I kicked the wall as hard as I could, hoping (though I knew it was useless) to break it down.

"Macey? Skylar? Anybody?" I yelled, getting no response.

I hit my head against the wall, keeping it there. This was perfect. Just perfect. How were we going to get out of this one?

I sat there for about 30 more seconds, my forehead against the wall, my arms dangling uselessly by my side, before I straightened up.

No choice but to search for a way out.
I turned around, facing the long corridor ahead of me that split into multiple corridors.

I didn't like the look of it. Shane had said the compass detected something in here, and I really didn't want to find it when I didn't have anything to defend myself with.

I looked down at the amulet hanging from my neck. "Would you mind working? I'd like that sword back now."

Nothing happened.

Typical.

I took in a deep breath. "Fine."

I started off down the hall, tensing with every step. My footsteps were loud, considering that everything else was completely silent. Whatever was in here could find me easily.

I froze as I realized it. If whatever was in here could find me...

It could also find Macey.

Dad had told me to watch out for Macey before we left, and now she was trapped somewhere, completely alone. She could have been dead for all I knew.

My stomach gave a lurch. My little sister could be dead.

I shook my head. I couldn't think like that. I had to believe she was alive, and that I would be able to find her and the others, and we'd all get out of here.

I started running, ignoring how loud my footsteps were and how my breathing would be sure to get me found.

I paused when I came to two corridors. What was the rule about mazes? The right. Stick to your right side.

I ran down the corridor to my right. As I went further down the corridor, it got darker, with only a single torch every twenty blocks or so to light the way. The corridor itself changed from clean stone bricks to moss growing from almost every crack.

I stopped when I noticed it. Far away, I could hear footsteps that weren't mine.

That could be Macey, I thought. Or Skylar, or any of the others.

But it could also be something worse.

I gulped in air, and nervously called out, "Macey? Skylar? Guys?"

"Tyler!"

I almost passed out from relief when I saw Skylar running towards me, and not some monster set on killing me.

"Oh, thank Notch." She said, reaching me in no time. "Come on, Tyler, we have to get the others and get out of here."

"I thought we had to get to the center of the maze?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head, and a strand of blond hair fell in her face that she didn't brush away. "No, the faster we get out of here, the better. It's the Maze of Illusion, Tyler, we aren't safe here."

She looked down the corridor I had come from. "You came from that way, right?"

I nodded. "But hold on. What's the Maze of Illusion? And how do you know this is it?"

"It's a Maze where the second you enter, a copy of yourself is made. Except this one's different. It's not good, Tyler, and it's going to try and kill you, that's all it wants. As for how I knew, check the ceiling."

A copy of myself that wanted nothing more than to kill me did not sound like a fun experience. My fear came back, my heartbeat picking up a bit.

I looked up at the ceiling, where the word "Noisulli" was carved.

"...and what does a jumble of letters prove to you exactly?" I asked.

She facepalmed. "It's 'illusion' backwards, airhead. Let's go, we can't waste any time."

She pulled a torch off of the wall, and planted it on the ground. "We can use those to see where we've been."

"Wow. You've been in mazes before, I guess?" I asked.

"Oh, you have no idea." She muttered, and grabbed my wrist, pulling me down the corridor into the territory I didn't know.

"Why are you trusting me?" I asked, as we ran. "If what you're saying is true, how do you know I'm not a clone?"

"They can't make perfect copies. There's always one flaw." She explained. "I can tell it's really you. You're exactly the same. Plus, you called out my name. Your clone wouldn't give a crap about me, or Macey, or the others."

She pulled me along a corridor, seemingly knowing exactly where she was going.

"Oh." I said, as we stopped, and she struggled to remove a torch that was stuck to the wall. "Where'd you learn this, anyway? Your dad?"

She finally got it unstuck, and placed it back on the floor. "No. Never heard anything about this place from Dad. Heard it from Mom. Let's go."

She reached to take my wrist again, but I jerked my hand back.

Something didn't add up.

I remembered Skylar's burst of outrage when I mentioned her mom in Salem. She said her mom never taught her anything. And she never spoke about her mom that calmly, at least not so far.

Not only that, but she knew exactly where to go. And knew exactly what this place was.

"Tyler, come on, I need your help if we're going to get through this."

I backed away. Skylar never asked for help.

What had Skylar said earlier when I had asked about mazes? Oh, you have no idea.

"...Tyler? What's wrong?"

Everything looked normal...except.

Except the chain around her neck was missing.

"You aren't Skylar." I said, taking another step backwards.

She looked confused for a second, and then a grin spread across her face. "Ding ding ding. We have a winner."

Suddenly, I was thrown to the side, slamming against the wall. The same invisible force from before held me up, and I struggled to get out of it.

"Surprised it took you that long. And the fact you actually trusted me in the beginning?" Not-Skylar spoke, coming closer towards me. "Good thing you're cute. Not too bright, are you?"

"What did you do to her?" I spoke through clenched teeth, trying my best to hide the fear that was coursing through me.

"Nothing." She replied casually. "And I'm not going to kill her. I just need to get out of this maze first, then she'll become like me, trapped in this maze until someone new comes along to turn into. And I'll be free. Along with the rest of us, if all goes well."

"Rest of us?" I asked.

"Well, duh, Sherlock. I'm not the only one in here you know. Somewhere in here some sorry corrupted soul got stuck with you to copy. My condolences to that guy."

She leaned back against the opposite wall. "Man, though. This one has an interesting story. Parents broke up, never had a mother, doesn't believe in love?"

Not-Skylar smirked. "Well, almost."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Oh, so you don't know." She pushed herself upright. "Little Skylar thinks love isn't a real thing, at least not in the romantic sense."

She came closer to me with every word. "But then you showed up. Oh, man, is Skylar confused about you."

I stopped struggling for a second, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Not-Skylar stood a foot away from me. "She likes you, kid. Don't understand why, but she does. And you think she's got no fears? She's scared to death of you. She doesn't want to 'fall for anyone', but somehow, you broke through her first line of defenses, and it terrifies her."

She grinned. "So what do you think about that, Tyler?"

"I think you should keep your mouth shut."

Not-Skylar looked up to see a sword flying right at her face, and she exploded into gray smoke when the sword hit.

The invisible force ceased, and I dropped to the ground. I looked up to see Skylar, the real Skylar, necklace chain and all, picking her sword up off of the ground.

"One thing she forgot." Skylar muttered. "Never get distracted becaue of a monolouge."

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AND #TYLAR IS CONFIRMED :D

It's not officially canon yet, because they aren't together, but yes, Skylar has feelings for Tyler that she's terrified of.

Keep an eye out for some tension between them in the next few chapters. >:)