Multiple Personalities

"Look, you guys!" Shen Jingqi couldn't help but shout, his voice tinged with a trace of trembling and excitement.

Renault and Li Baiyu turned their heads to look at Shen Jingqi upon hearing his words. They saw a peculiar glint in Shen Jingqi's eyes, as if he had discovered some earth-shattering secret. They followed Shen Jingqi's finger, only to see the maze lines before them still remaining as chaotic as ever, with no discernible change.

"What's going on? Shen Jingqi, what did you see?" Renault asked in confusion.

Shen Jingqi shook his head and said eagerly, "Didn't you see it? These lines, they have a pattern! They connect with those lines inside the cave!"

Renault and Li Baiyu exchanged a glance, a hint of doubt flashing in their eyes. They looked again at the maze lines ahead, yet still couldn't see any pattern. They started to wonder if Shen Jingqi might be a bit delirious from his long exploration in the maze.

However, Shen Jingqi did not give up. He knew well that what he saw was not an illusion, but something real. He closed his eyes again, trying to reconnect with those points of light. This time, he focused more intently on observing the light and lines, attempting to find more connections between them.

With his deeper observation, he discovered the lines were gradually extending, traversing through every corner of the maze. They were like invisible bonds, tightly linking every part of the maze together. Shen Jingqi's heart was startled, realizing these lines might be the true path of the maze!

He quickly opened his eyes and shared his discovery with Renault and Li Baiyu. Although still somewhat skeptical, seeing Shen Jingqi's determined gaze, Renault and Li Baiyu decided to trust him this time.

"So... what should we do?" Li Baiyu asked, a hint of unease and anticipation in her voice.

After a moment of deliberation, Shen Jingqi said, "We follow these lines! They will definitely lead us out of the maze!"

Renault nodded in agreement. Thus, the three of them began to proceed along the invisible lines as Shen Jingqi suggested. They walked cautiously, fearing they might accidentally take the wrong turn.

However, as they proceeded deeper, they found that the lines were indeed guiding them forward.

They passed through one corner after another and walked down passage after passage, yet never lost their way.

But just as they were about to exit the maze, a violent tremor suddenly surged. The entire maze seemed to be shaking, with stones falling from the walls.

"What's happening?" Renault shouted in fear.

Shen Jingqi also frowned deeply, a hint of worry in his eyes. He knew this was definitely not a normal phenomenon. Something must have triggered a mechanism, or perhaps the maze itself had changed.

Li Baiyu's voice was trembling, "What... what should we do?"

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, striving to remain calm. He understood that panic and chaos wouldn't help in this situation. Only by staying calm and rational could they find a way to solve the problem.

He observed the surrounding movements intently, trying to pinpoint the source of the shaking. Suddenly, he noticed a strange phenomenon. The lines that had been guiding them started to gradually disappear, as if being devoured by an invisible force, becoming blurry.

Shen Jingqi's heart beat rapidly like drum beats, his gaze fixated on every movement around him. The mysterious lines that had guided them through the maze were now becoming increasingly indistinct, like candle flames swallowed by the night, until they were nearly imperceptible. A bad omen spread like cold ice down his spine.

"Not good! The lines are disappearing!" Shen Jingqi shouted urgently.

His voice echoed in the small space, tinged with urgency. His fingers waved frantically in the air, as if trying to grasp the lines on the verge of fading and fix them before his eyes.

Renault and Li Baiyu were startled upon hearing this. They knew that if the lines disappeared, they would be lost in the maze once again. They hurriedly looked around, attempting to find a way to hold onto the lines.

However, fate seemed reluctant to give them any respite.

At that moment, an even more violent tremor swept over like a fierce wave. The ground beneath their feet felt as though an invisible giant hand had abruptly lifted it, and they lost their balance, being thrown violently into the air. In that instant, time seemed to freeze, and they could only scream in terror, powerless to resist as they left everything to fate.

When they landed again, a sharp pain surged through their bodies, as if all their bones had been shattered. They struggled to sit up, only to find themselves in a completely unfamiliar environment. Darkness encompassed them, with only a faint candlelight flickering in the distance, like the loneliest star in the night sky.

"Where... where are we?" Renault's voice carried undisguisable fear and confusion. He looked around, seeing walls covered with complex patterns that twisted and intertwined, seemingly hiding some ancient secret. The maze passages were staggered and seemingly devoid of any discernible pattern, even more complex and eerie than the maze they had previously navigated.

Shen Jingqi also frowned deeply, his eyes showing a mix of seriousness and anxiety. He knew they had been drawn into an even more dangerous situation. Everything here was unknown, every corner could harbor lethal traps, and every passage might lead to a dead end. Moreover, they had lost their most valuable guidance—the mysterious lines.

"Calm down, let's think of a plan," Shen Jingqi said, trying to make his voice sound steady, although his own heart was filled with unease.

Renault and Li Baiyu heeded his words and tried to calm themselves. They inhaled deeply, attempting to suppress their fear and confusion.

Shen Jingqi stood up and carefully examined the surrounding walls and passages. His fingers lightly touched the patterns on the walls, trying to find any clues.

Renault and Li Baiyu joined him, closely inspecting the patterns on the walls.

They found that, despite their complexity, these patterns had a strange aesthetic. They intertwined and coiled, forming unique images. However, they were completely in the dark about what these images represented.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound reached them. They listened intently, realizing the sound seemed to originate from the depths of the maze.

"Let's follow that sound!" Shen Jingqi said decisively, his voice firm and resolute, as though he was fully prepared.