{4th Passageway}
I hate rats.
That resounding thought buzzed in Oz's head as he sprinted through the narrow passageway.
The slick path dripped with an ominous white liquid, and moist footsteps reverberated through the dark halls.
"Damn!" he cursed out as he snuck a glance over his shoulder.
A crazed swarm of rats was still hot on his trail, with the tiny leader of the pack foaming from the mouth as it threateningly squeaked at him.
"Ughh, damn," the boy was soaked in sweat, his body aching, "The fuk did I have to go this way for?"
Oz thought back to before he came this way and through this treacherous pathway.
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{Flashback to Moments Ago...}
"Fuk, fuk, fuk!"
Panting curses rang out through the narrow hallway.
A chocolate-skinned boy whose dark complexion nearly melted with the dark surroundings was being chased by a swarm of red lights behind him.
Squeaks and growls rumbled from those "red lights" as they scurried after.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Oz was beginning to panic, yet up ahead, under the glow of the now red floating ball of flames, he saw the 6 openings he had come from.
However, the black swirling substance from before was now gone, a vacant emptiness in place of all 5 spots on the right, that is, except for the entrance on the very left.
That entrance grumbled with ferociousness.
The slow, lazy waviness of the black goop was gone, now replaced with a blood-red veil that aggressively splashed around within itself like a tidal wave.
Oz gulped at the intimidating sight, adding to that the lanky figure clothed in black garbs whose eyes locked onto his.
A soft yet sharp breeze of wind brushed past Oz, gently cutting up his cheeks, a small succulent drop of blood oozing down his cheek and into the mouths of the gluttonous creatures behind.
'Damn!' the boy cursed as he felt an ominous aura omitting from the lanky figure.
He was much, much stronger than those before him; he could see it in the man's eyes.
The cold, piercing gaze of those green lenses was ominous as if the man was planning something.
Cold shivers ran up Oz's spine as he felt powerless to even attempt to stop it.
It felt as if a cleaver was hanging over his neck.
Yet to his dismay, out of the corners of his eyes, he spotted the humanoid creature who had nearly killed him stumble upwards from the floor.
Rage and hunger flashed in its eyes as it burst into a ball of flames and, to Oz's delight, tackled the man from the side, sending them both sprawling into the corner of the room and out of the way of Oz as he dashed by.
A cocky smirk plastered across the boy's face as he flicked off the man in his mind, too tired to lift his hands and do so.
The far left gate was glowing a dangerous red glow, the rest being barren.
As Oz sped by, he knew he had to make a choice.
Shudders ran down his back as he took a single glimpse to his far left.
Horrid screams and shouts of agony echoed through his head, nearly causing him to trip.
The boy shook his head, steeling himself as he gazed forward once again and ran through Passageway 4, knowing full well that 6 and 5 were dead-ends, yet, unsure of what awaited him or how he would make it out of this unfortunate circumstance.
He, however, knew one thing for certain, only death awaited him at that red entrance, had he chosen that one.
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{Back to the Present...}
Oz had been running through this barren tunnel for what seemed to be around 10 minutes, yet now a lanky figure who was cloaked in a black robe was also hot on his tail.
Potentially even more concerning, however, was the voracious swarm of rats chasing from behind, a ravenous light shining in their ember eyes as they squeaked out in rage.
Oz shook his head as he shifted his attention back ahead of him.
The cave walls were dim, serving as a poor light source compared to the brighter passageways he had taken before.
The boy's head began to spin with attempts to formulate a plan, 'Shit, I can barely feel my body. The burning feeling has become so numb I don't even know if I still have a hand.'
He forcefully gulped down a lump of flem, 'If this is a dead end I...'
Oz didn't know what to think or even how.
It felt like his body was moving through mud, everything was slowed down, and his body was just barely keeping up.
The pleasant aroma of spicey cinnamon was gone, now replaced by the scent of burning flesh and... rotten eggs?
DRIP
Oz's eyes widened as he strained his ears, hastily calming down his haggard breathing to listen for the noise once more.
DRIP
His dry mouth hung open, 'Is that?'
DRIP
DRIP
"Woh-uhhh (Water)!" his mouth was so cracked, his throat so parched, his tongue so sore that even speaking that simple word was difficult.
Yet now, with newfound energy, the boy's pitch-black eyes brightened once more with a look of determination as he sprinted forward with full force, one final blast, taking his pursuers behind him off guard as they, too fatiguely ramped up their pace.
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{Meanwhile... Pursuing Oz from Not Far Behind)
Not far behind at all, as a threatening glint shined in the eyes of the lanky figure in pursuit as he watched the young boy he was chased speed up through the veil of shadows in search of protection from his chasers.
His sweat-drenched robe clung to his skin like claws as he cursed under his breath, "Newb... just wait till I catch you.."
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