Chapter 19: Chewing Maze

Inside the open door, a complex, intertwined path stretched ahead.

The walls and pathways, with faint light seeping through in places, looked like a labyrinth.

I took a step forward and peered inside.

The entrance to the maze split into two paths.

One remained silent, while something moved in the other.

That “something” was a person.

A woman, moving with unnatural, jerky steps, staggered out of the entrance.

Her nails were short, as if they had been neatly trimmed, but her body swayed unsteadily from side to side as she approached.

“What is that?”

Sia whispered beside me, pointing at the woman.

I observed her carefully.

At first, she seemed like an ordinary person, but as she got closer, something about her felt off.

Her eyes were unfocused, her pupils strangely dilated.

Her face showed no emotion, and she appeared to be staring blankly into space.

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

I cautiously asked.

As soon as she heard my voice, she seemed to nod—but even that movement was sluggish and repetitive.

Then, she slowly parted her lips and murmured in a small voice.

“I… can’t chew… it’s so sad…”

Her voice was low, with an eerie resonance.

Each word came out in broken fragments, laced with unease and sorrow.

Sia took a step back and whispered.

“Ch-chew? No way…?”

At that moment, her gaze suddenly locked onto us.

Her expression changed.

The vacant look in her eyes was replaced by an eerie glint, sharp and unsettling.

The corners of her mouth twisted unnaturally, forming a grotesque, fishy grin as she began advancing toward us.

Our reactions varied.

“Chewing? Could she be a zombie? Sia, we need to run, now…!”

“Ugh, how crude…! If we get caught, something horrible will happen. We have to run!”

Realizing that something about our reactions had missed the mark, we exchanged confused glances.

“Huh?”

“Wait, what?”

Something about our responses felt strangely misaligned.

“…That thing is definitely not human. We need to go, now!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

Regardless, we had no time to argue.

I grabbed Sia’s arm and shouted.

The woman was picking up speed as she closed in on us.

Her steps were still unsteady, but her direction was unwavering—she was heading straight for us.

We quickly dashed into the right entrance of the maze.

Then, we started running along the narrow pathways.

The walls emitted a faint glow, but the maze’s structure looked overwhelmingly complex.

“I can’t tell where these paths lead…”

“We have to keep going. That thing is still following us.”

I turned back, gasping for breath.

The creature wasn’t visible yet, but I could faintly hear that unsettling laughter echoing in my ears.

“Do you hear that…?”

Sia whispered, grabbing my arm.

I looked behind us and replied.

“It’s probably that woman, but I don’t see her yet. Still, we can’t let our guard down. This is a maze—she could pop out from anywhere at any time.”

We navigated the maze quickly, changing directions.

Left, right, then left again. The paths stretched endlessly, twisting more and more into a tangled mess.

“Is there even an exit here?”

Sia asked, sounding frustrated.

Instead of answering, I examined the walls.

Faint inscriptions were etched onto them.

“Only believe in what is certain.”

“Watch the ground carefully as you walk.”

“What is this? Some kind of joke…?”

I muttered, glancing at Sia.

She tilted her head as she read the inscriptions.

“Should we just keep going?”

We exchanged glances, sighed, and continued down the path.

We couldn’t decipher the true meaning behind the messages.

All we could do was follow the second instruction and keep a close eye on the ground.

Then suddenly, footsteps echoed behind us.

…

“It’s here!”

I quickly grabbed Sia’s hand and bolted deeper into the maze.

Despite its unsteady gait, the creature was shockingly fast, closing in on us.

“Left! Hurry!”

I yanked Sia and turned the corner.

But the maze was getting narrower, and the walls loomed higher, pressing in on us.

Meanwhile, the laughter grew even closer.

“We’re gonna get caught at this rate!”

Sia shouted.

I frantically scanned our surroundings and spotted a small hole.

“Let’s go through here!”

We crouched down and slipped inside.

The inside was narrow and dark, but at least it seemed like we could avoid her pursuit for a while.

Catching our breath, we quietly listened.

Thud… Thud…

Her footsteps were still audible. They were getting closer and finally stopped near the hole.

“Shh.”

I whispered softly to Sia, holding her back with my hand.

At that moment, her face passed right outside the hole. Those unfocused eyes and that twisted smile were now terrifyingly close.

“Did she… not see us?”

I whispered cautiously.

She then moved her steps again and disappeared down another path.

Fortunately, it seemed like she hadn’t noticed us.

We stayed tense and waited for a long moment before carefully crawling out of the hole.

“That was way too close.”

Sia sighed in relief.

I nodded and started walking down the path again.

After walking for a long time, we finally reached a large door.

Above the door, the word “Clea…” was written in red letters.

“Clear? Maybe this is the exit.”

Sia said, catching her breath.

I stared at the door and carefully placed my hand on the handle.

Just as I was about to open it, Sia suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Wait, something feels off.”

I stopped my hand on the handle and looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

Sia tilted her head and said,

“Remember the first inscription we saw in the maze? ‘Only believe in what is certain.’ ”

“Yeah, I remember. But what does that have to do with this?”

She pointed at the letters on the door.

“‘Clea…’ Is this really the exit we’re looking for? I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about it.”

Her words made me examine the door again.

Now that I looked closely, the letters seemed a bit sloppily written.

“So, you’re saying this isn’t the real exit?”

“Yeah, I think this door is a trap. Let’s check around more. There might be a real exit somewhere else.”

I sighed and nodded.

“Alright, let’s try another way.”

Honestly, I wanted to just open the door and get it over with, but in this place, the rule of survival was trust—absolute trust.

If Sia had a bad feeling, we shouldn’t open the door.

And if I felt something was wrong, she would trust me too.

Day 1 in the maze.

As I stepped through the open door, a complex maze unfolded before me, as if someone had deliberately tangled its paths.

Dim light seeped through cracks in the walls, and the entrance split into two directions.

There, I spotted a staggering woman.

At first, I thought she was just an ordinary person.

But as I got closer, something about her eyes seemed off.

What was it that she said? Ah, right—”I… can’t chew, so I’m sad…” she mumbled.

What exactly is she? Judging by the mention of chewing, she must be something like a zombie, right? I better be careful not to get bitten.

Regardless, as she slowly approached us, we bolted into the maze.

The maze was as complex as it looked, and we had no idea where to go.

On one of the walls, we found inscriptions that read, “Only believe in what is certain.” and “Watch your step carefully.”

As we were trying to figure out their meaning, her footsteps began closing in.

Even as we ran, the maze grew deeper, and the paths became narrower.

We also found a door marked “Clea…”

Could it have been the exit?

We never got to check because Sia said it looked dangerous.

Was it really not the exit? We may never know.

But I don’t regret our choice.

Because the most important thing here is trust.

Monster File: [Zombie Woman]

Form:
She takes the shape of a woman with an unsteady, staggering gait.

Her most distinctive features are her vacant, oversized pupils and expressionless face, with lips twisted into a bizarre smile.

When approached, she flashes a chilling grin and exhibits aggressive behavior.

Characteristics:
Though she appears to be an ordinary person, her true nature is entirely different.

She can speak, but her words are fragmented and mostly meaningless.

Oh, and her nails were really well-maintained.

Was she someone who worked with her hands before she became like this? I’m curious.

Danger Level:
Even though her eyes lack focus, she can track her target with eerie precision.

If she touches you or bites you, expect extreme pain and paralysis.

Worse, you might end up becoming a “zombie” like her.

Living while stumbling around like that… sounds like a nightmare.

I absolutely can’t let myself get bitten…

Weaknesses:
She turns slowly when changing direction, making it difficult for her to pursue in narrow pathways.

Monster File: [Clea Room]

Form:
A room with the word “Clea…” written above the door.

At first glance, it appears to be a normal exit, but since the word isn’t fully written, it’s hard to be sure.

Characteristics:
There’s a high chance that deadly traps or monsters are lurking inside.

If you walk past it without opening the door, nothing seems to happen—but I can’t say for sure.

Since I never opened it, I don’t know what’s inside.

It looks nearly identical to a real exit, which could trick someone into opening it and falling into a trap.

Warning:
Just seeing the word “Clea…” and assuming “Oh, this must be the clear room!” is a huge mistake.

Weaknesses:
The inscription “Only believe in what is certain” served as a clue.

By avoiding the door and searching for additional clues, we might have a chance at finding the real exit.

The key is to remain calm and not let the atmosphere trick you into making rash decisions.