Topic: MAZE

[Pulsen]

"It was good meeting you as well Mr.Tsukasa. Safe journey as well." I say to Tsukasa.

I listen to what Margaret has to say then I reply.

"You're welcome, Margaret. You know I wouldn't voluntarily leave you behind if it could be helped. That said, I look forward to seeing you at home and making a huge pot of pasta for you."


Without saying a word I kiss and embrace her for what seems an eternity.

Then I let go and go through the door.

[MartAnimE]

Margaret watches as Elenore walks through her door's threshold and vanishes. She cries bittersweet tears, still feeling the warm kiss they shared on her lips.
She then wipes her face and crosses aswell, rejoining Tsukasa and Myshkin on the other side. "You'll see her soon.", Tsukasa reassures her, noticing her teary eyes.
"Hmm.", Margaret nods and smiles sadly, "I know. Thank you." They move on. The next door is up ahead on the right. The key slot is coloured Lavender. Myshkin's door.
Tsukasa removes the lavender tag from Myshkin's chain and inserts it on the door's slot. The door opens. He looks at Myshkin. Myshkin purrs and blinks back at him slowly.
"Time to go home, kitty!", Tsukasa pets the kitten's soft fur, "I'm glad I got to hold you for a little while." Margaret smiles and pets Myshkin aswell, "Bye bye, Prince Myshkin."
Tsukasa puts Myshkin on the floor, letting him cross the door when he's ready. He starts walking towards the door, looks back, meows one last time, then crosses it and vanishes.

Margaret and Tsukasa move on. The next door is up ahead. The door's key slot is coloured Pink. Margaret's door. "Home...", she utters softly to herself.
She removes the pink tag from her chain and inserts it on the door's slot. The door opens. She turns to Tsukasa, searching for her parting words.
"I can't thank you enough, for bringing me back to life.", she smiles humbly, "You're a very kind person, Tsukasa. Goodbye and good luck!"
"You're welcome.", Tsukasa replies rather awkwardly, "I wish you and Elenore all the best!" Margaret crosses the door and vanishes.

Tsukasa continues on his own. The next door is up ahead. The door's key slot is coloured Brown. Tsukasa's door. The final door!
He removes the brown tag from his chain and inserts it on the door's slot. The door opens. Up ahead there's a mysterious white fog.
Tsukasa can't see any walls, floor or ceiling, it's as if he's about to step inside of a cloud. This bizarre sight must be the end of the Maze.
Tsukasa feels uneasy, but there's no turning back now. With no one to say goodbye to, he takes a deep breath and walks through the door.

[MartAnimE]

Mireille and Kirika wake up next to each other in their bed, at their apartment in Paris.
They blink a few times and stare at the ceiling in silence for a minute, then at each other.
"Was that...", Mireille whispers. "A dream?", Kirika finishes the thought. They hear a noise.
They turn their gaze towards the bottom of their bed, alarmed, sensing an unfamiliar presence.
Myshkin yawns and stretches at their feet. He sits up and looks at them intrigued, purring loudly.

Mireille stares at the cat, astonished, "That was definitely not a dream." Kirika picks Myshkin and pets him happily.
"Can we keep him, Mireille?", Kirika asks excitedly, "Please!", she pleads, giving Mireille the puppy dog eyes.
Mireille sighs, but she can't help but smile at Kirika, "You know I can't say no to that face...", she teases.
"Thank you, Mireille!", she kisses Mireille's cheek in gratitude, "I love you!" Mireille blushes slightly.
"But let's make one thing very clear, I am not cleaning the litter box!", Mireille protests playfully.
Kirika laughs and they both go about their day, trying to adjust to the new family member.

[MartAnimE]

[Elenore]

You wake up well rested. You don't remember anything after you crossed your door. The faint morning light starts to shine through the bedroom curtains.
Was it all just a dream, or was it real? Are you really back home? It feels familiar, but you quickly realize this isn't your room, and you're not in your bed.
You feel a warm presence, someone snuggling up to you. You turn your head and see Margaret, sleeping peacefully next to you. You're in her bed.
You're sure you didn't fall asleep here last night, but this is where the Maze decided to return you, perhaps sensing this is what you yearned for.

[MartAnimE]

[Mimiru]

You wake up well rested. You don't remember anything after you crossed your door. You blink a few times and you're filled with a sense of relief.
You're back home, in your bed. You're back in the real world too, in your real body. You feel as if you just woke up from a really vivid dream.
Yet, you can't shake the feeling that what happened was real. You check your phone and there's a text from Tsukasa. You rush to read it.
"I made it home safely! Please login when you wake up!" That confirms it. If Tsukasa remembers it too that must mean it was all real.
The next few days you meet in The World and resume your daily gaming. Everything seems normal, but Sora never logs in again.

[Kapenguin]

I log into the game and appear in the server's root town. Getting my bearings again after that bizarre...dream(?), I send a party invite to Tsukasa and greet him as soon as he logs in. We small talk for a bit, before I let out what we were probably both thinking of.

"Do you know what that was? Do you know if the people we met in there made it out okay? And...do you know what happened to Sora? Was all that...real?"

I don't know if he has the answers to those questions. Even if he doesn't, I'm sure I'll be able to move on. I just needed to ask.

[MartAnimE]

[Mimiru]

"I don't know what that was, it was truly bizarre...", Tsukasa answers, "I know for sure they made it out okay, I was the last one to exit.", he adds.
"But Sora, and the dead girl we saw in the Maze, I don't think anyone will ever see them again.", he concludes, with a somewhat somber expression.

[MartAnimE]

~ THE END ~