Page 1 of Mind Maze

PREVIOUSLY INPSYOP KINGS…

Romy Langston’s hunt for her missing classmate, Megan Benson, led her into the web of the powerful and secretive Crowne family. When Megan vanished without a trace—her existence seemingly erased—Romy refused to let her go unnoticed. But her relentless pursuit of the truth put her in the crosshairs of the very people she sought to expose.

Lured by the charming but reckless Theo Crowne, Romy was drugged, abducted, and thrown into a psychological nightmare. Held captive by the Crownes, she was subjected to relentless mind games designed to break her identity and reshape her reality. Caius Crowne, the coldest and most ruthless of them all, took control of her captivity, manipulating her into believing she belonged to him.

As Romy fought to hold onto her sanity, she discovered that the Crowne Unity Project (CUP) was far more than a charity—it was a front for an insidious psychological operation that turned lost people into something unrecognizable. But while Megan seemed to embrace her new reality, Romy refused to succumb to their control.

Her defiance led her to Solomon Grayhawk, a powerful and dangerous investor with ties to CUP’s darkest secrets. Under the guise of attending an exclusive event aboard Solomon’s yacht, Romy uncovered the horrifying truth—human trafficking was at the core of the Crownes’ operations. Women were being “reprogrammed” and auctioned off to men like Solomon, whose wealth and influence allowed him to take whatever he desired.

Trapped in a gilded prison on the open water, Romy’s situation took a terrifying turn when Gareth Crowne—who hadpositioned himself as an ally—revealed his true nature. His obsession with her twisted into violence, and when she fought back, he raped her. But then Caius intervened in the most brutal way possible—he killed Gareth without hesitation, proving that even family wasn’t untouchable under his rule.

Now, asMind Mazebegins, Romy is still a captive, but the game has changed. With Gareth dead and the full weight of the Crowne conspiracy pressing down on her, she must navigate an even deadlier maze—one where losing means more than just her freedom.

Caius

Fifteen Years Old

Someone hurt her.

She’s so little and wears a big smile, but I can tell.

I can always tell because the pain looks like mine.

My own heart aches as she plays with her pretty doll with glossy brown hair and thin rubber limbs. It’s dressed in a material that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen from the toy aisle at the store. Someone made the outfit for the useless doll.

A spike of jealousy shoots through me, but I quickly squash it. Being angry because she has a fancy doll and I have next to nothing doesn’t solve any problems. We’re both in pain. No amount of nice things will ever repair a bruised and battered heart.

It’s not her fault.

Her eyes lift to meet mine and her features brighten, a tiny smile curling the corners of her lips. My chest puffs with brotherly pride. To her, I’m someone big and safe. Not scary like the monsters lurking all around us.

I give her a reassuring smile.

It’s too dangerous to make promises I can’t keep. Though I know one day I’ll get out of here, I can’t say the same for her.

If Mom and Dad were still around, this place wouldn’t be a blip on my now-scarred mind. There’d be long days on our wooded property feeding the horses, goats, chickens, and our one dairy cow. School would take place at our kitchen table where Mom would patiently transform from busy homemakerto patient teacher, bursting with knowledge about science, grammar, and even math.

I hated math, but I loved the one who taught it.

With their untimely deaths, everything was stolen away in an instant. A warm, loving home, a sense of belonging, hope, and a future.

Now, there’s nothing but pain, confusion, and utter madness.

It can’t last forever.

Three years isn’t far off. I’ll turn eighteen and leave this hellhole.

But what about her? Can I get her out too?

The other kids here aren’t like us. They’re all happy to be here. As the adults speak, they listen with rapt attention, eager to please.

I can’t stand to hear their voices. Especially his.

Is he the one who hurt her? Did he hurt her like he hurt me?

My gut clenches as I worry about what’s to come. Self-hatred claws at me knowing I’ll never be able to save her. I can barely save myself. Guilt sluices through me. I tear my gaze from her small, sweet face to study the doll again, eager to avoid her hopeful eyes.

I can’t save you…yet.

---