Takumi rushed forward, but it was too late. Haruka collapsed beside him, her face pale with shock. The world felt like it was spinning, the pain too much to bear. Ryo, their friend, their companion, was gone. His death… it was the price of their journey. It was the lesson they hadn't learned in time—the cost of not confronting their demons before they became too overwhelming.
Takumi fell to his knees, tears blurring his vision. "Ryo…" His voice cracked. "I'm sorry. I couldn't save you."
Haruka's sobs echoed in the empty street, the grief raw and sharp. Takumi clenched his fists, anger and sorrow mingling inside him. But beneath it all, a chilling truth began to sink in.
The Maze had done this. But it wasn't just the Maze—it was their failure to face their fears, to truly accept who they were. Ryo had been the strongest among them, but the Maze had broken him. It had exposed his vulnerabilities, his deep-seated fears—and without support, without truly understanding his own darkness, he had fallen.