CHAPTER 214: CHAPTER 214

The scenery changed dramatically as soon as we stepped inside. The dim corridor gave way to a vibrant forest, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was fresh and filled with the scent of pine and earth. Suddenly, a figure appeared through the trees as we encountered Ezekiel and Pierre Guerera.

"Remillia!" Ezekiel greeted me with a wide smile.

"Zeke!" I exclaimed cheerfully, feeling a wave of relief wash over me at the sight of a familiar face. It was nice to see someone else other than Edge.

Pierre nodded in acknowledgment, also greeting Edge with a casual wave.

"You still haven’t met with anyone?" I asked Ezekiel as we continued walking together, the forest around us alive with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves.

"Well, the only one I’ve met so far is Pierre," Ezekiel explained, glancing at the back with a small smile. "I fell from the sky and landed here, and we were glad to find each other."

"Fell from the sky?" I raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like the same thing that happened to Edge and me."

Ezekiel chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was trying to evade the arrows when the floor beneath me suddenly opened up—next thing I knew, I was falling, and here I am."

"Definitely the same situation I encountered," I said, nodding in agreement.

We were still exchanging stories when suddenly, a vine shot out from the underbrush, whipping through the air with surprising speed. I reacted instinctively, dodging to the side and letting it pass behind me. Unfortunately, Pierre was caught off guard. The vine wrapped around his legs, pulling him off balance and entangling him in a tangle of greenery.

"Help!" Pierre shouted as the vines tightened around him, pulling him further into the tangled greenery.

Ezekiel quickly drew his sword and swung at the vines, cutting through them with swift precision. Pierre was freed, stumbling back and brushing dirt off his clothes.

"Did any of you step on a trap?" I asked, glancing around and looking behind us. The others shook their heads, denying any involvement.

But I couldn’t help but notice Edge—he wasn’t moving at all. My eyes narrowed as I studied him carefully.

"Let’s keep moving," I said, feigning casual confidence. As I took a slow step forward, I suddenly spun around, my foot landing precisely on the ground where Edge had been standing a moment before.

"Ah-ha!" I exclaimed, catching him off guard. Edge flinched, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Why did you deny it?"

"Alright, I did step on a trap. Happy now?" Edge grumbled, crossing his arms and glancing at the tangled vines and the spot I had just checked.

"Of course!" I replied with a sly grin, taking the lead as I motioned for everyone to follow.

For the next fifteen hours, we traveled through four more different dimensions. Occasionally, we had to stop because Edge—our official bad luck charm—triggered a variety of traps with every step he took.

In the second dimension we entered, the sky was a swirling mass of vibrant colors, constantly shifting and shimmering. The ground beneath us was a series of floating islands, connected by fragile, falling bridges that seemed to sway with every breath of wind.

I could clearly see where we should step to avoid the traps, so I glanced behind me and said, "Everyone, follow exactly where I step." Trusting my judgment, we began walking carefully, seemingly in a calm, almost normal pace, admiring the surreal view.

Suddenly, Edge pushed aside a bunch of puffballs that were obstructing his view, causing their pollen to scatter into the air. Pierre, who was trailing behind him, sneezed loudly—an ear-splitting sound—and immediately stepped on the wrong stone path.

In an instant, we all froze as we turned to look at Pierre. The bridge beneath him started to crack and crumble, threatening to give way entirely.

"Forget the traps and just run! We’ll go back down a level again if we stop!" I shouted, urgency in my voice. But Pierre was already ahead of us, sprinting as fast as he could, leaving us in a cloud of dust.

"Wait for us!" we all yelled, our voices echoing as we pushed ourselves to catch up.

"I’m gonna say this now, but it wasn’t my fault!" Pierre yelled back over his shoulder. "Edge is the one who suddenly shoved the puffballs away, causing them to scatter their pollen! I’m seriously allergic to those!"

The three boys had triggered countless traps in this dimension. I scrambled to help them, dodging falling debris and trying to keep everyone moving. Edge, in particular, seemed to have a knack for setting off traps.

I was the one who almost fell down trying to save him and honestly, I felt a surge of frustration. Part of me just wanted to kick him and let him fall into the void below. But I held back, knowing that once we graduated, he’d probably make my life a living hell if I did. So I grit my teeth, pushing aside the annoyance and focusing on getting us all out safely.

We exited the dimension in three hours instead of four. At least the frantic escape had been worth it.

In the next dimension, time itself seemed distorted. Days felt like seconds, and seconds stretched into hours. I thought that we’d arrive quickly, considering how we were just taking a walk in the park. But somehow, inexplicably, Edge activated another trap. This time, the distortion shifted. Time, which had been slow, now zipped by in a blur as our movements agonizingly became slow, like watching a film run backward in fast-forward.

"Damn... you... Edge..." I said, my voice a strained whisper, the words dragging out in agonizing slow motion. "Somehow..... it... seems... like.... it’s... your.... fault..... again...."

"What... did... you... do... again...?" Ezekiel echoed, his voice equally slow and strained.

"How... would... I... know...?" Edge replied, his voice a monotonous drone.

"Just... tell... us...?" Pierre pleaded, his voice a frustrated, drawn-out whine.

"Fine...! I... just... checked... the... time... in... my... watch.....!" Edge said, his words finally speeding up slightly, but the underlying slowness still lingered.

We wanted to slap our foreheads in annoyance, but that would only waste precious—or, rather, agonizingly stretched—time.

We exited the dimension in a painfully excruciating five hours instead of only two hours.

The fourth dimension was a labyrinth of towering crystal structures that echoed every sound, making it difficult to focus. The crystals themselves seemed to speak in our minds, blurring the line between our own thoughts and the voices of others, trapping us in an illusion.

I could hear the crystal’s voice ringing in my head, along with the three boys’ voices, overlapping and vying for attention.

[Oooh! This place is nice!] the system’s voice suddenly echoed in my head, a high-pitched, almost excited, tone.

I clutched my head, the throbbing a dull ache. Too many voices, all vying for dominance. "Can you shut up?" I muttered, the words directed squarely at the system.

[But why? This is the first time I’m mingling with guests!] the system said, its voice a slightly indignant whine.

"Argh!" I groaned, the sound a frustrated exhale. This damn system, instead of helping me, was only adding to my headache.

"Everyone, try not to listen to the voices in your head. They’re trying to pull you into an illusion, so snap out of it," I said, shaking my head slightly, the voices, a mix of whispers and shouts, battled for dominance within my head. I tried to shake them off hoping to clear my mind.

"W-What’s the plan?" Pierre stammered, his eyes darting around, trying to focus on me amidst the mental chaos. His voice, though strained, held a note of determination.

"Let’s hold hands," I said, my voice firm despite the turmoil within. "No one can get lost in this damn maze if we’re connected." I reached out and grasped Pierre’s hand, my fingers tightening around his. Pierre, without hesitation, took Ezekiel’s hand, and Ezekiel, in turn, linked arms with Edge.

"Don’t ever let go of each other’s hand," I commanded, my voice strained. I took a deep breath, focusing on the solid ground beneath my feet, and began to navigate the labyrinthine path, the voices swirling around me like a tempest.

After half an hour, navigating the labyrinth, I should have known something was amiss. Edge, with a sudden, jerky movement, shattered one of the crystal barriers. The vibrant blue maze suddenly erupted into a blood-like maze like a huge warning sign.

I roared in frustration. "Edge, why the hell did you break the crystal?!"

"Well, I hated the crystal’s voice... talking about Ange—" Edge trailed off, his expression unreadable.

"Is that it?" I snapped, cutting him off sharply. "Because of her, you decided to destroy one of the crystal barriers?"

"Yes," he said nonchalantly, as if it was nothing.

I huffed in frustration, fists clenched. "You could’ve just ignored it! Look where that got us—we don’t know what will happen next!"