The light of the safe zone didn't vanish.
—
It dimmed.
—
Slowly.
—
The protective hum that once felt stable… began to thin.
Like something withdrawing.
—
The fox girl's ears twitched instantly.
Her entire body stilled.
"…It's fading."
Low.
Certain.
—
The boy frowned.
"…What do you mean—?"
—
Before she could answer—
The voice returned.
—
Clear.
Calm.
Unbothered.
—
"Safe zones will now be released."
—
A pause.
—
"Occupancy has been recorded."
—
Another.
—
"Those who secured a zone… may proceed."
—
The faint glow beneath their feet flickered once—
Then began to dissolve.
—
The barrier surrounding them thinned—
Then—
Vanished.
—
The maze returned.
—
Cold.
Heavy.
Watching.
—
The man swallowed hard.
"…So… no more safe spots?"
—
The fox girl shook her head slightly.
"…No. That was just a filter."
Her gaze sharpened.
"…Now it gets worse."
—
The boy exhaled slowly.
"…Of course it does…"
—
Draven stepped forward.
—
**Clink.**
—
Out of the fading circle.
—
He didn't wait.
Didn't hesitate.
—
The others followed immediately.
—
The moment they crossed the boundary—
The maze shifted.
—
Walls groaned softly.
Paths twisted.
The air itself grew tighter—
More oppressive.
—
Then—
The voice spoke again.
—
Softer.
Closer.
—
"Remaining teams…"
A faint pause.
—
"…five."
—
Silence.
—
The number settled in.
—
The boy's eyes widened slightly.
"…Five…?"
—
The fox girl's expression hardened.
"…That means…"
—
"…We're near the end."
—
The man's breathing turned uneven again.
"…So… we have to fight them all…?"
—
Draven didn't answer.
—
He was already walking.
—
Deeper.
—
Because he understood.
—
This wasn't a maze anymore.
—
It was a cage.
—
And inside it—
Only a few would walk out.
—
The fox girl moved slightly ahead, her senses spreading once more.
"…Careful," she murmured.
"…Now they'll be hunting just as aggressively."
—
The boy clenched his fists.
"…Yeah…"
—
A faint echo drifted through the corridor.
—
Footsteps.
—
Not theirs.
—
The fox girl stopped instantly.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Left corridor."
—
Draven didn't even turn.
—
"…Go."
Flat.
—
The boy blinked.
"…What—?"
—
The fox girl didn't hesitate.
She moved.
Fast.
—
The boy followed.
—
The man stumbled after them.
—
Draven followed last.
Unhurried.
—
Because whoever was ahead—
—
Was already dead.
—
The corridor bent sharply—
Then opened slightly—
—
And there—
—
Another team.
—
Four of them.
—
Already moving.
Already aware.
—
Their eyes snapped toward the incoming group—
—
And the moment they saw Draven—
—
Everything changed.
—
Fear.
—
Instant.
Raw.
Unhidden.
—
"…No—"
One of them stepped back.
"…It's him—!"
—
Too late.
—
Draven stepped into the corridor.
—
**Clink.**
—
And the hunt—
Resumed.
—
The tension snapped—
Right before it could explode.
—
Both sides had already shifted.
Muscles tightened.
Breaths held.
—
Ready.
—
Then—
The voice returned.
—
"Now, now…"
Smooth.
Amused.
—
"No one told you to start fighting."
—
Everything froze.
—
The corridor stilled—
Like the maze itself was listening.
—
The fox girl's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What now…?"
—
The voice continued.
Light.
Almost entertained.
—
"If you're so eager to kill each other… you'll have time for that later."
—
A faint pause.
—
"But for now…"
—
The air shifted.
—
"…there is a portal."
—
Silence.
—
The boy blinked.
"…A portal…?"
—
The man stiffened.
"…Where…?"
—
The voice chuckled softly.
—
"Somewhere in the maze."
—
A beat.
—
"You'll have to find it."
—
The fox girl's tail flicked sharply.
"…Of course we do."
—
The voice continued.
—
"And just to make things… interesting…"
A pause.
—
"It will only remain open for ten minutes."
—
The words dropped.
Heavy.
Final.
—
"And those who fail to reach it…"
—
A slight distortion in the air.
—
"…will be eliminated."
—
Silence crashed down.
—
No one moved.
No one spoke.
—
Because now—
Everything had changed.
—
The boy's eyes widened.
"…Ten minutes?!"
—
The man's face paled instantly.
"…That's not enough—!"
—
The fox girl's expression hardened.
Sharp.
Focused.
"…It's enough if you don't waste it."
—
Across from them—
The other team didn't hesitate.
—
They turned—
And ran.
—
No words.
No hesitation.
—
Because survival—
Came first.
—
The boy clicked his tongue.
"…Damn it—!"
—
The fox girl stepped forward immediately.
"…We move. Now."
Her voice cut clean.
Commanding.
—
"…Fighting is pointless if we don't make it there."
—
The man nodded quickly.
"…R-right—!"
—
Draven stood still for half a second longer.
—
His gaze shifted once—
Across the maze.
—
Listening.
Measuring.
—
Then—
He stepped forward.
—
**Clink.**
—
"…This way."
Flat.
—
The fox girl's eyes flicked to him.
"…You can tell?"
—
He didn't answer.
—
He just walked.
—
And they followed.
—
Because now—
This wasn't a hunt.
—
It was a race.
—
The maze twisted around them.
Walls shifting.
Paths bending.
—
Every second mattered.
—
Every wrong turn—
Death.
—
The boy's breathing quickened as he ran.
"…Ten minutes… ten minutes…"
—
The man struggled to keep up.
"…Where is it…?!"
—
The fox girl's senses spread wide—
Searching—
Feeling—
—
Then—
Her eyes snapped forward.
"…I feel it—!"
—
A surge of energy.
Far.
But real.
—
"…Straight ahead—then right—then a split path!"
—
Draven didn't slow.
Didn't question.
—
He was already moving.
—
Because he had already seen it.
—
That pulse.
That distortion.
That **signature**.
—
His eyes shifted—
Crimson.
Faintly glowing beneath the dim light of the maze.
—
Every corridor—
Every wall—
Every shift—
—
He **read** it.
—
Mana wasn't invisible to him.
Not like this.
—
It bent.
Flowed.
Leaked.
—
And the portal—
Was loud.
—
"…Left."
—
He turned without slowing.
—
The others followed instantly.
—
The fox girl's ears twitched.
"…You're locking onto it…"
Low.
Impressed.
—
No answer.
—
"…Right."
—
Another turn.
—
The maze twisted—
But it didn't matter.
—
Draven didn't hesitate.
Not once.
—
Because to him—
There was only one path.
—
The boy's breathing grew heavier.
"…We're getting closer…"
—
He could feel it now.
—
That pull.
That pressure.
—
The man stumbled slightly.
"…I—I feel it too—!"
—
The fox girl's eyes sharpened.
"…Strong… very strong…"
—
Then—
One last turn.
—
And they saw it.
—
At the end of a widening corridor—
Space itself distorted.
—
A swirling tear—
Spinning slowly—
Pulling inward.
—
The portal.
—
Raw.
Unstable.
—
And already—
Fading at the edges.
—
"…There—!" the boy shouted.
—
Relief surged—
—
But didn't last.
—
Because they weren't alone.
—
Two teams.
—
Already there.
—
One stood near the entrance—
Guarded.
Ready.
—
The other—
Mid-fight—
Trying to force their way through.
—
Time—
Running out.
—
The fox girl's expression hardened immediately.
"…Of course."
—
The boy clenched his fists.
"…They're blocking it…!"
—
The man's voice shook.
"…W-what do we do—?!"
—
Draven didn't slow.
Didn't stop.
—
His eyes stayed on the portal.
—
"…Go through."
Flat.
—
The fox girl blinked.
"…Through them?"
—
Draven stepped forward.
—
**Clink.**
—
No hesitation.
—
No doubt.
—
No alternative.
—
They weren't a wall.
—
They were just—
In the way.