Find me in your labyrinth (Stella and Jonathan)
Chapter 2022

Bernard's face went pale with terror as he stumbled backward and begged, "Please, don't kill me! I'm begging you! I had no choice; Triceratops has my whole family. I really had no." A loud "bang!" cut him short.

Bernard's cry of fear abruptly ceased!

At the same time, a woman rushed from behind, attempting to shove Bernard away.

The bullet grazed the woman's arm and buried itself into Bernard's chest. His eyes widened, blood seeping through his fingers, quickly staining them crimson.

He leaned against a nearby bookshelf, his eyes glassy and lifeless, gasping for breath with his mouth agape.

The woman, clutching her wounded shoulder, turned to Estelle and pointed at the computer,

"Stella, look, your team is dying!"

The mention of Stella sent a fresh wave of pain through Estelle's mind. She clenched her teeth against the agony, her gun trained on the woman.

"You won't kill me, Stella. You can't," the woman said with a haunting stare. "Because if you do, there'll be no one left to lead you to your team. Don't forget your mission!"

Stella. Team. Mission.

Estelle's head felt like it was about to explode, the pain so intense as if her blood was flowing backward, threatening to tear her apart.

"Who are you?"

"I am the one who will bring you back!" The woman said, "Everything here is a lie. You must hurry back!"

Estelle shook her head, her eyes full of struggle, and involuntarily stepped back, when suddenly, she touched something unknown, and the alarm immediately went off. The rapid "buzzing" sound made Estelle's head hurt even more, as if there were countless knives cutting her veins and meridians, to split her into countless pieces. The woman's expression shifted as she slipped Estelle a keycard and said, "Get out of here, now! Take the elevator on the far left. Go find your teammates, hurry!" Clutching the keycard, Estelle staggered away.

Her mind was foggy, clinging only to the woman's words-to leave this place, and fast!

Alarm bells were ringing throughout the corridors, scientists scurried out of their labs, desperate to understand the chaos.

Zion's security system had been triggered, guards swarming toward the twelfth floor.

Estelle found the leftmost elevator and, once inside, placed the keycard on the sensor. As the doors slid shut, she leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

The elevator ascended, and Estelle's grip tightened. Amiee's voice echoed in her ears, calling her, but as it entered her mind, it morphed into the voices of her teammates. "Stella, break out through the window!"

"I'll cover you with Tyrannosaurus!"

"Get out, don't worry about us, save yourself!"

"Damn it, I'm going down fighting!"

She covered her ears, but the voices flooded in from all around.

With a "ding," the elevator halted, and Estelle's mind went blank. She stepped into the dark corridor, her gaze vacant as she walked forward.

A few steps in, a staircase leading up appeared, sunlight seemingly filtering down from above.

Instinctively, she followed the light.

Emerging from the corridor, she realized it wasn't sunlight at all but the glow of industrial fluorescent lights. Ahead, gunfire and shouts filled the air, a fierce battle raging.

She stood stunned.

Raiden approached from behind, his voice grave, "Stella, your team is about to die. Why are you still standing here? Go, save them!"

"My team?" Estelle's gaze was empty as she turned.

"Yes, your team," Raiden insisted, locking eyes with her. "Wolf, Shadow-they're all there. Tyrannosaurus always treated you like a little sister, always trying to take you out, getting punished by Gab every time Wolf knew you loved sweets, even broke into your favorite candy factory to get their secret recipes. Remember all that? They've been good to you, and you've always played it cool. Now they're in trouble, and you're just gonna stand there?"