The Maze of Perception - Round 1
The group approached the Pillar of Light. Suddenly, a voice echoed in the air that was not from the System.
"Challengers, touch the Pillar of Runes."
All three of them touched it. A flash of light appeared.
[Ready to enter the Maze of Perception]
When the three touched the Pillar of Runes, the light absorbed them inside. The space immediately shattered like a broken mirror. Each person fell into their own world—where everything felt real… but no one's reality was the same.
ÁI HOA – FRAGILE YET STRONG
Hoa stood in the middle of a vast field of white flowers, their delicate petals swaying in the wind like gentle whispers. The scene before her was everything she had ever longed for: her parents, her friends, innocent laughter, and a world without Rifts or Unknowns.
Her Father and Mother stood under a towering ancient tree, the afternoon sun filtering through the leaves, painting warm streaks of light on their faces. Their kind smiles seemed to hold her soul. "Hoa, come here!" her mother's soft voice called, echoing like a long-forgotten melody.
Tears welled up in Hoa's eyes, threatening to spill over. She couldn't hold them back any longer, her small, clumsy feet running as fast as they could to throw herself into her Father's and Mother's arms. That familiar warmth, that loving scent… she thought she would never feel it again.
"I miss you so much…" Her voice choked up, mixed with sobs.
Her mother patted her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and affection. "Oh my, look at him," she turned to her father, "she only went out with her brother for a little while and she's already a complete mess of tears."
Her father laughed, a deep, warm laugh that she remembered so well. He patted her back gently. "Where's Nghĩa? Why did he leave you to play alone? Come here, let me hug my little girl."
Hoa quickly wiped her tears, looking up at her parents' beloved faces. A pang of sorrow welled up in her heart. She wished this was real, wished she could forever be lost in this simple happiness.
"I wish… all of this was real…" she whispered, just loud enough for herself to hear.
Her parents looked at each other, confused, their eyes holding a look of bewilderment. In that moment, Hoa suddenly realized. This was not reality. This was a dream too sweet, too real. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the flowers and the earth.
"This world… it's truly beautiful." She smiled faintly, a smile mixed with a touch of regret. "I have to go now… My brother is waiting for me…"
Her parents' faces brightened. "You two remember to take care of each other when we're not around," her mother said, her eyes full of trust. "We will always be watching over you." Her father nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder as a silent encouragement.
Hoa smiled mischievously, her eyes sparkling like morning dew. She waved goodbye to her parents one last time, a wave that was both relieved and heavy with emotion. Then she touched the rune circlet on her wrist. The circlet immediately shone brightly, its light pouring forth, creating a wave of energy that spread across the field. The space around her shattered like soap bubbles bursting in the sun, bringing her back to reality.
[Illusion nullified. Synchronization re-initiated.]
Ái Hoa sighed, a breath that held both relief and a sense of loss. "At least… it helped me see them one more time…" she whispered, her voice holding a deep, lingering emotion.
NGHĨA – DISTORTED MEMORIES
The air-raid siren tore through the air, blaring like a drumroll of fate. Nghĩa snapped his eyes open, his chest tightening as he realized he was standing in front of his old suburban school gate—where his beautiful childhood memories had once resided. But now, the clear blue sky was torn apart by a giant Rift, and monstrous Unknowns poured out like a flood, sweeping everything away.
In front of him, a small, heart-wrenchingly familiar figure. It was his younger sister, Hoa. She stood there, her frail back trembling violently, her eyes wide and blank as she watched her innocent school friends being slaughtered right before her eyes. The screams, the cries, the sound of spilled blood… it was all a horrifying symphony. Then Hoa collapsed, her desperate eyes fixed on the corpses of her friends, torn apart by Unknowns—she was trapped, with the bodies of her friends scattered around her and an Unknown looming closer.
"Hoa! Run!" Nghĩa screamed, his throat tearing.
His sister heard his familiar voice and turned her head. Her small face was deathly white, her lips trembling. "Brother…?"
The Unknown snarled, its hideous body lunging toward Hoa. His brotherly instinct kicked in. Nghĩa charged forward like an arrow. He reached out, summoning his two familiar daggers, and yelled: "[Shadow Step]!" But nothing happened. No energy surge, no daggers appeared. He was helpless.
The next moment played out in slow motion like a horror film. The Unknown's strike was aimed directly at Hoa's stomach, piercing through her thin clothes. She let out a weak moan. The monster lifted Hoa's small body, its hideous arm still lodged in her stomach, blood dripping.
"NOOOOO!!!" Nghĩa screamed in agony, his heartbroken cry blending into the hellish scene. He wanted to charge forward, to hold his sister, to tear the monster apart, but his body was nailed to the spot.
His vision began to warp; everything around him seemed to melt. Pain, helplessness, guilt… it all consumed him. The System displayed a warning, but its voice sounded distant and meaningless:
Ting!
[You are losing control of your perception. The illusion is regenerating and manipulating memories. Awaken yourself or be forever lost.]
Nghĩa just stood there, his eyes vacant as if he could no longer hear or see anything. Only extreme pain surrounded him, pulling him deeper into a black hole of despair. He had failed. He had failed to protect his sister. He was not worthy…
In that moment, amidst the dense darkness of his collapse, a familiar voice rang out, like a thin thread pulling him back from the abyss.
"Wake up, big brother, why are you letting this low-level illusion manipulate you?"
A brilliant purple light suddenly flashed, powerful and warm, enveloping Nghĩa's body. All the horrifying images began to crack and shatter like broken glass, pulling him back to reality, back to the world where Hoa was standing beside him.
NAM – THE SECOND CHOICE
Nam opened his eyes and immediately felt a pang in his chest. Behind him was Lài, a familiar figure trying to support the team in the midst of a chaotic battle. The disgusting growl of an Unknown rang out, followed by a fierce claw that tore through the air. Bright red blood quickly spread across the support's white shirt, like a haunting stain.
Lài collapsed, her breath ragged. She used all her strength to speak, her voice tragically weak:
"Nam…"
The hideous Unknown didn't miss its chance, snarling as it prepared to land the final blow. In that moment, without a moment's hesitation, Nam charged forward. He no longer thought about the shield in his hand, no longer thought about skills or power. He simply used his own body to shield her. And this time, unlike what had happened in his painful memory, he held her. A different choice, an opportunity for him to sacrifice everything, to save her, to rewrite that tragic ending.
Lài sobbed, her tears soaking his chest. She tried to push him away, her voice desperate:
"No, you'll die! Nam, please…"
Nam smiled softly, a bitter yet contented smile. His voice was strangely calm, as if he had accepted his fate long ago.
"At least… this time you can live." A glimmer of hope flickered in his soul. He was willing to trade his life to change that tragic past in the canyon.
Just then, a brilliant purple light flashed, but it was not the light of death he had once witnessed. It was a call to awaken. Hoa's voice echoed as if from the spiritual realm, piercing through the dense illusion:
"Brother Nam! Wake up! That's an illusion, none of it is real! Don't make me use the 'strong measures' you talked about!"
The bright purple light surrounded Nam, sweeping everything away like a strong wind. The battlefield scene dissolved like smoke, and Lài's image vanished. But amidst the dissolution, Lài's voice still lingered, echoing in his mind:
"Thank you, for always… remembering me."
Nam shot up, sitting on the floor of the Maze of Perception. The shield was still clutched tightly in his hand. His eyes were red and wet with tears that streamed down his cheeks, evidence of both pain and relief at once. The illusion was over, but the feeling of that hug, of that final word, still lingered…
The two woke up in the same positions, all three of them next to each other. Hoa was startled when she looked at the two men's faces.
"Why are you crying so much, Brother Nam? And you, Brother Nghĩa, why do you look like you want to kill someone? Were your illusions really that bad?"
The two of them said nothing, just slumped to the ground…
Ting!
[Completed Maze of Perception Round 1]
The group had escaped the illusionary trap. But deeper within the floor… where it was no longer the past – but a fear that had never been clearly defined – still awaited them.
[Warning: The secondary perception zone will activate in 3 minutes. Prepare yourselves psychologically.]