Chapter written by FanfictionalWarrior
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Lukas barely had a chance to process what had happened, crashing straight into a wall. He flopped down on the ground, the whole world around him tilting and spinning in a way that made it practically impossible to tell where was up and where was down. Lukas squeezed his eyes shut, before blinking them open again and repeating the process a few times in an attempt to clear his vision.

As everything slowly began to steady, the question of what the hell had happened began to swirl through his head. He couldn't see much other than... orange. Shades of orange, brown and grey were bleeding together in a foggy manner.

That's when Lukas realised he was in fact staring up at the sky.

Shaking his head to himself, Lukas dizzily propped himself up on his one arm. He blinked a few times, still not quite sure what he was seeing. Everything was still a bit fuzzy, but he could make out tall obsidian walls that stretched up into fiery, orange heavens. The ground was a mixture of dirt and a strange, coarse stone.

Lukas frowned as he stared down at the stone. Almost completely black, flecked with grey... it looked an awful lot like bedrock, which he's never seen up close before.

Where the hell was he?

The sound of footsteps made Lukas stiffen, his head shooting up. While he couldn't see the person from where he was lying, he could hear them approaching. Eyes darting around anxiously, he used to obsidian wall he had crashed into as a prop, hauling himself up to his feet. The world only swayed slightly before finally stabilizing.

Lukas was barely standing, when the person came into view. They weren't facing him, their eyes fixed on the ground, darting between the patches of bedrock in what appeared to be confusion. Despite the fearful expression plastered on their face and the over-sized prison uniform on their petite form, Lukas instantly recognised the waterfall of black hair and emerald colour irises.

"Jesse?" He gasped.

Her head snapped up, eyes widening at the sight of him. Relief washed over Jesse's expression as her face lit up. She practically bolted forward, sprinting up to Lukas and throwing her arms around his neck. Ignoring the few billion questions that were waiting on the tip of his tongue, Lukas hugged Jesse back tightly.

"I was so worried about you!" She gasped when they pulled away from each other. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you're okay!"

"What do you mean?" Lukas asked her, a frown etching itself on his forehead. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Jesse responded, wrapping her arms around herself. Worry was pooling in her green eyes. "The Admin sent me here after he put the gauntlet on Petra."

Lukas's mouth opened, but his voice caught in his throat before he could say anything. His thoughts were beginning to race around his head, a million questions jumbling around inside his brain as he began to realise exactly where he was and what was happening.

No, it couldn't be! Petra's theory couldn't possible be correct could it? Of course not, that was absurd! But how else...?

"Lukas?" Jesse asked him, tilting her head slightly to the side. "You with me?"

"Y-yeah, sorry..." Lukas snapped himself out of his daze, shaking his head slightly.

Jesse continued talking, gesturing down the patch she had been following. He heard her say something about an orange line, but Lukas wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. He still couldn't quite wrap his head around what was happening.

"I don't where we are, or what kind of place this is." Jesse was saying, absent-mindedly chewing on her bottom lip. "I was hoping that by obeying their orders and following this line would get me some answers."

She turned her head to look at him, her features relaxing slightly. "But at least we can find out together now, right?"

Lukas once more ripped himself back to reality, quickly nodding his head at Jesse. He wasn't sure if playing along would be the best plan, but at that moment, his instincts were screaming at him to just go with it. If Petra was right after all... No, he still couldn't quite believe that.

"I hope the others are okay." Jesse said as she turned back to the path, the two of them beginning to walk along it. She looked down at the ground, rubbing her arm. "I should have just gotten that clock myself, not put my friends at risk."

"Hey, I'm sure their fine, wherever they are." Lukas said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't on you."

He hated to hear Jesse blame herself like that... was that really how she felt? Like it was all her fault?

"I hope you're right." Jesse responded softly, managing a small smile.

She lifted her head, her eyes widening a tiny bit. Lukas turned his head, following her gaze. A chill rippled down his spine at seeing the sign Jesse was looking at. More so at the faded letters below it.

"Sunshine Institute." Jesse read it out loud. "Dear lord, how crazy is this Admin?"

Lukas didn't have a chance to think of a reply, when a shadow fell over them from the back. They both flung around, each taking a horrified step back at the sight of the large golem that stood behind them. To Lukas, it was even more terrifying than the ones the admin had patrolling Beacontown. Red and black was intimidating enough, but the red and purple combination was just too similar to endermen for his liking.

"Run!" Jesse suddenly called, grabbing Lukas by the wrist and pulling him after her. He stumbled, just barely keeping his balance. The golem was right behind them, it's large steps helping it to effortlessly keep up. Lukas wasn't sure if they'd be able to outrun it.

It wasn't a worry that got to sit with him for a long, his attention very quickly seized by the figure stepping right into their path. Jesse dug in her heels so suddenly to avoid crashing into them, she probably wouldn't have stayed on her feet if she hadn't still been gripping onto Lukas.

Lukas gulped, realising that the person in front of them had to be the Warden Jesse told him of. Just play along... if Petra was in fact correct, this should end soon enough...

"Ah, you must be Jesse!" The Warden looked up from the book he had pulled out. Suspicion danced in his eye as he glared over at Lukas. "However your friend here doesn't match the description of any other guest on my list. Name?"

Once more, Lukas found his voice completely abandoning him. Something about the Warden made him incredibly uncomfortable, even though he couldn't quite pick up what yet.

"Lukas." Jesse responded for him, her tone almost slightly hostile towards the Warden. "It's Lukas."

The Warden's glare remained on Lukas a second longer, before he let it drop back to the book in his hand. Jesse – who still hasn't let go of Lukas's wrist – slipped her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. His eyes flickered in her direction for a second, and she gave him a reassuring nod. And even though she didn't say anything, the confident look in her green eyes made Lukas relax ever so slightly.

"Odd." The Warden mumbled, closing his book. "I'll have to look into this. Come along for now."

With those words, he turned around and began to walk through the gates of the Sunshine Institute. The golem lightly shoved Jesse and Lukas from behind, forcing them to follow.

The Warden was going on and on about the institute and what the place was meant to be. Jesse would respond to him in an aggressive, almost cocky matter, which the Warden clearly didn't appreciate very much. Lukas was silent the entire time, his blue eyes slowly taking in their surroundings.

Everything Jesse had told him about the institute was horrible. But seeing it, in the flesh... it was a whole lot more atrocious than he had ever imagined it.

The Warden all of a sudden stopped them, and Lukas nearly walked straight into Jesse from the back. She exchanged glances with him, the anger in her eyes momentarily fading away and revealing just how scared she actually was. Only for a split second, before her gaze hardened again. Lukas silently wondered how she had become so good at suppressing her own fear.

The description the Warden was reading suddenly caught Jesse's reaction. She turned back to him quickly. "Jack! That's definitely Jack."

As if completely on cue, somebody jumped from the higher level above them, landing square on the Warden and knocking him to the ground. No surprise – it was Jack.

"Jesse! Lukas!" He said, grinning at them. "I'm so glad the two of you are okay!"

"Same to you, let's get out of here!" Jesse said, gesturing for the two of them to follow her.

The Golem immediately stood in their way, grunting as it blocked their path. Much to Lukas's surprise, it was Jesse who leaped forward and kicked the creature back, nearly sending it toppling over the edge.

"Come on!"

Neither Lukas or Jack needed telling twice, breaking into a run after Jesse. The Warden called after them, yelling instructions to the associates. They didn't pay any attention, making a beeline for the exit of the institute.

Outside they didn't get much time to take a breather, blaring alarms sounding off from inside, while more golems and associates flooded from the exits. Jesse was swift to take the lead, bolting straight into the first available tunnel of the maze.

Lukas cast one last glance over his shoulder, before beginning to sprint after Jesse and Jack. He knew what to expect from what Jesse had told him, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for it.
As expected, the first of horrific mobs were already in their path. Spider's, their eyes glowing a brighter red than those of any spider Lukas had ever seen before. Patches of the leathery skin on their legs resembled the colour of blood, a sickly red. Venom dripped from their fangs.

Jesse's step didn't falter, bolting straight through the spiders, while barely swerving to the one side to avoid them. One launched itself from the ground at her, to which she expertly somersaulted beneath it.

With the eight-legged monstrosities focused on her, Lukas and Jack swerved around the outer edges of the spiders. As they fell back in stride behind Jesse, Lukas had to refrain from constantly casting glances over his shoulder, in fear of the creatures following them.

"Are those zombies!?"

Lukas's gaze shot up upon hearing Jesse's panicked voice. Indeed, a horde of what looked like zombies were blocking their patch. They're rotting skin was the colour of ash, eyes as blood red as those of the spiders. Their ribs were exposed, yet barely visible beneath the orange prison rags they were wearing.

Jesse dropped down, sliding through the mob of zombies. One of them clawed at her, it's bony fingers only managing to snag at a strand of her hair. Another one of the zombies launched itself at Jack, pulling him to a stop as another one also grabbed on.

Lukas reacted quickly, kicking the one zombie in it's side. It reacted with a pained moan, letting go of Jack immediately and allowing the older man to easily free himself from the other zombie.

"Lukas!? Jack!?" Jesse's panicked call carried from further into the maze.

"We're coming!" Lukas called as he and Jack broke into a sprint again.

They found Jesse further ahead in the next tunnel, looking around for them with a panic stricken gaze. Relief flooded her face when she saw them. Quickly she gestured for them to follow, before breaking into a run again. They didn't get far this time, before all three of them dug in their heels once again.

"What are those?" Jesse gasped in horror as she gazed up at the creatures crawling across the obsidian wall.

The mobs were shaped like creepers, but a dull grey shade with flecks of red across their flesh being a gruesome splash of colour. Eight long legs carried them across the walls.

"Creepers? Spiders? Creeper-spiders?" Lukas suggested anxiously as they backed up from the wall.

"The stuff nightmares are made of!" Jack responded.

Jesse glanced between the open tunnel and the spider-like creepers, before breaking into a fresh run down the tunnel. Lukas and Jack didn't need an invitation to follow her.

To Lukas, it didn't feel like the run was going to end. Just as he thought they left the weirdest of the mobs behind, they came face to face with an entire stretch of red slime-like beings.

"This is getting bonkers!" Jesse called out, promptly sprinting up to them and jumping right onto the first monster's head. Using the momentum she was gaining she leaped over to the next, and the next.

"Nice moves!" Jack called, following her example.

Lukas hesitated, unsure if he'd be able to pull of what they did. But left with not much of a choice, he jumped up onto the first red slime as well. It was like jumping on a trampoline, instantly propelling him back into the air. He called out in horror, flailing his arms wildly as he just about managed to land on the next one as well.

The moment he landed back on solid ground, Lukas had to fight for his balance as his legs threatened to turn to jelly beneath him. Quickly shaking life back into the limbs, he forced his tired body back into a run to catch up with the other two.

Jesse had somehow knocked one of the creeper-spiders into the wall, part of the obsidian structure blown away. What was left, conveniently formed a staircase. The three of them breathlessly clambered to the top of the wall, here and there offering each other boosts, or pulling each other up.

The moment she got to the top, Jesse's eyes grew wide and her mouth slowly fell open. Lukas hauled himself up onto the last platform as well, immediately seeing why Jesse had come to a stop.

The maze was huge, stretching into the distance for as far as they could see. Tunnels weaving in an out of each other with no end, the maze seemingly going on forever. If Lukas's worst nightmare could be built into a structure, he was pretty sure that was what it would look like.

"Golem!" Jesse called out a sudden warning a second too late, as two of the golems came up behind them.

The iron beasts effortlessly picked them up from the ground like they were merely toys.One of them promptly wrapped his long arms around Lukas and Jack, carrying them both beneath his arm pits. Lukas heard Jesse yell and curse at the other golem who had grabbed her, uselessly banging her fists against it's iron chest.

Fighting was no use, and they were able to accomplish nothing but wear themselves out as the golems lugged them back to where the Warden was waiting. He had his hands folded behind his back, growling out disapproving words as the golems dropped the three of them down in front of him. Jesse was the first to scramble up to her feet, glaring daggers at the Warden.

"Take those two to the mush room." He ordered, gesturing to Lukas and Jack. Immediately one of the golems picked them back up, ignoring their struggling.

The Warden turned to Jesse, who was still scowling at him. "And this one, to my office."

"No!" Lukas called out, realising exactly what Jesse was about to go through next.

But his hands were tied, forced to watch as the second golem shoved Jesse with enough force to knock her to the ground. Then it picked up up, half-carrying her, half-dragging her along.

"Let her go!" Lukas yelled, banging his fists against the golem, kicking his feet against it. "Don't do this to her! Jesse!"

It was no use, all his desperate cries did was bring somewhat of a smirk to the Warden's face.

And then the world around them began to fade again, and Lukas felt himself plunging into darkness.