CHAPTER 65: THE STORM

Just as the spikes had shot out of the wall, they immediately retracted back into the wall causing another uproar of screams and cries from the four contestants.

The wind was also picking up its pace, changing directions all the time.

Aaliyah pushed herself to her feet and broke into a run again, leaving the rest behind. Unlike her, they were bleeding from the leg and had to be extra careful to avoid slipping from their blood and down the wall.

Aaliyah took the opportunity and ran, every step putting distance between them. Blake was a big problem for her and was the strongest among the four of them. From her clash with him earlier, Aaliyah did not want to fight him again. If not for the spikes, he would have taken the medallion away from her by now.

The determination in his eyes was more than hers.

And she knew he would do anything to get the medallion from whoever was holding it.

Vampires have quick healing and since it wasn’t a major injury, the wounds had closed within a minute although there was still blood under their feet.

Aaliyah saw that their movements had quickened, informing her their wounds had healed and they just needed the blood to dry up. And with the wind coming and going, it wouldn’t take long for that to happen.

She kept running, taking sharp turns, and hoping to find a way out soon. But there wasn’t one.

The landscape was a maze. There was no end to it. She had already seen how big it was the moment she first climbed up the wall.

She could not even see the ocean.

The next time Aaliyah turned around, she caught sight of the witch coming toward her... sitting on a broom. Aaliyah was impressed by what she saw but quickly ducked as the witch sped over her head like an airplane.

The witch turned the broom around and looked at Aaliyah, then below where the medallion sat in her pocket.

"Let’s make a deal," The witch offered, "I’ll give you a ride. Make it easier for us to leave the guys behind and find the exit faster. We can get out of here alive... but I’ll be the one holding the medallion as we do so,"

It was a genuine offer. Aaliyah was exhausted from all the running and was breaking out. She didn’t have the same stamina as the rest of them, and she was tempted to climb the broom of a witch.

"Any other alternative where I climb the broom and keep the medallion?" Aaliyah’s questioned sternly.

"No," The witch said.

"Then you can keep your broom,"

The witch flew the broom, coming straight for Aaliyah again. Aaliyah dived down and slipped her body on the surface of the wall as the broom zoomed past her head before she pushed herself up again with her aching hands and continued to run.

By now the blood had dried and everyone was unto her again.

There was an explosion from somewhere in the maze. It was so loud and Powerful that they all had to shut their ears and halt in the race, whirling around to see where the explosion had come from. It seemed like at one end of the maze, one of the glass walls had exploded on its own without any reason.

Then, the wall next to it followed suit.

And the next.

And the next... gaining closer and closer to where the four of them stood and had continued to run with their heels touching their backs.

The wind suddenly picked up too, blowing harshly. Many of them were about to be thrown off the wall by the wind, but then the surge of wind started to gather in one place opposite where the glass explosions were closing in.

A small black hole formed, getting bigger and bigger as more wind gathered around it till it turned into a portal.

A way out.

Everyone rushed toward it as the whole place behind them started to explode into tiny pieces of glass without control. It was fast and gaining in on them like a storm of explosive glass, and they all ran like hell.

Aaliyah was in front and turned around.

With the witch on a broom, and the Vampire’s superspeed, everyone zoomed past and left her behind, heading straight for the portal.

Aaliyah had made sure to have gripped the medallion inside her pocket to avoid any of them snatching it up as they had run by.

Everything behind her kept exploding, and she ran with all her might. It was in these moments one usually wishes they were a witch or a Vampire too, and would have jumped into the portal by now like the rest of them.

"Silly girl!"

And there was Blake, standing right next to the portal with his hands outstretched. He was not so kind as to run back to her and risk being exploded with her, but she was quick on her feet and was almost with him.

If she happened to get caught in the explosion, he would simply jump into the portal.

"Run faster!!" He yelled again, "It’s right behind you,"

Aaliyah could barely hear him. All she knew was that he had waited back for her, and she could not wait to take his hand and rescue herself from this hellhole.

"Common!! It’s right behind you!!" He screamed even louder this time.

Things were looking gloomy for her. Would she make it? The chances were against her.

The wall she was running on started to explode from behind her, and everything else surrounding her turned into pieces of glass.

"She’s not gonna make it," Blake whispered to himself, ready to step into the portal that was already growing smaller again, "She’s not gonna make it," He repeated.

Aaliyah’s heart was in her throat. She was running her fastest. She could win a world marathon with her speed, but the explosion was just behind her, making her doubt if she wasn’t gonna be the one to die in the games.

But seeing Blake standing there had her surpassing the limit, the storm right behind her as she raced even faster.

Blake took two steps forward not even aware of what he had just done, moved by the power of her will to make it no matter what.

Aaliyah got to where he stood and jumped into his arms, the portal now as small as a soccer ball just as Blake wrapped his arms around her waist and threw the both of them into the portal.

And then, the portal disappeared as the storm overtook the whole maze.

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