Soulmate Match: The Halloween Labyrinth / BTS

Chapter 10

Min-ji POV

I had a surge of relief as we solved the first question and heard a click. A door opened in front of us, revealing a dark corridor. I had no idea what awaited us there, but it had to be better than staying in this room.

"Come on, let's go," Jin said, grabbing my hand. I gasped as I felt his warm fingers wrap around mine. He pulled me towards the door, and I followed him without thinking. I didn't have time to wonder why he was holding my hand, or what it meant. I just wanted to get out of here.

We entered the corridor,followed by Yoongi and the door slammed shut behind us. It was pitch black, and I couldn't see anything. I felt a wave of panic wash over me. I hated the dark, and I hated tight spaces. I felt like I was suffocating.

"Jin, what are you doing?" I whispered, trying to sound calm. He squeezed my hand tighter, and I felt his breath on my ear.

"I'm sorry, I'm just scared," he said. "I can't see anything, and I don't know where we're going."

I felt a pang of sympathy for him. He was usually so confident and cheerful, but now he sounded terrified. I realized that he was holding my hand for comfort, not for romance. I felt a twinge of disappointment, but I pushed it aside.

"It's okay, Jin. We'll be fine. We just have to keep walking until we find another door," I said, trying to sound reassuring. I hoped I was right.

We walked in silence for what felt like an eternity. I had no sense of direction, and I didn't know if we were going in circles or not. The silence was deafening, and I wished we could talk. But I didn't know what to say.

Jin broke the silence with a lame joke. "Hey, do you know why the chicken crossed the road?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me. "No, why?" I asked, indulging him.

"Because it was too chicken to stay on the other side," he said, and burst into laughter. I heard him slap his knee, and I wondered how he could find that funny.

"Come on, guys, that's hilarious. How can you not laugh?" he said, still chuckling.

"Oh, were we supposed to laugh?" I said, giving him a fake laugh. "Haha, that's so funny, Jin. You're such a comedian."

Yoongi muttered something under his breath. I couldn't hear what he said, but I knew it wasn't nice. He is always so grumpy and sarcastic. He is the opposite of Jin, and I wondered why they were even friends.

"How long do we have to walk? Can't you see anything? I feel like I'm going to be blind," I said, trying to change the subject.

Yoongi snorted. "Can't you ask a proper question, idiot? How can I see anything in the dark? Use your brain, Min-ji."

I felt a surge of anger. "Don't call me an idiot, you jerk. Can't you answer me nicely, for once?"

He scoffed. "Why should I? You're always so annoying and stupid. You don't deserve my respect."

I clenched my teeth. "You're the one who's annoying and stupid. You're always so rude and arrogant. You don't deserve my friendship."

We started to argue, and I forgot about Jin and the corridor. I just wanted to make Yoongi shut up. He was always getting on my nerves, and I hated him.

Our argument was interrupted by a voice. It was the unknown person who had trapped us in the labyrinth. He spoke through a speaker, and his voice was cold and cruel.

"Welcome to the labyrinth, brave adventurers. You have entered the second challenge: the riddle of the sphinx. If you can answer correctly, the lights will turn on and you will proceed to the next room. If you fail, you will be trapped here forever. Are you ready?"

I heard Jin and Yoongi gulp nervously. I felt a surge of adrenaline and curiosity.

"Yes, we are ready," Jin said, sounding more confident than he looked.

"Very well. Here is the riddle: What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?"

I racked my brain, trying to think of the answer. I had heard of this riddle before, but I couldn't remember where.

"Is it a dog?" Yoongi asked, sounding unsure.

"No, you idiot, it's not a dog," Jin snapped. "A dog doesn't walk on three legs in the evening."

"Maybe it does, if it gets injured or something," Yoongi argued.

"That's not the point. The riddle is not about a specific dog, it's about a general concept. Think harder."

"Fine, then you tell me the answer, Mr. Smartypants."

"I don't know, okay? I'm trying to think."

They started to bicker, throwing insults and accusations at each other. I rolled my eyes, feeling annoyed. They were wasting time and energy, and they were not helping at all. I decided to ignore them and focus on the riddle.

I thought about the different stages of life, and how they could relate to the number of legs. I remembered reading a book about ancient mythology, and how the sphinx was a creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. I wondered if the riddle had something to do with that.

Then, it hit me. I knew the answer.

"Guys, guys, I got it!" I shouted, interrupting their argument.

They both turned to look at me, surprised.

"What? What is it?" Jin asked.

"It's a human. A human walks on four legs in the morning, when they are a baby and crawl. They walk on two legs at noon, when they are an adult and stand. And they walk on three legs in the evening, when they are old and use a cane."

They both stared at me, speechless. I smiled, feeling proud of myself.

"That's brilliant, Min-ji. How did you figure it out?" Yoongi asked, sounding impressed.

"I just remembered something I read in a book. It's an old riddle from Greek mythology. The sphinx used to ask this riddle to travelers, and if they couldn't answer, she would eat them."

"Wow, that's creepy. Good thing you knew the answer, or we would have been her dinner," Jin said, shuddering.

I laughed, feeling relieved.

"Let's see if I'm right. Hey, voice, is the answer a human?" I asked, looking up at the speaker.

There was a pause, and then the voice said:

"Correct. You have solved the riddle of the sphinx. Congratulations. The lights will now turn on, and you will proceed to the next room. Good luck."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------