.

For a moment, no one moved. The cold night air enveloped them, but the victory was short-lived.

Ezra frowned as he looked at the map. "This is wrong... this route wasn't supposed to lead us here."

Gideon wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced around. "Then where the hell are we?"

The alley was narrow, with old buildings casting shadows over them. The acrid smell of burning trash hung in the air.

As the others tried to make sense of their situation, Cyrus remained trapped within his own mind. His unconscious body was just an empty vessel, while inside him, an invisible war raged on.

Khaz clenched his mental fists, feeling the weight of expectations pressing down on him. "I need a plan," he muttered, taking a deep breath to steady his thoughts. "Something that gets us out of here without drawing more attention."

"If you fail again, I'll take over," Nathanos sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Khaz gritted his teeth, ignoring the taunts. Thinking under pressure wasn't his strong suit, but he had no choice.