Phased out

A chill ran down Ethan's spine as the cabin revealed itself. 

It stood there—silent, ominous, as if it had been watching them all along. 

He and Karlos had already pieced it together. The cabin had appeared because they defeated Gravibus.

They had succeeded.

They had survived. 

But neither of them felt happy. 

Karlos' voice broke the silence, his tone uncertain. 

"Is that what I think it is…?" 

Ethan nodded, his eyes locked onto the wooden structure ahead.

A melancholic expression clouded his face. 

"Should we go in and check…?"

Ethan's voice carried both hesitation and resolve— he already knew they had no other choice. 

The air around them was thick—with the scent of death, the weight of exhaustion, and the lingering presence of what they had just done.

As they took slow, weary steps toward the cabin, their gazes drifted to the ground.

To the corpses. Unguibus and Gravibus. 

The demons they had fought to survive lay lifeless in the mess they had created. Blood pooled into the dirt, mixing with the filth of the battlefield. The sight should have brought them relief, but instead— They turned away. 

A strange emptiness settled in their chests. A quiet, consuming dread. 

Ethan's voice came out hollow.

"I don't like this, Karlos."

Karlos paused. 

For a moment, he had no response. 

Then, with a small, forced smile, he patted Ethan's back. 

"Don't worry, buddy. We're almost there. We'll get out of this hell…"

But reassurance only went so far. 

Ethan could still feel it—his exhaustion.

His thirst.

His pain.

The ache deep in his bones. 

The smell. 

The headache. 

The weight of everything. 

Their surroundings blurred together, the world tilting between fatigue and reality. 

Nothing felt right. And yet, the cabin stood there—waiting. 

They walked. 

Over the silence again. 

Their steps echoed through the emptiness. 

CLOMP...

CLOMP...

CLOMP... 

Every footstep felt heavier than the last, each one dragging them closer—closer to whatever awaited inside that cursed cabin. 

They were panting, their bodies crying for rest. But the air itself felt thick, suffocating. Their skin burned with exhaustion.

Their lungs strained for relief. 

If they weren't fast, they would die—

Not from wounds.

Not from another enemy. 

But from this place itself. 

And yet… They reached the cabin. 

Ethan's hand trembled as he reached for the door. Slowly. Carefully. 

It creaked open. 

They stepped inside—one foot at a time. 

Their bodies screamed for rest, but their minds stayed sharp. They couldn't afford to let their guard down.

Their eyes scanned the dimly lit room. 

Nothing. 

No enemies.

No sounds.

No immediate threats. 

Just... silence. 

And then— Their gazes landed on something. 

Something small.

Something unexpected. 

A button. 

Ethan's voice broke the silence. 

"That's a...?"

Karlos stared at it, his expression unreadable.

"A button."

Ethan's mind raced. 

"A button...?" 

"Are we supposed to press it...?" 

"What happens if we do...?" 

"Wait…" "Will we get out of here?" 

"Is this it?" 

"Are we finally—?" 

"His thoughts were interrupted."

Footsteps. 

Ethan's eyes snapped up. 

Karlos was already moving.

Determined.

Unwavering. 

The dim light cast a shadow across his face, his features set in stone. 

He reached the button. 

"We will end this."

His hand 

stretched forward—

Closer. 

Closer. 

And then— 

(Johnathan and Alice's Perspective) 

The first thing Alice felt was the heat. 

The air was thick, suffocating. A sickly yellow glow coated everything—the sky, the ground, even her skin. It was as if the world itself was drenched in sickness. Then, reality hit her. 

She wasn't home. 

She wasn't safe. 

She was still here. 

The moment the realization sank in, Alice broke. 

A choked sob escaped her lips. Then another.

And then—she screamed. 

A raw, uncontrolled cry. Desperate, broken. Her voice ripped through the silence of this cursed place, echoing into the distance. Somewhere—not too far—someone heard her. 

Johnathan. 

His head snapped toward the sound. A cry. A real, human cry. 

Someone else was here. 

He didn't hesitate. He ran. 

His feet pounded against the dusty, yellow-stained ground. His breath was ragged, his heart hammering in his chest—not from fear, but from the sheer desperation to find someone. And then— He saw her. Alice. 

She was on her knees, trembling. Her hands clutched her face, her whole body shaking as sobs wracked her chest.

She looked lost.

Broken.

For a second, 

Johnathan just stood there. 

He had no idea what to say. 

Johnathan's eyes widened as he saw the figure in the distance—Alice. 

His breath caught in his throat. 

"ALICE?!?!" 

His voice tore through the suffocating air, filled with urgency, relief, and fear all at once.

He didn't wait for a response—he ran. 

Alice flinched at the sudden scream, her body still trembling. But then—she heard her name.

Someone was calling her. 

Her tear-streaked face snapped toward the sound, her breath hitching as she searched through the yellow haze. And then—she saw him. 

Johnathan. 

Alice's breath hitched. 

She wasn't alone. 

As soon as she saw Johnathan rushing toward her, something inside her shifted. For the first time since waking up in this yellowish hell—

SAFER. 

That was the only thing she felt. 

Johnathan reached her within seconds, dropping to his knees beside her. His hands hovered over her shoulders, his eyes scanning her face with concern.

"Are you okay? Did something happen??" 

Alice's breath hitched. She wasn't alone. 

It wasn't safe. Not really. But compared to the crushing loneliness, the overwhelming fear that she might be trapped here alone—this was enough.

She let out a shaky breath. 

Johnathan didn't stop running until he reached her. He dropped to his knees beside her, his own breath uneven, laced with worry. 

Up close, she could see the exhaustion on his face—the tension in his muscles, the slight tremble in his hands as they hovered near her shoulders, as if he wanted to grab her, to shake her, to make sure she was real.

"Are you okay? Did something happen??" 

Alice blinked. 

She wanted to answer. She really did. 

But instead—her throat tightened, and the only sound that escaped was another broken 

breath. 

Alice let out a shaky breath—then, suddenly, she giggled. 

It wasn't happy. It wasn't even normal. It was the kind of uneasy, unhinged laugh that only came when emotions were spiraling out of control. 

She wiped her face with the back of her hand, her lips curling into a weak, forced smile. 

"You're asking such dumb questions… of course something happened."

She let out another uneasy chuckle, gesturing vaguely at the sickly yellow landscape.

"Look around you, idiot."

Johnathan blinked. 

For a second, he just stared at her. 

Then, he scoffed. 

"Ugh, come on… now's not the time to be joking around..." 

But even as he said it, he felt lighter. If she could still throw in sarcastic remarks, maybe— just maybe—they weren't completely falling apart. 

His expression, however, hardened as he finally took in their surroundings properly. The endless, yellowish fog. The unnatural silence. The way the air itself felt thick, suffocating. 

Something was wrong. 

Johnathan's jaw clenched as he spoke, his voice steady, but filled with unease.

"Someone is playing a really bad prank... or maybe this isn't a prank at all."

His eyes narrowed, scanning the distance.

"Maybe... the game started." 

(Scene switches to April) 

April sat up slowly. 

Her head throbbed. A slow, rhythmic pounding. Her skin felt damp, her breath uneven. 

Something felt… off. 

She blinked, trying to clear the haze in her mind. The ground beneath her was dry and cracked, rough against her fingertips as she steadied herself. Then she noticed it. 

The silence. 

It wasn't normal. It wasn't just quiet—it was wrong. 

No wind.

No distant echoes.

No life. Just Stillness. 

She turned her head slowly, her pulse quickening. The sky above wasn't the deep blue she expected—it was yellowish ceiling on top.

Her stomach twisted.

Where was she? 

Her breath came out shaky as she whispered to herself, half-expecting an answer. 

"...Hello?"

Her voice sounded muted.

Swallowed by the still air.

Nothing responded. 

Her fingers curled into the dirt, grounding herself against the creeping panic. 

Stay calm. Think. 

She didn't remember how she got here. What was the last thing she remembered? 

Nothing. 

A chill ran through her as she realized—she had no memory of what happened before waking up. 

April took a slow step forward. 

Then another. 

Her breathing felt too loud in the stillness. Each exhale trembled. 

The silence stretched endlessly, pressing against her ears. 

She swallowed. Her throat felt dry. 

"Anyone there?" 

Her voice echoed. A faint, distorted version of her own words bouncing back at her.

She froze. 

It didn't sound right. 

The echo wasn't natural—it was delayed, warped.

As if the world around her took a second too long to respond.

Her breath hitched. 

Sweat formed at her temple, sliding down her cheek. Her fingers curled into trembling fists.

Something was watching her.

She didn't know how, but she felt it. 

Her steps grew quicker, her eyes scanning for anything—anyone. 

Nothing. 

Just endless, yellowish emptiness. 

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. This isn't real. This isn't real. 

But it was. 

And she was alone. 

She tried to look far ahead. 

But the space just… kept extending. 

No end.

No exit. 

Her stomach twisted.

"Is this… infinite?"

she muttered under her breath.

She turned her head, scanning the area.

And then— She noticed it. 

The walls. 

They weren't right. 

Their placement felt off, unnatural—as if someone built this place without understanding how walls are supposed to work.

A cold shiver crawled up her spine. 

Then— 

A noise. 

Buzzing. 

Faint at first. A soft, low hum in the background.

But the longer she stood there, the louder it got. It pressed against her skull, vibrating deep inside her head. 

April swallowed hard. 

"I feel..."

Her vision blurred for a second. 

"...dizzy."

She forced herself to move. She had to keep track of her directions. 

She walked. Took a right. Kept walking. Took another right. 

Walking. Took a left. 

Walked. Turned back. Went left again. 

Step.

Step.

Step. 

Every movement felt pointless. 

She should have found something. A door. A sign. A single clue. 

But all she found— 

Was more of the same. 

April stopped. 

Walking was pointless. 

It didn't matter where she turned—the walls had shifted. 

She blinked. Were they closer now? 

Her breath hitched. 

"I don't understand… what is this place?"

The words barely left her lips before the air changed. 

The cold sank deeper into her skin. It wasn't just cold—it was stealing her warmth, pulling it from her bones. Her fingers—numb. 

Her throat—raw, dry, freezing. 

Her heartbeat—slow. Slower. 

April shivered violently, wrapping her arms around herself, but the warmth was already gone.

The walls. 

She looked at them again—they weren't in the same place.

They were wrong. 

Closer?

Bigger?

Smaller?

Warped?

Her heart pounded. Her vision blurred. It was getting harder to think. 

Then— The buzzing.

It had always been there. A low, droning hum.

But now— It was growing. 

Louder. 

More. 

MORE.

M O R E. 

It clawed into her skull, vibrating through her bones, shaking her teeth. The lights above her flickered—pulsing in sync with the sound.

She screamed, clutching her ears. 

The pain.

The sound.

The heat.

The cold.

The shifting walls. 

Her body wasn't hers anymore. 

Something warm dripped between her fingers.

Wet.

Sticky.

Thick. 

She gasped.

Pulled her hands away. 

Blood. 

It was coming from inside her ears. 

Her heartbeat roared in her skull. Her lungs burned. 

"HELP ME!"

Her voice cracked. She reached out—

toward nothing. 

"SOMEONE HELP!"

But 

No one was coming. 

Except for something. 

The lights cut out. 

Everything went black. 

And she felt it. 

Something was in the dark. It had always been there. 

Watching.

Waiting. 

It was never going to let her leave. 

Her breath hitched. Her pulse slowed. The silence wrapped around her like a noose. 

Then— A sound. 

Not buzzing.

Not echoes.

Not breathing. 

SCREEEEEECH. 

The walls bent.

The air rippled. 

The sound tore through her skull. 

And then— She heard her own bones cracking. 

Inside her. 

Her ribs twisted.

Her jaw snapped apart. 

Her skull— Ruptured. A wet, sickening POP. 

Her brain split open inside her skull before it even had the chance to leave her body. 

Her eyes burst. A gush of blood, pushing from her sockets, running down her cheeks like 

crimson tears. 

Her body convulsed violently, but it wasn't hers anymore. Something else was pulling 

her apart.

Her flesh split. 

No, not split.

Peeled. 

Stripped. 

From the inside out. 

Her stomach tore open with a wet, grotesque rip, her intestines snapping free like a severed rope.

She had no mouth to scream anymore. 

Dentes wasn't just killing her. 

It was unmaking her. 

Her shredded lungs tried to pull in air that would never come. 

Her skull collapsed inward, like an eggshell crushed in a fist. 

Her thoughts stopped. 

Her body wasn't a body anymore.

Just a mess.

A mass of blood, organs, and crushed bones, sprayed across the yellow walls. 

Then— The lights came back. 

And all that remained— Was a room painted in April. 

No body. 

No trace of a person. 

Just a stain. 

The silence returned. 

The maze moved on. 

(Kacey perspective) 

Kasey's eyes snapped open. 

Her breath hitched—a sharp inhale, too sudden, too desperate. 

"Where am I?!" 

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Her muscles tensed, her body coiled as if ready to run. But there was no immediate threat. 

Just... silence. 

She forced herself to breathe—in, out, in, out. 

Her eyes darted around, adjusting to the dim, sickly yellow lighting. The ceiling above her was old, cracked.

The air felt... stale. She was lying on something soft. 

"A bed."

No—not her bed. 

Not any bed she recognized. 

Her hands clenched the fabric beneath her—rough, aged, dust-coated. 

Her breath steadied, but her mind raced. 

"What happened?" 

"Think." 

She sat up slowly, her fingers pressing into the mattress. It was lumpy, uneven. There was something underneath. 

Kasey's eyes narrowed. 

She pulled the cushion apart. 

If she was here, then there had to be a reason. 

And maybe, just maybe— 

There was a clue. 

Her fingers brushed against something. 

Thin.

Crinkled.

Paper. 

Kasey's heartbeat quickened as she pulled it out from beneath the cushion. 

A note.

Folded.

Worn. 

She hesitated. 

Then—she unfolded it. 

Her eyes scanned the words. 

And with each line, her breath grew shallower. 

Rules. 

Entities. 

Exhaustion. 

She swallowed hard. 

"So.. This is the game they were talking about huh..?" 

"I am ready... I am convinced... I will win"

This wasn't some random dream. 

This wasn't a prank. 

This place was real. 

Her hands tightened around the note, her nails pressing into the paper. 

The more she read, the worse it got. 

Every word etched into her brain, each one hammering in a single, undeniable truth. 

She was trapped. 

And she wasn't alone. 

Her hands shook. 

She gripped the note tighter, her breath uneven as she reread the words. 

The more she understood, the colder her stomach felt. 

Entities. 

Exhaustion. 

Death. 

The words sank in, pressing into her chest like a weight. 

Her pulse pounded.

Her skin felt clammy. 

For a split second, fear paralyzed her. 

But then— 

Something else. 

A flicker. 

A thrill. 

The fear was still there—gnawing, whispering, gripping her. 

But beneath it… There was something more. 

Her lips parted, her breath still shaky, but her eyes… they were sharper now. 

"So… this is how it is?"

Her fingers traced the edge of the paper. 

The fear didn't disappear. 

But she wasn't about to let it control her. 

If this was a game— Then she was going to play. 

"I know I will win..." 

Her thoughts flickered. 

The others. 

Are they here too? 

The idea sent a rush through her. If they were, she needed to find them. 

If they weren't, she needed a plan. 

Her grip on the note tightened. 

Fear?

Still there. 

But something stronger had taken hold.

Determination. 

It lit up inside her, pushing back the creeping dread. She wasn't going to sit here and wait for answers. She was about to step forward— When the lights died.

Instant.

Absolute.

Darkness. 

Not a flicker.

Not a slow fade. 

Just—gone. 

The room felt different. 

The air—heavier. And somewhere in the silence—

A sound. 

Faint.

Slow. 

A breath. 

Not hers. 

But From the rules she read 

She knew exactly what she had to do 

She gathered her courage. As she felt something. Someone. breathing just behind her.

Feeling the breath tingle in her ear.

But she didn't move She knew if she moved.

She would be killed.

And so She stood still. 

Not breathing. 

Holding her breath. 

And then. 

The lights came back 

The lights flickered back. 

The darkness was gone. 

Kasey's body relaxed—just slightly. Her lungs burned as she finally let out the breath she had been holding.

She survived. 

Her fingers uncurled, her heartbeat steadying. 

She hadn't expected something this dangerous, this soon. 

But it didn't matter. 

She won. 

Because she was better. 

Her lips curled slightly—not a smile, but a knowing expression. 

She had read the rules.

She had followed them. 

And she was still here. 

The others? 

Would they have survived this? 

Maybe. 

Maybe not. 

But she did. 

Her mind was sharp. 

Her body was steady. 

And as she stood there, she let the thought settle deep into her bones. 

"I am the best." 

Kasey moved quickly. 

Her steps were steady, controlled—but her mind was racing. 

She had survived once.

She wouldn't let her guard down now. 

The corridors stretched endlessly, twisting into the sickly yellow haze. She walked for what felt like minutes, maybe hours.

Then—movement. 

A figure in the distance. Kasey's muscles tensed, her breath hitching—until the shape became clear. 

Johnathan.

And right behind him—Alice. 

Both of them were walking cautiously, scanning the endless maze.

Without hesitation, Kasey called out. 

"Hey!" 

Johnathan snapped his head toward her, his body instantly on edge. Alice gasped, but her 

shoulders relaxed slightly when she saw Kasey wasn't a threat.

The three of them stopped, standing a few feet apart. 

A beat of silence. 

Then— 

"Holy shit"

Johnathan exhaled, his expression a mix of relief and disbelief.

Johnathan: "I thought it was something else."

Alice: "Same"

Alice muttered, rubbing her arms.

"What the hell is this place?" 

Kasey didn't hesitate. 

"Listen to me."

Her tone was sharp, focused.

"I know what's happening. I have answers."

That got their attention. Johnathan frowned.

"Answers? How?" "Because I found this."

Kasey pulled out the folded note. 

She unfolded it and held it up for them to see. 

"This explains everything—why we're here, what's hunting us, and what we need to do to 

survive."

Alice's eyes widened.

Alice: "Wait—you're saying this was planned?" 

Kacey: "Not just planned,"

Kasey said.

"It's a game. A twisted, impossible game. And there are rules."

Johnathan's jaw clenched.

"What kind of rules?"

Kasey's grip tightened on the paper. 

She looked them both in the eyes. 

Then—she told them everything. 

The entities. The exhaustion rule.

The dangers.

The fact that this wasn't just a nightmare— It was survival. 

By the time she finished, Alice face was pale. She looked like she wanted to vomit.

Johnathan ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.

Johnathan: "Shit… this is worse than I thought." 

Alice hugged herself, muttering.

"This can't be real. It just- it doesn't make sense." 

Kasey folded the note back and crossed her arms.

"Doesn't matter if it makes sense or not. It's real."

Her voice was calm, confident. 

"We follow the rules, we survive. We don't—"

she let the silence finish the sentence for her.

Johnathan exhaled, nodding.

"Alright. What's our plan?"

Kasey smirked slightly.

"Simple. We find the others. Then we figure out how to beat this." 

Alice was adapting.

Too quickly. 

Kasey noticed it first.

The way Alice breathing had steadied.

The way her eyes weren't filled with confusion anymore—just focus.

It wasn't normal. 

But Kasey didn't say anything. 

They had bigger things to worry about. 

Surviving.

Finding the others. Gathering resources. So they walked. 

The endless yellow corridors stretched ahead, every turn feeling like the last. 

But Kasey took note of everything—the spacing of the flickering lights, the pattern of the walls.

They had no map.

But they wouldn't get lost. 

As they moved, they searched.

For anything. 

And eventually,

they found it. 

Almond milk. Three cartons. 

Kasey picked one up, turning it in her hands.

The packaging was clean.

Sealed. 

Fresh. 

Johnathan raised an eyebrow.

"That's… weirdly convenient." 

Alice grabbed a carton, shaking it slightly.

"Well, I'm not complaining."

A little further ahead, they found a single packet of potato chips.

Johnathan smirked, lifting the bag.

"Alright. Fancy dinner tonight, huh?" 

Alice chuckled. "Gourmet, really."

For a while, they just kept moving, gathering what little they could. 

Their conversation shifted. 

Random topics.

Small things.

A distraction from where they were. 

Gossip.

Stories.

Nothing important—but it kept their minds busy. 

Alice even cracked a joke. 

For a brief moment—just a moment—it almost felt normal. 

But then Kasey looked ahead. 

And something felt wrong again.