Levi lay on the cold stone floor, his breath ragged, his vision blurry. He tried to focus, but the pain was overwhelming. The axe in his leg felt like a searing brand, and he could feel the warmth of his blood pooling around him. The bell's path had led him so close to his goal, yet here he lay wounded and helpless.

Footsteps echoed in the silence, each one sending a jolt of dread through Levi's heart. He turned his head, his body trembling with exhaustion, and saw the tall boy emerging from the shadows.

His figure was barely recognizable, covered in blood and deep gashes from the monsters. Despite his horrific state, the tall boy's eyes gleamed with cold determination, and a twisted grin spread across his face.

"So close, yet so far," the tall boy sneered at Levi. He limped toward the place where Levi had fallen - slowly, enjoying the state Levi was in.

"You really thought you could outsmart me, didn't you?"

Levi tried to speak, but only a strangled gasp escaped his lips. His body which was running purely on adrenaline had now caught up with his injuries and exhaustion!

The tall boy was right—he had been so sure, so desperate to win, and now, everything was slipping away.

The tall boy reached Levi and kicked his side, sending waves of pain through his body. Levi groaned, his vision flickering. He could feel the darkness closing in, but he refused to look away, refused to give the tall boy the satisfaction of seeing him broken.

"You put up a good fight, I'll give you that," the tall boy said, crouching down beside Levi. Even his breath was heavy, the exhaustion that he faced after facing the monsters was still there, yet his mocking tone remained strong.

"But you're nothing without your tricks. You're just a pathetic, desperate fool."

He spat on Levi's face, the words cutting deeper than any blade. Levi's eyes burned with anger and humiliation, but he couldn't move, couldn't even lift his hand to wipe the spit away. He was paralyzed, trapped in his own body.

The tall boy then went on to search for the bell and noticed that it was still in Levi's hand, locked by a strong grip.

"You still haven't given up?"

The tall boy sneered - snatching away the bell, even when Levi tried his best to hold on to it.

"You should have known better than to challenge me," the tall boy continued, standing up and looking down at Levi with disdain. "Just because I went on with your plans - you thought you could outsmart me? Do you even know who I am?"

His hand got dangerously close to Levi's neck but then he stopped - "It would be too easy to kill you"

He said taking back his hand.

"I'll let you suffer a bit longer, enjoy your time."

With that, the tall boy turned his back on Levi and began to walk toward the end of the maze - as Levi watched his steps with dread.

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The light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, as the tall boy neared.

Levi's mind raced, desperation clawing at his soul. He couldn't let it end like this, couldn't let the tall boy win. But his body refused to move, his limbs heavy and unresponsive. He could only watch as the tall boy's figure grew smaller, disappearing into the blinding light.

"No…" Levi croaked, his voice barely a whisper. His vision blurred further as tears welled up in his eyes. "No…please…"

But the tall boy didn't look back. He stepped into the light, his silhouette dissolving into the brilliance. For a moment, the light grew even more intense, filling the maze with a radiance that blinded Levi completely.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light vanished, leaving Levi in darkness.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant growls of the monsters that still lurked in the maze - which would soon be here to feast on him.

The tall boy had won. He had taken everything from Levi, and now, he was likely making a contract with the god, securing the power that should have been Levi's.

His world was crumbling around him, and he felt it in every fiber of his being. The pain in his leg was unbearable, but it was nothing compared to the agony in his heart.

He had been so close, so damn close. The exit had been within reach, the light just a few more steps away. But now, the tall boy had taken everything from him—the bell, the light, his last hope. He could barely comprehend how the tall boy had escaped the monsters, let alone how he had managed to strike him down. All he knew was that he had been abandoned, not just by the tall boy, but by the very gods he had trusted.

He stared into the darkness, his mind racing with memories of his short life, of every struggle, every sacrifice he had made to get this far.

But it was all for nothing.

The gods, those distant, uncaring beings, had forsaken him. They had watched him suffer, struggle, and fight for his life, only to abandon him at the last moment. There was no divine plan, no hidden purpose to his pain—only the cold, hard reality that he was alone, and always had been.

Levi's hands trembled as he tried to push himself up, but his strength was gone. He was broken, physically and mentally, and the realization of his helplessness hit him like a wave. There would be no escape, no miraculous rescue, no second chance. The labyrinth would be his tomb, and the gods would not even bother to mourn his passing.

Tears welled up in his eyes, but Levi refused to let them fall. He would not give the gods the satisfaction of seeing him break. If he was to die here, it would be on his own terms, not as a pitiful, defeated wretch.

The gods had taken everything from him, and there was nothing left to fight for.

He thought of his life before the maze, of the choices he had made, the people he had known, the people he had killed.

He thought of his kind mother, he thought about his drunkard father, the fat boy that he had just killed, and finally of the tall boy, now walking free, bathed in the divine light that should have been his. And he thought of the gods, those cruel, indifferent beings who had played with his life like a toy and then cast him aside when they grew bored.

At that moment, something inside Levi snapped. The despair that had been eating away at him transformed into a cold, burning rage. He had been a fool to trust the gods, to believe that they cared about him or his fate. They were nothing more than sadistic tyrants, delighting in the suffering of mortals for their own amusement.

"You fucking Gods!"

Levi's vision blurred as his anger consumed him. He cursed the gods with every ounce of strength he had left.

"I swear, if I somehow find a way out of here - I swear that I'll make you guys pay! I'll tear down your altars, fuck your priestess, and show this damned world that you fucking gods are not worthy of worship."

But even as he screamed with all his power, Levi knew that they were empty words. The gods had won. They had taken everything from him, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

With a final, shuddering breath, Levi closed his eyes - prepared to face the death.

But right at that movement, a red light descended from the sky - bathing Levi in its dark illuminance and Levi heard the voice of Providence that he so craved!

[A soul forsaken by the Gods and a body on the verge of death - The Darklord of the Endless Abyss has noticed your existence and is offering you a contract. Will you accept?]

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