Not long ago, just a few minutes before Cael returned, Millie and Lilah were discussing with each other regarding their uncertainties in the maze.

  "Really! I just feel that there's something always 'off' about the group.", Millie hugged herself, one hand scratching her the front of her neck lightly.

  "You mean the 'fight' just before?", Lilah was on the verge of rolling her eyes, but held back.

  "No!", Millie gritted her teeth, "I mean..! I mean... ugh.."

  Noticing something vaguely wrong with Millie, Lilah sneaked a glance at the rest of the group who were still keeping to themselves. After a pause, she put a hand on Millie's shoulder, nudging her to step a little farther away.

  "Go on. What's wrong? You know I'm always here if you want someone to listen.", Lilah looked at Millie softly, concern evident in her eyes.

  Millie bit her lip, her gaze looking away, but sighed, "You know.. I just feel like everyone's hiding something. I don't know what, but just something. I- we don't even know how long this darn maze will go on for! A day? Two days? Three? A week?!"

  "...", Lilah didn't know what to say, but sighed with her, "Actually, I feel the exact same thing."

  "Y-you do..?"

  "...I feel like we've already been here for months, but in reality, we've probably just been wandering for what? A few hours? But so much has already happened... Millie, when I saw you getting nearly slammed to the ground by that frog, I nearly had a heart attack. And now Verna this, Verna's done that. Everyone's so tense. I just feel...tired." , Lilah's expression became downcast, and her shoulders drooped.

  Millie looked at her, waiting for a few seconds before saying anything, "...Yeah. I feel like I can't trust anyone. Maybe Cael, since he saved me. But the others..? Honestly, what do you think Verna's doing anyways?"

  "..How would I know? Why did we even make Verna the 'leader' anyway?", Lilah bit her nails, "I don't feel safe at all when she's here. When we try to ask her something, she doesn't talk. It's so difficult just to know what's going on! Who's Esteine anyway? Where did he even come from? How does he even know about us? I..I'm trying to remember but my mind always just..turns up a blank."

  Millie listened, but sensing something amiss, she leaned in, "Lilah, what are you thinking? Is there something..you're not saying?"

  "!", Lilah flinched, but looked around anxiously before whispering, "Actually, these past few days...um, I mean, hours, or minutes, I've been thinking: What if we moved to Esteine's group?"

  Millie sat in stunned silence, "L-Lilah? You were thinking of going to... Esteine? Everyone's going to think we're betraying them! And you know that he's killed people before! Multiple, and for fun!"

  "We don't know that!", Lilah shouted back, but quieted her voice once more, "Honestly, everything here is so tense and uncertain that anywhere would be better than this! We've only heard that he's killed people from Verna. And now, can we even know for sure that she's telling the truth? Millie, come with me. I'm sure that we'll both be accepted as long as we don't do anything brash."

  Millie looked at Lilah strangely, unable to form coherent words for a moment, "Lilah, why don't we just...stay?"

  Lilah sighed, "So you think it's a bad idea?"

  Millie gulped, then nodded. She attempted to comfort her, "Look. You said you'll be there to listen, so I'll be here too. We'll both have each other's backs. And...leaving and going to Esteine means we'll be defecting. I'm sure that regardless of what happens, we'll still be able to overcome it..so we don't have to leave!"

  "But-"

  "Lilah...", Millie's eyes became watery as she caressed her head where her ear was ripped off, "I'm just scared of getting into more danger than we're already in."

  Lilah's eyes widened, thinking of how much pain Millie could be in, and how she only considered her feelings now.

  "Millie.. I'm sorry. I didn't realize what you were going through. You're right. Let's just stay here. I'm sure nothing more can go wrong, right?"

  Millie looked at Lilah, "..Yeah."

  Feeling the camaraderie of having a friend to brave this maze with, Lilah felt a little little more safer than before.

  She smiled from the bottom of her heart, "I'm glad I have you here with me."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "Mm!", Millie nodded, slightly panicked, "Yeah, me too!"

  They both sat and ate the cooking meat by the fire, ending the conversation peacefully. Lilah even became comfortable enough to strike up another conversation with Lully, who was sitting right beside her. However, even after some time, Millie couldn't sit still, her eyes darting around everywhere, rubbing her hands to generate heat, thinking she was just cold.

  But no matter what she did, a single thought kept looping in her mind.

  What if Lilah actually goes through with it?

  Was Lilah still not telling her everything?

  Psss. She rubbed her hands, and blew into them, feeling the warm air hit her face.

  That moment, she spotted Cael in the corner of her eye, sitting down a few feet away from her.

  He sat calmly, seeming deep in thought. Still having that single thought ringing in her head, she decided to take the chance and scooched over, tapping him on the shoulder.

  He responded quickly, turning his head over, "?"

  "Um..Cael. Mind if you...", Millie fidgeted with her hands , "..listen?"

  Cael leaned in, "Yeah, sure. What is it?"

  "Um..."

  Then, Millie spilled everything Lilah had just said to her--everything. And at the end of it, she made sure to repeat one thing.

  "Lilah wants to join Esteine's group."

  Immediately, she felt a weight lift off her chest. Without waiting for him to reply, she made her way back to Lilah, sitting close to her.

  A few moments later, after Cael rejoined the group and everyone finished having another small meal, everyone was already walking far from the previous camp spot.

  But oddly, in the silence, despite Lilah having already poured all her troubles and vented with Millie, she couldn't seem to relax.

  Crackle! Pss.. She snapped her fingers, generating a few sparks to shake off the odd feeling. But even after some time, it didn't go away and only rooted itself deeper into her head.

  "Ugh, what..?", she looked around. However, remembering what Millie said previously, she reached out to her, wanting to find anyone that could soothe this feeling.

  "Millie-"

  "Alright, here should be fine."

  Suddenly, Verna stopped, turning around to look at everyone. Lilah stood stupefied, watching as everyone turned around as well to look at her.

  "Huh?", she looked at Millie, who averted her gaze, "W-what's happening? Millie?"

  She took a step back, intimidated from everyone staring at her. The lights were dim and everyone's faces were a little shadowed. It was evident from their gazes that this was obviously not a celebration.

  Looking down at her, Verna stepped forward, speaking seriously, "Lilah, we know what you were planning. You wanted to join Esteine, and plan an ambush against us, weren't you? Millie and Cael told me everything."

  "Wait...what?", Lilah's heart skipped a beat. The first half was true, but the second..?

  "I didn't know you were this kind of person.", Handon spoke with a voice laced with disdain, "What a hypocrite. Did you think no one would notice?"

  Cael shielded Millie just in case Lilah wanted to target her out of anger. However, Millie seemed confused. She tapped Cael's shoulder, whispering to him.

  "Hey, I thought I only said she wanted to join Esteine, but what's-"

  "Don't worry, Lilah. We know how scared you must feel. We'll protect you, just let us handle it. Okay?"

  Cael then turned away, and stepped forward.

  "Are you still trying to play dumb? You wanted to bring Esteine to ambush us! People could die-"

  Lully interrupted, "Do you want to kill all of us?!"

  Her face contorted in rage and her shoulders trembled as she spoke.

  "That's bullshit! I don't! Someone here is twisting things. Someone is lying! I only mentioned Esteine as a passing thought. Why is everyone suddenly accusing me of planning murder?! You're not even giving me a chance to defend myself! Millie, you believe me, right?"

  Millie hesitated, but stayed silent.

  "No way. Millie, are you seriously..?", Lilah waited for Millie to say something, but nothing came out. Her eyes felt watery, "Ohh, I get it. So you planned all of this? Millie, did everything you say mean nothing? I- I thought we were friends! Is this who you really are?!"

  Tears fell down her face as everyone's faces morphed and blurred to the point where she couldn't recognize them. Millie almost seemed like a stranger. She thought she could feel safe in this group, but was she still too naive?

  "Ugh- I- I hate ALL OF YOU! I wish I never went here! Handon, do you really have nothing good to redeem yourself?! Cael, you're probably in on it too! And Verna, why are you just standing there and saying NOTHING?!"

  She shouted, her voice echoing in the hallways.

  "Is no one really going to defend me?"

  She looked at everyone's faces, full of silent judgement. However, in response to her despair, Millie carefully inserted a comment.

  She uttered, "You're even acting like a human now."

  It was the breaking point for Lilah. Tears streamed down her face. Her only friend had turned against her.

  "Say that to yourself, half-demon."

  Then, she turned around and ran away.

  Everyone looked at each other awkwardly.

  Cael, who was previously assertive in accusing Lilah, now felt guilty for pushing her to this point. Truly, no one had given Lilah a chance to defend herself. Wanting to take responsibility, he volunteered himself.

  "I'll go after her. Maybe she really didn't mean it..."

  Without waiting for an answer, he ran to go after Lilah, plunging everyone in silence.

  "She deserved it.', Handon rolled his eyes.

  Meanwhile, Millie only crossed her arms, hugging herself. She didn't know what just happened and what came to be. Surely, her friendship with Lilah is fractured now.

  Not much time later, Cael came back with Lilah walking slowly beside him. Lilah's face was full of dried up tears, and her anger from before seemed to die down for rational thought to make way.

  Regardless, she stomped toward Millie, coming face to face with her.

  They both looked at each other in the eye, and-

  Pak! Lilah slapped her.

  "Tell me next time if you're going to snitch, bitch."

  Millie's eyes were wide. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, not knowing what to say.

  Lilah walked away, avoiding Millie's dumbfounded gaze.

  Verna, feeling like everything was resolved, ordered firmly, "Let's g-"

  Squelch!

  Suddenly, blood audibly splattered on the ground behind everyone.

  "U-uh, Lully..?", Cael stuttered, holding his stomach.

  Everyone turned around, and immediately froze. There, Lully was standing calmly, having stabbed Cael with a monster tooth.

  Feeling an excruciating pain tear through his stomach, he screamed.

  "AAAHHHHHHH!!!"