"Okay," Ralf said, checking the watch again. "Based on the last three rearrangements, the maze shifts roughly every seven minutes."
"So how exactly does that help us?" Lana asked, frustration leaking into her voice.
Ralf looked up at her. "Well, I don't know yet. Got a better idea?"
"That's the problem!" Lana snapped.
She threw her arms out and started pacing.
"This is insane! We're actually going to die in here." She laughed once, sharp and humorless. "A fucking maze. Seriously? Out of all the ways to die?"
Nobody interrupted her.
The pressure had been building for a while now.
"We keep walking in circles, the walls keep changing, people are disappearing…" Her breathing grew uneven. "What do these bastards even want from us?!"
Her voice echoed through the corridor.
"I don't want to die here!"
The group stared at her in silence, slightly caught off guard.
Even Ralf looked surprised.
Noah carefully stepped forward. "Hey, hey… calm down a little."
"Don't touch me!" Lana snapped immediately.
Noah stopped and raised both hands. "Okay. Got it."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Noah sighed.
"But freaking out right now won't help either," he said more quietly. "Look at me."
Lana hesitated before finally looking at him.
"We're all stuck in this nightmare," Noah continued. "Every single one of us is scared. The only difference is whether we give up or keep moving."
He stretched a hand toward her.
"So which one are you?"
Lana's jaw tightened.
"Do you want to survive and get out of this place?" Noah asked. "Or do you want this maze to beat you first?"
For a few seconds, she just stared at his hand.
Then slowly, she grabbed it.
"I want to survive," she muttered.
Her expression hardened.
"And I want to beat whoever's behind this shit into the ground."
A grin spread across Noah's face immediately.
"Now that's the spirit."
The tension in the group eased slightly.
Even Maya looked mildly surprised.
Didn't know Noah had that in him.