Page 6 of The Minotaur's Maze
"Who's there?" I called out, my voice echoing strangely in the impossible space.
"Come to me, Julian," the voice rumbled, somehow both distant and right against my ear. "I've been waiting for you."
I should have been terrified. I should have turned and run back to the locker room, grabbed my clothes, and never returned to this place. But something in that voice, deep, commanding, yet oddly gentle, pulled at something irresistible inside me.
"Who are you?" I asked, taking a hesitant step toward the hedge opening.
"Someone who sees you," came the reply, warm and rich like honey. "Not the manager. Not the problem-solver. Just you, Julian. The man beneath all those masks you wear."
A shiver ran down my spine that had nothing to do with being naked. How could this voice know about the weight I carried? The roles I played?
"Come find me," it continued, a hint of playfulness entering its tone. "Let the maze guide you. Let go of control for once."
I stepped through the arched opening, my bare feet sinking into soft, cool grass. The hedge walls towered over me, creating a narrow path that curved gently to the right. The air was different here, fresher, alive with scents I couldn't identify. Somewhere in the distance, I heard water trickling.
"That's it," the voice encouraged. "You've been carrying so much for so long, haven't you? All those impossible demands. All those people depending on you."
I swallowed hard, continuing forward. "How do you know that?"
"I know the weight of responsibility," it answered, a note of ancient wisdom in its tone. "I know what it is to bear burdens that were never meant to be yours alone."
The path forked, and I hesitated, looking both ways.
"Left or right?" I asked.
A low chuckle vibrated through the air. "Does it matter? The maze knows where to take you. Trust it. Trust me."
I chose left, drawn by a faint glow that seemed to pulse with the cadence of the voice. As I walked, I became aware of a strange sensation, with each step, the tension in my shoulders loosened a fraction more. The migraine that had been threatening at the edges of my consciousness began to recede.
"You're such a good boy," the voice praised, and I felt a flush of pleasure at the words. "Let go of your thoughts. Just feel."
The path curved again, leading me deeper into the labyrinth. I should have been keeping track of my turns, marking my way somehow, but I found myself not caring. Getting lost suddenly seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
"What is this place?" I asked, trailing my fingers along the hedge wall. It was surprisingly soft to the touch, almost like velvet rather than leaves.
"The Maze exists between worlds," the voice replied, now seeming to emanate from somewhere ahead. "It manifests for those who truly need it. And you, Julian, need it desperately."
I couldn't argue with that. The corporate hellscape I'd left behind felt increasingly distant with each step I took, like a bad dream fading in the morning light.
The path widened into a small clearing where moonlight streamed down from an impossible sky. I looked up, seeing stars I didn't recognize arranged in patterns that made my vision swim. At the center of the clearing stood a stone fountain, water bubbling up from its center and cascading down into a crystal-clear pool.
"Drink," the voice commanded gently. "The water will help you let go."
I approached the fountain cautiously. "Is it safe?"
The voice chuckled, a sound like distant thunder that somehow felt intimate. "I would never harm you, Julian. I want only to free you from the chains you've wrapped around yourself."
I knelt beside the pool, cupping my hands and bringing the cool water to my lips. It tasted unlike anything I'd ever experienced, sweet and mineral-rich, the complete opposite of city water. As it slid down my throat, warmth bloomed in my chest, spreading outward until my entire body tingled pleasantly.
"Good boy," the voice purred, and I felt myself responding to the praise, my cock stirring between my legs. "Continue deeper. I'm waiting."
The path beyond the clearing narrowed again, the hedge walls growing taller until they blotted out the strange darkness above. The only light now came from luminescent flowers that bloomed along the ground, casting everything in a soft green glow.
"Your CEO doesn't appreciate you," the voice said suddenly, startling me. "He demands the impossible while lounging in paradise."
"How do you know about that?" I asked, my pace faltering.
"I see everything that weighs on you, Julian. Every burden, every fear, every moment when you've swallowed your words to keep the peace."
