Chapter-14: Survive till the end ∭

Meanwhile, the Detectives were already in motion.

With their grey suits buttoned sharp and their high-tech glasses scanning the shadows, they moved like they'd trained for this. Calm. Strategic. In control.

Renji, the squad leader one the detectives, crouched at a fork in the maze. His glasses flickered softly as they picked up faint heat traces across the wall.

"Two moved through here," he said, voice clipped. "One's hiding near the narrow turn."

Naomi who was one of the detectives gave a single nod. She stepped forward silently, tossing a tracker orb. It clinked once and latched onto the wall, pulsing red.

"Got them."

They split in sync, flanking the corridor like a pair of seasoned agents. As Naomi approached the blind corner, she raised her voice just enough to carry:

"This is the Detective Division. We don't want a fight—come out slowly."

Two Citizens stood frozen near the wall, their eyes wide. One of them moved suddenly—fear, not aggression.

Renji raised his pistol—not to shoot, but as a command. "Stay where you are."

The boy froze.

"We'll escort you to a safe zone," Naomi said, lowering her weapon as she stepped closer. "You're not the ones we're after."

Farther in the maze, the other detective teams were running coordinated sweeps. Every twist and tunnel was being mapped, every corner marked.

Three more Citizens had already been cleared and guided to holding zones—no harm, no panic. Just efficiency.

Over the comms, a quiet voice reported,

"South wing secured. Moving to sector four."

The Detectives weren't chasing shadows. They were laying a net.

And it was tightening.

*The Maze - One Hour After Start*

Inaya moved through the narrow corridor like a shadow, each step calculated, her breath even. She had already gathered every movement pattern, weapon type, and timing of the Detectives in Unit 2. It wasn't just instinct — it was precision.

"Four of them. Gray suits. Rotate clockwise, six-minute intervals. They pause by the central pillars—vulnerable for twenty seconds."

Her voice was quiet but firm through the *tokie-dokie*.

Satoru's voice responded, filtered by static.

"You sure you want to take this on alone?"

"No choice. If they reach the outer maze, we're exposed."

She switched off the line. Time to act.

She had climbed above them, blending against the upper beams like a shadow pinned to the wall. When Unit 2 passed beneath, Inaya dropped like a whisper.

The first Detective crumbled under the blow before his weapon left its holster.

The second spun, too late. A flash of metal, a precise disarm, and he hit the ground twitching.

The third pulled his gun—but she was already behind him, the scarf covering her mouth like a silent vow.

The fourth ran.

But he didn't make it far.

She crouched over the last body, breathing through her scarf. Hands trembling slightly now, not from fear—but from the tension. From the weight of what she'd done.

And it was tightening.

Around her chest. Around her hands. Around her thoughts.

This wasn't a game anymore. It was survival.

She clicked her tokie-dokie again.

"Unit 2 is down. Avoid northeast sector — there might be follow-ups. I'll regroup in ten."

The night air was thick with the scent of blood and tension, the distant howls of the wind merging with the echoing footsteps of the remaining players. Inaya stood at the center of the darkened maze, her silhouette barely visible against the starlit sky. The bodies of the fallen detectives lay sprawled around her—silent evidence of the brutal work she had just done.

She didn't move. Didn't flinch. The coldness in her gaze as she stared into the vast expanse of stars was like a void that swallowed everything. There was nothing in her eyes anymore. No warmth. No flicker of humanity. Just an empty, lifeless stare that reflected the stillness of the night.

I stood a few paces behind, my heart was pounding . My gaze flicked to Brother Cheng Hao, who stood motionless as well, clearly taken aback by the transformation in their teammate. Both of us had seen Inaya fight before, had seen her fierceness and determination—but this… This was different. This was something dark, something that seemed to drain the light from the very air around her.