Most of the maze went by simply as we obtained all the raw power we needed early on, making the resulting fights less deadly. Occasionally, we’d stop by a crate to stock up on or replace weapons and armor. Our clothes were fine, however. All that practice and preparation led us to a large ax-wielding minotaur with a third eye. Two eyes were on Four, while the third in the center was on me.
This fight seemed complex like the others. When Four dug his bat into the ground, the Minotaur stomped. When I went through my throwing knives, the Minotaur blocked.
Four moved to get some distance when the ax head slammed against his shield, sending him skidding away.
The Minotaur moved towards me and threw a punch, but it slowed down and stopped a foot away.
I moved to the side and watched as it sped back up, the fist now buried in the ground.
For some odd reason, the Minotaur slowed again, so I threw my knife, only to see it travel a foot and then stop in mid-air.
I then took two of my knives and severed a few arteries in the Minotaur’s arms, watching time resume only for blood to freely flow from the creature.
Four was back up and slamming his cruising back into the creature’s lower leg, shattering the bone and forcing it to the ground.
While distracted by pain, the Minotaur focused on four, missing my two blades, piercing its center and left eyes, blinding it to life and psychic energy.
The bull still grabbed me and threw me across the room, causing my left arm to break on impact with the wall.
Getting back to my feet, I withdrew two knives with my left hand and whirled them at the Minotaur’s exposed throat. I felt my power suddenly activate as a presence appeared behind me.
I was surprised to see someone get past my senses. It was Four; only the young man had his arms stretched out, and his remaining barrier stretched to encompass him.
Time returned to its regular pace, and I heard the gunshot. I had been so focused on the fight that I ignored the presence creeping up behind me.
The bullet pierced through the barrier with ease and landed at an unprotected portion of Four’s upper spine. The weakened bullet slowed as it neared me, and in my rage, I ran toward the area where I sensed the shooter. He had fired a few more shots before I could arrive. While I may not save Four, I could prevent the remaining bullets from hitting him. There was a chance he could be saved. We were so close to the end.
Time resumed right after I redirected the other seven bullets. Watched in surprise as time returned to its average speed. Not thinking, I threw a knife into the assassin’s throat and watched as he fell prone, the light in his eyes fading fast. Only horror remained on his face.
It hit me moments later as I felt sick as the thought of killing a person hit me. The dry heaving lasted about a minute as the energy from the assassin, along with the energy from the Minotaur, flowed into me. As I didn’t sense a change in Four. I could tell that he was still alive, albeit barely.
Carrying my friend through a set of large double doors, I felt a wave of exhaustion as my powers began to weaken. I probably needed to eat, but I didn’t feel like doing so.
The next room was a lobby where four girls lounged on a large couch, unlike the spartan first floor and the sterile, deadly maze. This place seemed suitable for relaxation or appeared as much despite the palpable air tension.
I looked at the T.V., which was playing the news. Something I didn’t expect people my age to be watching on any regularity. Only the story was covering the bombing of a hospital that resulted in thousands of patient deaths. It was the hospital I’d been in a day ago.
I continued to carry Four only to hear a voice on an intercom.
“Looks like the only male subject to survive has arrived.”
“Send someone to help him! Then you’ll have two!”
“What good would that do? At best we’d need to replace quite a few organs along with a spine. It’s really just a lost cause. A shame, for a moment there I thought he’d survive. Sadly he wasted his life on you.”
Rage and guilt flowed through me as I looked at the speaker.” Did you mean for us to kill each other? Is that why you gave them guns?”
“Of course. A human’s lust or power is great. Although I didn’t expect Three to start spawn camping. Lost three test subjects before we had to stop adding people to the second floor on the boys side. So that really skewed your test. The traps also proved extra deadly on both sides.”
“What’s the point in all these deaths?
“Well the first Espers need to be strong to set an example. If you die to a simple ogre, then that just proves that you were a waste of resources. Sadly the deaths just prove that the guns should be removed and the next groups should appear in batches.”
“So you’re just going to let him die here?”
“I mean, he did gain a bit of power. You should kill him and absorb it.”
“Hell no!”
“What is he too low ranked for you?”
“He’s my friend.”
“Oh? Friend you say? Then I must save him.” The voice was heavily sarcastic.
It was stupid, as I could sense his presence right beyond an invisible doorway.
“Save him and you won’t have to worry about dying in your sleep.”
“Did you forget about the bomb in your spine? One press and Jac Ol’atte becomes Jac O’lantern.”
I now highly doubted that he had such a thing; otherwise, three would have been dead for ruining the experiment.
“Is that a no?” I asked as I sat Four down on the pool table. It then hit me that I had been using my broken arm to brace him despite the pain.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Yes it is.”
“Fine.” I looked at the friend I lost with eyes that wanted to water but couldn’t before a voice spoke to me.
“So your name is Jac. That’s a cool name, mine was Adrien. Sorry, I couldn’t make it to the end. That shot was truely unlucky. I suspect that my mind will expire long before my body does. Yet I can sense a connection with your own. I want to pass you my torch, take my power my mind and survive Jac. If you have to lie, do it well. If you have to fight, win. Don’t show mercy to those who mean to bring you harm. There was a line I heard on T.V. that, a weapon drawn is meant to kill. Do not make threats Idally if you say you’re going to do something. Do it and make it memorable.”
I felt the connection I had with Four increase as his mind left his body, part of it flowing into me and the rest upward. I didn’t yet understand what that meant, but the message conditioned my next actions.
I moved to a dining table and sat. I then downed a can of coffee, feeling my power and senses return stronger than ever.
“The maze was the only test. Now you must reach the dock alive and board the ship set to take you to the main facility.”
“I see. So we passed your test and now we need to take another one?”
“No, you will start field work immediately. As official members of Slayers.”
“I see…” Having felt as though I had returned to my peak, I paced a bit, stretching my legs as I accidentally got close to the hidden door.
“What are you doing Jac?”
“Oh, so now you use my name. Why is that I wonder?”
“I’ll flip the switch!”
“I’m just stretching my legs. What’s wrong with that? I pace after my coffee.”
“Girls? You must stop him!”
“Why? Can’t you kill him with a button?” Screamed a dark-skinned girl with a braided ponytail.
I had found the keypad for the hidden door and entered the code instinctively,
The second I heard the click in the unlocking mechanism, I felt time slow to a crawl, which probably wasn’t right. My senses and perception were sped up to a high degree along with my body.
While in this state, I slipped into the hidden alcove and closed the door behind me. One of the bodyguards reached for his gun the second he heard the click, but it wasn’t fast enough; the second guard was beginning to slam his hand onto a big red button with emergency written on the wall above.
I slammed a knife into the temple of the man, reaching for the button, then swept his legs out from under him. Next, I took out a second knife, which was driven into the throat of the guard, reaching for the handgun. I pulled it out, letting the blade slowly fall as he slowly began bleeding out as I took his gun. Time returned to its regular speed as I placed the gun against his head.
“He’s in here. How did you get in here! Don’t shoot! I have valuable knowledge!”
“Do you think I care?”
“Without it we won’t be able to create powerful Espers. The world will be doomed.”
“You see, I was taught that you don’t take out a weapon unless you plan to use it. This gun isn’t a threat. It isn’t a warning. You got your chance and I can see that you don’t value any life. Clearly not even your own, in the end you reap what you sow.” I took off the safety.,
“If It’s about the kid I can save him!”
“No, you can’t bring the dead back to life. I watched him expire while you were talking. If you cared about powerful Esper then saving him would have been a priority.” I pulled the trigger and watched as his head hit the floor.
I felt numb to it all, as though the power was changing me somehow, as though the procedure was making me lose what made me human. Honestly, I didn’t care about it anymore. I had a new goal, and it was getting everyone still alive off the island in one piece. Looking through his person, I discovered that the alleged detonator was a universal key to the building capable of controlling both the traps and the doors. I looked through a manual at an accelerated pace and sighed.
With a knowledge of how to use the camera feeds and emergency traps, I managed to lock in a group of guards and another scientist behind a wall of locked doors, setting off a mine set to destroy everything within the dome. I then set various security turrets to fire upon the guards and waited as many began fleeing. With the guards gone, I turned off the defenses inside, only for the outside cameras to reveal a minefield outside, and none of the guards or scientists knew how to navigate it, as it must have been a newer addition. I saw an option to turn them off, but I waited until the explosions died and left the hidden alcove.
“Did you really just kill the lead scientist?” Asked an olive-skinned brunette.
“He killed my friend along with a bunch of children. I don’t have mercy for people like him. The traps should be shut off but it would be stupid to go that way.” I tossed a set of universal door openers on the couch. These were the ones given to security and had a few doors they couldn’t open.
“These are?”
“Door openers.”
“What are they for?”
“Either gather those in the girls wing or leave. I won’t bother checking. I’m going to gather the guys, and head towards the boat. There are guards stationed there, if you get there first please don’t turn on me. My power seems to be suited more for killing humans than monsters. Based on what I discovered, the slayers are a unified front of humans fighting against monsters. While they may not have known what was going on. They were the one’s sending the money.”
“Who died and left you in charge?”
“Number one I take it?” My eyes traveled to a blond with scarlet red eyes.
“Yes, and I’m sorry but designation is rank here.”
“If you must know, it’s Zero. I was first to pass the stupid test but we still haven’t figured out exactly what my power is.”
“Chronokinesis? Or something speed based?”
“I have no idea. Things just slow down randomly, unless I’m angry. Then it seems to work at will.”
“One is correct, Hemokinesis, although I require a bleeding wound to deal damage.”
“Two would be me, I can manipulate fire so long as it already exists.” The brunette sighed.
“Five and I believe that my power is bone manipulation. Although I require physical contact I can even repair that broken arm of yours. Your friend though. He is still alive but healing a spinal injury like that without prior knowlege is a dangerous thing. I say we get him to the doctors.”
“Leave him there at peace. He’s already dead. There is’t much we can do. Let this facility be his tomb.”
“I don’t get it but I’ll do just that.”
“Whose the last one?” I asked, pointing to the younger blond.
“I can manipulate temperature to a small degree. Or boil water.”
“That is a great ability. When this is all over I’ll introduce you to my mother. She’ll love your power in our cafe. So don’t do anything dumb and sacrifice yourself. Kay?”
“R-right!”
I turned and opened the door leading down to the first-floor cells. Corpses had been strewn everywhere as various lab workers lay in heaps. Instead of helping the others, however, I moved to where the experiments were carried out. Multiple people around my age lay on tables, unconscious, waiting to be activated. It didn’t take long to find the stimulants and enhancers. Many were placed in a satchel along with a hard drive containing the research done here.
With the items taken care of, I then injected predosed waking stimulants into the sleeping patients.
They were much groggy than I had been, but I could work with that. “The scientist started killing us, so we revolted. Help me gather those still in rooms. Then we’ll meet back at this doorway. If you want to live you’ll hurry up!”
The other boys scowled, but when all the doors on this floor opened, they saw that I had some control over the place and got to work, waking the others.
I continued to walk around, finding the room where I was summoned by that alien creature. According to the research I skimmed over, it was the creature whose fluid was used to awaken our abilities.