LABYRINTH

(n) a place that last many confusing paths or passages

The 17-year old turning 18 girl is busy preparing for her journey tomorrow. She has always been thinking about going through the Labyrinth to find her real purpose. She is tired just following what their government is telling her to do. She wants to do something that she is supposed to do and not just what someone tells her to.

She inserted the small dagger in her pocket before getting her bag that is full of random fruits and vegetables and then gets ready to go to the Regime.

In their city, you are only allowed to choose your own path when you turned 18 years old. You got to choose whether you are going to the Labyrinth to find your real purpose our way continue turn 25 so that you can move out of the city.

She will take the risk of going through the difficult paths of Labyrinth because she knows that there is nothing to lose anymore. Her mom died giving birth to her and her dad died because he was condemned on something that he did not do.

The walk to the Regime will it takes almost five hours since she does not have any money to pay for a car. But that does not mean that it is a bad idea because if she will reach Regime, she will be already eighteen.

She doesn't want to waste any single second. If she would be able to go through the end of Labyrinth that only means that she will get the liberty that she needed. She really wanted to escape this place. And nothing could stop her from doing that.

"What are you doing here lady?" The guard in charge in front of the tall building asked her when she arrived at the Regime.

"I am here to ask for permission to go through the Labyrinth." She answered.

"Please state your name." The guard demanded as he readied the device that holds the record of all people living in their city.

"Minatozaki Sana," She immediately replied. She cannot wait. She wouldn't waste any single second so that she can easily go out of the Labyrinth and change her entire life.

The guard nodded his head and then clicked random buttons on the device on his hand. After a minute, he gave his verdict. "It says here that you are only seventeen years old. I'm so sorry but I cannot allow you to go through the Labyrinth."

"But I will turn 18 in some minutes." She instantly argued.

The guard shook his head with a slight smile. It's his first time ever to meet someone that is so young who is willing to go through the Labyrinth in over 5 years. And only brave people are willing to sacrifice their life for that. "I'm sorry to say but you have to wait until the clock strikes 12."

She sighed; defeated. "Fine,"

The guard gave her an apologetic smile.

She roams her eyes on her surroundings to find a better place to sleep since he's already tired by all the walking she did earlier.

She cleared today in the guard's attention. "Can I sleep here?"

The guard nods his head; who sees the tiredness in her face and the way she talks. "Sure,"

"Please wake me up once I already turned 18." She requested before laying down her small scarf on the floor and then leaned her back on the wall. She uses her own arm to cover her eyes from the light covering the entire place before sleep finally took her.

"Hey, lady, you can go now." The guard shook her body gently.

She immediately opened her eyes and then stands up; not forgetting to pick up the scarf on the floor. "Finally," She exclaimed as she did few stretching.

"Please be careful on your way. I hope you find your purpose." The guard wished and then handed her a blank white paper. That paper is the key or the sign that you already had permission to go through the Labyrinth. The reason why it is blank is because if you will ever reach the end of the Labyrinth, you have to give it to the one who's responsible in guiding the place and 'She' will write down what your purpose is.

She smiled at the guard and bowed down a bit. "Thank you."

She takes a final look at the blank paper before putting it inside her bag. 'This is it. I will be able to live on my own after this.'

Five steps and she will reach the gate of the Labyrinth since it's beside the Regime. And those ten steps will definitely change her life forever.

The moment she steps her right foot on the ground of the Labyrinth, she knows that there is no turning back. She knows that she have to go through it and she knows that she can.

The main door of the Labyrinth immediately closed in a second and it means that she can only get out of that through the other side.

She takes one last breath before taking a single step.

The ground suddenly started to shake and then suddenly the one way turned into two ways.

"What the ?" She mumbled to herself. Now she doesn't know which path to choose.

She slowly closes her eyes and then turns around for few times. Wherever her index finger would point at that at only that she will choose that path. In short, her fate depends in her finger.

(Fingerrrrr. Kidding.)

And the answer? It was right.

Right. Right. Right.

She just hopes that that would be a right decision.

Before she could even take a single step towards the right path, her eyes caught something; it was a shadow of a very large falcon.

She gasped when she saw the actual creature coming towards her. She immediately turned around and then runs on the other path like her life depends on it.

She wasn't even inside the Labyrinth for five minutes yet she is already facing this ing creature.

She continues to run and run until the bird reached her and then suddenly it steals her bag that contains her food and water for this journey.

After the bird took her bag, it immediately flew upwards.

"DAMN IT!" She cursed. Where the hell would she get her food now? She even saved lots of her expenses and conserves her food just so she could buy those foods for this journey.

She runs her hands in her hair frustratingly. She is sure that you would survive her journey here but she's just a person and hunger and thirst can definitely kill her.

She slowly picked up her dagger that was dropped on the ground when she runs and then continue to walk; this time, on the left path.

Maybe the reason why that bird came in front of her to block her from going to the wrong path. Yep, she's just trying to say that to herself to forget about the unfortunate event earlier.

She walks through the forest-like place for almost three hours and she's lucky enough that nothing had happened to her again.

But she was certainly wrong about that.

She takes a short rest by stopping on a large tree and then puts her left hand to hold on it.

Suddenly, she felt a slow movement in her hand. She slowly turned her face to look at it and her eyes widened at the sight of a green python creeping on her hand.

Carefully, she gets her dagger and then positions it to stab the head of the snake.

The creature takes its final movement before losing its life.

She slowly removed her hand on the tree and then pick up a leaf on the ground to wipe her dagger on it; gently removing the snake's blood.

"You can get through this Sana! You can get through this!" She motivated herself. She cannot just give up that easily if she really wants to escape their city.

She puts her dagger back in her pocket before proceeding to walk.

On her way, she got more confused. Why? Because this time it wasn't just only two paths in her way; it was three.

'Damn. Why it has to be like this hard when I am just only choosing a path?' She internally complained and then did the same thing she did earlier. She closes her eyes and then turns around for times.

She just really hopes that this will work or else he will definitely die without even reaching half of it.

When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see 2 tigers in front of her; correction, hungry-looking tigers with their fangs showing.

She takes a gulp and blinked her eyes. She slowly put her hand down and then gets the dagger in her pocket. She knows that that wouldn't work but at least she has a weapon, right?

She cautiously positioned herself into a fighting stance as if she will match with these wild creatures. One wrong move and she will definitely say goodbye to Earth.

The tigers also positioned themselves; ready to take away her life.

She grips the dagger in her hand even tighter.

But she was surprised when the tigers suddenly runaway. One goes to the right and one goes to the left.

She wrinkled her eyebrows. Those tigers are surely hungry but why did they just run away?

She shook her head in confusion but she would also like to thank them for not eating her.

She didn't choose to put her dagger back in her pocket this time since she is not sure if ever she would face another wild creature in no time.

She chooses the middle path because she's sure if she would go to the others, she will meet the tigers again. And she takes that as another positive thing by believing that those tigers are blocking her to go to the wrong path.

She continues to walk and walk until she felt tiredness in her body.

She finds a better place to take a rest and sleeps. She chooses the large tree since it's late already.

If she wanted to survive the day tomorrow, she needs to have energy in her body.

The next day, she wake up and she felt a gentle poke in her cheek.

"Hmm..." She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She was surprised to see an old lady smiling while looking down at her.

She slowly stands up; confused as to why is there another person here with her. Does that only mean that this person is also going through the Labyrinth to find her purpose? But why does she looks so old? Is she stuck in here?

The questions roaming in her head got answered when the old lady speak, "Hi, I am Nayeon. I am a resident here. And I am here to give you this." She handed her a red apple.

"An apple?" She asked as she slowly gets the fruit from the old lady's hand.

The old lady nods her head and then gave her a smile. "I know that you are hungry and you haven't eaten anything yet."

She finds her smile so creepy but she should be thankful because this person just gives her an apple when she really needed it the most, right? "That's why you gave me this?" She asked; reciprocating the smile of the old lady.

"Yes," The old lady replied.

"That's so nice of you." She gave her another smile.

"Go eat it now." The old lady urges her.

She slowly nods her head and then raises the apple in front of . She looked at the old lady in front of her and then opens ; a little bit worried.

But before she could even take her first bite on the apple, she saw the old lady stumbled on the ground with an arrow in her stomach.

"OH MY!" She gasped and then dropped the apple as she kneeled down to help her to stand up.

She suddenly saw a pair of black shoes in front of her. Slowly, she raises her head and then looked up to the person.

It was a girl; a handsome girl to be exact.

If she wasn't in a surprise state right now, she would definitely hug this handsome girl that she finds so attractive. But of course she doesn't forget that on top of that, this person just shooy the innocent old lady.

"What did you do to her!?" She asked as she finally helped the old lady stand up.

The girl looked at her but didn't say anything. Instead, she held the old lady by her arm and then forcefully pulled her away from Sana.

She suddenly pushed the old lady on the ground. "Go away."

"And why would I do that?" The old lady replied to her as she holds her bleeding stomach.

"Because she's my territory," The mysterious girl answered and then suddenly removed the arrow from the old lady.

Sana looked at them back and forth before asking the mysterious girl. "Who are you!? Hey! Can you please answer me!?"

No one mind her again.

"What is wrong with you!? Why do you always block my way!?" The old lady suddenly shouted in pain.

The mysterious girl smirked. "Just be thankful because I didn't kill you yet when I can do that in a second."

'Oh gosh, I would kiss her.' Sana forcefully stopped herself from doing so.

"I want you to go away." The mysterious girl demanded to the old lady who suddenly seems scared because of her statement earlier about killing her.

"Now!" She shouted when the old lady didn't move.

That's the sigh for the old lady to runaway with her stomach and still bleeding.

Sana blinked her eyes and then asked the girl again; hiding the fact that she is enchanted with her handsome face. "What did you do to her!?"

The mysterious girl finally faces her. "Do you really believe that she just gave the apple because she knows that you're hungry?" She asked her back.

Sana wrinkled her eyebrows. "Why? Is there any reason about it?"

"You see, this place is so dangerous that you should not trust anyone who acted kind to you." The girl stated while placing her bow in the bag on her back. She takes a step closer to Sana which made the girl slowly take a step backwards.

"Who are you?" Sana asked; trying to hide her nervousness. First, this girl just hurt someone a whole ago. And second, she is slowly getting closer to her and she's not ready to stand this close to her.

The girl grinned at the look on Sana's face. 'Scared?'

"It doesn't matter who I am." She answered and slowly backed away from her.

Sana sighed. "Whatever." She slowly crouched down to pick up the apple from the ground.

"Are you really going to eat that apple?" The girl asked her before she could even bite it.

She looked at her with a raised brow. "Why?"

"Give it to me." The girl demanded as she lends her hand in the air; waiting for Sana to put the apple in her hand.

Sana immediately shook her head. "No way! I am sure you're going to eat this because you're also hungry."

The girl grinned again. "Of course not," She said before stealing the apple in Sana's hand in a split of seconds.

"Hey! That's mine!" Sana tried to steal the apple fork the girl as she held it up to the air which she can't reach at all.

The girl shook her head; saying that she won't give her the fruit. She uses her other hand to hold both of Sana's hands before crushing the apple by the other. A violet liquid slowly drips out from the apple as she squeezed it. "You see this? That's the poison." She threw the now crushed apple to the ground and then wiped her wet hand using her own black cloak.

Sana stared at her in awe. "How?"

She didn't answer her question. Instead, she offered another apple to her.

Sana slowly took the apple from the girl's hand. "Why would I eat this?" She asked; unsure about this fruit in her hand. What if there is also poison in there, right?

"Because you're hungry," The girl answered.

"You just said a while ago that I should not trust someone." Sana argued. "You cannot even tell me your name."

The girl sighed in defeat. Sana surely is a pain in the . Why won't she stop from asking questions after questions? "Fine, I am Tzuyu. Now eat that."

"What if this also has a poison?" Sana questioned again.

The girl, who's now named Tzuyu, steals the apple in her hand and then suddenly took a bite. "See? No poison." She handed her the bitten apple again.

Sana shook her head. "I won't eat that."

Tzuyu raised a brow. "Why?"

"You just bit it." Sana replied.

Tzuyu shook her head and then get another apple from her small bag. "Fine, have this one instead."

Sana slowly gets the apple from her. "How would I know if the one you bit it is not poisoned and this one is?"

That made Tzuyu snapped. "You know what? If you don't really want to get this one you then you can climb that mango tree and gave different fruit instead." She pointed at the mango tree behind Sana and then suddenly steals the second apple from Sana's hand.

Sana threw a glare at her. the handsome face! "Okay! As if I cannot climb a tree," She said before walking towards the big mango tree and started to climb up.

On the way up, suddenly, an ant bit her. "Ouch!"

"Be careful." Tzuyu said from below.

She looked down at the girl before replying. "Do you think I'm not being careful?"

Tzuyu shrugged her shoulders. "Just saying,"

Suddenly, Sana lost her grip on the tree when an ant bit her again. "AAAAHH!" She screamed as he closes her eyes; preparing for a hard landing on the ground.

But instead of feeling hardness all over her body, she felt a soft hand hugging her.

"I told you to be careful." It was Tzuyu. She was able to catch her before she lands on the ground. Thanks to her fast reflexes.

Sana blushed at how close their faces are before she moved out of the girl's strong arms; falling on the ground.

She removed some ants in her clothes and some dirt as she stands there awkwardly.

"Have this one now. I promise it doesn't have poison." Tzuyu handed her the same apple before she continued. "Unless you want to kill yourself."

Sana widens her eyes. "What?" The girl didn't reply. Instead, she whistled through the air and the same bird, falcon, from earlier came.

Sana gasped as the incoming falcon. "What the!?"

She slowly runs on the mango tree and then hides on it; not minding the ants.

"Hey! Run now!" She shouted at the girl but she didn't move even an inch.

"That bird might--" Sana's sentence got cut off when the bus suddenly laid on the girl's head and didn't do anything bad at her.

Tzuyu chuckled at the surprised look from her. "Don't worry; he's my friend."

Sana blinked her eyes. "What?"

Tzuyu gets Sana's bag from the grip of the falcon's mouth and then throws it to her. "Here's your bag."

Sana immediately catches it; still surprised at what is happening.

"Thanks for the apple." Tzuyu stated with her blinding smile.

Suddenly, Sana was turned back to her senses. "You were the one who took away my bag? How dare you!?" She loudly exclaimed before rushing towards the girl and then prepares to hit her on the arm.

Tzuyu easily ducked her hit. "Easy! I did not do that to steal your bag for real."

"But why did you that!?" Sana argued.

"Because you're choosing the wrong path," Tzuyu replied.

That sentence made Sana paused for a minute. "So you're saying you're with me the entire time?"

Tzuyu nods her head. "Yes."

"Who are you really?" Sana questioned again.

Tzuyu sighed. "I shouldn't be saying this but I am actually your guardian."

Sana wrinkled her eyebrows. "My what?"

"Your guardian, I am here to take care of you and help you to go to the end." Tzuyu answered but immediately corrected her statement. "No, that was wrong. What I meant was, I am here to make sure that nothing bad will happen to you all the way there."

"Making sure that nothing bad will happen to me!? Do you even know how your 'friend' gave me heart attack yesterday!?" Sana replied angrily; remembering the way that falcon chase her.

"He did? I'm so sorry about that." Tzuyu replied with a soft chuckle.

"Whatever." Sana rolled her eyes but she actually cannot stay mad at the girl; not with the way she chuckled. "I just want to ask if why they would assign a guardian for me."

"It's a rule. Every person who'll enter Labyrinth has a guardian. I wouldn't explain why." Tzuyu replied and then sat down on the ground.

Sana didn't reply.

"Shouldn't you'd be thanking me?" This time, it was the girl who asked.

Sana looked at her. "Why would I thank you? For what?"

Tzuyu strikes a thinking pose. "Because I made you choose the right path and I saved you from those wild tigers? Not to mention that I return your bag even though I can really get it for myself if I want to." She explained.

"What? Save me? From those tigers? I didn't even saw you there." Sana argued.

"Because I wasn't showing myself," Tzuyu replied.

"And why would I believe you?" Sana raised a brow. "I'm sure you were just a coward who didn't show up yesterday when you know that I am in danger."

"How did you think those tigers runaway?" Tzuyu raised a brow back at her. "I'm sure they would eat you in a second if I didn't make them runaway." She continued; copying Sana's tone.

Sana rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"If you're really my guardian then you should help me to go to the end of this place as soon as possible." Sana continued with a demanding voice.

Tzuyu stand up and then climbed up easily in the mango tree while her falcon flew in the air. "Didn't you hear me earlier? I said I am here to make sure that nothing bad will happen to you but I didn't say that I am here to help you go to the end of Labyrinth. You should know how to go there by yourself as I guard you."

Sana looked up to her. "So you mean, I have to go on by myself but you will always guard me?"

Tzuyu nodded but no words come out from .

Sana sighed; she really thought that this girl will help her go at the end easily. "Okay, shall we continue our journey now?"

"Why are you asking me? I am just following you." Tzuyu replied and then jumped into another tree.

Sana watched her in awe. "Right,"

"But don't you at least want to eat first?" Tzuyu questioned.

Sana nodded her head and then sat down at the spot where Tzuyu sat earlier. She started to eat the apple that the girl 'gave' her earlier as she faces her. "Can you tell me something about yourself?" She asked.

"There's nothing to know about me." Tzuyu replied; now scanning her bow and arrow.

"What do you mean?" Sana asked as she took another bite from the apple.

"I don't know. The ones who live inside the Labyrinth are not like you. For example, I did not go on a process of growing up. Ever since I was 'made' I am already like this; a grown up thing." Tzuyu explained and then put her bow and arrow to her bag on her back.

"So you don't age?" Sana asked curiously.

Tzuyu nods her head.

"And you don't die?" Sana asked again.

"Well, in that case, it depends." Tzuyu paused; not willing to give the real answer.

Sana frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out the reason later or maybe not. But I really hope you will." Tzuyu replied and then climbed down on the tree.

"Okay," Sana mumbled. "How long have you been here?" She asked again.

Tzuyu shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. We don't have days here. We just woke up to eat and then sleep. I mean that's what I do before you came."

"So I disturb your sleep?" Sana asked; slightly feeling bad.

"No," Tzuyu chuckled. "Sleep is not necessary for us; we don't really need that. In fact, you actually gave me something to do in this boring place."

"You find this place boring? I almost died four times during my first day here." Sana replied, remembering every single thing she faced; from the falcon, the snake, the tigers and the poisonous apple.

"That's because you're not used to this place. You're not like us." Tzuyu explained and then sat down beside her. "We can easily move here and there without any harm."

"Right," Sana replied; accepting the fact.

"Are you finished eating?" This time, it was Tzuyu who asked first.

"Yes," Sana replied and then stands up.

"You will continue your journey now?" Tzuyu asked again.

Sana nods her head. "I don't want to waste any time. I want to reach the end as soon as possible." She answered with determination in her voice.

"I see," Tzuyu stand up and then followed her.

"So how long does it take a challenger like me get to the end of Labyrinth?" Sana asked curiously as they continue to walk.

"I don't know. That depends on you." Tzuyu replied.

"You said you're here ever since but why didn't you know that?" Sana questioned again.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes. "I told you, it depends on you."

Sana threw a glare at her. "Why do you always give me confusing ans--"

Tzuyu suddenly stop her sentence but shushing her. "Shh!"

Sana wrinkled her eyebrows. "What?"

"Be quiet for a minute." Tzuyu requested.

"Can you tell me what the hell is happening so that I could be quiet?" Sana questioned; confuse with that Tzuyu is trying to do.

"," Tzuyu suddenly curses.

"What the hell is happening?" Sana asked; a little nervous.

"Run," Tzuyu replied.

"What?" Sana asked again but Tzuyu didn't answer.

"What do y--"

"I said run!" Tzuyu suddenly shouted at her with worry.

Suddenly, a big creature appears in front of them. It looks like a turtle from Sana's eyes.

"Oh my gosh!" Sana screamed with wide eyes.

"Run now!" Tzuyu ordered.

Sana complied; running. But them, she suddenly stopped; worried about Tzuyu's sake. "Aren't you going to follow me?"

Tzuyu shook her head. This girl is really hard-headed. "Aish! Don't ask questions anymore. Just continue to run!"

"But where am I going?" Sana asked the most important question she should've asked.

"Follow Buddy!" Tzuyu replied.