(Dillon’s POV)
The air is colder now, heavy with something dark and suffocating. The walls of the labyrinth groan and shift as if they’re alive, pulsating with an energy that feeds on every breath we take. It’s like the whole place is watching us, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
I’ve never been this exhausted. My legs ache, my lungs burn, but I keep moving because stopping isn’t an option. Not when we’re surrounded by the sound of footsteps that don’t belong to us, by the creatures stalking us from the shadows, getting bolder with every passing minute.
The rest of the group is gone, scattered somewhere in this never-ending maze of stone and fog. It’s just me and Joshua now, and I’m barely holding it together. Every time we turn a corner, the walls shift again, closing off paths, opening new ones. The labyrinth is changing, like it knows what we’re doing, like it’s fucking with us on purpose.
“Dillon, over here!” Joshua calls out from ahead, his voice strained but determined.
I follow him, my heart pounding in my chest. He’s the only thing keeping me grounded right now, the only reason I haven’t completely lost my mind. But the more time we spend in this place, the more I feel like I’m unraveling.
It’s not just the creatures lurking in the fog or the way the walls seem to close in on us—it’s what’s happening inside me. The pull I feel toward Joshua, the way I can’t stop thinking about that kiss. It wasn’t just a heat-of-the-moment thing. It meant something. Something I don’t know how to deal with.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone, not even Samantha. She’s been my girlfriend for two years, and yeah, I care about her, but this… this is different. It’s not just about attraction. It’s deeper than that, scarier. I thought I knew who I was, thought I had everything figured out, but now? Now I’m not so sure.
With Samantha, it was always easy. Comfortable. We connected in ways that made sense—on paper, at least. But I’ve always known something was missing. There was romance, sure, but the physical part? It’s never been the way I imagined it would be. And I’ve been telling myself for years that maybe it’s just me, maybe I’m the problem. But with Joshua… it’s different. It’s both the connection and the physical pull, and it’s terrifying.
“Dillon!” Joshua’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, sharp and urgent. He’s up ahead, his back pressed against the wall as he peers around a corner, his jaw clenched tight. “I think I saw something. We need to move.”
I nod, my throat tight with a mix of fear and something I can’t name. I can feel the creatures closing in on us, their presence like a weight on my skin, making every hair on my body stand on end. The shadows are alive, crawling along the edges of the labyrinth, waiting for us to slip up.
We start moving again, our footsteps echoing in the narrow stone corridors. The fog is thicker here, swirling around us like a living thing. I can barely see more than a few feet in front of me, but I can feel Joshua’s presence beside me, solid and reassuring in a way that makes my chest tighten.
We turn another corner, and the walls groan, shifting again. It’s like the whole place is breathing, alive in a way that defies logic. I’m starting to feel like we’re never going to get out, like this place is going to swallow us whole. The others… I don’t even know if they’re still alive. For all I know, we’re the last ones left.
“We need to find a way out of here,” Joshua mutters under his breath, his voice tense. “Before it’s too late.”
I want to say something, to tell him that I’m trying, that I don’t know what the hell we’re supposed to do, but the words stick in my throat. The truth is, I’m scared. Scared that we’re not going to make it, scared that I’m losing control of myself.
And scared of what I’m feeling for Joshua.
I glance over at him, catching a glimpse of his profile as he scans the corridor ahead. His jaw is tight, his eyes sharp, but there’s something else there too. Exhaustion. Fear. He’s been holding it together for both of us, but I can see the cracks forming, just like they are in me.
We keep moving, turning corner after corner, the maze twisting and shifting around us. Every path feels like a dead end, like the labyrinth is leading us in circles. My mind is racing, trying to keep track of where we’ve been, but it’s impossible. Everything looks the same—stone walls, fog, and the ever-present darkness creeping in from all sides.
Then, without warning, the ground beneath us shakes.
I stumble, grabbing onto the wall for support as the entire labyrinth groans, the sound echoing through the narrow corridors. Joshua steadies himself beside me, his eyes wide with alarm. The walls tremble, shifting and twisting, closing off the path behind us.
“Shit,” Joshua mutters, his eyes scanning the area for a way out. “We’re trapped.”
Panic claws at my chest as I realize he’s right. The corridor we just came from is gone, replaced by solid stone. The only way forward is through a narrow passage that looks even more dangerous than the one we’re in.
“We have to keep moving,” Joshua says, his voice tight with urgency. “We don’t have a choice.”
I nod, my heart racing, and we start down the passage. The walls here are even closer, the air thicker. It feels like we’re walking into a trap, like the labyrinth is leading us exactly where it wants us to go.
But we don’t have a choice.
The passage opens up into a wider chamber, the fog swirling thick and heavy in the air. And that’s when I see them.
The creatures.
They’re not just shadows anymore. They’ve taken shape, dark and twisted, their eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. They move like predators, silent and deadly, stalking us from the edges of the room.
Joshua tenses beside me, his fists clenched, ready to fight. But there’s too many of them. We’re outnumbered, outmatched. And for the first time, I feel like we’re not going to make it out of this.
“We can’t fight them,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. “There’s too many.”
Joshua glances at me, his jaw tight. “We don’t have to fight. We just need to survive.”
Survive. Easier said than done.
The creatures start to move, circling us, their glowing eyes fixed on us like we’re prey. My pulse quickens, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts. I can feel the weight of their gaze, feel the hunger in the way they move.
But through all the fear, all the chaos, my mind keeps drifting back to Joshua. To the kiss. To the way I feel around him, even now, in the middle of this nightmare. It’s like a tether, something that’s keeping me grounded, even when everything else is falling apart.
And that’s what scares me the most.
Because I’m not just afraid of dying. I’m afraid of what this means. What Joshua means.
I’ve always been the guy who had it all figured out—straight, successful, in control. But now? Now I’m realizing that maybe I don’t know myself as well as I thought. Maybe there’s more to me than I’ve been willing to admit.
And maybe… just maybe… Joshua is the key to figuring that out.
But first, we have to survive.
Joshua glances at me, his eyes locking onto mine, and for a moment, it’s like time stops. The creatures, the labyrinth, the danger—it all fades into the background. It’s just him and me, standing here in the middle of this maze, connected in a way that I can’t explain.
“We’ve got this,” he says, his voice steady, but there’s something else in his eyes. Something that mirrors what I’m feeling. Fear, yes. But also… something more.
I nod, even though I’m not sure I believe him. But I have to. I have to believe that we’ll make it through this. Because the alternative? The thought of losing him now, after everything we’ve been through? I can’t handle that.
We turn to face the creatures, ready for whatever comes next.
And whatever happens, I know one thing for sure:
I’m not letting Joshua go.
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