Chapter 2: Maze of Shadows

The air in the crumbling building was heavy, the faint scent of mold and decay filling their lungs. The walls of the maze loomed around them, cold and oppressive, and the flickering light of their flashlights barely illuminated the twisting corridors ahead.

“This is definitely a maze,” Lumine muttered, her tone wary as her gaze darted around.

“And an old one,” Heizou added, trailing his fingers along the uneven wall. “The architecture doesn’t match the rest of the town. It feels… out of place.”

Before anyone could respond, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the maze. Everyone froze in their tracks, their eyes darting to Lumine, who had latched onto Scaramouche’s sleeve, her face pale with terror.

Scaramouche let out a dramatic sigh, raising an eyebrow at her. “Seriously? Clinging to me, of all people? You’re lucky I’m not charging for this.” He smirked, but his usual mocking tone couldn’t completely hide the faint trace of amusement in his eyes.

“Shut up!” Lumine hissed, her voice trembling as she pointed to a dark corner of the corridor. “I saw her. She was peeking at us from the other side!”

“Her?” Heizou repeated, his eyes narrowing as he glanced in the direction Lumine had indicated.

“The lady in the white dress,” Lumine whispered, her grip on Scaramouche’s sleeve tightening.

“Relax. If she wanted to attack us, she would’ve done it already,” Scaramouche said, though he subtly shifted closer to her. “Ghosts love dramatic entrances, don’t they?”

Hu Tao, unbothered by the eerie atmosphere, took the lead. “Let’s go left,” she said cheerfully, gesturing for the others to follow.

The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the maze-like corridors. Just as they turned a corner, they spotted an old, rusted lantern sitting on the floor.

“That’s odd,” Aether said, picking it up and inspecting it.

Suddenly, the same woman in the white dress appeared again, her haunting figure materializing in the dim light. Her eerie noises grew louder, reverberating through the narrow hall. But as she moved closer, she stopped abruptly, her form trembling as the light from the lantern illuminated her.

“She can’t get past it,” Heizou said, his voice tinged with relief. “The lantern must repel her. Light keeps ghosts away.”

“Oh, how convenient,” Furina yawned dramatically, completely unfazed by the supernatural presence. She stretched lazily before flashing a mischievous grin. “You know what this means? We need to split up!”

“Furina, don’t—” Aether started, but it was too late. Furina darted toward the ghost, waving her arms theatrically before making a sharp turn and sprinting down another corridor.

The ghost let out a bone-chilling wail and gave chase, vanishing after Furina as Aether and Hu Tao hurried after her.

“Of course she would run straight toward it,” Scaramouche muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Come on!” Heizou said, grabbing Lumine’s wrist and pulling her along. “We’re going this way. Scaramouche, move!”

The trio bolted down the corridor, heading toward the area where the ghost had been standing earlier. The oppressive silence that followed Furina’s distraction was unnerving, broken only by the sound of their hurried footsteps.

“Do you think they’ll be okay?” Lumine asked, glancing back nervously.

“Knowing Furina, she’s probably already talking the ghost’s ears off,” Heizou said with a smirk. “If ghosts have ears, that is.”

“Or they’re about to get lost in this nightmare of a maze,” Scaramouche muttered darkly, though he didn’t slow down.

As they turned another corner, they found themselves in a larger space, the faint glow of the lantern still in Heizou’s hand casting eerie shadows on the walls. The corridor ahead seemed endless, twisting and turning into darkness.

“This is only getting worse,” Lumine murmured, her fingers brushing against the cold wall for stability.

“Keep up, princess,” Scaramouche said, glancing back at her with an infuriating smirk. “I’m not carrying you if you trip.”

“I wasn’t asking you to,” Lumine snapped, her cheeks flushing slightly as she picked up her pace.

The tension in the air thickened as they pressed on, the labyrinthine corridors stretching endlessly before them. Somewhere in the distance, they could still hear Furina’s voice echoing faintly, accompanied by Hu Tao’s delighted laughter.

Whatever awaited them at the end of the maze, it was bound to be even more dangerous than the ghostly woman in the white dress. And yet, despite the fear and chaos, the group couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of determination. They would get through this maze—together or otherwise.