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THE EXAM: MAZE OF MADNESS (Y2 > Y3)

He knew it was almost the time he reached the examination for the next year, however, when gnomes burgled into his room (when he knocked one or two heads with a tray), he was slightly startled. They sprayed some powders in front of him and he fell.

Holding an empty tray and with an apron on him, the serpent-dragon boil woke up at a spacious but confined place. It wasn't the first time he woke up to things, so he rather let it roll. He walked with interest, placed the tray on top of the tail head and his hand brushed along the hedges. It felt like an underground structure and it unwillingly linked to the recent incident with the ring that gave him the scar on his arm. He frowned at it together with the memories inside that room, and tossed them aside under exasperation. The fist hit the wall hard as he attempted to find a way to calm down. "Damn it."

The Head trying its best to balance with the tray shoved itself closer to make it concern while gently swaying its neck not let the tray fall. "AJ. Are you alright?" It did't hide it worries in its tone because it was a kid. He smiled but didn't say anything. Soon, a teacher appeared. "Greeting, Professor Zephron."

AJ listened to what the professor said and quickly realized it was his exam. While nodding in acknowledgement, he wondered if he had attended any of the potion classes taught by him. It wasn't easy to recall that all of a sudden, and when he was still pondering, the professor shifted to a canine and ran away. "Wooooo that's cool." Only at that moment, AJ realized he wasn't alone, he turned to smile at the creepson only to find it was Maple.

"Oh my how lucky I am, having an adorable witch as my companion" he chirped delightfully. "Long time no see, Maple, how are you?" He dragged her into a small hug, his arm could be moved again, even the scar would be forever. "MAPLE! MAPLE! NONG TIM NO C~" The tail head hissed happily as well, repeating the witch's name.

Because he was AJ, so he smiled with his head unconsciously tilted a little. "Ah ya. Got a recipe from someone and was trying to make it. You - were sleeping?" He couldn't control his eyes to peek at Maple, who was in a set pf pyjamas. "You're always cute, but this look is new to me."

Noticing she was staring at the scar, he raised his arm. "This? Nope, just a burn, I'm okay." The skin was no longer black like dead soils after a fire, but the scar was noteworthy. He took the tray out head's mouth and put back to top of it. "It was the DE-sldfjlsdkjflkj" AJ stuffed its mouth with the tray again. "Bro would like this way better, I guess." Before he made up his mind how to deal with the demon, he wished not to let anyone worried and get involved in it.

"Why can't they arrange the exam at a better time? Are you sleepy, Maple? If not, let's finish it quickly and get back to bed. We've lessons tomorrow."

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PART 1: COUNTING STEPS

The beginning of the maze only had one path, so the monster boil and witch walked along it. "I heard that if you turn left whenever you encounter a fork, it's the fastest way to get out. Wanna prove this theory?" AJ winked at the ghoul from the back, grinning brightly like a boil excited for an adventure.

Steps walked: 4

PART 1: COUNTING STEPS

AJ was glad the ghoul didn't pry further down, he won't be able to explain it clearly to her his feeling towards the demon. He thought he could start anew as another person, not bothered by his past. However, he was wrong. He realized he wanted friends, but at the same time, wished they would return the love and care. It hurt more than anything when the demon told him not to reminisce at the past, he couldn't because it never be the past for him. He lived in the past. He once believed the demon won't hurt him even he was grumpy but the scar - it told him wrong.

He said he care, but he didn't show it. Even as an easy boil like AJ, he would love to feel being concerned. Thus when Xiu was there, the one that gave him a tiny bit of hint of what a mother should be - he found he connected her with the senior. Thus, when she only showed cares to the demon, and when the demon used a different attitude, he feel something agitated inside him. The room, which was filled with the taste and smell of the blood reminded him of the nights he fought on the streets like a mad dog. They said they cared, but he could only see them caring each other, he wasn't necessary. He didn't belong to anywhere.

He didn't notice he fell behind when he zoned out through his musing. When he did, Maple no longer next to him. Even the ghoul was much braver, he still worried for her. She was that adorable and sweet that he wished nothing bad would happen to her, he'd realized he was slightly over protective of the witch. Yet, besides the demon, she was a friend he knew so long through the school time. He used to have no friends, who needed friends that only mocked and set him up, he needed none.

"Maple? Maple? If you're here, answer me." He ran through the corridor, hoping the witch would reply his call the next second. But the next second, he was upside down instead. The long hair straightened and flew towards the ceiling. Nope. He was walking on the ceiling, so the opposite side should be the ground. Is that the world the bats always see? AJ wondered, his foot stuck firmly on the ceiling like there were magnet underneath. Head was holding the tray as firmly as it could, under the pull of gravity, it wanted to drop or in its view angle - float away.

Steps walked: 4+4=8

PART 1: COUNTING STEPS

Fortunately, the maze provided a good conductor of sound. Maple's weak voice could get to where the monster was. Locating Maple's approximate position, he yelled back. "Thanks for the warning, don't worry, I'll catch you up soon!" He paused his saunter and begun to run, hoping the witch won't be too helpless. He could hear the unsettling emotions from her voice.

A few steps from his original point, he found himself walking on the ground. "Jack," he hissed as each step became heavier. "Maple, still there? If you're scared, think about the happy times we spent together." He waded along the path, as if he was stuck in a swamp full of mud or entangled with lots of seaweeds. "Like the first time we met, it was fun, the snacks were nice and we had a meaningful conversation. Remember?"

The dragging feeling just remained for a short time, when he made a particular step out, he promptly felt lighter and his body was pushed forward in response to the excessive force he used to struggle through what Maple called invisible mud.

"AJ, I feel sick....." The Head said and drew the boil attention to the surrounding, his mind was spinning fast for the past memories to distract the witch. "What the hell....." He blinked, a bit startled with the swirling wall in front of him. He felt like he was on a spinning disk and the view circled around. It gave him a headache just watching, he just closed his eyes to separate himself from the disturbances. The balance was weakened but enough to move forward. Getting used to it, he spoke again, "Or the eye-screams we share? How about the necklace and hair pins? I spent a lot of time picking them." He chuckled, hoping to ease the stuffy atmosphere.

"Maple!" He finally saw the silhouette of the ghoul but she was wabbling. He reached out to pat her shoulder. "Hey, still alright?"

Steps walked: 8+12=20

PART 1: COUNTING STEPS

AJ wanted to create a more comfortable ambience for Maple, they chatted like they were separated by a very thick wall. He chuckled, "Yup, I don't like it either. It's like if I change back to my natural form, I would - either stuck or torn down the whole thing." One would imagine a shrug followed hearing the tone in his voice.

The boil touched the witch affectionately and grinned at her suggestion. "Of course we'll live, it's just a test of our ability, we'll go out just fine and order some eye-screams for the famous store in the town. That's an excellent idea, Maple!" The voice of the monster was more cheerful. He was one step behind her, a distance he could give the feeling he was walking besides her while get into quick response if something come from behind. Like always, AJ just smiled gently to give the ghoul his support. "Berry Tornado! Triple Vanilla! Bloody Merry! Mysterious Surprise!" Hearing eye-scream, the Head still holding the tray shoved itself between them and yelled out names, as if it was already in the store ordering and the next second it would have what it had shouted. Even lacking a spoon, it was so ready.

It wasn't just an illusion, indeed they shrank. At first, AJ though they might be going downwards that the wall became taller. He put a coin on the ground to test if he was right, but it didn't roll down so that demolish the idea. Then, peeking through his shoulder as they walked forward - he saw the coin growing bigger. It caused a frown on his face as his mind spun quickly. "Maple, do you feel the things around us grow bigger -" he paused as a whim formed, "or we are smaller."

They didn't stop, because it forced them go upwards but not the other way. One, two, three, he felt his vision rose up. He tossed another rock on the ground, wanted to check and compare the sizes. The maze didn't give them a break, AJ noticed Maple was quivering as if they stepped into another zone. First it was upside down, then their feet felt heavy, next the world spun to make them dizzy followed by the increased steps when they were shrunken. He couldn't not smile for the teachers' effort in testing their abilities. Such a big party.

He born in the oasis surrounded by miles of sands, his body had used to the extreme temperature. Sometimes he would walk out of the city and stand in the sandstorm to feel the power of it. "Maple, it's the first time they push us backward, I guess we'll soon be out of the maze." Even the wind had blown his hair all backwards, the boil looked as if he was at ease. His hands gently applied the pushing force onto Maple, from her back. "Think of something warm, like a nice coffee with maple syrup?" It was gentle but solid, the witch could feel the support, it was unlike the magic of the maze that didn't allow her to go backward. "I believe you, you can do it, Maple." He whispered softly, clear in the whistles of the strong winds.

Steps walked: 20+8=28

PART 1: COUNTING STEPS

AJ heard the scream and her body cringed, he didn't know his kindness would only bring burden to the witch with the bad weather status. "Maple?" He'd asked if she was okay, but instead the next second, he felt the person he was touching was empty air. AJ was confused for one second but he decided to catch up, making her bumped into the ghoul who stopped. "Maple? What's wrong?"

He peeked out through the ghoul and the shadows that blocking the way. The boil couldn't see the shifting of the one of them into a silhouette like Maple but he saw another one transformed into him. "Aww." He mused. "This doesn't sound unfamiliar." There were so many weird things happened in the past, facing themselves was one of them. "One thing I know, we'd looked much better than them because we're the real thing."

The serpent dragon monster always had an optimistic mindset, fighting with another self seemed to be exciting. His bloods warmed up and he could feel the joy within him. Yet, he didn't forget Maple. He'd ran to help the witch to fight hers, but the shadow AJ blocked his way to her.

"Excuse me, I need to help the lady" said the boil to the shadow AJ.

Steps walked: 30/30

PART 2: THE FIGHT

AJ used to be a loner, he didn't care about himself much, thus he hated situations like that - when his friend or simply the creeple he cared of getting injured. If he was on his own, he would fight until he dissipate. Yet, things didn't go smooth for the monster. In the dream, in weird events, he experienced and witnessed his friends being hurt. He felt useless for it, he carved for power, much stronger to protect someone.

He didn't want to scare them, but the gentle self was not effective in protecting anything. "MAPLE!" He yelled when, through the shadow self, seeing the dark tendrils sharpened like needle and thrust at the witch. He pushed himself forward, ready to dash but he was blocked by the dark tendrils of his own shadow, jeering. AJ exhaled when he saw the witch managed to get her broom for obstructing. "Nah, I'm sure you look more adorable." He talked with his relaxed voice, "Hang on, Maple, after I finish this, I'll come for you. I believe you can take her down though because you improve, you're better."

However, behind the witch, he gritted his teeth at his own shadow and snapped his claw at the shadow's face then squished the tendrils in a cruel way with his eyes lit with ire. "Get out of my way." He whispered as a threat. "We're gonna be Year Two soon, together." He stated firmly.



AJ: 38/40
Shadow AJ: 45/ 50
DMG: 5