Leo sat with his back against the doors—the big double doors that led to the stairs to Level 3.

  He was reading the manual.

  “I swear they updated this thing,” he muttered, soft words meant only for his own ears.

  Bert was throwing his new axe at random objects, giggling every time it reappeared in his hand.

  “This is so awesome.”

  He jumped with joy as the axe blinked back into his grip again.

  The others had simply handed it to him earlier—along with a stern warning from Harlada.

  “If you lose a finger, we will not spend a healing potion on it.”

  Bert had already thrown it once before agreeing.

  Harlada sat opposite the doors, browsing spells. Apparently, she could add one to her spellbook—a book that, so far, contained exactly three spells: lightning, gust of wind, and levitate.

  She lingered on Fireball.

  Very expensive—but gods, it would do damage.

  They’d taken all the money from the three oddballs. She could even afford two spells.

  Fireball and… Paralyse?

  “What do you think?” she asked Leo.

  She already knew Bert’s answer.

  Maximum carnage.

  “Fireball and Paralyse?” Leo looked up from the manual, a persistent frown on his face—one that deepened with every line he read.

  “Fireball?” He pinched his upper lip against his nose. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

  Bert stopped throwing the axe.

  “Fireball is awesome.”

  He accidentally tossed the axe straight up.

  Immediately, he looked at Harlada with big, apologetic eyes.

  She just shook her head.

  The axe reappeared in Bert’s hand.

  “Fireball does so much damage,” Bert said, making the case for her.

  “Yes,” Leo replied, “but we usually fight in confined spaces.”

  Bert looked at Harlada.

  “We will burn ourselves,” she summarized.

  Bert nodded. “That chance is there.” He took two steps toward her. “What about Fireball and protection from fire?”

  Harlada smiled. “Good idea. But it would still do half damage.”

  Before Bert could argue further, she added, “Immunity is too expensive. And I can only cast it once—after that, no mana for Fireball.”

  Bert threw his axe at the wall in frustration.

  “What about buffs?” Leo adjusted his glasses. “Giving Bert more strength, or me more dexterity?”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Harlada’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “No. I want to do damage.”

  Bert nodded solemnly. “Fair enough.”

  “What about this one?” Harlada said, turning the book toward them. The spell description read: Shocking Grasp. “It’s cheap. I can cast it multiple times. And it scales with my lightning proficiency.”

  “But you have to be close,” Leo pointed out.

  “So,” Bert said to the air, “Fireball is too dangerous because we’re always too close. Shocking Grasp is too dangerous because we have to be close?”

  Harlada nodded. “No risk, no glory.”

  Leo nodded as well.

  Even though he still thought hiding was the better option.

  Harlada bought shocking grasp and paralyse.

  ***

  “Leo?”

  Harlada sat down next to him and lightly bumped his shoulder with her fist.

  Leo startled at the interruption and looked up from his manual, having already reread the same line three times.

  “What?”

  “We found this in the shop,” Harlada said. “We think you need it.”

  “And we definitely think it’ll look great on you,” Bert added, smiling.

  It was a wide smile. Entirely forced.

  The two exchanged a glance.

  “What is it?” Leo asked, taking a small package from Harlada. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth.

  “Just unpack it,” Harlada said. “It’s a present.”

  “And everybody knows it’s rude not to accept a present,” Bert nodded solemnly.

  “Or use it immediately,” he added.

  Leo sighed. This could not be good.

  Slowly, he unwrapped the bundle.

  “What the—” Leo stared at it. “That is one ugly thing.”

  Harlada nodded. “But it improves your eyesight enormously.”

  “And your hearing,” Bert added. “So we’re never surprised again.”

  He paused, frowned.

  “Less. We’re surprised less.”

  “Why is it blue?” Leo asked, dangling the thing between his fingers. “And how do you put it on?”

  “Well… don’t be shocked, but, uh…” Harlada searched for the right words.

  “We cut off your ear and stitch this one in place,” Bert said helpfully.

  Leo looked at the blue ear. It appeared to belong to some sort of animal.

  “What?”

  “There’s a bit of surgery involved,” Harlada said in what was meant to be a comforting voice. “But it does have those effects.”

  Leo was instantly, profoundly creeped out.

  Bert cut off Leo’s ear.

  “BERT!” Harlada screamed. “That’s not how you win the bet!”

  Leo stared at the blood pooling in his hand.

  Then at Bert, who smiled and handed him a healing potion.

  “Oh, what the hell,” Leo said.

  He pressed the blue ear into place and drank the potion.

  ***

  “How many levels do you think there are?” Harlada asked, staring at the progression door.

  The three of them waited as the last few minutes ticked away.

  “I don’t know,” Leo said. “It has to stop somewhere. The manual doesn’t say anything about it.”

  “Does it?” Bert asked, staring at his hand, which bore a deep axe cut.

  The other two looked at him.

  “What do you mean?” Harlada asked.

  “Why should it have an ending?” Bert said.

  Leo nodded slowly. “Theoretically, it could go on forever. But if—”

  “If the point is to win,” Harlada finished, “then at some point we should have won.”

  “What if—” Leo stopped, then frowned as the thought fully formed. “What if it’s not up to us to win?”

  They both looked at him.

  “What if we’re just opponents,” Leo continued, “for some real heroes?”

  “That somewhere in the Maze, the real Bert, Harlada, and Leo are adventuring—and this whole place exists for them?”

  “Or some Reralt,” Bert added.

  “Shouldn’t we try to escape?” Harlada asked, looking up at the Maze itself.

  “We are trying to escape,” Leo said.

  “Are we?” she replied.

  “What do you mean?” Bert asked.

  “We’re running the Maze,” Leo said. “That’s not escaping.”

  Silence followed.

  “So what else can we do?” Harlada asked quietly.

  “I don’t know,” Leo admitted. “But I don’t want to do this forever.”

  He scratched his new ear.

  “Next level,” Bert said at last, “let’s see if there’s another way out.”

  They all nodded.

  Agreed.