<Hidden cabin>

"Maze?" Mitchell asked, stepping closer to the freshly ascended Mage, he could feel the heat emanating from her skin despite being a few meters away from her. Her differently colored eyes stared at him questioningly, unable to recognize him. He reached out to touch her, but a charred claw flashed past his face as Nami yanked him back to her side. He stared at Maze in confusion before noticing that both eyes now shared the same dull grey he had become too accustomed to.

The puppeteer? Here? Now? He turned to Chris, ready to pulverize him, but stopped the second he heard her speak.

"The girl's body be master's chattel, her debt remains unpaid." She said, but the voice she spoke with was not her own. It was a cacophony of voices speaking out of turn. None of which were hers.

Its not the puppeteer? Then what... His thoughts trailed off as his gaze met with the red orbs hovering above her. Jaw falling to the floor as the figure's near invisible, lanky arms wrapped around her naked figure. What he faced wasn't human.

"Then tell thy master that this debt be owed to him in death. He hath no dominion o'er the living." Aldred replied, unbothered by the being's lack of human features. He too looked like a mythical figure once he got up from his chair as Mitchell had all but forgotten his gigantic stature. He faced the demonically possessed Mazekien, air between them rumbling as if two massive forces clashed with one another, neither side yielding. Everyone watched in awe as Aldred stared down at the red eyes that hovered above her. His gaze unfaltering.

Nami kept a cautious gaze on Maze, her body dangling in the grasp of the translucent being. She knew the threat a newly ascended Mage posed.

"Declare thyself mortal. Who darest oppose the gods' decree?" Maze slowly slumped to the floor as the static in the air increased around them. The room rumbled with Aldred's overwhelming pressure as he wrapped his gigantic hands around the throat of the near invisible entity, making it visible. Its charred skin, mouthless face and lanky body now clear for everyone to see.

"When thou return'st from what e'er sect of hell thou spawn from, tell thy master this. We. Are still. Here. His arrival will be welcomed by I, Aldred the Godless." With the snap of his finger, the demon's presence disappeared. There was no rage in his speech, nor any emotion behind the look in his amethyst eyes. Just a calm dominance over the otherworldly force as it disintegrated in his hand.

"Look out!" Nami shouted, but before anyone could register what happened Maze crashed into Mitchell, slamming him through the wooden door behind them.

A violent cough rocked Mitchell as the force ejected the air from his lungs. He tried getting up but with both arms pinned, all he could do was struggle under her power.

"Maze!" Chris called in panic.

"Don't get close!" Nami shouted, "Maze is in the high of ascension, any provocations could get Mitchell killed." Mitchell's eyes flashed open. Kill? Panicked, he tried to move his arms, feeling as if they were buried under concrete. Maze scanned Mitchell with her different colored eyes, as if picking apart her prey.

"Maze, it's me. It's Mitchell. You remember me, right?" He asked, hoping he could get through to her in this animalistic state. She cocked her head to the side, her gaze unblinking.

Did she understand me? Mitchell wondered.

"Aldred, do something!" Nami shouted, panic ridden in her voice. But the giant man barely moved, only studying Maze's actions.

Her hands released Mitchell's, and he tried to reverse the pin the moment they did, but she remained steady as her hands went to his chest and with one swoop, ripped his shirt from him. Mitchell tried to resist her as the invasive breeze brushed against his skin. His back slammed against the broken door as he tried to get her off. Heart pounding in his chest as her hand brushed his skin, forcing him still. Like prey caught under the pin of a predator, he was at her mercy.

"Don't you touch him!" Nami readied a stance to intercept, but just before she could Aldred plucked her off the floor. She wrestled in his arms, but all proved useless against him.

"Aldred please! She's gonna kill him!" She screamed. "Cannibalism isn't out of the scope of a newly ascended. Mohammed, stop her!" Moe snapped out of his daze from her plea, finally processing how dire the stakes were for Mitchell. Before he could do anything, Mitchell's screams echoed in the hollowed cave the cabin was in.

The air froze for a moment, all of them wondering if it was too late. But in the place where blood could've been spilt, a trail of saliva followed up from his stomach and onto his chest.

She... licked him? They all wondered.

Aldred let Nami down as she was too shocked to do anything about it.

"Stop, Maze!" Mitchell cried, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as she continued to drag her tongue against his collar, causing the hairs on his back to stand at attention. Her tongue continued to travel to his cheek, forehead, and around his eyes, before she rested her forehead on his.

"M-Maze, stop this, please." Caught in between laughter and panic, Mitchell pleaded with her. His laughter cut short as Maze descended her lips onto his, kissing him while she stared deep into his eyes, unblinkingly.

Mitchell's thoughts muddled alongside the crazy beating of his heart. He was scared, no doubt about that, but that fear came accompanied by another sensation he thought he wouldn't be feeling at that moment. Her bare chest against his, her hot breath, despite the context, the kiss between them brought a messy calm to his muddled thoughts the longer it continued. Everything around them paused.

She broke the kiss as her unblinking eyes squinted in recognition.

"Mitc...Mitchell." She spoke like an infant discovering language, but there was no mistaking it. That was his name.

"Maze." He whispered, reaching out to her as excitement bellowed in his stomach. His hand cupped her cheek as he studied her cross-colored eyes. The Onyx was hers undoubtedly. He didn't recognize the grey, but it was unlike the grey of possession. He could feel life behind it, her life. A sharp whistle interrupted their moment as Maze cocked her head up and jumped straight to the source, Aldred. She charged, slamming herself through the wooden wall to evade Nami and pounced with all her might, but her newfound strength proved ineffective against him as he plucked her from the air and held her like a doll.

"Interesting." He mumbled to himself, twisting and turning her in his hands.

Nami walked over to Mitchell, her confusion finally settled.

"A-Are you okay there buddy?" She asked worriedly, not missing the obvious blush on his pale skin. His eyes pried open, still caught by the moment. She scanned his body, looking for any major injuries until her eyes fell on the pitched tent in his pants

"I was going to help you up, but seems another part of you beat me to the punch." Mitchell had to process what she said before he felt the tension in his lower half. He instantly jolted up, covering his risen member to the best of his ability.

"Come on Mitchell, kids are watching." Moe said, walking with his hands covering Chris's eyes.

"Can y'all shut up! I thought I was about to die back there!" Mitchell complained, the panic in his voice emphasized by the deepening red on his cheeks.

"Ascension has the added side-effect of reducing someone back to their base instincts, so for her to kiss you while in that state says a lot." Nami teased, prodding Mitchell with her foot.

"Shut up!" Mitchell exploded, "That kiss meant nothing, she wasn't in her right mind!" He got up to face Nami, but all seriousness in that moment got underscored by his unyielding blush.

"Well, I'm glad you're both alive." Mitchell got taken aback for the umpteenth time that night as Nami wrapped her arms around him an embrace. One that she initiated.

His body tensed, arms hovering at his sides as he struggled to figure out what to do with them, but just as he relaxed, ready to return the gesture, Nami ripped herself off him and walked over to her uncle.

"Shouldn't you put some clothes on her before examining her Aldred!?" She scolded, changing the topic on a dime. She kicked her uncle in the shin, getting an uncomfortable groan from him.

"A weird one, isn't she." Mitchell stared at her reprimanding her uncle about decency as Moe threw an arm over his shoulder with Chris in tow.

"Trust me, not even I can tell what goes on in her head half the time." Moe lamented, rubbing the spot where he had his Kings mark. To all three of them she remained an enigma no matter how much she revealed about herself.

"Before we came here, she promised that one day I'll understand her. That there'll be no secrets between us anymore. Will I still look at her the same when that day comes?" Mitchell asked out loud, despite the question being posed to himself.

"Whether we know everything about her, or nothing at all. It doesn't matter. As long as she's got your back then everything should be fine." Moe answered, though the answer was mostly for himself.

"She knew nothing about Maze before all of this, but she saved her. For you. Remember that." Moe patted Mitchell's shoulder before going over to join Nami's side.

"This has been one crazy night, hasn't it?" Chris asked, speaking up to Mitchell for the first time since she came back.

"Hey, uhm that recording you have... please delete it." Mitchell asked, remembering what he said during his earlier outburst. The boy took out his phone and stopped the recording.

"Oh, uhm, right..." He paused, remembering Mitchell's earlier threat. "Didn't you say you wanted her to hear it?" Chris asked, his innocent question deepening the flush of embarrassment on Mitchell.

"Yeah, well now I'm telling you to delete it." Mitchell commanded through gritted teeth. Chris raised a brow at him before realizing what the message entailed.

"Oh fine, you're right. A message like that is best to be given in person." Chris giggled, but his words caused a pause in Mitchell's thoughts.

Give it in person, huh? The thought of it alone grew anxiety in his chest.

"I came here thinking you guys were the ones causing hell for Maze. I've known about how much you hate her for a while now, but after today." He showed the recording to Mitchell.

"I think I'll be glad to help you guys out with your investigation." The text box asked if he would like to delete the recording permanently and he pressed 'Yes'.

Mitchell sighed, "I'm glad to have you on the team." With the audio deleted, Chris walked over to join Mohammed on Nami's side.

Mitchell pinched the bridge of his nose, his exhaustion finally washing over him. Magic, Mages, Demons, and Monsters. Just what in the world have I gotten myself into. He let out a deep sigh, feeling a strange sense of happiness well up within him.

There's no backing out now, so fuck it. He walked over to the rest of the group as Aldred finally submitted to Nami's complaints. With a roll of his eyes, he snapped his fingers and a set of clothes appeared on the still animalistic Mazekien. She clawed at the fabric, but it resisted her attempts at discarding it.

"So, captain, what's the plan?" Mitchell asked, standing by Nami's side along with the others.

She turned to them, her brown eyes scanning before her lips perked in a smile. She stepped away from her uncle and raised her fist above her head.

"Now..." She paused, looking at her triumphant fist before collapsing to the ground with her arms sprawled out. "We rest." She finished, raising her arms up for Mitchell to carry her.

"Mush my loyal steed!" Mitchell sighed a chuckle before going to pick her up, allowing her to piggyback on him. With Maze alive, it was finally time for them to rest, but Mitchell kept stealing glances at her on their way out of the Labyrinth.

I still need to talk to you, but... I can wait until you get better. He thought, a satisfied smile spreading on his lips. For now, I'll just enjoy my time with these goofballs. Nami rubbed her cheek against his as she explained to the others why she declared him as her loyal steed, framing the story as an epic tale.

Until you're Maze again, I can wait.