Chapter 37: My Cool Hero

The girl stood frozen in place, her body refusing to respond no matter how hard her mind screamed at it.

What... What just happened?

Just a moment ago, they were all beside her. She could still hear their breathing, still feel the heat of their bodies close to hers. And now—now their bodies were scattered across the ground like broken dolls. Blood soaked into the floor, spreading toward her feet.

Her lips trembled.

"Wh..."

Bang!

The sound came from behind her.

A sharp pain exploded at the back of her head before everything went dark. Her body dropped forward, collapsing into the pool of blood that was no longer just her teammates’.

"The light already turned green, bitch."

Felix walked past her fallen body, a revolver still in his hand. Thin smoke drifted from the barrel as he casually flicked his wrist. He didn’t even look twice at the corpse, only clicking his tongue in disgust.

Behind him, Lyra laughed lightly, her shoulders shaking.

"That was harsh, Felix."

Says the person who dragged her by the hair, Freed and the last boy thought at the same time, though neither dared to say it out loud.

Freed adjusted his glasses and glanced at the lights ahead. "So, what do we do if it switches to Yellow?"

Felix didn’t stop walking. His steps were slow and steady, like someone taking a stroll rather than entering a killing ground.

"We’ll see when we get there," he said calmly. "But I already understand this stage. Just move steadily."

Confidence was written plainly across his face.

***

Back on Ezra’s side, his group had already made progress. They were now halfway to the exit. The machine gun, the traffic-like lights, and the metal door at the end of the corridor were clearly visible to the naked eye, no Cognis enhancement needed anymore.

They stood still.

Every muscle in Bobby’s body screamed at him to move, yet he forced himself to remain frozen. Sweat ran down his face and soaked into his collar. Aliya stood upright, jaw clenched, arms stiff at her sides. Lime trembled the worst, his knees shaking as he fought the urge to shift his weight.

The light turned yellow.

"Tsk." Aliya clicked her tongue in irritation. "We’ve been stuck in this same spot forever. Yellow to red, red to yellow... it’s driving me crazy."

"I...I almost died because of this yellow light," Lime said, his voice trembling, close to tears.

"At least we’re still alive," Bobby muttered, breathing heavily.

"Quiet," Aliya snapped, turning her frustration on him.

Time passed.

Minutes... maybe hours.

No one could tell.

The light didn’t change.

Their legs burned from holding the same position. Sweat dripped onto the dusty floor. Breathing had to be controlled, shallow and slow. Any mistake, any sudden movement, would mean death.

Then...

Green.

"Run!" Ezra shouted.

He surged forward instantly. "With how the light is switching, we need to move faster now!"

All three enhanced their legs with Cognis and sprinted forward, Ezra matching their pace. The distance between them and the exit shortened rapidly with each step.

Then...

Yellow.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze at the same time.

Bobby gasped, panic flashing across his face. "M-my vision..." he said weakly, blinking hard as sweat ran into his eyes.

"Hold it in," Ezra said firmly without turning back. "We’re almost there. Just a little more."

But that "little more" stretched endlessly.

The light stayed yellow.

Then Red.

Then Yellow again.

Time lost its meaning. Without watches, without sunlight, without even a breeze, the maze swallowed all sense of day and night. It could have been hours. It could have been days. No one knew.

Their bodies could endure it, their enhanced physiques were far beyond normal humans, but their minds were another matter.

This... this is insane.

Bobby screamed silently in his head.

We’re not moving, but the light keeps changing. My legs feel numb. My thoughts are slowing down.

I can’t take this anymore... I need to...

No. Don’t give in.

You didn’t survive this long just to die here.

He clenched his fists, forcing his breathing to steady.

Beside him, Aliya’s lips were pressed into a thin line, her eyes sharp with stubborn resolve. Lime trembled, but he didn’t cry. He didn’t beg. He stayed still.

They all hardened their resolve.

Then...

Green.

Relief washed over them like a sudden wave.

They took their first steps forward.

"Run fast," Ezra said, already moving. He knew this was their chance to escape the first stage.

But just as he lifted his leg for the next step...

Yellow.

"Stop!"

The sudden change shocked them.

Ezra dug the tip of his right foot hard into the ground, using sheer strength to keep his body from moving. Bobby managed to halt himself in a relatively stable stance. Aliya stopped cleanly, posture straight, like a trained soldier.

Lime wasn’t so lucky.

He had already leaned forward, carried by excitement. His foot slipped slightly, his body tilting as he fought to regain balance. When Ezra’s voice hit him, he froze mid-motion, stuck in an awkward position that made his whole-body shake.

Pain shot through his legs.

He bit down hard, tears filling his eyes.

Don’t move.

Don’t move.

Don’t move.

The machine gun loomed ahead, silent—for now.

"Guys... I think I’m in serious trouble," Lime said.

His voice was low, heavy. His face had gone dark, like all the strength had been drained from it.

"Lime, hold on," Ezra said quickly, his voice firm as he tried to pull him back. "Don’t lose focus."

But Lime didn’t stop.

"I’m just a lowline," he said, his lips trembling. "I have two older siblings... and three younger ones."

Tears rolled down his face. His words began to break apart.

"They were crying so hard when the guards from the main family came to take me away," he continued, his voice shaking. "They kept holding onto me..."

"Hey, idiot, stop saying nonsense," Aliya snapped in a hushed voice. "What if the light switches to red while you’re talking?"

"Lime, calm down," Bobby added quickly. "You won’t die. Just stay still."

"My little sister gave me her favorite toy," Lime said, ignoring them. "My big brother gave me his most treasured locket." He clenched his teeth, biting his lip. "They told me to come back safe... to return everything to them, but...but..."

His breathing became uneven.

"I don’t think I can make it anymore."

Ezra’s heart sank.

While the others were focused on Lime, Ezra’s eyes stayed locked on the light ahead. That was when he noticed it.

Green.

Yellow.

Green.

Yellow.

It was switching rapidly—too rapidly.

His pupils shrank.

From the moment we got close to the exit... it started doing this.

This damn maze is playing with us.

He watched carefully, his mind racing.

It’s keeping us here on purpose. Making us desperate for green. And when green finally comes, it switches back to yellow almost instantly. Not even red.

Green. Yellow. Green. Yellow.

If it stays on a color for too long next time... it’ll probably be red.

But what if...

What if it’s a trick?

What if it stays green just once... long enough to tempt us?

Ezra clenched his jaw.

"Tsk... shit. Think, Ezra. Think."

He went silent for a moment.

Then...

"Lime," he called.

"Eh..." Lime answered weakly, barely keeping himself still.

"The next time it stays green," Ezra said calmly, his voice steady despite the pressure crushing his chest, "everyone uses their Cognis at full power and runs straight to the exit."

The words were firm. Certain.

"But how do you know it won’t turn red instead?" Aliya asked, her brows knitted together.

Ezra didn’t look at her. "Just listen to me," he said softly. "I don’t want anyone to die. So please... trust me."

Aliya froze.

Please...?

That’s unfair.

Her cheeks heated slightly, but she swallowed her doubts.

"...Okay," she said. "But when will it stay green? All I see is it flashing."

"Soon," Ezra replied.

Minutes passed.

No one spoke again.

They endured. They waited.

Their legs burned. Their minds screamed.

Soon.

Soon.

Soon.

Come on... come on...

Ezra’s nails dug into his palm.

Then...

The light stayed Green.

It didn’t flicker.

It didn’t change.

Without a word, they all understood.

Cognis surged through their bodies at once.

They ran.

Bobby dashed forward first, his feet barely touching the ground. He reached the exit and leapt through the door without hesitation.

Lime followed, tears streaming down his face as he pushed himself beyond his limits.

Aliya was right behind them...

Then she tripped.

Her foot caught the uneven ground, and her body slammed hard onto the floor.

"Aliya!!" Bobby and Lime shouted from the doorway.

Ezra didn’t hesitate.

He turned back instantly, scooped her up into his arms, and ran.

The exit was right there.

Just a few steps...

Red.

The light switched.

Bobby and Lime’s faces twisted in horror as they looked back.

Time felt like it stopped.

"Screw it," Ezra said.

Cognis surged through his body in a violent rush.

"Hold on tight."

Aliya’s eyes widened. Before she could respond, she wrapped her arms around him as hard as she could, her fingers digging into his clothes.

The moment he moved...

Bullets tore through the air.

The sound was sharp, deafening. Metal screamed as it cut forward.

Ezra ran.

He moved faster than the bullets chasing him, but not fast enough to escape everything. Some shots grazed his clothes, tearing fabric apart. Threads flew. Heat brushed past his skin.

Aliya screamed, her voice breaking as Ezra pushed forward, holding her tightly against his chest.

Closer.

Closer.

The exit was right there...

Then time seemed to slow again.

Ezra’s eyes widened.

In front of him, countless bullets appeared, flying straight toward them. Not scattered. Not random.

A wall.

If he stepped back, he would be dragged into open fire again.

If he charged forward...

They would die.

Ezra gritted his teeth so hard his jaw hurt.

In a single motion, he tightened his grip on Aliya with one arm. With the other, he yanked his cape forward, wrapping it around them, blocking their view.

Then he jumped straight into the barrage.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

Their screams overlapped.

Bullets struck the cape again and again.

Bobby and Lime could only watch, frozen in terror, as sparks and flashes filled their vision.

Boom!

Ezra crashed through the exit.

The force sent all of them rolling across the floor. Bobby and Lime hurriedly moved aside as smoke filled the area.

Silence followed.

Bobby’s hands trembled.

"They... they died, right?" Lime whispered, his body shaking.

"I...I don’t know," Bobby replied, his voice just as unstable.

"You guys should shut up."

Aliya’s voice came from beneath the cape.

Slowly, the fabric lifted.

"I’m alive!!"

She threw her hands up, laughing—then suddenly crying.

"I’m alive... I’m really alive..."

Both boys collapsed onto the ground, breathing out heavily, relief washing over them.

"Ezra!" Bobby rushed over.

"Be quiet," Ezra groaned.

He lowered his arms. His hands were battered, red and swollen, the skin split in places from the force of the bullets.

"But... How did you survive?" Lime asked, staring at him.

Ezra adjusted himself. Bullets slid off the cape and clattered onto the floor.

"This cape hardens when Cognis is injected into it," Ezra said, cracking his arms painfully. "It can work as a shield."

Bobby immediately pulled out herbs and bandages, laying them out on the ground. He clapped his hands together, Cognis flowing weakly from his palms.

An alchemy symbol formed—three circles, five triangles, and a star.

He pressed his hand onto the herbs. They melted into a cream.

Carefully, he applied it to Ezra’s arms and wrapped the bandages around them. His breathing grew heavy.

When he finished, he collapsed forward.

"Thank God... you’re fine," he muttered before fainting onto Ezra.

Ezra caught him with a tired laugh.

"Yeah," he panted. "Thank God... we all are."

Aliya and Lime sat on the ground nearby, exhausted, their bodies aching, but both smiling.

Aliya stared at Ezra, her heart pounding.

My cool hero...

Her face burned red.

** First Stage Complete **