The Only

The Stars and Us

Although it was out of my control, and entirely due to my personality traits, I still regret having that sudden burst of intrigue about walking through a maze. The thirst for a challenge was both insatiable and unavoidable, but goddamn, where was my self-control?

Indeed, this may have not been the best idea for either of us.

After the group decided on partners, which didn't take long, we each plucked out a timestamp at random.

Yes, eyes closed and all. Some were unbothered and content with their standings, while others were absolutely disconcerted.

As for our initial reaction, Joohyun and I were sitting somewhere in the middle. Truth be told, we were the last to enter the maze and start our turn, but I was uncertain if the outcome was a positive or negative one.

Once everyone in the group had gone and taken a dive into the maze-like depths, it obviously left us as the final duo. That induced a lot of pressure because everyone else either failed, bailed out, or didn't even give the challenge a try (the latter is extremely valid).

Our nerves spiked after we were given an array of good luck's, a questionable boost of wishful thinking, and other words of encouragement from our friends—a memorable goodbye.

Who knew if Joohyun and I were to ever make it out?

It was doubtful.

Even if our friends feigned their support for us, we wholeheartedly knew they didn't believe in us, and we surely didn't believe in ourselves.

It's being realistic. I respect it.

No, I'm not pessimistic when it comes to winning, but in this case, it was getting to me.

Before either Joohyun or I knew it, we were thrown into the literal trenches of hell with a worrisome time limit on our hands.

Sometimes, I forget how much I despise time limits, especially in video games.

Even if this was real life and anything but virtual, I still sense that this is going to be a doozy.

Oh, and the worst part? No phones to use as flashlights, either. Yeah, they covered all the bases. Should've foreseen that occurring, but again, I was hopeful they'd overlook that.

Because I enjoy analyzing almost anything—people, places, or things—I took a good look of what we were going against; the maze itself. I practically categorized and predetermined anything that could go awfully wrong in there, but since this is my first experience with one, I came up short with any outcomes.

I was a beginner, after all. Beginner stages are scary. You don't know what you're walking into—literally. With this one? I had no clue. My expectations were minimal, and I was absolutely unprepared, even if the others warned me of all the things that I'd soon encounter.

No matter how many times the verbal warnings of both the staff and my friends had entered my mind, I shrugged it off.

The maze's size, its overly dim atmosphere, and ominous appearance was neither menacing or intimidating to me. But once I stepped a single foot inside, and everyone's voices faded out of range, it was the most frightening experience on the planet.

Thank God, this wasn't a solo challenge, or I'd call it quits already. Bet my ego wouldn't let me, though.

However, there is one problem.

Joohyun wasn't okay. It was clear as day. The only difference between her and I is that her loss of sanity was showing.

"Hey, are you nearby?" I didn't reply right away, like I should have. I was too nuzzled within my own thoughts to do so.