Page 62 of Daemonium

Did that imply someone close to us switched sides? We pressed on, each step echoing against the tiled walls. Eventually, we found another door, its surface smooth and unmarked. Maverick pushed it open and stepped through, leading us into a space that made my stomach drop. The room was expansive yet confining, with low ceilings and a labyrinthine network of walls that seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. The floors were covered in a sickly yellow carpet that muffled our footsteps, and the walls were adorned with faded, outdated wallpaper.

It was by far the most rundown place I’d seen within the Playground—purposely done. that only added to the unsettling atmosphere. The space was reminiscent of a dream—or more accurately, a nightmare—where the environment constantly shifted, and reality felt just out of reach. As soon as we were all inside, there was a loud click, and the door behind us locked. Before any of us could react, a voice crackled through unseen speakers.

It wasn’t Kinks.

Lana’s voice rose above it, laced with confusion. “Who is this?”

The person was female, her tone smooth, and cheerful, but she couldn’t top the original. I didn’t think it was a good sign Kinks had been replaced this quickly. I worried for her. I wanted to ask what this meant, but the new woman speaking had all our attention for the moment.

“Welcome, my dear guests. It’s so nice to see you’ve arrived.

This lovely attraction is new to the Devils’ Playground.

Here’s how it works: you have fifteen minutes to find a spout. Should you fail, well, let’s just say you’ll be all washed out.

Our masked friends will be joining you soon.

Be careful, though—the layout is always changing, and one wrong step might just see you melted.

Good luck and may the worthiest survive.

As our most beloved players, something extra special awaits on the other side!”

Mel’s eyes narrowed, a flash of recognition crossing her face. “Her voice... it sounds familiar.”

Suddenly, another voice echoed from somewhere unseen. “It’s their ex.”

Ky’s grip tightened around me, even though there was no one we could see.

His eyes slowly scanned the expansive room, searching for the source of the voice.

“Jess?” Charon’s called out, a rare strain of tension in his usually composed demeanor.

“As in, Jessica?” Lana checked for confirmation.

A brittle laugh responded. “So you haven’t forgotten me then?” She sounded…weak.

“Where are you?” Maverick questioned.

“I’ve been—please stop crying it’s driving me insane,” she stressed to whoever was with her. “We’re behind a damn wall. Stuck. They dumped us in here.”

“Days,” another voice chimed in, sounding a tad more upbeat.

“Two days,” Jessica, if that was her name, clarified with evident exhaustion. “If you wouldn’t have shown up…” she trailed off and sighed as someone began to cry harder.

Lana reached back and adjusted her ponytail. “What the fuck is going on? Who told them this is where we were coming?”

“She said ‘their ex,’” Mel clarified. “Who is that?”

There was a brief, uneasy silence before Brody broke it. “Not my ex,” he made clear, almost apologetically. “Just theirs.”

“Is that plural?” I processed that and then looked up at Ky. “You all shared a girlfriend?”

The lights suddenly dimmed, casting long shadows across the walls. Dion, ever the strategist, had already been scanning the room, trying to map out what we needed to do. “There are square outlines in the upper part of some walls,” he began, his voice measured and calm. “Those could be the spouts we’re looking for. We need to—”

The unsettling notes of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” slowed down to a crawl and distorted, filling the air, cutting him off mid-sentence. The song, twisted and warped, echoed through the room, its sinister melody making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

A robotic voice, devoid of any emotion, suddenly announced, "Fifteen minutes. The game has commenced."

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