The warmth continued to spread through John's body. At first, it was faint, almost insignificant, like a tiny ember glowing somewhere deep within the invisible grid connected to his existence. Then it grew stronger. John could feel it pulsing through him鈥攏ot through his veins or muscles, but through something deeper. Something he couldn't understand.
Oliver noticed immediately. The amusement on his face disappeared, replaced by genuine interest. For the first time since the encounter began, his calm confidence seemed slightly shaken.
"Now that's unexpected."
John remained on one knee, struggling to breathe. Every part of his body screamed in pain. His stomach felt as though it had been crushed by a truck, and even standing seemed impossible. Yet the warmth persisted. It was steady, patient, and strangely reassuring, as though it had been waiting for this exact moment.
Oliver slowly began walking toward him. Unlike before, there was no arrogance in his movements. Only caution.
"You really are an anomaly," he said quietly. "A beginner shouldn't be capable of activating multiple cards."
John wiped the blood from his mouth and forced himself to meet Oliver's gaze.
"What exactly are these things?"
Oliver smiled faintly.
"You're still asking questions?"
The black card between his fingers slowly rotated. Instantly, the surrounding streets trembled. Buildings distorted. Roads twisted unnaturally. The maze itself seemed to respond to his command.
"You're about to die, John," Oliver said calmly, as though he were stating an unavoidable fact. "As far as final conversations go, I think we've talked enough."
The moment the words left his mouth, Oliver vanished.
This time, however, John was ready.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Instead of searching for Oliver's body, he focused entirely on the strange sensation burning within him. The warmth. The fire.
The instant danger approached from his left, something reacted.
A burst of heat exploded through his body.
John instinctively raised his arm.
A flash of crimson light erupted around him.
The collision that followed shook the entire street.
A violent wave of hot air exploded outward as Oliver's attack slammed into a wall of fire that had materialized around John. The shockwave pushed both of them backward.
Oliver slid several meters across the pavement before stopping.
For the first time since the battle began, shock appeared on his face.
John stared at his own hand.
Thin streams of red-orange flames danced around his fingers. They weren't consuming him. They obeyed him.
Or perhaps they recognized him.
"Interesting," Oliver murmured.
His smile vanished completely.
"You actually awakened it."
John slowly rose to his feet. Every muscle in his body ached, and his legs trembled beneath him. Yet somehow, he remained standing. The flames continued flickering around him, growing stronger with every passing second.
Oliver's expression darkened.
"This is becoming troublesome."
The black card in his hand released a pulse of dark energy.
The maze immediately responded.
Buildings shifted from their foundations. Roads twisted into impossible angles. Massive walls rose from the ground. The entire world seemed to bend according to Oliver's will.
At that moment, John finally understood.
The maze wasn't a place.
It was Oliver's power.
A trap created by his card.
A realization suddenly struck him.
If Oliver's card controlled the maze, then Oliver needed the maze.
John glanced at the flames surrounding his arm. Then he looked at the distorted streets around him.
An idea formed.
A reckless idea.
The kind born from desperation.
But it was all he had.
Oliver charged forward again.
This attack was even faster than the previous ones.
The moment he appeared, John thrust both hands toward the nearest building.
The fire erupted.
A roaring stream of flames shot across the street and slammed into the structure. The building immediately burst into flames.
Oliver's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?!"
John ignored him.
Another blast of fire erupted.
Then another.
Then another.
Walls burned.
Roads cracked.
The distorted world trembled violently.
For the first time, panic appeared on Oliver's face.
"No!"
The surrounding streets flickered like a damaged illusion.
The fire continued spreading.
Every structure touched by the flames became unstable.
And then John understood.
The maze wasn't invincible.
It required energy.
Control.
Focus.
And the fire was destroying all of it.
Cracks spread through reality itself.
The world shattered like glass.
Oliver stumbled.
For the briefest moment, his balance disappeared.
That moment was enough.
The Attraction Card reacted.
Without warning, a powerful force erupted from John's body.
Everything nearby surged toward him.
Broken concrete.
Metal signs.
Chunks of asphalt.
Even Oliver himself.
The sudden pull caught Oliver completely off guard.
His body was dragged forward against his will.
Straight toward John.
"What?!"
John clenched his fist.
The flames around his arm condensed into a blazing inferno.
For a brief second, the fire became blinding.
Then he punched.
The impact echoed through the collapsing maze.
A massive explosion of fire erupted between them.
Oliver's body was launched across the street like a ragdoll. He crashed through several walls before finally coming to a stop.
Silence followed.
The maze shattered completely.
The twisted streets vanished.
The distorted world dissolved.
The ordinary city returned.
John found himself standing on a normal road. Cars moved in the distance. People walked nearby. It was as though nothing had happened.
Only the destruction surrounding Oliver remained.
The black card slipped from Oliver's fingers.
Cracks spread across its surface.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
"You..."
Blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
"How did a beginner..."
John could barely remain standing. His body trembled from exhaustion. The flames had almost disappeared, and the warmth inside him was slowly fading.
Yet he forced himself to meet Oliver's gaze.
"Because you spent the whole fight treating me like prey."
Oliver stared at him.
For several long seconds, neither moved.
Then a bitter smile appeared on Oliver's face.
A moment later, he lost consciousness.
John remained standing for another moment before his vision darkened.
The last thing he saw was the cracked black card lying on the ground.
Waiting.
Just like his own cards had once waited for him.
