"......"

"......"

Leo and Taher were left breathless on the shore of the chocolate sea. The ground beneath their feet was no longer wood, but a white, granulated material that shimmered in the lightning. It was like the sand of a beach, but with a sweet and cloying smell.

(Is this... granulated sugar?)

Leo realized what the ground was made of as they both rested in silence, trying to clear their minds of the situation.

"fiiiii"

"uooooo"

"uiii"

Meanwhile, behind them, the straw dolphins huddled on the sugar shore, their bodies dripping chocolate as they communicated with each other.

(Ruuuuum...!)

The storm continued, but on the shore, a strange peace had settled.

"....."

Taking advantage of the momentary peace, Leo watched as the monster's roar had vanished, replaced by a tense silence.

"..........."

(bum... pum... bum... pum...)

The only sound now coming from that monster was the incessant beating of its heart while it remained completely motionless with its multiple heads bowed in the direction of the white cat.

"Meow~"

The cat, for its part, sat down with serene elegance. It opened its mouth and let out a long, melodious meow that resonated in the air, calm and soft.

"....."

In response, the monster made no movement; it just stayed still, as if it were listening attentively.

"miaw, meaw"

The cat meowed again, a short and sweet meow. Its tail moved in a subtle and slow way, like someone having a calm conversation, while it seemed to look toward both Leo and Taher in the distance.

"....."

The monster remained silent; its stillness was the only response it could give.

"... Hey, Taher."

"What?"

Leo, still recovering from the panic, silently leaned toward Taher, asking:

"What's going on? Why did they stop?"

"......."

Taher did not respond immediately. His eyes, filled with a mixture of relief and deep caution, were fixed on the cat.

"Isn't this our chance to run...?"

"I'm afraid not..."

Taher shook his head slowly, not taking his eyes off the shore. The cat's meow, which had sounded so reassuring at first, now felt like the most dangerous sound in the world.

"The cat..."

Taher, without taking his eyes off the sugar ground, finally spoke.

"It's one of the beings who usually act as arbitrators. They maintain order among the different factions that inhabit this house; they keep the peace in this pandemonium."

"Arbitrate?"

Leo, filled with disbelief, could only murmur.

"You mean that thing...?"

Leo gestured with his head toward the monstrous chimera motionless in the distance.

"... has agreements with the cat?"

"They all do."

Taher replied in a serious tone.

"And among those beings, that cat is called Lysandra. She has the reputation of being the most compassionate among them, the wisest."

After saying that, a bitter smile was drawn on his lips.

"It's thanks to her that some intruders, including myself, have been lucky enough to somehow survive in this pandemonium. Although sooner or later... everyone ends up falling."

"......"

Leo, looking at Lysandra who, in his opinion, was chatting with the monster, was unable to fully understand. He looked at Taher, his head full of questions.

"That's why they call her the guardian beast."

"...."

Leo looked again at the cat, that elegant creature having a conversation with a nightmare monster, and whispered in a mixture of confusion and astonishment.

"Guardian beast...?"

"That's right."

Taher answered Leo's question affirmatively, his voice as calm as the cat's meow.

"Among those who do the same, she is the most compassionate, and that's why she earned that title. Despite not helping intruders escape, she at least provides some degree of aid to survive. Enough so that madness doesn't consume you completely."

"...."

Leo fell silent, his eyes fixed on the cat that continued to meow sweetly at the monster.

"Hahaha..."

Taher, for his part, laughed with a hoarse and tired sound.

"By the way, there are also others who have received a title. The shy heroine... The spirit of war..."

"Hahhh... At this point... I wouldn't be surprised if this place also had dragons."

"It does."

".............."

Taher, looking Leo directly in the eyes, uttered the response, leaving Leo in silence for a long moment, his brain, already on the verge of collapse, unable to process a new revelation.

"But you don't have to worry!"

Taher, seeing that Leo was petrified by his confirmation, quickly tried to comfort him by patting him on the shoulder.

"He's usually stuck to a pregnant maid, watching over her protectively for some reason. He only very rarely leaves her side."

"...."

"So you don't have to worry!"

"...."

"However... he seems to be quite territorial. If you get too close without care, you'll be devoured, as the dragon will kill you in an instant."

"......."

".... Hahaha"

"I see..."

Faced with that revelation, Leo could only respond with a dry, emotionless voice. He looked up at the cotton candy cloud sky, the lightning illuminating him with flashes, as he began to wonder what point in his life had led him to this.

"....."

Then, his gaze fell on his digital watch that he had brought with him, and he saw how it read 12:00 a.m.

"It's already midnight..."

Since his arrival in this place, only a few hours had passed. A handful of minutes filled with terror. And in that short period, he had faced nightmare creatures, run for his life, and been on the verge of death a considerable number of times.

"....."

The absurd reality of his situation hit Leo with overwhelming force.

(BANG!)

"What?!"

Reacting, Leo slapped his face with both hands. The dry sound resonated in the air, a reminder that his body was still real.

"...It's okay."

The pain brought his focus back; the panic dissipated, and a cold, hard clarity took its place. He had seen Taher, a person who had lived in this place for years, and he hadn't gone crazy. He had kept his sanity.

"Me too..."

If he could do it, Leo could too.

"I can do it."

He lifted his head and looked at the apocalyptic sky of cotton candy and electric blue lightning, thinking about what was to come and what he had already lived through so far.

"I must adapt... to this madness!"

This was not a world of random chaos; it was a world with its own twisted rules. The monsters didn't kill him immediately; they played with him. They chased him, scared him, shaped him... to the point where he would give up.

"If this place wants to drive me crazy, then I'll show it..."

The house wanted him to give up. It wanted his mind to collapse. But Leo wouldn't. He wouldn't surrender. Fear was useless; panic paralyzed him. He couldn't run from a place like this; he had already tried. He couldn't fight an army of plastic monsters. But he could survive. He could observe, learn, and adapt to the house's rules.

He could become an intruder annoying enough that the house couldn't devour him.

"...Maybe I didn't know what I was getting into at first... But... I won't back down now!"

With a new purpose in his eyes, Leo looked at the boiling chocolate ocean and the inert mannequin monster in the distance. The straw creatures continued to swim serenely.

"As a friend, I'm not one to give up so easily."

It was a picture of beauty amidst the chaos, a reminder that madness and tranquility could coexist.

"If this is a test, I will pass it, so wait, Mireya!"

He would take that lesson. He would not be devoured. He would fight for his sanity until the end.

"....."

But what Leo did not realize at that moment was how Lysandra, the white cat, observed him from the shore with a brief, imperceptible smile forming on her face.

"Maaaaaoooowwwwww~♪!"

Then, she let out a calm and soft meow, turned, and began to walk away from the chocolate sea.

"......."

(thump... thump... thump... thump...)

The chimera monster, so immense and terrifying, obediently followed her in another direction.

"WHEEEeeeooo"

"PURÍ-PURÍ"

"Eeeee-jee-jee"

After that meow, the playful straw dolphins jumped happily back into the chocolate sea, disappearing under the waves.

"Are they leaving?"

Confused by their sudden retreat, Leo turned, looking for answers.

"Yes."

Taher, for his part, responded, equally relieved.

"They must have been convinced by the guardian beast."

After saying those words, Taher extended a hand toward Leo.

"Let's take advantage while we can. The path won't be any easier from here."

"Okay!"

Leo nodded; his newfound determination replaced his confusion. He took Taher's hand, and together they went into the darkness, leaving the sugar shore to continue their escape to the caramel forest, guided by Taher.

In this way, Leo and Taher ran across the ground, leaving the chocolate sea behind. The ground became denser and stickier under their feet. The air, previously filled with a sweet and bitter smell, was now filled with a scent of vanilla and strawberry.

Before them, the caramel forest stretched out.

"From the type of candy in the environment, I think I know what section we're in."

"Section?"

"Yes, this forest is too big. That's why, depending on the location and the moment, the candies that make up the environment change."

In that area, the trees were made of translucent, multi-colored rock candy. Their twisted trunks shone with an internal light that made the place look like a crystal cathedral. The leaves, made of cookie pastries, detached from the branches with the sound of paper crunching, and the ground was covered by a thick, sticky marshmallow carpet.

"Ugh..."

In a moment, Leo felt his boot sinking into the marshmallow on the ground.

"...."

Taher, without saying a word, grabbed his arm and pulled him, getting him out just in time.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it, but never step on a dark marshmallow."

"Why?"

"It's not a normal marshmallow; it's a trap. The darker it is, the deeper it goes."

"...."

Leo looked down. The spot where his foot had been was now a vortex of dark caramel color, a sweet whirlpool that would have consumed him in an instant.

"Whoosh...!"

The terror returned, but only for a moment. The determination he had found on the shore of the chocolate sea held firm.

"....."

He observed. He saw how Taher navigated the terrain; his steps were precise. He moved over the lighter marshmallows, which were firm enough to support his weight, and avoided the dark patches.

"One step at a time."

Leo imitated him, his feet finding the necessary firmness on that treacherous candy ground.

So, the forest became increasingly dangerous. The branches of the rock candy trees, despite their beauty, were as sharp as knives.

(Crash!)

When a branch fell, it smashed on the ground, breaking into fragments that stuck into the marshmallow with the sound of glass.

"Follow me."

"...."

Leo and Taher had to zigzag, avoiding the caramel projectiles.

"Do things like that even exist?"

"In fact, they're quite recent."

In a clearing, they found the first real obstacle.

"They were born naturally from the forest just recently."

"...."

There, in front of them, was a creature of cotton candy the size of a car. It looked harmless, a pink and fluffy cloud that floated calmly.

"It doesn't look harmful..."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Look there."

In that moment, Leo saw where Taher was pointing and noticed a pretzel bird that approached it. In an instant, the sugar cloud wrapped around it, compressing and crushing the bird until it broke into pieces.

"Do you still think it's safe?"

"...."

Leo looked at the creature. It was huge, but it looked weak. Its colored sugar fibers moved gently, but the way the bird had been crushed sent shivers down his spine.

"Don't get close. They look soft, but their fibers cut. If they touch you, they trap you and compress you."

"So, what do we do?"

In response to Leo's question, Taher shrugged.

"Nothing. We can go around it, but it will take more time."

"......"

Leo looked at the cotton candy creature, then at Taher, and then at the forest exit.

"That's not an option."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"I have an idea."

Instead of going around it, Leo suggested a different path: one over the harder rock candies. The idea was risky, but the fear of being trapped by something so sweet was greater than the fear of the sharp rocks.

"...."

Taher looked at him, and for the first time all night, a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"Not bad at all. I thought you would be scared."

"I am, but I won't let fear stop me. I've already seen what you're capable of, Taher. Now you'll see what I'm capable of."

Together, they began to climb the rock candy trees, their bodies slippery from the melted and sticky caramel. The sharp branches cut their skin, but they moved with a newfound grace, leaping from branch to branch.

"Up!"

The coordination between them was impeccable. Taher, with his years of experience, knew the safest footholds, the thickest branches that would not break.

"Right!"

For his part, Leo propelled himself from branch to branch, avoiding the falling caramel fragments that were like arrows. It was no longer a chase he just wanted to escape from; it was a climb, a fight for dominance over hostile terrain.

"Hahh... Haaa... Haah...!"

"Keep up the pace!"

With each branch they jumped, the danger intensified. The marshmallow ground below them churned with the movement of the cotton candy creature, which roared in fury. But Leo and Taher did not look down; they only looked ahead, toward the small door that glowed in the distance, their only way out of that place.

(Plop!)

"We made it!"

"Hahh... Haaa... Haah..."

With a final, coordinated leap, they fell together onto the top of a large rock candy, exhausted and covered in melted caramel and small cuts.

"... Hahh... Then... what's next?"

"You clearly have more energy than me... Hahhh... I miss being young."

They both stood up and looked toward the door, which was only a few meters away, a contrast to the environment.

"Now... we have the area controlled by the Cult of Black."

Taher approached, his face grim. He looked at Leo, and his eyes reflected a weariness that Leo had not noticed before.

"That area is known as the Pantheon."