Vincent's POV
"So it's about… questioning the illusion?"
George spread his hands.
"Exactly. The maze was designed to make us surrender to our own guilt. The only way out was refusing to let guilt own us. If you doubt the hallucination's truth…even for a second, it begins to lose power."
A freckled girl's lip quivered.
"I wish I'd known that sooner."
I whispered.
"We're all fighting invisible wars in there. But it's our minds they're really trying to break. Remember that for next time."
Bleep.
"Another contestant has been eliminated."
Silence settled for a while after George finished talking.
I glanced around the room.
People were shaking, others staring blankly at the metal walls.
I cleared my throat and sat up straight.
"How about we all put our heads together? Come up with techniques to help each other survive the next trials."
A few heads lifted.
"Since we've already accepted none of us is leaving… the least we can do is survive. And fight. Together."
