✰ REMIX ✰ Jax x Reader ⋮ TADC (GN! Reader)

13✮ Backrooms?

                                        ꜱɪx ꜰᴏʀᴛʏ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ - ɪɴꜱᴛᴜᴘᴇɴᴅᴏ
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                                              0:00 ───|────── 0:00

                                              ~✮Y/N's Perspective✮~

"Is everyone ready for a new in-house adventure?" Caine's voice booms through the circus, echoing off the brightly colored tents and whimsical structures. 

I push myself up from the floor, brushing off bits of dust and dirt.

The others are already gathering around Caine, their expressions ranging from mildly curious to outright annoyed.

Light mumbles of annoyance and chatter fill the air, and I spot Zooble rolling his eyes and starting to walk away even before the adventure is announced.

I make my way over to Gangle, who's fiddling nervously with the ribbons that hang from her mask.

"Hey, Gangle," I say, offering a small smile. "Any guesses on what Caine has planned for us this time?"

She shrugs, her ribbons fluttering with the movement. "I just hope it's not another death trap," she mutters.

Before we can continue our conversation, Caine's voice cuts through the air again. "Today's adventure will be..." He takes a cartoonishly large breath, his chest puffing out dramatically. "Magical maze!"

I furrow my eyebrows, staring up at Caine.

"Magical maze?" I echo under my breath, trying to wrap my head around what that could possibly entail.

Knowing Caine, it's bound to be more dangerous than it sounds.

Ragatha sighs beside me, crossing her arms. "Great, another labyrinth to get lost in. Just what we needed."

Pomni, looking slightly more enthusiastic, tilts her head. "Maybe it won't be so bad. It could be... fun?"

Zooble scoffs, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. Like the last adventure was 'fun'."

I look back at Caine, his ever-present grin making my skin crawl.

I really don't like this guy.

There's something unsettling about how he finds amusement in our struggles, turning our existence into his personal entertainment.

We all get huddled together and pushed into a portal of sorts.

The swirling colors and flashing lights disorient me for a moment before we're spit out on the other side. Landing on my feet this time, I quickly look around to assess our surroundings.

Walls upon walls, rooms upon rooms—there are no doors, just an eerie, dirty yellow-colored wallpaper stretching as far as the eye can see.

The smell hits me next: a strange, unsettling combination of almonds and mold. It's a scent I never thought I'd encounter, and it makes my stomach churn.

"Ugh, gross," Jax says from behind me, his voice dripping with disdain. I turn to see him wiping his hands on his overalls, looking thoroughly disgusted.

"What's gross?" I ask, trying to figure out where the hell we are.

"The ground is bloody wet," he replies irritably, showing me his now damp hands. The sight makes me grimace, grateful I managed to land on my feet and not on the ground.

"All right, everyone, I'm sure we can work this out together," Ragatha says, trying to sound calm. But I can see the tension in her posture, the slight quiver in her voice betraying her true feelings.

I scoff and cross my arms, my frustration bubbling over. "How long is it going to take you lot to realize that Caine is messed up in the head... or teeth?"

Everyone just kind of stares at me knowingly, still stumped on what to do.

The oppressive atmosphere of the maze weighs heavily on us, the walls seeming to close in ever so slightly. The wallpaper's sickly hue and the pervasive smell only add to the unsettling ambiance.

Zooble sighs, breaking the silence. "Well, standing around isn't going to get us anywhere. We need a plan."

"Welp, we may as well get to it," I say, perking up sarcastically as I start walking through the endless combination of rooms.