Connor now found himself standing inside Sensei Ino’s dojo, but something feels off. The room is eerily quiet, with sunlight streaming through the windows in unnatural, golden beams. The air smells faintly of nature, yet it feels heavy.


    In the center of the dojo lies his staff, balanced upright, glowing faintly. It looks taller, more imposing than usual. Sensei Ino stands at the far end, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. Around them, blurry, faceless students train, their movements precise and elegant, their every strike echoing with perfection.


    “You’re falling behind, Connor,” Sensei Ino says, his voice calm but cutting. Connor’s stomach knots as he stares at the staff. He picks it up, but it feels unusually heavy, almost as if it’s resisting him. The other students stop their training and turn toward him, their faceless forms now watching in silence.


    “I’m trying!” Connor says, his voice small. “I’m doing my best!”


    “Your best isn’t enough,” Sensei Ino replies. His figure seems to grow taller, more distant. The dojo begins to stretch and expand, the walls pulling farther and farther away, making Connor feel impossibly small.


    The faceless students step closer, their forms warping and twisting. They begin whispering, their voices overlapping: “He’ll never be good enough.”


    “Why does he get to be Ino’s apprentice? He doesn’t deserve to be.” “He’s going to let everyone down.”


    Connor shakes his head, gripping the staff tightly. “That’s not true! I can do this!”


    “Then show me,” Sensei Ino says. He gestures to a wooden dummy in the corner, now surrounded by glowing red targets that shift and move unpredictably.


    Connor takes a deep breath and lunges forward, swinging the staff. But the weight slows him down, and he misses his mark. The targets move faster, and with each miss, the whispers grow louder.


    The dojo begins to crumble around him. The walls splinter, the floor cracks, and beams of light break through the collapsing roof. The faceless students vanish, but their voices remain, echoing in his ears.


    “You’re not strong enough,” Sensei Ino says, his figure now shrouded in shadows. “No! I can be better!” Connor yells, tears stinging his eyes. He swings the staff with all his might, hitting one of the glowing targets. For a brief moment, the whispers stop, and a small, flickering light appears above him.


    But the staff slips from his hands, crashing to the ground. The light vanishes, and the dojo collapses entirely, leaving Connor standing alone in the rubble. He hears a new voice, softer, familiar. It’s Nova.


    “We’re counting on you, Connor,” her voice says, distant but clear. Then Ray’s voice follows: “Don’t screw this up.”


    Connor falls to his knees, gripping the staff tightly. “I won’t. I can’t.” As the rubble around him begins to rise and swirl, he looks up to see the faint outline of Sensei Ino, now standing among the debris.


    “You don’t have to be perfect, Connor,” Sensei Ino says, his voice gentler this time. “But you must always try.”


    And with that, the rubble stopped, and the world went quiet. Connor’s eyes fluttered open, his chest heaving with every shallow breath. He could still feel the weight of the dream clinging to him, the fear of disappointing everyone, the crushing pressure of his own inadequacies. It felt like the darkness from the maze hadn’t lifted, and the atmosphere was still thick with uncertainty.


    He slowly pushed himself to his feet, looking around. He was no longer in the gas chamber, but in a dimly lit corridor of the labyrinth, its walls closing in on him like the suffocating weight of expectations. The air was damp, and the floor beneath him creaked with every step he took. There was no sign of Ray or Nova.


    “Ray? Nova?” Connor called out, his voice hoarse, still affected by the gas. The silence that followed only deepened the pit in his stomach. No response.


    He clenched his fists. “Come on, don’t leave me alone here.” He wasn’t sure if he was speaking to Ray or to himself. He felt smaller in this place, unsure of his next move.


    Connor started walking down the hall, the darkness pressing against him as if the walls themselves were breathing. The labyrinth felt alive, mocking his sense of purpose. He glanced back toward the way he came, but there was no sign of the room they had been trapped in.


    It was as though the maze had shifted, or perhaps it was a trick of his mind, influenced by the lingering effects of the gas. His breath hitched as he remembered the dream. I’ve got to be stronger than this.


    He thought of his sensei, Ino, what would he think if he knew how uncertain Connor was? The pressure of those expectations had always loomed over him like a shadow. Every time he’d failed, it had felt like he was letting everyone down. If I’m not good enough, what’s the point?


    But there was something else that he had kept hidden to himself, something deeper, something that had fueled him all this time. The desire to protect. To be the one to make a difference. To not be the one left behind. To prove that he was worth the trust everyone had placed in him.


    His heart raced as he pushed forward, each step more determined than the last. “I’m not going to fail.” He muttered to himself, the words bitter on his tongue. He had to find his friends, and more than that, he had to find a way out.


    Suddenly, the walls around him shifted. A new path appeared ahead, its entrance flanked by glowing symbols carved into the stone. It wasn’t a door, but a narrow gap between two columns that seemed to pulse with energy.


    A soft whisper drifted through the space, beckoning him forward. He hesitated for a moment but then forced himself to move, compelled by a mix of fear and determination.


    As he stepped through the gap, the passage opened up to a grander room, a cavernous hall lined with shelves of ancient books and glowing crystals. At the far end, a single pedestal stood, upon which rested what looked like another key.


    The key glowed faintly, Its surface covered in swirling runes that seemed to shift and change with the passage of time. The closer Connor got, the more the air seemed to hum, like the key was calling to him.


    This has to be it, he thought, his fingers itching to grasp it. But as he stepped closer, the room began to tremble, the ground beneath his feet shifting. The walls groaned as if in protest. He stopped just short of the pedestal, his eyes darting around.


    Before he could reach out, a voice echoed through the room, a low, menacing laugh that sent chills down his spine. “Foolish child,” the voice growled, sending vibrations through the ground. “You think you can claim the key so easily?”


    Connor’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s there?” he demanded, his voice more forceful than he felt. He stood his ground, trying to steady his breathing, but his hands still trembled slightly at his sides.


    The laughter faded, and a shadow shifted in the corner of the room. It took shape, an imposing figure, cloaked in darkness, with glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through the air.


    “You’re not ready for this test,” the figure said, its voice deep and rumbling. “This key is only for those worthy of it. You… are not.”


    Connor’s chest tightened. “I’m not afraid of you!” He shouted, his voice breaking the silence. “I won’t let anyone down anymore. I’ll protect them. I’ll protect everyone!”


    The shadow smirked, stepping forward with unnerving grace. “You think you can protect others when you cannot protect yourself from your own fear?” The figure raised a hand, and the ground trembled again, as if the maze itself was closing in on Connor.


    His heart raced, the weight of his past failures pressing down on him. For a moment, he almost felt like giving up. Maybe he was weak. Maybe he wasn’t good enough. But then he remembered Ray and Nova, and the way they had always believed in him, even when he couldn’t believe in himself.


    “No,” Connor whispered, shaking his head as he clenched his fists. “I’m not giving up. Not again.”


    He charged forward, reaching for the key. The room seemed to fight against him, but Connor’s resolve pushed through. He wasn’t about to let his fears control him any longer.


    Just as his fingers brushed the key, the figure let out another laugh, a sound that vibrated through his bones. “Let’s see if you truly have the strength you claim to possess,” it sneered.


    Suddenly, the air around him grew cold, and the walls began to close in faster. Connor’s heart pounded as he yanked the key from its pedestal, the runes glowing brightly in his hands.


    But the figure’s voice echoed one last time. “You may have the key, but the true test is still ahead.”


    Connor gritted his teeth, clutching the last key tightly. “I don’t care. I’ll face it all.” With that, he turned and bolted toward the exit, the walls still shifting, but now he was focused. He wouldn’t let fear dictate his future.


    And as he ran, the shadow’s voice faded into the distance, replaced by the sound of his own determined footsteps. As Nova slept, she found herself now standing on a vast, dark ocean under a starry sky. As The water stretches out infinitely in all directions, and the only light comes from the stars above, which seem to twinkle as if alive. The air is still, and a deep silence surrounds her, broken only by the gentle lapping of waves. She can feel a strange pull in the distance, like something calling her, but she Isn''t sure what it is.


    She walks toward the source of the pull, her feet sinking into the wet sand beneath the water, and soon comes upon an island in the middle of the ocean. On the island is an enormous, glowing tree whose branches stretch far beyond the horizon. The tree seems to be alive, pulsing with energy, its bark shimmering in the moonlight.


    As Nova approaches the tree, the ground begins to quake beneath her feet. A shadowy figure steps out from behind the tree, an older, more powerful version of herself, her eyes glowing with the same starry light that Nova herself carries. The older version smiles warmly at Nova but then looks down at the ground, her expression growing serious.


    “You’ve always felt this pull,” the older Nova says softly. “But do you understand why?” Nova shakes her head, confusion clouding her thoughts. “What do you mean?”


    The older Nova looks up, her eyes filled with an intensity that makes the air around them grow heavier. “You’ve always wanted to help, to protect those around you. But you don’t see the cost. The more you give, the more you lose. That is the nature of the stars, you can’t always shine without fading.”


    Nova feels the weight of the words pressing on her chest. She stares at her older self, a cold realization settling in. Her constant drive to protect others had always been a part of who she was, but now, looking ahead, she sees a future where the act of saving others might come at a far greater cost. She wonders, quietly, how long she can keep giving without losing herself along the way.


    But before she can respond, the island begins to crumble, the ground cracking beneath her feet. She looks back toward the ocean, but the water has turned black, and monstrous waves rise up like towering walls, threatening to engulf everything.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    “You have to decide, Nova,” the older version warns, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waves. Her gaze Is heavy, filled with an unspoken sadness as she steps closer, her presence almost ethereal, as if the winds themselves are pulling her away. “Their lives?” she continues, her voice trembling with a quiet urgency, “Or ours?”


    Nova reaches out, but the waves come crashing toward her, and just before they engulf her, she wakes up, gasping for air, her body drenched in sweat. As Nova opened her eyes, her chest heaved, the cold stone floor beneath her felt both familiar and alien. The damp chill of the labyrinth clung to her skin, the faint scent of mold and dust filling her nostrils. Her head throbbed, the remnants of the gas still leaving her senses dull. Groaning softly, she pushed herself up onto shaky legs, her body feeling heavier than it ever had before.


    “Ray? Connor?” she called out, her voice echoing faintly in the dark chamber. The silence that followed made her stomach twist. The walls around her loomed tall, carved with intricate patterns that seemed to writhe and shift when she looked at them too long. Her starlight flickered to life, casting a faint glow that pushed back the oppressive shadows, but it did little to comfort her.


    She stumbled forward, the labyrinth’s unsettling architecture seeming to stretch and twist the space around her. Every step felt as though she were walking in circles.


    “Come on, Nova, think,” she muttered under her breath, trying to shake off the dizziness. “They have to be close. Ray’s probably panicking, and Connor’s… probably yelling at him.” The thought almost made her smile, but it faded as quickly as it came.


    Suddenly, a voice echoed through the chamber, soft and familiar yet tinged with an otherworldly edge. “Lost, are we?”


    Nova froze, spinning toward the sound. Her heart pounded as a shadow stepped forward from the gloom, its edges shimmering faintly like starlight caught in a mirror. It was her again, her older self, the one from the dream. “You,” Nova whispered, her voice barely audible.


    The older Nova stepped closer, her presence both calming and unnerving. “You’re separated from them now,” she said, her tone neither cruel nor kind. “This was always going to happen. You were always going to face this alone.”


    “No,” Nova said, shaking her head, her light flaring defiantly. “They’re here somewhere. I just need to find them.”


    The older Nova tilted her head, a faint, sad smile playing on her lips. “And if you can’t? What then? Will you keep giving all you have until there’s nothing left of you? Or will you realize that some battles are meant to be fought alone?”


    Nova clenched her fists, anger bubbling in her chest. “I don’t need your riddles right now,” she snapped. “I need to find my friends.”


    The older version regarded her for a moment, then stepped back, fading into the shadows. Her voice lingered, soft but piercing. “You’ll have to decide soon, Nova. Their lives or yours. The labyrinth doesn’t make exceptions.”


    As the figure disappeared, the air grew colder, the silence pressing down on her like a weight. Nova clenched her jaw, forcing herself to move forward. The shadows seemed to deepen with every step, her starlight flickering uncertainly.


    “Ray… Connor…” she called again, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to stay strong.


    In the distance, faint laughter echoed through the halls. It wasn’t her friends. It was the same voice from before. His deep, mocking voice filled the air, reverberating off the walls like a cruel symphony.


    “You’re all alone now, star-child,” he taunted. “Your light is bright, yes, but even the brightest stars burn out when left to fend for themselves. Shall we see how long you last?”


    Nova’s grip tightened, her glow intensifying. “I’m not afraid of you,” she spat, her voice steady despite the chill crawling up her spine.


    The laughter only grew louder, fading into the distance as if inviting her to follow. Nova hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to turn back, but there was no other choice. Swallowing her fear, she pressed on, her determination burning as fiercely as her star form.


    Nova pushed forward, her footsteps echoing faintly against the uneven stone floor of the labyrinth. The faint starlight emanating from her hands barely illuminated the immediate area, casting long, flickering shadows against the twisting walls. Her breathing was steady now, but her mind raced. The labyrinth’s oppressive silence was broken only by the occasional faint creak of stone, as if the maze itself was alive and shifting.


    The air grew colder, and Nova’s skin prickled as the dark seemed to press in closer. Her thoughts turned to Ray and Connor. Ray’s quiet determination and Connor’s brazen confidence had always been their anchors in moments like this. Without them, the weight of the situation bore down on her harder.


    “Keep it together, Nova,” she whispered to herself. “You’ve handled worse.”


    She rounded a corner and came to an open chamber. The room was circular, with an ornate design carved into the floor, concentric circles radiating outward, filled with strange, cryptic runes that pulsed faintly with light. At the center stood a pedestal, atop which rested a small, crystalline orb glowing faintly with the same starlight she carried.


    Nova approached cautiously, the faint hum of the runes vibrating under her feet. She reached out to the orb, her instincts screaming that it was important, though she couldn’t explain why. As her fingers brushed the smooth surface, the room lit up with a blinding light.


    “Nova,” a voice called out sharply. She spun around, startled. It wasn’t the spirit’s voice this time. The voice belonged to Connor, or at least it sounded like him. Yet when she turned, the room was empty.


    “Connor?” she called, her voice echoing unnaturally.


    The light dimmed, and the walls around her seemed to ripple, the runes on the floor shifting into new patterns. The faint sound of footsteps echoed behind her, but every time she turned to look, no one was there.


    “I’m here!” Connor’s voice shouted again, closer now. “Nova, help me!”


    Her pulse quickened. “Where are you? I’m coming!” she called, running toward the sound.


    As she sprinted through the twisting corridors, the walls seemed to shift and warp, the labyrinth responding to her every move. The air grew thicker, almost suffocating, and the faint glow of her starlight began to flicker. The laughter of the spirit returned, weaving in between Connor’s cries for help.


    “Do you think you’re running to save him, child?” The spirit''s voice coiled through the air like smoke, taunting and cold. “Or are you running straight into my hands?”


    Nova ignored him, her focus razor-sharp on the faint, pleading calls ahead. She skidded to a stop in a new chamber, her eyes darting around. The room was empty except for a large mirror that stretched from floor to ceiling, its surface rippling like water.


    Her reflection stared back at her, but it wasn’t right. The version of herself in the mirror was older, her face lined with exhaustion, her once-brilliant starlight dimmed to a faint glow. The older Nova stepped out of the mirror, her movements fluid and ghostlike, her gaze piercing.


    “You’re chasing death,” the older Nova said, her voice heavy with weariness. “You think you’re saving them, but this is where it ends.”


    “No,” Nova said, her voice firm despite the doubt creeping into her mind. “Connor’s here. Ray’s here. I have to keep going.”


    The older Nova sighed, her form shimmering faintly. “And when you lose them? What will be left of you?”


    Before Nova could respond, the room quaked violently. The mirror shattered into countless shards, each reflecting a fragment of Nova’s terrified face. From the shards, dark tendrils of smoke emerged, swirling and converging into a humanoid figure.


    The spirit, stood before her now, his presence overwhelming. His eyes gleamed like molten gold, and his voice dripped with malice. “You’re fun to watch, star-child. Always so brave, so determined. But bravery doesn’t save you here.”


    Nova took a step back, her starlight flaring instinctively. “Get out of my way.”


    The spirit chuckled, his voice reverberating like a thousand whispers. “Oh, I’ll step aside. But only if you prove yourself worthy. Let’s see how brightly you can shine… before you fade!”


    The room erupted Into chaos as the shadows around the spirit lunged toward her, each one an inky, writhing mass of claws and teeth. Nova raised her hands, her light blazing as she fought back. The battle began, her movements fluid and fierce, but the weight of her earlier exhaustion made every strike a struggle.


    “Connor… Ray,” she whispered between breaths, gritting her teeth as she pushed back the shadows. “Hold on. I’m coming.”


    Elena now found herself standing in a void unlike anything she had ever seen. It wasn’t empty, it was filled with countless shards of glass, floating and turning weightlessly in the air. Each shard held flickering, distorted images: moments of her life, her home, and her adventures with Kai and Mara. The fragments shimmered, their glow pulsating like dying stars. A cold wind swirled through the void, carrying a low, mournful hum that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.


    She wrapped her arms around herself, her constellation-patterned cloak fluttering like it was caught in an unseen storm. “Kai? Mara?” she called, her voice trembling. Only her echo responded, a hollow sound swallowed by the infinite space.


    A glimmer caught her eye, a massive shard ahead, larger than the others and glowing with an ominous red light. As if compelled, she took a hesitant step forward. The hum grew louder, resonating deep in her chest, making her stomach churn.


    When she reached the shard, her breath hitched. Inside, she saw Kai and Mara. They were trapped, pounding on the glass with desperate eyes, their mouths moving In silent screams. Cracks branched out from where their fists struck, but the glass held firm, unyielding.


    “Kai! Mara!” Elena screamed, slamming her hands against the shard. It was ice-cold to the touch, sending a shiver through her. “I’m here! I’ll get you out!”


    Her voice trembled, but before she could do anything more, the void began to shift. Shadows seeped from the edges of the shard, curling and twisting around her like living smoke. They whispered her name, their voices soft yet laced with venom.


    “You’ve always needed them, haven’t you?” a voice hissed in her ear.


    Elena spun around, but no one was there. The shadows danced just out of reach, their whispers growing louder.


    “They make the choices. They keep you safe. What do you do, Elena? Hide behind them? Cry for help?”


    “That’s not true,” she whispered, shaking her head.


    The shadows coiled tighter, their words cutting deeper. “You’re weak. A burden. Always needing to be protected. Always afraid.”


    Her hands clenched into fists as she turned back to the shard. The reflections of Kai and Mara grew hazy, distorted as cracks webbed across the surface. She screamed and pounded on the glass, but it felt like striking solid stone.


    The shadows laughed, the sound cold and mocking. “Save them, Elena. If you can.”


    Suddenly, a shape emerged from the darkness: a figure identical to her, cloaked in swirling shadows. Its eyes were empty voids, staring through her. “But we both know you can’t,” the doppelg?nger said, its voice low and cruel.


    Elena stumbled back, tears welling in her wide green eyes. “Stop it! That’s not true!”


    The doppelganger stepped closer, its presence oppressive. “Isn’t it? You let them lead. You let them fight. And when it comes to you? You freeze. You fail. You’re afraid.”


    The void around her fractured. The shards of glass spiraled into a storm, the images within them shattering into stardust. The ground beneath her feet gave way, and she fell into the darkness.


    The last thing she heard was the voice of her shadow self, cold and final: “You’ll always be alone.” Elena jolted awake, her body trembling violently as she gasped for air. The cold stone floor of the labyrinth pressed against her back, a stark contrast to the infinite void of her dream. Her heart thundered in her chest as her wide eyes darted around, searching for her friends.


    “Kai? Mara?” she called out, her voice hoarse and panicked. The only reply was the hollow echo of her own words bouncing off the labyrinth’s walls. The silence was suffocating, the shadows stretching unnaturally in the dim light.


    Her hands clutched her cloak, her fingers shaking as she tried to steady herself. The dream clung to her, its cruel words still echoing in her mind. You’re weak. A burden. Always afraid.


    She forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her weight. “This isn’t real,” she whispered to herself, her voice cracking. “It’s just the maze. Just another trick.”


    But the fear wouldn’t leave her. Every shadow felt alive, every sound amplified in the deafening silence. She stumbled forward, clutching the wall for support, her mind racing. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly alone.


    Kai found himself standing in an open field under a twilight sky, the air tinged with a strange, unearthly stillness. The stars above were unusually bright, forming constellations that shimmered like they were alive. He looked around, calling out. “Mara? Elena? Where are you?”


    His voice echoed back at him, distorted and hollow. The ground beneath his feet trembled, and the field began to change. The grass withered, replaced by jagged cracks that spread like veins. The stars above dimmed, and a cold wind swept past him, carrying faint, disembodied voices.


    “Kai…” Elena’s soft voice whispered, barely audible. He turned sharply, only to see her standing a few feet away. She looked pale, her eyes wide with fear. Her lavender hair was dull, and her body flickered like a weak flame. She reached out to him, her voice trembling. “Help me…”


    Before he could move, shadows burst from the cracks in the ground, spiraling around her. Elena screamed as the darkness pulled her down, her form disappearing into the void. Kai lunged forward, but his hands met only air.


    A sharp scream echoed behind him. He turned, his breath catching as he saw Mara. She stood on the edge of a crumbling cliff, her fiery red hair whipping in the wind. Her amber eyes locked onto his, filled with pain and fear.


    “Kai, don’t let me go!” she yelled, her voice cracking. The cliff beneath her feet began to break apart. Kai sprinted toward her, his legs feeling like lead. “Mara! Hold on!”


    But the distance between them stretched impossibly, no matter how fast he ran. The ground beneath Mara gave way, and she plummeted into the abyss. Her scream tore through the air, piercing and final.


    Kai dropped to his knees, staring into the void where his friends had disappeared. The shadows swirled around him, mocking laughter filling his ears. “You can’t protect them. You never could.”


    The stars above vanished entirely, plunging him into darkness. Kai jolted awake with a gasp, his chest heaving as sweat dripped down his face. The cold, damp air of the labyrinth hit him like a slap, and his surroundings came into focus. He was alone.


    The dim, flickering light of the maze cast long, twisting shadows across the stone walls. The distant sound of creaking wood and shifting stone filled the silence. Kai pushed himself up, his hands trembling as he realized neither Mara nor Elena were with him.


    “No…” he whispered, his voice shaky. “Not again.” Panic clawed at his chest as he frantically looked around. “Mara! Elena!” His voice echoed through the labyrinth, but there was no response, only the eerie silence.


    He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he tried to steady his breathing. “Think, Kai. They have to be close. They have to be.”


    But the dream’s lingering weight pressed down on him, his worst fears now amplified by his isolation. Forcing himself to move, he started down the nearest corridor, his determination battling the gnawing dread that he might already be too late.