#kyx

The stone floor is cold and unforgiving as your bare feet pound against it, trying to slow you, but you push your legs to carry you faster even if it makes your lungs burn. The torch-lit stone walls feel as if they're closing in on you, despite the numerous halls normally feeling quite spacious. You shake your head, swallowing hard as you do your best not to let it get to you.

You're determined to win this time. …

You think.

A fork in the path is fast approaching and your mind is racing to choose between left or right when a sudden rumbling shakes the foundation around you. Your stomach drops as the cobblestones in front of you begin to tremble and separate.

Planting your foot, you skid nearly to a stop. You barely manage to turn with the momentum, albeit nearly falling in the process, and sprint for an earlier turn you passed just as a strong hand bursts through the opening wall. Behind you, it grabs onto the edge, as if trying to force it along as a thick leg comes through next, heavy boot stomping down on the ground just as you turn the curve. The wicked laugh of Doch follows in an ominous echo, pushing you to run harder.

That was close, and they don't seem to have caught up yet, by the glance you chance behind you. You hope to God you're not headed for a dead end, because you'd like to say that was a pretty good save back there. You couldn't bear Doch's gloating if his trick got you caught seconds after that.

Luckily, you find another turn to make, then another, and you're convinced you're on a good path. You might even find your way to the center of the maze this time! The thought revitalizes you, even makes you a little giddy. You're going to make it…

Your thoughts are just starting to turn to that sweet, sweet salvation when they're interrupted by a strange tickling feeling in your head.

You shake your head, trying to jostle the feeling away, but the tickle quickly turns to an ache. Your feet stumble and you hit the wall, barely able to catch yourself before you tumble to the ground. You know this feeling.

You're being targeted by Kyx!

Clutching your head, you stagger to the other wall, your limbs all refusing to listen to the signals from your brain—or more likely, listening to entirely different signals. You take a right and find yourself to the left instead. Your body lunges backward in an effort to take back control—well, you try, anyway, but nothing changes. Your feet continue to clumsily carry you in what's surely the direction of your doom.

Your vision shakes and you squeeze your eyes shut, only for them to be forced open again as the shadows around you grow and twist into something grotesque. Your blood runs cold, fear chilling your veins at the images tormenting your mind.

Gritting your teeth, you fight against the control with all your might until a sweat breaks out on your skin, Kyx's hold tightening in his stubborn will to rein you in. For just a moment, you think you feel your free will returning, your muscles beginning to respond to your commands. Yes!

You whirl around-

And immediately smack your face into a wall.

Instantly, the supernatural contol on your body drains away and you swear you hear a raspy laugh in your head before it fades. Your cheeks burn hot as you rub your bruised forehead. Well… at least you escaped that?

You retrace your steps to where your forced confusion first began and continue down your originally intended path, albeit with a bit less enthusiasm this time.

You can still feel your heart thumping against your ribcage as you make progress, your nerves a bit frayed. The cool stone walls around you seem to loom, not closing in with an obvious claustrophobia, but rather a silent, solid reminder how deeply trapped you are.

The open space behind you is beginning to feel more threatening than the idea of a cave-in. It never occured to you during these chases just how… alone you are in this labyrinth.

The air thins.

That coolness from the surrounding stone seems to turn to a chill. Your vision starts to darken, as if the numerous, eternally-lit torches attached to the walls are beginning to burn out.

The pounding in your ears, you realize, is your heart starting to race as if you were still running for your life, despite having slowed to a rather leisurely walk.

Okay, you need to calm down.

You stop and suck in a breath. Then you squeeze your eyes shut tight and open them again, blinking a few times to clear your vision. Then you rub your eyes. Wait…

That wasn't your mind panicking. It's getting darker.

It's getting darker!

Your panic instinct kicks into overdrive at the realization and you spin around to see the torches you'd already passed are now nothing more than cherry embers in a wall of dark, before even that blinks out.

The darkness is fast approach and, when you turn back, you find it heading for you from the front as well.

Your hands shake as you press them hard to your ears, trying to focus only on the rushing of blood in your eardrums and nothing of the fearful thoughts invading your mind. It's too late. All you can do is hold your breath and shut your eyes as you're swallowed by the darkness…

It's only the sensation of your eyelids moving that tells you you've opened your eyes, for when you do, you're greeted only by an unforgiving darkness, so deep, so consuming, like light never existed in the first place. You've been caught by Cho.

You place a hand on your chest, trying to calm your racing heart, but the sense of danger doesn't subside. You're vulnerable now more than ever. If the monster is close, you'd have no idea. You couldn't even hear those heavy foosteps in the unnatural, sense-dampening darkness. You feel more alone than ever.

Before the anxiety can grow into despair, a small mercy finally comes in the form of a single torch bursting into flame in the darkness. And then another. One by one, a trail of torches light a way into the now broken blackness, but you don't feel saved. Rather, your shoulders slump at the sight.

Reaching a hand back into the dark behind you, it doesn't come into contact with anything, but you wouldn't be surprised if the labyrinth has already shifted to corner you. It'd be pointless to run now, especially if it means letting yourself be swallowed once more by the inky black maw.

Defeat heavy on your shoulders, you follow the trail, dejected as a kicked dog.

The hall opens up into a sparsely furnished room. Not, you note, the center of the maze. Denying you a chance to win on a technicality, surely. The thought is somehow more insulting, like you never had a chance against the monster in the first place. Which, to be fair, this has long been their turf and you probably didn't.

You're almost too caught up in the knowledge of your defeat to realize you're still alone. No one else is in the room. Confusion replaces the despondency and you turn to find the opening you'd entered through had closed without your notice. Your stress levels shoot up. What? You-you're trapped? There's no way out? Did… did they… finally grow tired of you? Is this their way of ridding themselves of you?

You back away from the unyielding wall and evidence of your betrayal, the edges of panic fraying your mind, your lungs nearly starting to hyperventilate, until-

Your back hits something firm, but warm. Four strong hands grip your arms and spin you around until you're face-to-face with the familiar smile of Cho. You stare at him in disbelief, but he doesn't seem to notice.

"I think this is our win?" He cocks his head, lightly knocking a horn against one of Doch's. Your eyes slide over to the gruff head to Cho's right. Doch responds by running his forked tongue over gleaming teeth and slurping it back into his mouth. Your gaze then finds Kyx's head to the left. The glow of his orange eyes are threatening to flicker out, consumed by the blackness that emerges when his excitement spikes.

All 4 visible eyes glow in the dim light, gazing solely at you, and you can't help the relief that floods your body at the familiar sight.

You don't have a chance to voice your thoughts however, as Doch speaks up first. "We won. Which means we get our prize!" The last word comes out an excited growl and suddenly one of those heavy boots kicks your feet out from under you. You fall to the ground and Chuudoku follows, pressing you against the stone floor with their beefy, heavy body. "Let's make them scream." Doch licks his teeth again. Despite his words, however, they don't continue just yet, stalling above you first.

"What do you say? Did we win?" Cho asks kindly, showing that gentle smile you knows hides so much obsession for you. He's goading you. That's obvious.

Something clicks in your psyche. This position does a lot to ease your mind, something so right to be beneath them like this. Right away, you feel the adrenaline of the chase draining from your endocrine system, replaced with something else. Something that relaxes you and fills you with a certain need.

Your expression turns hazy. You press your palms flat on the floor and raise your hips toward them. "You caught me…" you say, longing sweetening your tone.

Cho and Doch's faces light up with their respective signature grins, but Kyx has remained silent through this exchange, eyeing you evenly like he's not a part of this. Cho seems to catch that as well, because he turns his questioning tone to the cynical personality.

"What about you?"

"Come on, Vampir," Doch throws in, unhelpfully.

Kyx's visible eye slides to the side, an unimpressed look clearly meant for the two heads to his right, but then it focuses on you once again, completely unreadable. Or it was, until that blackness spreads out from the corners, consuming sclera and iris alike until his eye is as inky as the darkness you'd just waded through. Except, this time, you doubt you could escape, even being shown mercy.

Seeming to be controlled by Kyx now, the body moves downward, finding your lower half and lowering the three heads to between your now pushed aside legs. Kyx's soft lips press against your thigh, but then smile, parting to the threat of dangerous teeth. Finally, he speaks in that harsh, gravelly voice.

"Cry well for me, okay, Baby?"