The maze had claimed so many already that the remaining contestants moved like ghosts through its twisting corridors—silent, hollow-eyed, every step measured against the fear of the next unseen horror. Cody, Eva, Noah, and Tyler had somehow stayed together as a loose quartet, their group held by necessity more than friendship. Cody's usual nervous jokes had long since dried up; Eva's perpetual scowl had deepened into something colder, more dangerous; Noah's deadpan sarcasm had turned into quiet, calculating observation; and Tyler… well, Tyler was still trying to look heroic, but his knees shook with every shadow.
They were roughly halfway through the labyrinth now, judging by the faded emergency markings on the walls. The air had grown heavier, damper, carrying the faint metallic scent of old water and rust. The floor beneath their feet felt uneven, almost spongy in places, as though the maze itself was breathing.
Cody stepped forward first, flashlight beam sweeping the ground. "Okay, guys… this section looks clear. Just keep—"
He never finished the sentence.
The floor gave way beneath him with a deceptive softness—like stepping onto wet sand that suddenly turned liquid. A false panel of camouflaged netting and thin foam collapsed inward, dropping Cody straight down into darkness.
A massive splash echoed up from below.
Then came the thrashing.
A great white shark—impossibly large for the confined space—had been waiting in the hidden pool. Its jaws snapped shut around Cody's waist in one brutal motion. Blood sprayed upward in a crimson fountain as the shark thrashed violently, tearing him in half with terrifying efficiency. Cody's scream was cut short, replaced by the sickening crunch of bone and the wet tearing of flesh. What remained of him vanished beneath the churning water, only bubbles and red foam rising to the surface.
The three survivors stared down into the pit in stunned silence.
Noah's face remained expressionless, but his eyes flicked rapidly across the edges of the hole, counting distances, measuring angles. "False floor. Water chamber beneath. Shark containment—probably one of the older Revenge-era modules someone reactivated." His voice was flat, clinical. "Cody's gone. We can't help him."
Eva's fists clenched so hard her knuckles cracked. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye—quick, angry, wiped away before anyone could comment. She didn't speak. She just stared at the bloody water, breathing hard through her nose.
Tyler, however, took one horrified step backward—and his foot caught on a loose cable snaking across the floor.
Click.
Above them, a hidden ceiling panel groaned open.
Giant stone blocks—each the size of a small car—tumbled down in a deafening cascade. Tyler had just enough time to look up, eyes wide with terror, before the first boulder struck him square in the chest. The impact pulverized ribs and spine in an instant. More stones followed, crushing what was left of him into a mangled pulp beneath their weight. Dust and blood misted the air; the corridor shook with the final thud as the last block settled.
Eva let out a low, guttural sound—half growl, half sob. She turned away, shoulders heaving, but refused to break down completely.
Noah didn't flinch. He crouched near the edge of the false floor, eyes scanning the walls, the ceiling, the faint wiring that ran along the seams. "There has to be a master override. These modules aren't random. They're networked. If we find the switch…"
Minutes ticked by in tense silence. Eva stood guard, muscles coiled, ready to fight anything that moved. Noah crawled along the wall, fingers tracing hidden panels, muttering calculations under his breath.
"There," he said finally, voice steady. He pried open a small access hatch with his multitool. Inside: a bank of old switches, wires, and a single red lever labeled "MASTER SHUTDOWN – EMERGENCY ONLY."
Noah didn't hesitate. He yanked it down.
A deep, mechanical groan echoed through the entire maze.
Lights flickered. Walls stopped shifting. Hidden emitters powered down with soft whines. The distant rumble of moving floors ceased. For the first time since the challenge began, the labyrinth fell eerily still.
Eva exhaled sharply. "You did it."
Noah leaned against the wall, exhausted. "For now. But someone turned this on manually. The override might not last if—"
He never finished.
Far away, in a secret observation room buried deep beneath the maze's core—accessed only by a hidden service elevator—a figure slammed his fist against a cracked monitor.
Brady—Beth's former boyfriend, long forgotten by most of the cast—stood trembling with rage. His face was flushed, veins bulging at his temples. The screens around him showed frozen feeds: Cody's bloody remains floating in the shark tank, Tyler crushed under boulders, the silent corridors where death had paused its march.
"No… NO!" Brady roared, smashing another camera with his boot. "That little nerd found it! He found the switch!"
In the corner of the dim room, a reinforced steel cage hung from chains. Inside, bound and gagged, sat Beth. Her wrists and ankles were tied with thick ropes; duct tape sealed her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the monitors—forced to watch every brutal death in real time.
Chris McLean's headless body in the control room.
Duncan's shredded corpse in the minefield.
Bridgette's exploded remains splattered across Owen.
Owen's massive frame blown apart in the second blast.
Geoff convulsing in toxic gas.
Justin with a dart through his skull.
Trent about to be devoured by piranhas.
Cody torn in half by the shark.
Tyler crushed beneath falling stones.
Beth's body shook with silent sobs. Her eyes—wide, horrified—pleaded with Brady, but he didn't look at her.
Instead, he turned to a small locker in the corner. He pulled out a fake police uniform—complete with badge, hat, and belt—and quickly changed into it. From a hidden drawer, he retrieved a real, loaded pistol. He checked the magazine, chambered a round, and tucked it into the holster.
His voice was low, venomous. "Noah thinks he's smart. Eva thinks she's tough. They're wrong. I'll make sure the show finishes properly."
He grabbed a radio and a flashlight, then glanced back at Beth one last time. "Stay quiet, sweetheart. This is almost over."
Beth whimpered behind the gag, shaking her head frantically.
Brady slammed the door behind him.
The elevator whirred to life, carrying him down into the now-silent maze.
The traps were off—for the moment.
But a new predator was coming.
And he had a gun.