Norbert closed the door behind him, looking around the place he tried so hard to make it to, now standing there the death maze now in front of him again. Walking forward, Norbert saw the blue light that drew him towards this place and the exit on the other side.
Looking up at the maze of the wall, I saw no path outward, just the holes in the wall where the metal projectiles came out. Remembering there is a path, Norbert wondered what happened, and realising the moving wall must have blocked it off, making there no way to go through the maze again. Like he would ever want to go back in there.
Walking forward, Norbert stood on his toes, looking down into what was causing the blue light to be produced. Shielding his eyes, Norbert saw a staff; on its end was an object producing the light.
Changing to magic vision, Norbert looked at the ground, seeing only a circle surrounding it, the blue lines cacking into the ground, trying to spread out but unable to after the circle. Channing his vision back to average, Norbert stepped forward, going over where the circle was.
No change was happening to his body as Norbert continued to stare at the staff. Wondering what the staff was used for as it continued to stay there, pointing straight up in the air. Obsius taking off of his shoulder and landed on top of it, pecking at the glowing object. The lightning spark shot out of it, the birds squawking and flying back onto Norbert's shoulder.
Following where the lighting went, Norbert stared at the ceiling, seeing ash start to rain down before quickly stopping. A clatter erupted from around the clearing in the maze they found themselves in.
Instantly, Norbert dived for the staff; each time, it clattered against the ground, shooting several arcs of lighting to the vicinity. Norbert cringed as his body was hit, his muscles flexing, making him fall over.
Clutching the staff tip, Norbert lifted it so it didn't touch the ground, feeling his body quickly calm down as the electricity dissipated from him. Opening his eyes, Norbert stared at the staff he was holding.
Carefully sitting up, Norbert placed the butt of the staff against the ground, happy that nothing was happening.
At an arm's length, Norbert touched the tip of it to the ground with the glowing cube. Instantly, a streak of lightning shot out of it. Thankful that it didn't go in his direction, not wanting to test how to use this tool at all, Norbert looked at it carefully, wondering if there was some way to protect it.
There being none, Norbert placed it back in its circle, as close as he could get it. When he let it go, it stayed there for a second before becoming unbalanced and starting to fall.
Grabbing it before the tip could touch something and start a centralised lightning storm, Norbert attempted repeatedly but couldn't get it right each time.
Shaking his head, Norbert left the circle, taking the staff with him. Looking around the maze, confirming that nothing had changed so far since the staff had been taken, not wanting to have more issues with this hall now that he had taken it.
Looking around, Norbert saw Granny's house had disappeared, with no trace or sound at all from it. Norbert looked at the only exit he could see, not expecting anything less.
Hidden behind where Granny's house sat an opening, the standard length of the maze. Stepping forward, Norbert wondered what was on the other side, only remembering when he catapulted into the air this passageway but unable to remember anything past it.
Walking along, Norbert talked to himself as he stared at the staff. "I wonder what that voice was about?" He questioned, remembering what could have caused him even to start going through this maze in the first place.
Spinning the staff in his hand, Norbert looked at the object still emanating light; Norbert could not see if all of the lightning made any difference to its energy. "I wonder if it's you?" Norbert asked.
He continued to walk as he stared, waiting for a response but getting nothing. Norbert continued walking forward. Having reached the corridor, Norbert stopped, looking on either side, confirming that nothing awaited him. Checking again, Norbert confirmed there was no magic there as well.
Stepping forward, Norbert could see that the corridor he found himself in had no other branches, which Norbert was thankful for. Obsius flew on ahead of him as Norbert continued to walk.
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The staff tapping rhythmically with each step continued on his path forward. Seeing the exit, the hallway started to open again in front of him as Norbert continued, the corridor coming to a close as he wondered what could be out there.
Finally, out of the maze, Norbert turned back around, seeing darkness slowly consume it. Looking back, Norbert wondered if the lights from some obscure place were slowly going out.
Turning his neck to the side, Norbert looked outward, not believing his eyes as the darkness began to shimmer. Realising what was happening, Norbert turned around and sprinted down the hall, looking for some way out. Obsius chirped in confusion as she landed on Norbert's shoulder, going into his hood as he began sprinting down, unable to keep up with his speed.
Norbert quickly turned around, happy to see the dark mass slowly fading, happy that he could at least outrun it.
Feeling his nose getting itchy again, he sees the dust build-up. In the grove of the maze that he found himself previously, the dust not being there had now returned in full force. Covering the front of his face with his scarf, Norbert was happy to have it, making the dust that battered against him more accessible to deal with.
Looking down each side, he confirmed that Norbert had no other paths to take down, no other way to escape the wave of darkness consuming everything behind him. Norbert continued to run, wondering when these halls would end and if there was anything else to this hall. He remembered the battlefield he had seen long ago.
As he continued running, Norbert looked at the staff, asking himself if that was all it was after, this item he now held in his hand. Not believing there might have been no way out, all the other halls he had been in had some way connecting.
He was running forward, using the staff in his hand as a light source as Norbert continued moving through the hall. The dust was becoming thicker and thicker, sparking slightly with the staff sending small electric arcs out, a burnt smell now entering Norbert's nose.
He kept his arm straight as Norbert continued running forward, keeping the staff tip far enough from his face as possible, not wanting to be accidentally electrocuted by the thing.
He was continuing forward; Norbert looked at each looked stairwell in the centre, either leading up or down, any passageways on the side, nor looked behind himself to see past the staff's light, the darkness had consumed everything behind him. Dust now making his feet slide on every step, Norbert wondered how there could even be this much dust in the first place as he skidded to a stop.
Panting, dust covering his face as he wiped it, looking further down, Norbert peeled his vision, pumping his energy into his eyes as he stared downwards.
The light turned from blue to white as he moved the staff behind his body, squinting as he looked down the hallway. Looking as hard as he could, feeling a headache coming on from the concentration he was giving it, Norbert continued to stare out.
Nothing changes in the hallway; it is presently going further and further away; he is wondering why he was led this way by the voice for having nothing to do.
Norbert looked around, forgetting to change his vision as white spots danced, the light from the staff too much, the electricity it was constantly creating by sparking, making his head spin.
Stepping backwards, Norbert slammed his eyelids shut, feeling tears stream down them. Wiping them with his eye, Norbert looked forward again, seeing the darkness go closer.
Deciding not to sit and let himself get consumed, Norbert took off again, running down the hallway. Going further down, Norbert did not stop, sliding on the dust, using it to continue forward, like he was ice skating or running with socks on tiles as a kid.
Skating forward, starting to be propelled as Norbert kept his balance, not caring about keeping the crackling staff away from his face, with him running, unable to place his mask on for fear of being electrocuted.
"WaaaaaRrmerrrrR." The voice called out to him.
Reminding him more of a zombie than a human now, the voice sounding old in his head as he continued running forward. Feeling Obsius shake underneath his hood, the wind taking it as it was ripped down, the bird shooting out from cover.
Chirping incessantly, Norbert, continuing to slide forward, looked behind him at the bird, wondering why it insisted on not going closer.
Looking out, not seeing anything different, Norbert changed his vision again.
" WaaaRrmerrR," The voice said again, now louder this time.
Seeing the hall ahead of him in a sickly green colour, with browns seemingly mixed in. Looking back at Obsius behind him, which was slightly tinted green, she continued flying away, going higher and higher in the hall. Looking up, Norbert found an exit far above him, a maintenance hole cover, only a pinprick.
He stared at the ceiling, seeing more of these covers scattered around, wondering if this could have been his escape.
Stepping backwards, Norbert sees a green barrier appear. Unable to stop his hand from in the future, Norbert's hand went through.
Pain racked up his hand, the one not holding the staff, as he watched the gloves slowly droop.
Screaming, Norbert rushed backwards, the pain coming from his fingers. Quickly, Norbert ripped the glove off using his teeth, them biting quickly where his fingers should be.
Scared at what he would find, Norbert stared at his hand, seeing only black stumps where his fingers should be. Red and white ooze from the gloves where his fingers would be.
Shaking his hand in the air, Norbert saw ooze start to leak out, covering the ground and his clothes in drops of the muck.
"AHHHHH!" Norbert's voice echoed around the hall, his sobs as he rolled into a ball, holding one hand clutched to his chest as pain washed out while the other held the staff up.
"Warmer." The voice inside Norbert's head said again, sounding more solid the closer he came. Turning his head to look at the hall, trying to see if he could find the source of the voice down there.
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