Hawk moved quickly through the corridor, his steps steady and sure. Taro followed close behind, his boots striking harder, breath catching as he tried to match the pace.
"Do you even know where you're going, young prince?"
Hawk didn't answer. The silence stretched just long enough to turn tense.
"Are you questioning me?"
"No, young prince. I would never doubt you."
"Good. Remember, it."
"Yes, sir."
Taro bit back the rest of his thoughts.
'Arrogant bastard. One day, you'll get what's coming.'
The maze rotated unpredictably as Taro and Hawk moved through it, finally opening into a room where Jason and Bjorn stood alert while Colt lay resting.
Hawk grabbed Bjorn by the neck and pushed him upward.
"Did anyone enter the maze before us?"
"No, sir. We're as confused as you."
Cruelty flickered in Hawk's eyes.
Without a word, Hawk slammed Bjorn to the ground. He stepped down hard on his head, drew Eclipse, and tore out his tongue.
"AAARGH... AAARGH..."
Taro stepped in.
"Sir, this isn't worth your time. We have bigger problems."
Hawk stood still for a moment... then stepped back.
"Consider yourselves lucky."
BOOM!
The room buckled. The floor split. Rubble rained down as Hawk and Taro were separated by collapsing stone.
Coughing, Taro pulled himself from the dust, calling out.
"Young prince! Can you hear me?"
Taro waited, but no reply came.
"If you can hear me, I'll meet you at the top."
He paused. Then muttered under his breath.
'Not that I care. Die down here for all I care.'
Taro pushed into a wide, echoing corridor and pulled a device from his pocket.
"This is Taro. Do you copy?"
"Hello, can anyone hear me?"
White noise buzzed in his ear before a voice came through.
"Took you long enough."
Taro exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders.
"Archer, good to hear your voice."
Draven's voice cut in, sharp as ever.
"Skip the reunion. What's going on?"
"I had a shadow on my back. That arrogant prince wouldn't leave me alone long enough to breathe."
Taro's voice tightened with urgency.
"Kai's in the maze. I saw him myself."
Silence hung heavy in the comms. Then Draven's voice broke through.
"Are you sure?"
"I watched him enter with my own eyes."
A brief pause, then Agent 5 spoke up, calm but firm.
"So, what's our next step?"
"Void's comm is dead. I'm going in to find him inside the maze."
Taro's voice was steady but urgent.
"Draven, Archer, stop anyone else trying to get in. We don't need more trouble."
"Agent 5, track Void, Kai, and Hawk. Keep them in sight and hold me updated."
"That's it. Stay sharp. Move fast."
***
"Vin, slow down! I can't match your pace."
"Then push harder. We don't have time to fall behind."
They moved quickly through the lower levels of the maze, heading toward the tower where Ancestors' Rage waited at the top.
Kai ran just a step behind, his breath growing uneven. Vin didn't slow.
Vin glanced sideways at Kai, observing him in silence.
'You'd better prove me right, Kai... because if I'm wrong, we might not both make it out of here.'
***
Zeru lay stretched out on the cold stone, gasping for air. His vision pulsed, dark edges creeping in as everything blurred into haze.
"Zeru... hey. Stay with me."
A familiar voice called out.
"May...? How did you..."
"Found you... Forget how. It doesn't matter right now. We need to find you a doctor."
Zeru tried to sit up, but pain rolled through his chest.
"All I need is sleep and food. I'll be fine."
"No, you won't."
May crouched beside him, her face pale, lips tight.
"Zeru... your skin. It's turning purple."
"What?"
"You've been poisoned. You don't get help soon, you're dead."
Silence hung between them, cold and cutting, until Zeru muttered under his breath.
"Bring me my weapon."
May scanned the room and spotted Inferno wedged atop a nearby boulder. She ran toward it.
As May grabbed Inferno, the maze rotated again, sending her and the weapon into one room while Zeru himself fell into another.
Zeru collapsed onto the cold, hard floor, each movement sending fresh aches through him.
He groaned, rolled over, then suddenly froze.
Zeru looked up and suddenly saw a man standing next to him wearing a short cloak, full body armor, and a mask, motionless like a statue, staring down at him.
Zeru didn't recognize him. This man wasn't there when the test began or in any round since. Uncertain, he asked.
"Who are you?"
YOU ARE READING
UNIFIED W
FantasyIn this world where people have crystal powers, fate chose Kai to once again reunite the seven clans, who are in a constant civil war with each other for centuries. Although Kai were chosen, his path is full of despair and pain, but a voice keeps te...
