Adam didn't understand why the bear made him go all the way around the hexagon. However, when he saw where the bear was looking, Adam noticed that the hallway they had passed through before was now blocked by a wooden carriage.
The carriage was filled with strange objects, brightly decorated: from very unusual books to weird and bizarre toys. With the assortment of different things in the carriage, it seemed like the owner was a seller of curiosities.
The bear and Adam stared at the carriage in bewilderment. Then, the carriage door slowly opened, and a man started emerging from it. The man had a long beard that reached his shoulders, and he was dressed in a colorful but patched-up suit. It seemed like he was barefoot. The man was extremely tall, almost reaching the ceiling of the hallway, making his arms and legs appear to have a few extra joints.
Upon seeing the bearded man, the bear urgently asked Adam:
—What floor and hexagon are we on, kid?
Adam answered quickly:
—Floor 3, hexagon 8.
—That's good...— the bear replied, turning around and ignoring the tall man who was observing them from a distance. —Run, Adam, run!!
Adam heard the order and saw the bear swimming with all its might towards the exit of hexagon 8. Seeing the bear run, Adam ran fearfully towards the exit.
The bear was getting faster and faster, and Adam ran with all his might, trying to keep up with the bear's speed. It seemed like the bear would never stop, and the young boy began to tire. It didn't take long before Adam saw the bear come to a stop in one of the main hexagon's hallways. Taking the opportunity, Adam stopped and, trying to control his accelerated breathing, asked:
—What are we running from?!
But the bear didn't answer; it simply turned around and took a sip from the bottle it never let go of. Adam followed the bear's gaze, and cold sweat started to fall from his forehead. The tall man was standing in the distance, but this time, he seemed a bit closer.
—Don't move... Just keep looking at him...— the bear calmly responded while taking another sip.
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Adam obeyed and kept his eyes on the tall man, noticing that the stalker didn't move while they observed him.
—Drop the tunic, now what matters is that you manage to escape alive— the bear commented calmly.
Adam complied and dropped the tunic, never taking his eyes off the tall, bearded man who stared back at him without blinking.
—Get ready to run again, and don't stop until I tell you— the bear said, watching the tall man with concern.
Adam steadied his breathing and tried to calm down as the bear did, but he couldn't achieve it.
—Run!— the bear shouted
Adam and the bear ran until Adam started to tire again. The bear then stopped, turned around, and yelled at Adam:
—Turn around and look into his eyes!
Adam turned around and tried to look into the man's eyes, but all he saw was the man's tall figure getting closer. Adam quickly raised his gaze and met the man's eyes. The man halted as if frozen by Adam's gaze.
Tears started streaming down Adam's exhausted face, forcing him not to avert his eyes from the bearded man. The man was just a few steps away from him now, and Adam could already smell the nauseating odor coming from the man's dirty clothes.
—Alright, just follow my instructions, and you'll get out of this alive, kid!— the bear yelled, a bit nervous about the distance between the child and the man—No matter what happens, don't look away when you're facing him!
Adam slowly adjusted his breathing and tried to rest while the tall man observed him from a distance without blinking. When the bear noticed that Adam was doing better, it shouted once more:
—Run, boy!
Adam ran with all his might through the infernal hallways. The young hero felt the tall man getting closer to his back, but Adam gathered courage and forced himself to keep running without looking back to see how far the stalker was. The bear, swimming through the hallways, began yelling instructions to Adam:
—Now, kid, when I count to 3, you have to look up to the height of the lamps! Don't get distracted or you're dead!
Adam continued running with all his strength, but he started to tire gradually. Seeing the child slowing down, the bear began counting:
—One... Two... Three! Now, Adam!!
Adam turned around immediately and looked up at the ceiling. The tall man tried to reach out and grab the young boy, but when he noticed Adam's fixed gaze, he stopped and withdrew his arms.
—Please, go away! I don't want to die! I haven't done anything wrong to you!— Adam screamed, crying and looking into the tall man's black eyes, which seemed normal but appeared like a demon's eyes to Adam. The man was practically right in front of him! If the man reached out his arms, he could grab Adam! He was so close that Adam could smell the putrid odor coming from the man's breath!
—Shut your mouth, kid!— the bear yelled with concern—You only have to run one last time. If you can be faster this time, you'll win the game and get out of this alive!
Far from helping, the bear's words only made Adam cry even harder. The boy knew he couldn't be faster than the stalker; it seemed like this was his end!
Nevertheless, the bear didn't back down from its words and reminded the young hero of the harsh reality:
—Don't cry, it's too late now... Just take a deep breath and get ready to run with all your soul, kid!