With a silly smile, Christopher listened to Lisa’s captivating words, enthralled by the rosy scent that always accompanied her.

She had visited him daily ever since he woke up two weeks ago. Every morning–or so he thought, it was hard to keep track of time with the bandages over his eyes–she would arrive at his room to conduct another round of interrogations. And with her arrival, all his afflictions, pains, and questions disappeared.

Christopher had expected that revisiting his time in the swamp would be painful. Yet he found himself completely at ease when he was with Lisa. Not only did her gentle voice put him into a profound, relaxed state, but it also effortlessly brought his memories to the surface.

Without delay, he once again went over his last moments at the swamp. That was all they had been focusing on for the past three days. He could tell Lisa hoped to discover something from him, but whatever it was, she hadn’t found it yet.

“Can you tell me where you are?” asked Lisa in an eerie voice.

Christopher shook his head, trying to distract himself from the thick, metallic scent entering his nose.

“I’m hiding behind a boulder,” he replied. “I’m making sure there are no monsters around.”

“Look around you. What do you see?”

Christopher's eyes darted through the landscape. He noticed the rocky, rough terrain and the gnarly, leafless trees that grew a bit all over the place. Sixty feet ahead of him were a bunch of moss-covered boulders piled together, forming a small shelter, and beside it was a medium-sized puddle.

A colossal tree stood out on the horizon. It towered over the swamp, its canopy so high it disappeared amidst the gray clouds.

“I see a colossal tree—so tall it pierces the sky,” he said, causing Lisa to move eagerly in her chair, temporarily breaking his illusion.

The ethereal swamp started to disappear before Lisa realized what had happened and pressed harder on his arm.

“Don’t lose focus,” she encouraged, and the swamp surrounding Christopher became vivid again.

“How far are you from the black water lake?”

Christopher shivered. “T-Two, three days journey, I think.”

“Can you tell in which direction you moved?” Lisa questioned.

“No, I can’t,” admitted Christopher.

“Please, make an effort.”

“I can’t,” he replied, helpless.

“Ok,” said Lisa, frustrated. She lifted her hand from his arm, and gradually, the swamp disappeared, and Christopher returned to the black void.

“Are we finished?” he asked with a tinge of hopelessness in his voice.

Christopher had questions—lots and lots of them—and yet, moments after Lisa ended their session, his mind would turn numb. He had to take advantage of this small moment of clarity while he could.

“We are,” confirmed Lisa, getting ready to leave.

“Can you remove my restraints?” He requested.

“In due time,” replied Lisa. “I know it's uncomfortable, but I promise you. Soon.”

“What about my eyes? When can I take these bandages off?”

“I’ve told you before, Chris,” Lisa sighed, slightly annoyed. “That curse almost turned you permanently blind. You have to give the treatment a bit more time.”

Christopher nodded. “And about Cristine, do you have any news yet?”

Uncomfortable silence filled the room for a brief moment.

“How is your headache?” Lisa asked, steering the conversation in a different direction.

Ever since he woke up, Christopher’s senses had been unusually sharp. So much so that any loud sound was enough to turn into a headache, and any stronger smell was enough to twist his stomach.

Instead of answering, Christopher shook his head and insisted, “How is Christine?”

Lisa frowned, and her eyes darted between Christopher and the cell door.

This was why she always rushed out of the cell when she was finished. To avoid the difficult questions. It was not that she couldn’t tell him; it would just make her job harder.

Christopher cursed with contempt. He could tell Lisa already knew about Christine's status but was choosing to withhold that information.

“How is she?” He shouted, no longer worrying about keeping his voice down.

Lisa’s eyes darted to the door before she announced. “She is alive.”

An audible sound of relief escaped Christopher’s lips as the knot in his stomach–which had been there ever since he woke up in the swamp–disappeared.

Emotion overwhelmed him, and he broke into a silent sob. The gaze wrapped around his eyes damped as his tears rolled out uncontrollably. Lisa watched him with pity and gave him a moment to resolve his complicated feelings.

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“Where is she?” Christopher finally asked, holding the tears back.

“Chris,” said Lisa, with some hesitation in her voice, “I don’t think this is a good moment to talk about Christine. It’s better to wait until you recov–”

“Where is she?” he roared, pushing on his restraints with violence.

“Please, keep quiet,” she requested. “She’s at Leiden Medical Center in Belgium. She’s in a coma. She has been in a coma ever since the crash.”

Christopher’s stomach sank, bile rising to his throat. His head started to spin, a loud buzzing sound filled his ears, and his breathing became fast and hard.

What have I done?

He struggled for oxygen, his breath coming in fast, shallow gasps. Lisa rested a warm hand on his arm, giving him a comforting squeeze.

“Take slow, deep breaths,” she advised. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

Christopher did his best to follow her instructions, and slowly, his condition returned to normal.

“How long has it been since the accident?” he asked hoarsely.

“Almost two months,” Lisa replied.

“Did she ever wake up, you know, after the accident?”

“No. The medical report states that she hit her head during the crash, resulting in a brain hemorrhage.” Lisa explained patiently. “She has weak brain activity but has been stable ever since.”

“My mother… does she…?” Christopher tried to ask, but his voice kept failing.

“Louise Deveraux is one of the two people who’ve been visiting Christine regularly. We’ll talk to her and explain the situation.”

“Don’t, please,” he begged. “I mean, don’t tell her I’m alive; I’m not ready to face her.”

Lisa looked at him with concern. “The best way to move past this is to face–”

“No, please,” he begged, and Lisa dropped the subject.

“Can I see Christine?” Christopher asked.

Lisa rolled back her eyes. “I knew you would ask that,” she replied. "I’ve already arranged it for five days from now. Naturally, I expect you to do your best to help me in return.”

Five days?

Christopher shuddered. He missed Christine, and he wanted to see her. But the idea of facing her in less than a week. Secretly, he wished that Lisa would go back on her word so he would have more time to prepare.

I really am a coward. Maybe it would have been better to die in that swamp.

“Thank you. But I don’t know how I can help you,” he confessed.

“Just keep trying your best during our sessions,” Lisa said. “It’s really important for you to remember every single detail you can.”

Christopher hesitated.

“Lisa, about what happened to me, w–?” he started, but his question was lost when Lisa touched his shoulder. His body rapidly relaxed, his mind became numb, and his thoughts began to slur.

“Let’s talk about that later,” she said coldly. “I’ll be leaving now; see you tomorrow.”

No! Don’t go, please! He thought, fighting against the numbness that held his mind hostage.

“No!” He roared so loud his own ears rang with pain. He trashed in his bed, and the leather restraints creaked and slowly deformed under his strength.

“Chris, stop!” Lisa warned him, her eyes again darting to the door.

“Please, shut up,” she whispered. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“How did I end up in that swamp?” He shouted.

“Chris, please lower your voice,” Lisa begged.

Christopher heard loud steps outside as someone rushed to the room. As the door to his room was unlocked, Lisa leaned over him and whispered in his ear.

“Stop moving, and don’t say anything.”

A moment later, someone stepped inside the room.

“Is everything ok, Agent Lisa?” The man asked.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Lisa replied coldly. “Can’t you see I’m at work? Get out of here.”

The man stumbled for a moment before bowing in respect and leaving the room. Tired, Lisa let herself fall back into the chair.

“You can’t do that,” she warned. “They’ll put you to sleep.”

“Who are they, and what kind of agent are you?” Shot Christopher. “Are you from the police?”

“Not exactly,” she replied, “About your questions. We really should leave them for another day; I know you want answers, but I’m already doing my best to–”

Christopher interrupted her by tugging loudly on his restraints again. Lisa sprang from her chair and stopped him right away. To his surprise, she easily overpowered him, her hands as strong as iron.

“Ok, I get it. I’ll tell you what I can.” She finally gave in. “What exactly do you want to know?”

“How am I alive?” Christopher asked.

“I’ve told you before. The Labyrinth brought you back from the dead.”

Christopher’s heart skipped a beat, but he already expected that much. “How?”

“Who knows?” Lisa exasperatedly replied. “Think of it as some kind of ancient magic. And don’t ask me why it chose to bring you back. No one knows how the Labyrinth picks the drafted.”

“What is the Labyrinth?”

“I—look, I’m not sure,” Lisa said, and as Christopher started to protest again, she quickly interrupted him. “Wait! It's not that I don’t want to answer; I’m just not sure how to reply.”

Christopher stopped tugging on his restraints and gave Lisa a minute to figure out the answer.

“It’s an unnatural place,” she finally said. “A fracture of realms, split into countless floors and inhabited by scary, terrifying creatures.”

Christopher’s face turned sour.

“You’re not helping me here,” he protested with frustration. “How did I end up in this place? Shouldn’t I be in a hospital?”

“You know it's not a hospital?” Lisa asked with surprise.

“I figured so,” he admitted before complaining. “You keep me restrained against my will, and each time you enter or leave the room, you lock the door. I would’ve received better treatment at a hospice.”

“You are a smart one,” Lisa admitted, resting a hand on his arm. “No wonder you survived the 4th floor.”

Christopher shook her arm off. He knew Lisa was trying to deceive him.

“What were those runes I told you about? Why can’t I summon them anymore?” He asked.

“They are the system,” Lisa frowned. “They don’t work on this floor.”

“Floor?”

“Yes. You never escaped the Labyrinth, Chris,” she revealed. “You are still inside it, on the 1st floor.”

“What does it mean to be inside the Labyrinth?” Christopher asked.

Lisa bit her lip. “You are not on earth, Chris.”