The players stood frozen, staring at the dark entrance of the labyrinth. The eerie aura made them hesitate.
Fear was clear on their faces, but no one dared to voice their thoughts. The corridor beyond the door was pitch black, making it impossible to see what lay ahead.
Seeing their hesitation, the Marowak man clapped his hands sharply. "Step forward! The labyrinth is waiting," he ordered in a firm voice. His words carried authority, leaving no room for arguments.
The first player in line gulped, glancing at the others as if hoping someone would step in his place.
But when no one moved, he forced himself to step forward. The Marowak man watched him closely and after he was sure that he went in he gave another instruction. "Wait two minutes, then the next one goes forward."
As the first player walked into the corridor, the remaining players stretched their necks, trying to see what was happening inside.
They watched closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of what awaited them. But within just a few seconds, the player mysteriously vanished. It was as if the darkness had swallowed him whole.
A tense silence filled the air. Everyone held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Then, out of nowhere, a terrifying scream echoed from deep within the corridor.
The sound sent chills down their spines, and some players took a step back. The scream repeated itself due to the echo, making it sound even more horrifying. The players shuddered, their fear growing stronger.
The Marowak man, however, remained unfazed. He simply waited for two minutes before speaking again. "Next one." His voice was calm as if the scream from before had never happened.
The second player in line was from Team 2. Unlike the first player, he did not hesitate. Instead, he pulled out a Pokeball and released a Houndoor.
Without a second thought, he stepped into the labyrinth. The players watched anxiously, waiting for another scream. But this time, two minutes passed, and there was only silence.
The third player, however, was visibly shaking. He clenched his fists, trying to steady his breathing, but his fear was obvious.
His feet remained planted in place, refusing to move forward. The Marowak man noticed his hesitation.
Without a word, he reached for a Pokeball at his belt and tossed it forward. A Marowak appeared in front of him, gripping its bone club tightly.
Its sharp eyes scanned the player who refused to go, and then the Marowak man spoke coldly. "Next one."
The frightened player swallowed hard. His gaze darted between the Marowak and the dark corridor.
He wanted to refuse, but the intense stare from the Marowak made him realize he had no choice. He took a deep breath and forced himself to step forward and disappear into the darkness.
After that, the players moved more quickly. The Marowak man's presence, along with his Pokémon, made sure no one dared to hesitate for too long. One after another, the players entered the labyrinth.
After seven players had gone inside, it was finally Kay's turn. He did not hesitate like the others.
Without looking back, he stepped forward. Holding Eevee's Pokeball tightly in his hand, he crossed the threshold into the darkness.
As soon as he entered, he felt the silence pressing down on him. It was completely different from the noisy waiting area.
The corridor stretched endlessly before him, and the dim flickering lights only made it feel more ominous. He took slow, cautious steps, making sure to stay alert.
Once he was certain that he was far enough from the entrance, he released Eevee from its Pokeball.
A flash of light illuminated the corridor briefly, and then Eevee appeared by his side. The small Pokémon looked up at him, its ears twitching as it scanned the surroundings.
Kay didn't call Eevee near the entrance of the labyrinth because he didn't want to reveal the identity of his Pokémon.
While his previous teammates were aware of Eevee, the other players didn't know about it. He didn't want them to find out.
Kay bent down slightly and whispered, "Stay close to me, and nice to meet you again." Eevee nodded, showing a happy expression while obeying Kay's command and pressing itself against his leg.
Kay moved forward cautiously through the dark corridor, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
He took careful steps, making sure not to let his guard down. However, a thick black fog suddenly appeared behind him after just a few seconds of walking.
The fog lingered for only a few moments before disappearing completely. But when it was gone, Kay turned around and was shocked; he could no longer see the door he had entered through.
Before the fog appeared, the door was still visible in the distance, even though it was far away. But now, there was nothing but pure darkness.
Kay immediately realized that this was the work of a Ghost-type Pokémon. He had expected tricks like this, so instead of panicking, he simply turned back and continued walking deeper into the labyrinth.
For several minutes, nothing happened. The corridor remained silent, and no Pokémon appeared to attack him.
At first, this seemed like a good thing, but soon, Kay felt uneasy. His instincts were warning him that something was wrong. Ghost Pokemons loved playing tricks on people, so why had nothing happened yet?
Feeling the need for extra protection, Kay reached for another Pokeball and released Growlithe. The fiery canine Pokémon stood beside him, its sharp eyes scanning the darkness.
With both Eevee and Growlithe by his side, Kay felt a little more secure, but his confusion only deepened.
Two things bothered him the most. First, he hadn't encountered a single Ghost-type Pokémon, even though they were supposed to be the main threat in this labyrinth.
Second, he hadn't met any other players. The players had entered the labyrinth one by one, but some of them were likely waiting for others to join them so they could move together.
Despite this, Kay hadn't seen or even heard anyone. It was as if he were the only person inside the entire labyrinth.
Kay, being observant, started paying attention to the details around him. He noticed that the corridor was covered in dust.
A thick layer of it coated the floor, undisturbed and untouched. This gave him an idea. If players had passed through this corridor before him, there should be footprints in the dust.
Curious, Kay bent down and examined the floor carefully. His eyes traced the ground, looking for any signs of footsteps left behind by others. But after checking for a few moments, he was stunned.
There were no footprints. None at all.
This discovery sent a chill down Kay's spine. It was impossible. If the other players had taken the same path, there should have been multiple sets of footprints.
Even if they had walked carefully, they would have left some trace. But the dust on the ground was completely undisturbed.
Kay stood up, his mind racing with questions. If no one had walked this way before him, then where had the other players gone? It didn't make any sense.
He knew for sure that he wasn't the first player to enter the labyrinth, so what had happened to everyone else?
As he stood there, lost in thought, a sudden voice echoed through the corridor.
"Ahem… Ahem… Players, I forgot something I didn't tell you before."
The voice belonged to the Marowak man. It came from speakers installed along the corridor.
Kay immediately pulled out his Pokedex and checked the time. He saw that 44 minutes had passed since the game began. That meant the last player had just entered the labyrinth.
Kay narrowed his eyes. The leader hadn't forgotten anything. He had waited until every single player was inside before making this announcement.
That could only mean one thing; the information he was about to reveal was something dangerous.
See you in the next chapter...
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