From my previous battle, I had no time to rest as the walls started to close in.

  I could see the movements before they happened thanks to Scan, but it was still tough to maneuver through this place.

  I also learned that my EMP can stop the movements before they happen. While I was running, the maze tried to trap me by enclosing the walls and blocking my only path of escape. As a last-ditch effort, I blasted my EMP throughout the corridor, and the movements ceased completely for a bit.

  The particles that were so tightly congregated around the walls completely dispersed and struggled to rejoin once I used my EMP. As a matter of fact, it might be better to call this ability “Disruption” instead. However, I couldn’t use it consecutively when blasting large areas, so there was a need for caution.

  I had been avoiding these incessant attacks while moving forward for around 20 minutes, and had made considerable progress. Hearing a low rumble in the corridor, I braced myself for the next shift. Medium-sized squares carved themselves out of the parallel walls and protruded in an attempt to crush me.

  One was coming directly at my body, so I held my hand out to my left and stopped it with Disruption. Within a second, I felt a rumble below my feet and dived forward as one rose up in an attempt to squash me. I ran a few steps forward before one on my right came spiraling toward my head. In response, I fell to my knees and slid, narrowly avoiding the attack.

  This was going to be an endless endeavor, so I needed to put a stop to this now. I looked forward and saw an exit to the current corridor. What I’ve learned about this place thus far is that not all of the maze is being controlled by a gift. In the room where I fought No.4 and No.7, the walls had a different material. This led me to believe that there isn’t someone controlling the maze, but someone moving around through a certain type of material and controlling the walls. Meaning that very person is right here in this corridor with me.

  And there’s only one way to draw them out.

  I crossed my arms and used Scan, and saw purple particles swirling around me. I focused and focused, gathering energy until I felt like I was going to burst. When I reached my breaking point, I uncrossed my arms and let out a maximum power disruption through the entire corridor.

  All of the squares that were hurdling toward me stopped and crumbled to dust, as the wall in front of me opened up and spit out a brown-haired boy.

  I pulled out my gun and cautiously walked forward, having it aimed at him the entire time. I was within a couple of feet of him, but he showed no sign of movement. I used my foot and kicked him over to see his face, and was surprised to see that it was Theo.

  “Theo…..?” I muttered in disbelief.

  The last time I saw him was right before I fought Zagra. So many things had been happening that I hadn’t really thought about him, and assumed he was just living the same as he was before. I had no idea he had awakened, and it was apparent why. On the right side of his face were burns so severe that there was only flesh and bone. I looked under his shirt and saw the same on the right half of his body.

  I also noticed there was a wire going from the upper part of his eyelid into the top of his brain. Was it a device to keep him alive? Or a device to control him?

  As I was thinking this, his body started twitching, and he mouthed something to me. He said it two more times, until I finally understood.

  “Kill me.”

  No sounds were coming out of his mouth, and he showed no signs of discomfort, but I could only assume how much suffering he’s endured.

  “I will release you,” I said as I aimed my gun at his brain.

  A single tear rolled down his left cheek as I tightened my finger around the trigger. Yet something was stopping me from pulling it. Only when I discovered my inability to kill, something I hadn’t experienced before, did I realize my hands were trembling.

  He began to mouth something else as my whole body started to tremble.

  “Please.” He cried, no voice escaping his lips.

  I believe that facing forward when ending your enemy's life is a sign of respect for the battle you just fought. The resolve to fight and kill should not be hesitant, or else why would you do something so heinous in the first place? Yet this time. I could not bear to look as I pulled the trigger. I heard the wiring short-circuit, along with a couple of twitches, before his last breath escaped his body.

  I knew almost nothing about him, but I could only hope the place where he ended up after death was better than here. I left his body and did not look back. Forcing myself to continue forward, I walked down the hallway until I saw an unfamiliar exit. When I entered the room was completely dark, and I couldn’t see my surroundings.

  I instinctively activated Scan and saw a sickle-shaped wave of green and red particles hurdling toward me. I fell to the floor to avoid it, but then felt three objects pierce the back of my leg.

  “Tch!”

  As I began to stand up, the lights blared on in the room, revealing two more opponents.

  With her brown hair waving from her telekinesis, wearing the same combat suit as me, No.3 stood there with two fingers to her head, glaring at me. Her usually pale skin seemed to be vibrantly glowing due to her power.

  On her right was No.2, who pushed up his glasses while staring at me coldly. He was wearing the same combat suit as No.3, and his short black hair was wildly swinging due to the heavy winds swirling around him. He stared at me with his dull black eyes, partially obscured by his glasses.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “No.963.” No.2 said while letting down his arms.

  “No.2,” I said while pulling the knives out of my leg.

  “We have been ordered to take you back dead or alive. No.4 and No.7 were put ahead of us, if you’re here…”

  “They’re dead.”

  “I see.”

  “Enough talk, No.2, just the sight of this half-awakened dimwit makes me want to shred him to pieces.” No.3 spat, lifting her hand up. Once she did, small needles and daggers rose up from her pockets.

  No.2 then held his hand out in a “wait” gesture and turned back to me.

  “As you can see, most of the other numbers want you dead, but I believe we can negotiate.” He said, turning his palm upward.

  “What is there to negotiate about?” I asked.

  “I’ll get to that, but before I do, can I tell you a story?”

  “I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t care. Either get out of the way or die.”

  He took a step forward and raised his hands up.

  “It’ll be quick, I promise.”

  He put his hands down and showed me a gold necklace hidden under his suit.

  “I am 13 years old as of today. Meaning I’m the third oldest of the numbers besides No.1 and No.8. I awakened to my gift here about 7 months ago, and have been living a good life here ever since. Before I came here, my parents were stricken with poverty. Hoping to make me the golden goose of our family, I was forced into my studies until my nose bled. With your language, I can tell you’ve gone through something similar.”

  “Sorry to tell you, but I never had to study until my nose bled. I was a quick learner.” I said, discreetly gathering energy in one hand.

  “Lucky. The plan was to get me through elementary, middle, and high school using scholarships toward prestigious academies, so that I could save my family from their plight without them having to spend any money. Before I was even 7, they burdened me with saving our entire family. I worked tirelessly to stay ahead of the curve, not even being able to sleep most nights due to how much I was studying, but one day I reached my breaking point.” He said, holding his necklace with an expression of longing.

  “I collapsed and was forced into the hospital when home treatments wouldn’t help me. My parents tried for about a week to cure me at their house, but it only made it worse. I was diagnosed with Fatal Familia Insomnia, a rare genetic disease that prevents one from sleeping, while deteriorating one's mental and physical health. It starts off small, but the less sleep you get on a daily basis, the faster it progresses. I was at a stage where I wouldn’t be able to go to school normally.”

  He clenched his fist and donned an expression of rage.

  “Losing their golden goose, combined with the exorbitant amount of hospital bills they had to pay, my parents thought of a great idea. To save money and get rid of the failed gold mine they conceived, they sold me here. I gave my entire life to them, and they rewarded it by casting me aside like worthless dross. But by complete chance, I awakened here and was given a place to be. My hard work was rewarded. The people here….they need me. And in the future, the whole world will need me! I’ll be a protector, an Agent! Everyone will love me, and I’ll have an important place in the world!”

  “So…? What are you trying to say?”

  He held out his hand and looked at me with a determined expression.

  “Come back with us. I think you can be useful in the future, and it’s only a matter of time until you fully awaken. You’ll be treated well here.”

  “I have no plans to be someone’s soldier for the rest of my days.”

  “And what will you do once you get out of here? You have no family, nowhere to turn to. Life will be hell. Here, you have a place to be, people who will care for you. Here, you can be important.”

  “Don’t push your own insecurities onto me. I don’t need validation from anyone to live my life. For me, life without freedom is akin to hell.”

  “I see. We’ve lived different lives after all. Well then, negotiations have fallen through?”

  “They fell through the moment……no, you know what?” I asked, my encounter with Theo flashing through my mind.

  “Oh? Have you started to—?”

  “Do you even know what they’re doing here? No.2?” I asked, my head starting to hurt.

  “….”

  “In the Forbidden Area, they are merging dead children’s corpses into a clone. Right under a strange spatial rift that mutates and contaminates any living thing that goes near it. Even if you don’t believe me, you can’t deny that they use kids here as nothing more than tools! And if you need further proof….! If you need further proof, then just check the body of the unfortunate boy I just had to kill! Because he was suffering and forced to live through it! Do you truly wish to be needed by people that do that?!” I screamed unexpectedly. I began to gnaw on my thumb, my legs shaking and my head throbbing from my outburst. Sweat dropped from my forehead and landed on the floor, as my vision became blurry. I could only stare at the floor as the image of Theo and everything else I had seen continued to replay over and over in my head.

  “But….that hasn’t happened to us.” No.2 said with a calm voice.

  I looked up in utter disbelief at his response.

  “What?” I sputtered slowly.

  “All of those things are happening to people who aren’t needed. People who aren’t special. That boy that you just had to kill, it took that much for him to awaken to his gift. He’s not like us, who awakened naturally, so it’s to be expected. I don’t know about this clone thing you’re talking about, but those children are dead. Who cares what happens to the discarded?” He asked calmly.

  “You…knew? You knew, and you still…!”

  “My family could not see my innate talent. They were wrong to discard me, but the Doctor is right to discard anyone who isn’t talented enough. Doomed to mediocrity for the rest of their life is a terrible fate.”

  I don’t know what expression I was making, but it caused No.2 to frown deeply. “If you just—“

  “Shut up, trash.” I barely spat out, my voice trembling with every syllable. “You’ve deluded yourself completely for the sake of validation from demons! So heed my words, pitiful bystander! I will make you wish you were turned into a monstrosity instead of encountering me on this night!”

  “No.3?” No.2 said while glancing at her.

  “Honestly, what he said got me a bit worried. But I can deal with that after I stab him with a billion knives. I’ll show Desdemona why this brat isn’t as special as he says he is.”

  “Another 2-on-1? Are you guys really so insecure about your skills that you need to team up to beat me?” I asked, clenching and unclenching my fist as I walked to the left.

  No.2 pushed up his glasses and made a finger gun gesture with his hand.

  “It’s not insecurity…..it’s assurance.”