S.i.N and JUDGEMENT

Chapter 4 - Twisted Labyrinth

The last of the recruits had just got back into formation after their fights. Gregory had just started to get up from the wall he had been slouched upon. I saw Luz say something to the large man, then saw Gregory leave the room without another word. "So... Is he going to be alright?" I asked softly, leaning to the side of Luz to get a look at his face.

"Ms. Kamei."

"Hikari is fine."

He sighed into his mask before putting his notepad away. "Hikari. I need you to stay in line unless you would also like to end up as an example."

I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. "I could be a good example unlike Gregory."

"Then listen to what I say from now on or else."

A bell rang that broke my concentration which made me jokingly bow at the blond man with a sly smile, before I walked back to my spot in formation. Once everyone was quiet and in line, Luz motioned for us to follow him into the next room.

The building was a lot more extravagant than I thought, because once we walked into this space I couldn't help but see just how large everything was. There were walls about 15 feet tall which seemed to go through the entirety of the area. In the middle of two barricades was the entrance to our next test.

"The next assessment is how you fare with losing certain senses. This maze is not for the weak." Luz spoke loud enough for the group to hear. "Survival of the fittest as some might say."

I stared at the man and if looks could do anything, I would have definitely scorched that mask right off of his face. A couple of minutes passed before Luz had taken his notepad out, scribbled something into it, then looked up at the group. "That was your cue to go. See you on the other side."

With that, a horde of cadets had sprinted into the labyrinth. I waited until there was an opening and snuck into the entrance. Once inside though, I could barely see a few inches in front of me before I had stepped right into another wall. I scowled and kept my hands against the wall. If there was any way I could traverse this test I knew I had to use my other senses. Letting my eyes adjust to the new darkness that had consumed the world around me, I listened to the faint whirring that seemed to come from underneath the ground. I used that to walk from space to space, keeping my hand on the wall as balance. There were other things that were distracting such as other cadets yelling at each other, people falling over with multiple thuds, and then... a blood curdling scream. My eyes widened and my head swung to where the sound had come from. I hadn't known it until I had seen one of the cadets at the time, but my body had moved on its own to help them.

"HEY! Are you alright?" I quickly asked, using my hands to figure out if they had any injuries. That's when I felt the thick liquid on my fingers. His shirt was cut open like something had clawed him.

"Oh shit, you're bleeding–"

"W-W-We gotta go! There's something fucking in here with us that did this to me–" The recruit stuttered out. That's when I heard the low snarl of something that was nearby before seeing glowing violet eyes. "Holy Fuc-"

I could barely get my words out before I saw the eyes dart toward us. I grabbed hold of the man and started to pull him toward one of the walls I knew had an opening. "You have to run! Right now!" I yelled at him before letting go and getting tackled down from my side.

When I looked up all I saw were the purple glowing pupils. Using the little light coming from their eyes, I had noticed that this was just another one of us. This woman had entered the maze before me with a couple of other people I only assumed were friends. She seemed fine but now, this cadet looked sick. Her veins were showing a darkness I hadn't seen anywhere before. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I yelled, grabbing her wrist that was coming down at me with a quickness I had only seen in Luz so far.

All I could hear from this cadet were heavy breaths and growls. I used my knee to get some distance between us before using her own body weight to push her to the side. It gave me just enough time to get myself up and running toward any opening I could find. I could hear that same blood curdling scream come from her, but kept running. I took as many turns as I could, but noticed more glowing eyes staring at me. It must have been a cruel joke to scare cadets. I didn't think about it until I saw a faint light up ahead. I ran as fast as I could, my legs begging me to stop. I didn't until I flew myself into the light and onto all fours.

My breathing was heavy and sweat had dropped to the floor from my head. A group of recruits surrounded me and had started asking questions.

"What happened? Are you okay? Why is there blood on her hands? Did you hurt one of the guys? Why is there screaming?"

I couldn't focus on any of them, my only thought was what the hell I saw in that maze. If those people were plants to scare others why did that guy get cut up. It felt like claw marks and yet the person closest was human. Was she? My thoughts raced until I saw familiar shoes on the ground I was staring at.

When I looked up, Luz was there and suddenly I was grabbed by the arm and made to stand up. I was speechless, I didn't even notice all the other cadets around me that were still asking questions as more people came out, trying to look for answers in anyone that would listen.

My stare started to turn back to the maze I was just in, but I was pulled before I could get a look. "Where are we..."

"Medical assistance." Luz had said quickly and under his breath. I didn't question him and continued to follow. When we exited, I saw A.A. look at me with a smirk as he strutted into the room we just left, the doors shutting immediately after. I couldn't help but wonder just how big of a mess I really got myself into.