The air in the labyrinth felt thicker now, heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. Every step Aaron took seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of reality, a reminder that each decision he made could shatter the delicate balance they were clinging to. The journey had been grueling, each challenge a test of both their resolve and their unity, and yet, even now, with the end in sight, the most difficult choice still awaited.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the team had come to a silent halt. There was no longer any sense of certainty in their actions, no clear plan guiding them forward. Their memories, their emotions, their very thoughts seemed to blur with each passing moment. The merge was accelerating, and yet, all Aaron could do was watch as the world fractured around him.

The weight of his duty pressed down on him like an oppressive force, and in the midst of it all, the fading figure of the Interpreter returned to them—briefly, almost like a whisper. His form was no longer solid, no longer the powerful being they had come to rely on. Instead, he appeared as little more than a ghostly presence, his edges flickering in and out of existence like a dying flame. But even in this ethereal state, his words carried the same gravitas they had before. And this time, his message was more urgent than ever.

“Aaron,” the Interpreter’s voice came through, distant and strained, echoing in Aaron’s mind rather than from any physical source. “You… must act now.”

Aaron blinked, disoriented, as the voice washed over him. The others were standing around him, but they were all frozen, their faces painted with expressions of doubt and concern. They could hear the Interpreter too, but the connection between them felt fleeting, fragile. Every word the Interpreter spoke seemed to bleed into the very air, distorting the reality they had known.

“Interpreter?” Aaron’s voice trembled, as if he was afraid the figure might disappear completely before he could get a proper answer. “Where are you? What do we do?”

The Interpreter’s form flickered again, and for a brief moment, his presence solidified, the image of the once-confident being returning to its full glory. “I am… fading,” he said, his voice full of sorrow. “This form you see—this vision—is all I have left. But it is enough. You must understand… the price of stabilizing your memories, of guiding you through this… it has drained me. I cannot remain much longer.”

Aaron felt his heart race, his breath shallow. He could barely make sense of the words. The Interpreter, the one who had given them direction, guidance, and even hope, was slipping away. But what did he mean by stabilizing their memories? Had the team’s fragmented thoughts and emotions caused this? Was this another consequence of the merge? And what was the price of stabilizing them?

“I’ve… I’ve failed to stop the merge,” Aaron whispered. “I’ve been too slow. Too indecisive. It’s already too late, isn’t it? There’s no going back.”

The Interpreter’s voice was filled with a heavy sadness, yet there was a trace of resolve in it. “The merge… is a consequence of your actions, yes. But it is not beyond your control. You must act decisively, Aaron. If you do nothing… reality as you know it will cease to exist. But if you act, if you break the balance, even for a brief moment—”

Aaron's pulse quickened. “Break the balance? You’re telling me to destroy North and South, even if it means undoing everything?”

“Exactly,” the Interpreter said. His presence flickered once more, as though it was becoming more difficult for him to hold onto his form. “The balance they maintain is the only thing keeping the world in its current state. But it is fragile, Aaron. Too fragile. And if you do nothing, the Deciever—North’s most powerful construct—will emerge. It will not only ensure the merge’s completion but also twist everything you know into something… unrecognizable.”

The Deciever. The name alone struck fear into Aaron’s heart. The thought of facing such a powerful entity seemed almost impossible. But what choice did they have? The balance had already been disturbed, and the team was on the edge of losing everything. He could feel it—the very air around them seemed to pulse with the growing power of North, his influence creeping into every corner of their reality. The constructs, the twisted versions of their fears and desires, were becoming stronger. The Deciever was already making its presence felt, even if they couldn’t see it yet.

“The Deciever…” Aaron repeated under his breath. He glanced at the others, who were still frozen, their faces filled with apprehension. Zoe’s eyes were dark with doubt, Mara’s brow furrowed with concentration, and Finn—despite his youthful determination—looked uncertain.

“I’ve been watching you all,” the Interpreter continued, his form flickering again. “And I know the weight of the choices you face. But you must understand, Aaron, the destruction of North and South… It is the only way. Their continued existence is what allows the merge to continue, what keeps the balance in place. But that balance has been corrupted. And if you don’t stop it now, you’ll all be consumed.”

Aaron clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as he thought about the impossible decision ahead. Could he really break the balance? Could he really tear apart the very fabric of reality in order to save it? And what would that even look like? What would be left?

The Interpreter’s presence seemed to flicker once more, weaker now, as if each passing second was drawing him closer to oblivion. “You have to make the choice, Aaron. There is no time left. The Deciever’s influence is already spreading. Its power is like a shadow, waiting to consume everything. You must be the one to stop it.”

Aaron swallowed hard, his thoughts racing. He glanced at Zoe, then Mara, then Finn. There were no words for the kind of devastation they were about to face. No words for the impossible nature of their task. But he knew what he had to do. Even if it meant sacrificing everything they had fought for, even if it meant breaking reality itself, there was no other way.

“Please,” the Interpreter said, his voice barely audible now. “Do not wait for the Deciever. It will be too late by then. Act before it is beyond your control.”

As the final words left the Interpreter’s mouth, his form flickered and vanished, leaving behind nothing but a lingering, almost imperceptible echo. Aaron’s heart skipped a beat. The ghostly figure had disappeared entirely, leaving them with only the fading impression of what might have been.

The world around them seemed to collapse in on itself. The very ground beneath them trembled, as though it, too, felt the loss of the Interpreter’s influence. A thick, oppressive silence settled in. The constructs, which had been at bay for a moment, now surged forward with renewed aggression. It was as if the very core of reality was beginning to tear apart, and they were caught in the center of it all.

“Aaron…” Zoe’s voice broke through the silence, fragile and full of uncertainty. She reached out for his arm, her fingers trembling. “We… we can’t do this alone. We can’t—”

“We don’t have a choice,” Aaron said, cutting her off gently. His voice was resolute now, a quiet conviction setting in. He looked at each of them—Finn, Zoe, Mara—and saw in their eyes the same understanding. They might not agree with him, and they might not even fully comprehend what was at stake, but they knew that the time had come to act.

“We have to face the Deciever,” Aaron continued, his voice steely. “And to do that… we have to break the balance. It’s the only way to stop this.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Zoe opened her mouth as though she were about to protest, but then stopped. The look in Aaron’s eyes, a mixture of determination and grief, silenced her. She didn’t have the answers, but neither did he. All they had now was each other, and the knowledge that the clock was ticking faster than they could run.

As the team readied themselves for the battle ahead, the environment around them shifted once more. The labyrinth, their only guide, began to twist, reflecting the growing instability of the world. Constructs appeared, more distorted and terrifying than ever before. But there was no turning back. Not now.

And in the back of Aaron’s mind, the words of the Interpreter reverberated like a final echo: “Act before it is beyond your control.”

It was now or never.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, and the air itself felt charged, like the very atmosphere was on the brink of collapse. The labyrinth around them warped and shifted with each passing second, reflecting the crumbling state of reality itself. Aaron’s heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts racing as he tried to make sense of the impending chaos. The team had no clear path, no simple answer to the challenge ahead, yet there was no choice but to face the inevitable.

The sound of distant, unsettling clicks echoed through the labyrinth, and the ground beneath them seemed to buckle as the constructs, twisted and malformed by North’s power, began to converge. They were no longer just mere obstacles to be overcome. Now, they were an omnipresent threat, living manifestations of North’s will, all marching toward the group with grim purpose.

“We need to move,” Aaron said, his voice tight but unwavering. He knew that every moment spent hesitating would push them closer to losing their chance. He turned to face Zoe, Mara, and Finn, his eyes full of resolve. “We have to push forward. No more waiting. We fight until we can’t fight anymore.”

Zoe nodded, though her face was a picture of conflicted emotions. It was clear she had her doubts, but the urgency in Aaron’s voice seemed to strip away any lingering hesitation. She glanced at Mara, who stepped forward with a determined look in her eyes. The two women exchanged a silent understanding—there was no time for second-guessing. It was all or nothing.

Finn, who had been unusually quiet, stood next to Aaron, his young face hardening with the gravity of the situation. The boy had proven to be a source of unexpected strength throughout their journey, his clarity often providing the guidance they so desperately needed. But now, even he seemed to feel the weight of the task at hand. He glanced at Aaron with a mixture of apprehension and determination.

“We can’t do this alone,” Finn said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of a truth that had become impossible to ignore. “We need each other.”

Aaron looked at the group. This was their final stand—no turning back, no second chances. He could feel the pressure mounting, not just from the constructs closing in but from the weight of the choice he had yet to make. Every step forward felt like a step into an abyss, one that threatened to consume them all. But despite the fear gnawing at him, he knew what needed to be done. They had to break the balance, to tear apart the very forces that had held reality together for so long.

“We’ll break through,” Aaron said, his voice gaining strength. “And when we do, we’ll face North and South. Together.”

But before they could take another step, a shadow seemed to sweep across the labyrinth. It moved like liquid darkness, slithering through the cracks in reality. Aaron’s heart skipped a beat as he recognized the form that emerged from the shifting shadows. The Deciever.

The construct stood tall, its form shifting and warping as it took shape, an embodiment of North’s absolute power. Its appearance was fluid, like it was made from the very air around them, a nightmare that seemed both familiar and utterly alien. Its eyes glowed with an unsettling green hue, and the moment it locked eyes with Aaron, a chill ran down his spine. This was no ordinary construct—it was something far more dangerous, an agent of North’s will, capable of twisting and distorting reality itself.

Aaron’s thoughts flashed back to the Interpreter’s warning: The Deciever will not only ensure the merge’s completion but also twist everything you know into something unrecognizable.

The Deciever took a slow, deliberate step forward, and the air seemed to warp with its movement. The labyrinth shifted around them, bending and distorting as if the very world itself was bowing to the Deciever’s will. Every step it took left a trail of flickering shadows, distorting everything they touched.

“You should not have come here,” the Deciever’s voice rumbled, low and menacing, as it advanced toward the group. Its voice seemed to reverberate through the walls of the labyrinth, rattling the very foundation of their world. “This place—this reality—is mine. You will be torn apart. All your hopes, your dreams, your memories… they will be consumed.”

Aaron stood firm, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “We’re not afraid of you.”

The Deciever’s eyes flashed, the green glow intensifying. It took another step, its presence suffocating. “You should be. There is no escape. The merge is inevitable. There is no stopping it. There is only the end.”

Finn stepped forward, his expression resolute. “We don’t believe that. The merge might be inevitable, but we can still stop it. We can still fight.”

The Deciever’s form flickered, as if amused by the boy’s defiance. “You are all so very naïve,” it said, its voice dripping with malice. “You have no idea what you are up against. North and South—two halves of the same whole—will never be separated. Without them, nothing will exist. Nothing will be.”

A ripple of unease passed through the group. The Deciever’s words struck at something deep within Aaron’s mind, a reminder of the impossible task that lay before them. It was true—destroying North and South would break the balance, and with it, reality itself. The fabric of everything they had ever known would unravel. But was that really the only way? Or was this what the Deciever wanted them to believe?

“I know what you’re trying to do,” Aaron said, forcing himself to meet the Deciever’s gaze. “You want us to be afraid. You want us to doubt ourselves. But we’ve come too far to stop now.”

The Deciever’s mouth twisted into something that might have been a grin, its sharp teeth glistening. “It’s not fear that I seek, Aaron. It’s certainty. Certainty that you’ll realize how futile this all is. How hopeless your fight is.”

As the Deciever spoke, the labyrinth around them began to distort further, bending and twisting as though reality itself were breaking down. The ground cracked open, revealing a yawning abyss beneath them. The walls closed in, pressing on them from all sides. For every movement they made, the world around them seemed to shift, as though the Deciever was reshaping everything to suit its will.

“Do you see?” the Deciever whispered, its voice growing darker. “This is what awaits you. The end of all things.”

Aaron’s chest tightened. He could feel the pressure mounting, the weight of the world pressing in on him. The Deciever was right about one thing—the task ahead of them was impossible. And yet, despite the overwhelming odds, Aaron knew there was no turning back.

“We’re not backing down,” Aaron said, his voice fierce. “Not now. Not ever.”

As the Deciever lunged toward them, a blinding flash of light erupted from the center of the labyrinth. It was Finn, his eyes glowing with an intense, otherworldly energy. He raised his hand, and the light pulsed, forming a barrier around them. The Deciever recoiled, its form flickering as though the light was disrupting its very essence.

“I won’t let you destroy everything we’ve fought for,” Finn said, his voice filled with determination. The light from his hand intensified, pushing the Deciever back.

The Deciever hissed, its form warping in response. “This is futile, child. You cannot stop what is inevitable.”

Aaron looked at Finn, his heart swelling with pride for the boy who had become more than just a guide. Finn wasn’t just helping them fight the constructs—he was becoming the light that would guide them through the darkness.

“We’ll stop it together,” Aaron said, stepping forward with renewed resolve. “No matter what.”

And in that moment, Aaron realized the truth. The merge might be inevitable, but their fight was not over. They would face the Deciever. They would face North and South. And no matter what the cost, they would fight until the very end.