Fragments of Time ( A Disney Twisted Wonderland x OC story) Book I

6.8 - The Dark Labyrinth (Team A sidestory)

Okay so before we launch into this chapter, I'm just gonna say for the record: I'm mashing up all the side stories from 6-66 and 6-67 into their own respective parts. Like this is gonna just follow Team A, the next will be just Team B and Team C will be last. And there Ain't no way in hell I'm making this thing double or triple parts, so good luck reading over 10K for the next three chapters.
—————————

The elevator stops with a sharp jolt, forcing Charlie, Vil and the others to climb out of the elevator and look around at the vast space. Charlie tried not to look over the edge, as tempting as it was to look down into the abyss. But she'd pass out just seeing it. And the moans of the dead weren't helping her either.

"So...here we are...the Phantom prison: Tartaros..." Vil breathed, drinking in the dark space as her. "Just seeing the size and depth of it makes me shudder violently..."

Epel shivers and huddles towards Charlie. "The air's getting so cold...it's almost like back in my hometown...but it's...somehow darker...."

"Same as both of you...it feels off somehow...not in the good way..." Rook nods. "It's not that I feel the cold air...but it's more of an 'Air of Death' I can't shake off..."

"This screams of a place where any living being steps in here, they're out in .5 seconds..." Charlie murmurs. "One can wonder how deep it goes...." With their words, they began their trek down into the depths. Vil quickly looks through the digital map of the facility, four dots moving around in the map, marked as him, Charlie and the others.

"We'll need to use the elevator once more to get down to the bottom...." Vil went to unlock it, but it wouldn't respond. "Of course, it's not working now."

"Ortho's got a hold over everything." Epel grimaced. "If they didn't want us intruding on their plans then....maybe they didn't want us using a cheat or something...." Suddenly, the doors opened without warning, making everyone grow on edge.

"It's likely a trap. A mischeviously powerful android can have tricks up its sleeve...but let's get this over with." Vil hissed. As soon as the last person was inside, the doors shut behind them and plunged the whole box into darkness.

"Hello! Welcome, Team A to Tower 1 of the Cursed Tartaros Labyrinth!" Ortho sounded overhead.

"Well~, speak of the devil~." Vil smirks at the voice.

"Never did I think we'd get to try out a prototype of Night Raven Quest firsthand! And we;ve got new characters and new powers added to the roster!

" 'Night Raven Quest'? What's that?" Epel asked.

"Likely a little RPG Idia dreamt up." Charlie snarks.

"Correct you are, miss Charlie! It's a team vs team vs team type of genre! If you want to reach the Underworld and face us, then clearing the beginner stage should be easy as pie!" The darkness transforms into a galactical-themed space as the title of the game flashed in 3-D graphics above before the four's eyes, just like a real-life simulation.

"I've played this game before in the resting room...." Vil murmurs.

"That's right! If you pass one level, you're given access to travel down!"

"Aight, let's do this!" Charlie cracks her knuckles. "Having dealt with Smash Bros and more fighting games, this is gonna be a piece of-Guh!" Charlie was walking forward as she spoke, but she hit something that made her stumble back. She massaged her cheek that smacked against the wall, and moved her outstretched hand forward, weirded out, only to feel glass instead of empty space, turning her confusion to fear. "H-Hey! Hey, guys!!" she knocks on the glass, getting the three's attention on the other side of the glass from her. Epel saw her and ran up to her.