The walls in this part of the maze were glass — fogged over, cracking under invisible pressure. Their own reflections shimmered and warped, staring back at them with wrong smiles.
Miles, Kayla, and Levi moved together, boots clicking on tile that looked almost like hospital flooring — white, but stained with black smears.
Ahead, hanging from chains, was another sign.
It swung slowly in the cold air, letters gouged deep into it:
RULE #21: ONLY LIES SURVIVE.
Underneath the sign, a door buzzed open, revealing a narrow corridor lined with mirrors.
And at the end of the corridor —
— a figure stood waiting.
Another person.
Or something that pretended to be.
It wore a mask made of stitched-together faces. Human skin. Grinning mouths and staring eyes stretched in a grotesque collage.
It didn't move. Just waited.
The voice crackled to life from the ceiling:
"The path ahead is sealed. Only by the tongue's poison can it be opened. Speak the truth — and suffer the consequences. Speak a lie — and earn your passage."
Kayla swore under her breath.
Levi — the Mimic Hunter — checked the hatchet slung across his back, his movements sharp.
Miles just stared at the creature.
It spoke first.
Its voice was many voices at once, layering over each other like a bad recording:
"Who among you has killed before?"
Miles felt the weight of every death he'd ever caused settle across his shoulders.
In the mirror, his own face smirked at him — a cold, lying version of himself.
Kayla stiffened beside him.
Levi glanced over, his expression unreadable.
The trap was clear.
Tell the truth — you suffer. Lie — you survive.
The mimic-thing waited.
Seconds ticking down in silence.
Only Lies Survive, Miles thought grimly.
He licked his dry lips and answered, voice steady:
"I've never hurt anyone."
The creature tilted its head.
A low groaning sound vibrated through the hallway — like steel bending under too much weight.
The doors ahead shuddered, unlocking.
One pass.
It turned to Kayla.
"Who do you plan to betray first?"
Her mouth opened. Closed.
She shot a terrified glance at Miles.
Miles stared straight ahead.
Kayla swallowed and said, "No one. I trust them both."
A lie.
The corridor lights buzzed, flickering once — then steadied.
Another pass.
Now Levi.
The creature's stitched lips parted wider.
"What secret are you hiding?"
Levi didn't blink.
"Nothing."
The floor beneath them vibrated.
The third lock disengaged.
The monster smiled.
The door creaked open.
They passed.
But the air didn't ease.
If anything, the pressure grew thicker.
Because now, every lie they'd told hung invisible between them.
Kayla wouldn't meet Miles' eyes.
Levi rolled his shoulders, restless.
And Miles?
He felt like he'd just slid a knife into his own spine.
They moved forward into the next chamber.
Another hallway.
This one darker. Cramped.
The walls here were covered in mouths — sewn shut, teeth chattering inside the seams.
And ahead:
Two new doors.
Above them, another flashing sign:
RULE #22: EVERY DEBT MUST BE PAID.