The storm had finally cleared.

  Only two doors waited ahead, their surfaces gleaming faintly in the calm light.

  One showed a bird, wings spread majestically.

  The other a fish, scales etched in looping patterns.

  Bert rubbed his hands together. “Okay, this looks easy. Flying or swimming.”

  Leo nodded. “Probably another environment puzzle. My guess—”

  “Flying fish,” Harlada interrupted. “It’s always a trick. The Maze loves hybrids.”

  Bert grinned. “So… we catch flying fish?”

  “Obviously,” Harlada said. “Maybe they carry keys. Or parts. Or our dignity.”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Interpretation logged: Creative. Accuracy: To be determined.

  They exchanged one collective, misplaced nod and stepped through the fish door.

  Instant regret.

  The air inside was damp and humming, the sky above a roiling mix of sea and cloud.

  Water droplets floated like gravity had taken a personal day.

  Then something moved in the fog — fast, heavy, and airborne.

  Bert squinted. “Those aren’t fish.”

  The shape burst through the mist — all teeth, fins, and velocity.

  Harlada’s eyes widened. “Those are sharks.”

  Leo ducked as one swooped past, jaws snapping inches from his head. “Flying sharks! Why are they flying?!”

  The Maze pulsed, gleeful.

  Correction: Aquatic Predators. Subtype: Elevated. Difficulty: Deliciously unfair.

  Another shark tore through a cloud and circled above them, its tail cutting trails through the mist.

  Bert raised his bow. “Okay, new goal—don’t get eaten by fish that forgot how to fish.”

  Harlada sighed. “At least they’re thematically consistent.”

  The Maze pulsed again, delighted.

  Observation: Players adapting. Outcome prediction: Grim.

  ***

  The air turned to chaos.

  Three sharks circled them through the mist, each pass faster and lower than the last. Their fins cut through the air like knives through fog.

  Leo ducked as one swooped overhead, the force nearly knocking him off his cloud. “They’re too fast!”

  Bert fired an arrow — it bounced harmlessly off slick skin and tumbled into the abyss.

  The Maze pulsed.

  Projectile impact: Ineffective. Damage inflicted: Embarrassing.

  “Right,” Bert said, reloading. “So they’re aerodynamic and armored. Great.”

  Another shark dived. Harlada shot a bolt of lightning upward — it hit, but the creature only hissed and kept circling.

  Leo gritted his teeth. “Magic barely hurts them. Melee?”

  Bert drew his dagger and waited for one to come close. When it did, he slashed across its flank — the blade glanced off like it had hit stone.

  The Maze pulsed again, smug.

  Player feedback: Appreciated. Armor rating: Ridiculous.

  “Okay, so melee doesn’t work either,” Leo said, rolling aside as another shark snapped at him.

  The wind from its passing nearly threw him off the edge.

  “Suggestions?!” he shouted.

  “Don’t die!” Harlada yelled back.

  “Already on it!”

  One of the sharks came in low — too low. Harlada turned to cast, but it was faster. Its jaws clamped down on her arm, dragging her sideways.

  She screamed, lightning flaring from her hands in reflex. The creature shuddered, released her, and wheeled away into the fog.

  The Maze pulsed, thrilled.

  Bite registered. Injury severity: Entertaining.

  Bert scrambled toward her. “You all right?”

  She stared at the smoking wound, face pale. “No. And if I survive this, I’m suing physics.”

  Leo fired another stone, missing entirely. “We can’t outfight them!”

  The Maze pulsed, approvingly.

  Correct. Continue flailing.

  The sharks began to regroup in the distance, shadows twisting through the mist — faster now, hungrier.

  Bert tightened his grip on the bow. “They’re lining up for another pass.”

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  Harlada gritted her teeth. “Then we need to stop being their target.”

  The Maze pulsed, humming with anticipation.

  Adaptive phase incoming. Probability of success: 8%. Comedy potential: 100%.

  ***

  The sharks wheeled overhead, shadows slicing through the fog. The clouds trembled with each pass.

  Leo loaded another stone into his sling. “We can’t keep dodging forever.”

  Harlada clutched her bitten arm, glaring at the circling predators. “Fine. Then we change tactics.”

  Leo blinked. “You have tactics?”

  She pointed at Bert. “He does now.”

  “What?” Bert said.

  Leo frowned. “Harlada, he’s the least qualified person here.”

  “Exactly,” she said. “Which means the Maze will expect it least.”

  The Maze pulsed, intrigued.

  Leadership reassignment detected. Probability of chaos: Elevated.

  Bert looked between them nervously. “What am I supposed to do with that information?”

  Harlada took a deep breath. “You knew something about the capybaras. Maybe you know something about sharks.”

  Bert blinked. “Why would I—”

  “Instinct,” she said. “Go.”

  He frowned, thinking hard. The sharks circled closer, lightning flashing across their fins.

  “Well…” he began slowly, “I think… sharks can’t stop moving. If they do, they… suffocate?”

  Leo blinked. “That’s it? That’s your tactical insight?”

  Bert nodded. “Pretty sure.”

  Harlada’s eyes widened. “Wait—so if we trap one, keep it still—”

  “It dies!” Bert said, delighted with himself.

  Leo groaned. “Great. All we have to do is stop flying death machines in mid-air. Simple.”

  Harlada smirked. “I have a spell for that now.”

  The Maze pulsed, amused.

  Team coordination detected. Risk of temporary success: Concerning.

  Leo sighed. “Fine. You’re in charge, Bert. What’s step one?”

  Bert grinned, despite the smoke and blood around them. “Step one: Don’t die before step two.”

  The Maze pulsed again, delighted.

  Tactical phase engaged. Entertainment value restored.

  ***

  Leo took a long, steady breath, eyes fixed on the circling shadows. “All right, Bert’s right. Sharks can’t stop moving. So we stop one.”

  Bert blinked. “Wait, my plan actually—”

  “Don’t ruin it,” Leo said. “Harlada, you’ve got that new spell. Can you slow one down?”

  She frowned. “It’s Gust of Wind, not Precision Air Sculpture.”

  “Close enough.”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Plan detected: Functionally suicidal. Tactical coherence: Present (barely).

  The sharks began their next pass. Lightning glimmered along their fins, thunder rolling through the mist.

  Harlada floated up, gathering power. “All right, on my mark. Try not to—”

  She unleashed the spell. A roaring column of air slammed into the nearest shark, catching it mid-dive. The creature twisted, slowed, and fought against the gale with furious effort.

  “Now!” Leo shouted.

  He sprinted across the cloud path, sling discarded, leapt — and landed on the shark’s back.

  Bert, cursing, followed a second later, grabbing one of its fins like he was trying to wrestle gravity itself.

  The shark thrashed, roaring in frustration. Lightning flickered across its body, scorching the clouds below.

  “Hold it still!” Harlada yelled, pushing harder against the spell.

  “I’m trying!” Leo shouted back, clinging to what he hoped was the least sharp part.

  Bert’s hair stood straight up from static. “It’s slowing down!”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Oxygen deprivation sequence initiated. Environmental accuracy: Questionable.

  The shark’s movement grew sluggish. It shuddered once, then stilled — floating motionless in the air before beginning to sink into the mist below.

  Bert gasped for air, tumbling off its back. “We… we actually killed it!”

  Leo dropped beside him, stunned. “That worked.”

  Harlada lowered herself down, her magic fading. “We’re getting better at this.”

  They exchanged a long, uncertain look. For the first time, there wasn’t just relief — there was realization.

  Bert broke the silence. “That felt… professional.”

  Leo nodded. “I hate it.”

  The Maze pulsed, uneasy.

  Player coordination improving. Threat assessment: Increasing.

  Harlada smirked faintly. “Don’t worry. It won’t last.”

  The Maze pulsed again, softly.

  Prediction: Hopefully.

  ***

  The second shark circled lower, testing them. Its fins cut clean lines through the fog.

  Leo loaded his sling again, eyes sharp. “Same plan. We slow it, jump it, drown it in air.”

  Harlada nodded. “You make it sound scientific.”

  Bert cracked his neck. “Science is just violence with data.”

  The Maze pulsed.

  Methodology acknowledged. Outcome prediction: Questionable.

  Harlada raised her hands, channeling another Gust of Wind.

  The air roared. The shark stalled mid-turn, its jaws snapping at nothing.

  “Now!” Leo shouted.

  He and Bert leapt in unison, landing hard on the creature’s back.

  It thrashed, bellowing deep, metallic growls through the storm.

  Bert held tight to a fin. “It’s working!”

  Harlada gritted her teeth, holding the spell steady. Lightning flared overhead, the storm feeding on their struggle.

  Then the air dimmed.

  A massive shadow cut through the clouds above.

  Leo looked up. “Wait—where’s the third one?”

  Bert followed his gaze. “Oh no.”

  The third shark dived — faster than the others, mouth wide, rows of glinting teeth catching the light.

  Harlada screamed, “Move!”

  Leo turned too late. The shark’s jaws filled his vision.

  Then Bert slammed into him, shoving both of them sideways off the creature’s back.

  The Maze pulsed.

  Action registered: Self-sacrificial shove. Courage rating: Reckless.

  The diving shark struck the slowed one head-on. The impact split the sky with thunder.

  Both predators vanished into the mist below — one crushed, one impaled.

  For a moment, only silence remained, broken by the slow crackle of fading electricity.

  Leo groaned, coughing. “Bert—”

  Bert was sprawled nearby, half-burned, half-grinning. “Did we win?”

  Harlada floated closer, stunned. “You—actually saved us.”

  Bert blinked. “I did?”

  The Maze pulsed, sounding almost reluctant.

  Double elimination confirmed. Tactical value: Unclear. Heroism detected (by accident).

  Leo stood, brushing ash from his jacket. “That’s… all of them.”

  They looked at the storm around them. It was quiet now — no motion, no lightning. Just calm sky.

  Bert smiled faintly. “Told you I was good with animals.”

  “How did you know that?” Harlada asked.