MCSM: Shattered Souls [COMPLETED]

7- In Which We Begin the Trials

The next day got really crazy, really fast. It didn't start too bad...but I guess that should've been my warning, the calm before the storm.

Jaq was the last one up, and while the rest of us were waiting for her to wake up, we sat in the main room and speculated what might be ahead of us that day.

"He said something about a maze, didn't he?" Jenni asked. She was running her hands through her long brown hair, braiding the red streak in the front. She didn't even seem to notice she was doing it, kind of like a nervous tic.

"Yeah. There's lots of different kinds of mazes though...and I doubt it'll be something simple." Jandro replied.

"I think I'd rather take a maze over, like...a hydra or something." Joss added, and Justin shuddered. "No kidding."

I remembered Ivor's maze in the Farlands that I had to go through. "I dunno. Mazes aren't really my thing."

"Me neither." Jandro agreed. Jenni got an oddly excited look in her eyes. "You kidding? I love mazes. So many different paths, and I love the mystery of it, and they somehow feel peaceful and exciting at the same time..."

"Yeah, something tells me this isn't gonna be like that." Jandro said drily.

"Maybe because we're in an impossible prison beyond the Farlands?" Joss added. The words should've been sarcastic, but he just sounded bored. No one seemed to know what to say after that, though Justin was physically biting his lip, I assume to avoid spouting out a snappish comeback.

"What are you...what are you all waiting around for? Don't we have trials to go through?" Jaq asked through a yawn, finally making her sleepy way into the room. Her short, already-choppy hair was sticking up all over the place, and her blue hair clip had almost fallen out. She started to adjust it, halfheartedly scowling at the rest of us.

"We were waiting for you. None of us were brave enough to go in and wake you up." Justin said with a grin. Jaq turned her scowl on him, but didn't say anything else.

"I kinda feel like Entity 303 is gonna be waiting right outside." Jenni admitted, looking at the door. Jandro shuddered. "Oh, don't say that, please. I'm still a little too freaked out over the fact that he's real."

"Same here. It kinda...well it kinda makes you feel a lot less safe, right? Like if he's still alive, anything could be out there." Justin said softly. There was an uncomfortable silence as this sunk in.

Then Jaq tossed her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm just focused on getting through this maze, and whatever comes after."

Jenni gave her a shocked look. "You don't really care about this crazy soul thing, do you?"

"No. But I do care about making it through this, and getting home alive. I don't care what's out there, or what might happen, because no matter what it is, I'm gonna survive." She said staunchly, walking over and putting her hand on the door. "And as weird as it feels to say this, I don't think we should keep 303 waiting."

Sure enough, Entity 303 was standing at the top of his obsidian tower again, right where we had found him the day before. We scaled the stairs with Jaq in the lead, apprehension building in my chest with every step. He turned to face us right as we reached the top, that intangible wind blowing his robe around his legs.

"Ah. My Shards. I hope you are ready for what's to come." He told us, red eyes glinting deviously.

"We're not 'your' anything." Jaq snapped. "And it's not like we have much choice."