Behind the Door
I was in a room with no windows, and I knew it wasn’t my bedroom because there were no pictures on the walls. The ceiling was high enough to accommodate an adult’s head without hitting their chin, but not so tall that they’d have trouble looking down at me from above.
There were two doors: one closed behind me, and another opened into what looked like a kitchen. At first glance I thought the room might be empty; then I saw something move near the door where I had entered.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust before I could make out anything clearly, but as soon as they did I realized that whatever moved was only shadows in the corner of the room.
The thing moved again, this time closer to the other door, which I assumed must lead outside. When it reached the doorway, however, it stopped moving entirely and simply stood there. For several seconds nothing happened, though I felt certain that it was watching me.
Then I heard footsteps coming from beyond the open door. They sounded muffled by the floor and much heavier than usual. After about ten steps the person passed through the threshold into the kitchen area, leaving the lighted space dimly lit by moonlight filtering in through the doorway. My heart began pounding in anticipation as I waited for them to come back around the corner.
A moment later the figure came around the bend. As expected, it was wearing a hooded cloak made of dark material. But its face was completely hidden beneath a black mask that covered everything except for a small slit for its mouth. It walked slowly towards me, stopping just short of the far wall.
Without warning it raised a hand up over its head, pointing directly between us. A second later a beam of bright white light shot across the room, striking me squarely in the chest. I fell backward onto the bed, unable to scream or even cry out. I tried desperately to get away, but my body wouldn’t respond.
The pain was too intense. All I wanted was for it to stop. And when it finally did, I lay motionless on the mattress until a new voice spoke.
“You are awake now.”
It was a man’s voice, deep and resonant. I turned my head slightly to look up at him as he stepped closer. He wore a long coat of the same black fabric as his cloak, which hung loosely off his shoulders. His hair was also black, cut close to his skull. It seemed strange to see such a handsome man with no facial features whatsoever. I wondered if perhaps he was blind. Or maybe mute?
He knelt down beside me and placed both hands gently on either side of my face. “How do you feel?” he asked softly.
“I’m… I can’t…” I managed to say. My throat felt dry and sore.
“That will pass,” he said, leaning in closer. Suddenly I felt a gentle kiss pressed against my lips. I didn’t want to resist, but I couldn’t help myself. I pushed away, trying to pull away from him.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “This is merely part of your awakening.”
Then I remembered what had brought me here. I struggled to sit up, pushing the sheets off me.
“What’s happening?” I cried. “Where am I? Who are you?!”
He smiled warmly. “My name is Morpheus, and I’ve been waiting for you.”
***
Morpheus sat patiently while I told him all that had transpired since we last met. How I had found myself in a terrible state, how I had awakened to find myself chained inside a cell, and how I eventually escaped and wandered aimlessly throughout the city.
He listened quietly, occasionally asking questions along the way. I was surprised that he already knew some of the things that I had experienced, including being dragged away from my family home.
“So that was you,” I said, staring at him curiously. “Back when I was taken from my house.”
“Yes. I was able to track you using the magic within you. You’re very strong, aren’t you?”
“Why does it matter?” I asked.
“Because I need that strength now more than ever. Let’s go somewhere else, shall we? We’ll speak further once we are alone.”
I nodded and allowed him to stand up. Once he was standing, he pulled the hood back over his head and led me out of the room and down the hallway. The hallways were narrow and lined with wooden doors. Some of them were open, revealing rooms filled with people who appeared to be asleep. Others remained shut, and I assumed these would contain those who were still unconscious.
We continued walking through the maze of corridors until we came to a large set of double doors. These were made of wood similar to the walls, but they looked newer. There was a small window high above the door, allowing a sliver of moonlight to filter in.
Behind the glass, I could make out a familiar silhouette. It was the woman who had been sitting next to me before. She was lying on her stomach, curled up like she was sleeping.
“She’s not dead yet,” Morpheus said. “But I fear the end is near.”
“Is there any chance you can save her?”
“Even if I could, I doubt it would be enough. Her mind has been poisoned by the darkness. Not even I can cure that.”
The woman stirred, turning over and opening her eyes. They stared blankly up at the ceiling, unseeing. Then suddenly she began to moan. Morpheus grabbed hold of me and pulled me back behind the double doors, putting himself between me and the woman.
“Go!” he shouted. “Get out! Now!”
I ran past him, heading straight for the entrance. As soon as I opened the doors, I saw why he’d ordered me to leave. A dark figure stood just outside, blocking the doorway. It was a tall man with long black hair and pale skin.
He wore the same type of clothing as Morpheus, except his, was made of a darker shade of black. This one had bloodstains running down the front, soaking into the material. I recognized this man immediately. He was the same one who had attacked me in the alleyway earlier.
“Stay back!” he growled.
I stopped in my tracks. “Who are you?”
“A friend,” he replied. “Let us talk.”
“No,” Morpheus said. “Not now. Later.”
“You don’t understand,” he said. “There isn’t time.”
Morpheus glanced back at me briefly and then turned back toward the stranger. “Very well. But I warn you, if you harm her, I will destroy you.”
“It is too late for that,” the man said. “There is no saving her now.”
With that, he reached out and grasped hold of Morpheus’ shoulder. With a loud crack, the two men disappeared. In their place, a bright light erupted outward, filling the entire hallway. After a moment, the light faded, leaving nothing but empty space where they had been standing.
“Come back,” I called out. “Please return.”
Nothing happened. No response came, and no one appeared to fill the void left by the mysterious man. My heart sank. I felt helpless. All I wanted to do was run to her side, take her hand, and tell her everything would be alright. But I couldn’t. Instead, I headed back for the exit, hoping against hope that someone else might have come to help.
When I returned to the main chamber, I saw that Morpheus had vanished again. Only the woman remained. She lay motionless on the floor, her body covered in blood and bruises. Her eyes were closed, and she didn’t appear to breathe.
I knelt beside her, placing my hands on her chest. At first, there was no sign that anything was happening. I waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity, watching her chest rise and fall. When I finally realized that nothing was going to happen, I tried to move away from her. But something held me in place. Something invisible wrapped around me, keeping me rooted in place.
Then I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up to see Morpheus returning. His face was grim.
“What did you do?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I told you, I cannot heal her. If only I could, perhaps she would live. But I am powerless to help her now.”
“Can you give me your dagger? I’m going to try to cut her free.”
He handed me the dagger without hesitation, but I wasn’t sure how much good it would do. Still, I knew I had to try.
“Take care,” Morpheus said softly. “And remember, whatever happens, I love you.”
As I approached the woman, I noticed another figure standing nearby. It was a young girl, about twelve years old. She had curly brown hair and wore a white dress. Her eyes were wide open, staring off into the distance. The sight of her sent a chill down my spine.
“Hello,” I said. “Do you know her?”
“Yes,” the little girl said. “That’s my mother.”
My stomach dropped. “You’re…your mommy?”
“Her name is Mandy,” the girl continued. “She used to be nice before…”
Before what? Before she became infected by the darkness? Or maybe before she met Morpheus? Either way, I got the feeling that we weren’t going to get any answers today.
“Where is everyone else?” I asked.
The little girl pointed across the room. “They’re all over there.”
I followed her finger and spotted dozens of people lying on the ground or sitting slumped against walls. Some were still alive; others were not. They appeared to be mostly women, though some of them were children. One of the girls was crying. Another was clutching her abdomen, moaning in pain. I walked closer to her and sat next to her. She gave me a weak smile.
“You must be new here,” she said. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn everything soon enough.”
“How can you say that?” I cried. “We’ve barely started our journey together, and already you’re telling me that things aren’t going to work out between us.”
“Oh, honey, please,” she said. “This isn’t a romance novel. There’s no happily ever after. This is real life. And it doesn’t always end the way you want it to.”
I stood up quickly, turning away from her. “Fine! Whatever you say. Just leave me alone.”
But instead of walking away, I found myself running forward and jumping onto the nearest person. He was a middle-aged man with thinning gray hair. As I landed atop him, he let out a gasp. I rolled off, landing hard on the stone floor.
“Hey!” I shouted at the man. “Is this how you treat a lady?”
The man scrambled to his feet, looking dazed. “Who are you?”
I grabbed hold of him and lifted him off the ground. For a second, I thought about shaking him until he stopped moving, then putting him out of his misery. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not when I saw the fear in his eyes.
“Please don’t hurt me,” he pleaded. “I’m sorry for being rude to you earlier. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately. Please forgive me.”
“Let go of me,” I demanded. “Or I swear I will make you regret it.”
He stared at me blankly for several seconds. Then he reached behind himself, pulling out a small knife. I recognized it as the one I’d given him earlier.
“It’s too late for apologies,” he said. “Now die.”
With that, he lunged toward me. Before I could react, the blade sliced through my neck. My body went limp, falling to the ground.
***
I awoke in darkness. It took me a few moments to realize where I was: inside the labyrinth. But unlike when I’d entered previously, there was no sound coming from outside. No voices, no laughter, no music. Nothing.
I felt around my surroundings, trying to find the source of the light. Eventually, I located a large lantern mounted on the wall. When I pulled it down, the room filled with warm yellow light. I examined my hands. They were covered in blood. So was my shirt.
I stood up slowly, wincing as pain shot through my neck. I didn’t feel like I was bleeding anymore, but I needed to clean myself off. I removed my clothes and stepped into the pool of water. It came up to my waist, which meant that I was probably somewhere near the center of the maze.
Once I finished washing off the blood, I left the pool and headed back into the main hallway. A quick glance revealed that I was now wearing an outfit similar to the one I had worn during my first visit to the Labyrinth.
I continued down the hall, passing a number of doors along the way. Most of them were closed, while a couple remained open. I tried the handle on two of those rooms, but they both proved to be empty. The third door, however, opened to reveal a teenage boy who looked to be about fifteen years old. His skin was pale, almost translucent. He wore a long white robe, and his head was shaved completely bald.
“Hello,” he said. “Welcome to the Labyrinth.”
His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it right away. “Thanks,” I replied. “I’m glad to see that someone else has made it here.”
“No need to thank me,” he answered. “Just doing my job.”
I paused, realizing something. “Wait a minute. Are you—”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “I am your guide. You may call me Gertrude. Now, what brings you here?”
“Well…” I began. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping to get some answers about why I’m stuck in this stupid maze.”
Gertrude laughed. “Oh, I wouldn’t expect any less from you.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. “And what’s so funny? Do you know something that I don’t?”
“Not exactly,” he said. “But I would guess that you have a pretty good idea about what it means to be trapped within this labyrinth.”
That wasn’t a question I wanted to answer. Instead, I decided to change the subject. “So, how many people actually manage to escape this place?”
“Only a handful every year,” he told me. “Most of them are killed before they even reach the center. But a select few make it all the way through to victory.”
“Victory?” I repeated. “You’re telling me that there is a winner?”
“Of course,” he responded. “Why else would we put ourselves through such a grueling ordeal?”
“Because we want to beat our friends or family members,” I explained.
“Exactly,” he agreed. “There’s always at least one person who wants to prove that he can take down the Labyrinth. And once you’ve done it, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching your opponents cower in fear.”
“Sounds like fun,” I mused.
“If you say so,” he said. “Anyway, let’s stop talking about this and start getting you ready for the challenge ahead. We should begin by making sure that you aren’t carrying any weapons. After that, I’ll help you prepare yourself mentally for what lies ahead. Sound good?”
“Sure,” I said. “Lead the way.”
Gertrude nodded and turned around, walking deeper into the maze. I followed close behind, trying not to trip over anything.
After another twenty minutes or so, we arrived at a wooden door. Gertrude knocked three times. “Enter,” a female voice called out.
The door swung open to reveal a woman dressed in a black dress. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and her face was framed by dark glasses. She smiled at us, revealing sharp teeth.
“Good morning,” she greeted us. “I am Yumina Amamiya.”
“Morning, Miss Amamiya,” I replied. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Yumina stepped aside, allowing Gertrude to enter the room. Once he had passed, she shut the door and locked it. Then, she walked toward me, staring directly into my eyes.
“Now then,” she said. “Let’s get started.”
The End