One day, Kazuha went out for a walk, but what he saw caught his attention. A huge population of people were crowding around an ad, talking about a huge maze, and that whoever reached the end would receive a reward of 1 billion Mora.
This clearly caught Kazuha's attention, so he approached people to find out more.
From the looks of it, the rules seemed to be simple:
- There shall not be any use of any technology device.
- Could not have maps of the location they were.
- There could be no doubles, nor anyone who would wait for you outside the labyrinth.
- And obviously, they couldn't cheat.
That looked kind of suspicious, the rules were weird but simple, so Kazuha decided to ask Kaveh what that was.
"Hey, what is this maze you're all interested in?"
Kazuha asked, curious to know more.
Kaveh looked at Kazuha and replied. "Apparently it's a challenge for poor people who want to have money, but the rich can go too."
Kazuha was surprised, and happy, a challenge that had a prize with so much money? And could anyone sign up? That's great! He was clearly interested.
"Hm, I'm going to participate, how do you sign up?"
He looked at Kaveh, confused.
Kaveh pointed to an office that was next to the place.
"That's the place for subscriptions, I and more than 200 people have already signed up there. But don't forget, there will only be one winner and from what I've been told, the labyrinth is huge."
Kazuha smiled and nodded.
"Okay, I'll apply there, maybe I'll have a chance to win."
He went to the office and got in line.
There were a lot of people there, and Kazuha was the last one in the queue, it looks like he arrived too late.
Each person was identified with a letter and a number, and when Kazuha's turn came, he received his identification. "K6" it was his identity in the labyrinth.
Kazuha looked at the woman who was serving people, and decided to ask something.
"It's safe?"
The woman looked at Kazuha in surprise, and sighed.
"Of course, why shouldn't it be? After all, you only get out of the maze if you decide to give up, or if someone gets to the end before you, that person is the winner."
Her voice was sinister, as if she was hiding something.
Kazuha just smiled and nodded.
"Okay, where is this located?"
The woman showed the location on a mini-map.
"Here, in Tatarasuna."
Kazuha looked carefully and memorized the location.
"Okay, thanks a lot, bye."
Kazuha smiled and left, taking a boat to rent a hotel in Tatarasuna while waiting for the day the maze challenge began.
He spent his last coins renting the hotel, he was confident that victory could be his. Once again, he lay on his bed thinking about this labyrinth.
"Is it really safe? That woman's face was sinister, as if she was hiding something."
Kazuha spoke to himself, wondering several things.
But after all, what could go wrong? If people signed up for that, for some reason it was, and it sure as hell was safe.
Kazuha slept, waiting until the next day to go to the indicated place. After all, it was just a dare, nothing much was going to happen, or so he thought.
The day arrived, Kazuha was getting dressed, and preparing all the time to participate, the challenge would take place in the evening, was the news they received by email. Kazuha put on a red eyeliner, and he dressed in a fancy outfit, ready to go.
He showered, ate, and watched some TV to relax.
Night came quickly enough, and so he made his way to the spot. There were more than 300 people there, young and old, women and men, rich and poor, many people wanted the prize.
Everyone was in their positions, listening to the voice of the radio at the entrance to the labyrinth speaking, apparently, it was the voice of the same woman who was there when people went to register.
"This is a huge labyrinth, be careful, anyone can get lost here, it's almost impossible to get to the end without something bad happening. This challenge happens 1 time every 500 years, so take your opportunity and maybe you can become one rich person of Teyvat."
The woman spoke, her voice coming over the sound of the radio.
Everyone was paying attention, and some were even scared to have heard mention of consequences, because before they went, it was confirmed that the place was "safe".
"Thank you so much for all the subscriptions, good luck to each one of you, do your best. Every breath you take is worth a lot here. Don't forget to be careful with your actions, many of them were the reason many lost. "
The woman spoke, then the radio switched off and the challenge seems to have begun.
Some people started running, trying to find a way out, but obviously it wasn't easy at all.
Kazuha was still standing there, trying to process everything that just happened. He then, took a step slowly, and looked around him carefully, in silence, he walked through the different places of the maze, trying to pay as much attention as he could.
Kaveh was with Alhaitham, moving forward trying to find the exit, clearly it could take days, the place was almost the size of an island.
While people all went to various places in the maze, Kazuha was in one place, alone, with no one around him.
Before he took a step and turned to the left, he saw a dead body on the ground, startled by what he saw, his eyes widened in shock. The girl was dead on the ground, with blood all around her.
The challenge had barely started and Kazuha was already faced with it, he regretted coming here. So the winner would be whoever made it to the end without getting killed? Kazuha was prepared to do his best.
He sighed deeply.
"The place is safe, huh? I've come across a dead body... I wonder who's doing this."
Kazuha spoke aloud to himself afterward, he continued walking silently.
Kazuha heard a sound from behind him, like someone was walking. He looked back to see nothing. He thought he was being paranoid but still felt uneasy.
From the corner of his eyes, Kazuha spotted something that looked like a leg. He turned to face whatever that was in the shadows but... there's nothing. Was he imagining things?
A chill ran down his spine. He slowly turned back and took a few more steps until... he tripped over something and fell face first on the floor.
"Ouch..." Kazuha sighed.
He tried to stand up, but before he could, he heard a scream, like someone was being stabbed.
He sat on the ground and his body was trembling.
"Shit... I should've known that this wasn't totally for free... It would cost your life..."
He sighed in despair.
"I hope I don't end dead."
More foot steps behind him, growing louder and louder. Kazuha can't help but notice his body shaking even more the louder the footsteps were. Before he can get up, he felt a knife on his throat.
???: "...Do not move if you value your pathetic life."
Whoever this is, is not in the mood for Kazuha to question him. He can feel the cold steel of the knife pressing on his throat.
Kazuha stayed silent, his body shaking in fear. He needed to run away, the assassin wouldn't find him in a huge labyrinth.
Kazuha looked shocked, he was trying to keep his calm.
After a minute the assassin removed the knife from Kazuha's throat.
???: "Are you just going to die without doing anything?"
The assassin laughed, sounding more mocking than mockingly amused. The assassin walked past Kazuha and went in search for more victims.
Kazuha was relieved to not be dead, but he's still shivering. How long can he keep himself from being killed in this maze?
Kazuha got up and still standing in place, he turned his eyes and saw the direction the assassin went. He was surprised but relieved. He wasn't killed, he was still alive?
That was... very strange, Kazuha continued to wonder, when he heard a cry of pain coming from a girl who had just been stabbed.
Kazuha ran to another part of the maze, trying to get away from where the killer was.
He kept running but the screams, the cries, those of the dead and those of the dying still reached Kazuha's ears. He's not sure of where he's going but anywhere is better than where the killer is. He still doesn't know how long he can keep himself from getting killed. This was what the assassin said, wasn't it? The winner, whoever remains alive once this is all over, can win more than a billion Mora.
Was there a way out? Or is this place made for the sole purpose of killing the participants, and not a place for escape?
After running so much, Kazuha arrived in a strange place, there were flowers on the ground, different places to go, three ahead, two on the left side and two on the right side, and each place divided into several parts once you entered. It was confusing, the hardest maze there was, you had to escape the place, with a killer inside? Scary.
Kazuha stood still for minutes, wondering where he should go.
Silence. Just the sound of Kazuha's breath. He can hear the echo of the footsteps of his would-be assassin.
There was no time to think, he had to get moving if he wants to keep his life. Kazuha looked at the three possible choices but couldn't decide which to go for. Should he go straight? Or should he turn left or right? Who knew if one of those places holds the exit or brings him closer to his death?
Kazuha decided to go to the right, he turned and walked forward, he saw some people in that direction too, but they were running trying to find the exit so Kazuha couldn't follow them.
He looked to both sides, which had more directions, Kazuha was quite confused.
Walking right has left Kazuha in a field of flowers, the beautiful sun shining bright and hot on the ground. There were no signs of any other life here, except for a sudden voice that reached Kazuha's ears.
???: "...If I were you, I wouldn't go that way."
Kazuha's head immediately turned to the source of the voice coming from a nearby bush.
Kazuha took a step back, and looked around trying to see who was speaking, he was starting to shake in panic.
There was nothing around him, he was being paranoid.
Kazuha kept walking as he saw someone holding a knife in front of him, seems like the assassin was there again.
The assassin is right in front of Kazuha, with a knife in his hands and a malicious smile on his face.
???: "Don't move. You'll just make your death faster if you do."
Kazuha had no choice but to stay still, his life depended on it. Or so he thought. His face was still frozen with fear.
"How many innocent people have you killed in this maze now?"
Kazuha's face was surprised and scared, his voice trembling.
The assassin chuckled, clearly taking delight in terrorizing Kazuha.
???: "Does it make a difference if I say 'hundreds' or if I say 'none'?"
The assassin was clearly teasing Kazuha, his tone sarcastic and mocking.
The assassin tilted his head as if to take a better look at Kazuha.
???: "...You seem familiar. Is your name, by any chance Kazuha?"
Kazuha's eyes widened in shock, and he started to shake even more.
"How do you know?"
He was afraid, his voice showed how he was scared.
???: "...A lucky guess, I suppose."
The assassin chuckled again as he slowly walked closer to Kazuha, with his knife still pointed towards his neck.
???: "...Well, I didn't come to talk. I came to put an end to your miserable life. How does it feel knowing you'll never be able to enjoy all that prize money? Heheh."
The assassin smirked, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Kazuha didn't knew what to do, should he run away or beg?
He decided what to do.
Kazuha knelt down, trembling and his eyes filled with fear.
"No...please don't kill me, I beg you."
He was starting to cry a little bit, afraid to lose his life, he was regretting entering this maze.
???: "...Beg for your life, and maybe I'll spare you after all. Plead to me like the coward you are."
The assassin laughed as he circled around Kazuha, making sure he doesn't have a chance to escape. His tone is sarcastic and mocking even as he held a knife on Kazuha's throat.
Kazuha could feel the assassin's breath, as well as the tip of the knife pressing lightly on his neck. If the assassin wants, he can end Kazuha's life any second.
Kazuha sighed.
"Please... I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me, let me live! I really need this prize, I have no money and I'm about to get fired of my work... Please"
He was crying, begging in tears.
The assassin laughed sadistically while still mocking Kazuha's situation.
???: "If you really wanted to live, you should've thought of that before signing up in this death trap... You're nothing but a pathetic excuse of a human being. You really think I'll spare a useless, hopeless piece of garbage like you?"
The assassin's grip on his knife got tighter, as if he's about to stab Kazuha at any moment. The laughter is still coming out of his mouth, while his eyes remain cold and merciless.
Kazuha looked at the assassin deeply in the eyes, Kazuha's eyes filled with tears, he spoke.
"I didn't even knew that this maze had an assassin on it! The woman who was there when people signed up, told me that this is safe."
His voice was in pain and tears were falling from his eyes.
"You really think that I would come here if I knew that I could lose my life?!"
The assassin chuckled even harder after hearing Kazuha's words.
???: "...That's the whole point of this place. People were supposed to come here, not even knowing what's waiting for them. I was promised two things if I did this job. A huge amount of Mora and this."
The assassin slowly lifted a letter, opening it up as he showed it towards Kazuha.
???: "...It never crossed my mind about how amusing it would be to see the look on your faces as you realize how doomed your lives are."
Kazuha's breathing was getting faster, he was panicking.
"Who are you and why are you doing this?!"
He asked, his voice filled with fear.
The assassin chuckled again, the sound of his laugh becoming even more menacing as time passes.
???: "...You really want to know, don't you? Very well, I'd be happy to answer that question. My name..."