The relief at being alive and safe for the time being quickly wore off as the three men felt lost once again. The strange maze life they were starting to get used to had lost its tempo, its normalcy in its strangeness.

Tyson had come to rely on the fact that they would appear somewhere, stay there until something big happened, and then leave through another portal back to the dark tunnels. Then they would quickly dodge the beast and rest for however much time they had.

However, since Sybil's group interrupted Marcus and Tyson's repose, it seemed as if everything was going wrong. The consistency was broken, and although they had learned more about their predicament, Tyson didn't feel any better about their situation.

After all, what did the knowledge they gained matter when he wasn't sure they would get the chance to use it. What was worse, he couldn't remember important historical events happening near Black Horse Tavern. He worried that it might mean that there wouldn't be any portals to jump through, which in itself was terrifying.

"So, what do we do now?" Marcus asked. "I am getting hungry, you know?"

The loud rumbling of his stomach seemed to prove the declaration as he sprawled on the ground pulling out blades of grass distractedly.

"Of course you are," Tyson said, taking a few calming breaths before he said something he didn't mean. "The tavern will open soon so we can go and grab a bite to eat."

"You do sound strange when you speak, but you don't sound like someone from the future," Beor said, focusing on the words Tyson used rather than what he was saying.

"Well, you don't sound like a dude from the past," Marcus said, annoyed. "You sound like you are from our time."

"Perhaps my way of speaking has gradually changed due to my contact with other Mazers. I do wonder if any of them are from the future," Beor said, trying to fit all the pieces together.

However, doing so proved equally challenging as finding a way out of the maze.

"I mean from your present," he added, confused by the new terms and perceptions of reality.

"Probably," Marcus said dismissively. "But let's go back to more pressing issues. Food."

"How can you think about food in a moment like this?" Beor asked angrily.

"Easy. I am so hungry that I can't think of anything else," Marcus said. "Besides, don't people usually say that things should be done one step at a time. Well, this is the most important step right now."

"And how do you think you'll get food? Do you have any money for this time?" Beor asked, his frustration reaching its peak as the last thing he could think about was food.

He couldn't stop thinking about Loralei and how he hurt her instead of helping her. It made him wonder if he could have done things differently. If she was alright, if she was as lost as they were.

"Well, we seem to be wearing the same clothes as we did in Alamo. So, either we haven't moved that far, or that device is malfunctioning even more than we thought," Tyson said.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, this device doesn't always get the clothing right. I am not sure why," Beor said, having gotten so used to it that he hadn't even given it a second thought. "It's like throwing dice, and often times Loralei and I ended up in different clothing even when using the main portals. It almost felt like the different portals interfered with each other."

"Is that why she was dressed so strangely back there?" Tyson asked, wondering how all those little details fit into the bigger picture.

"Yes, usually she didn't have any problems with it, but I've had a few scuffles with some guys calling me names. Still, usually, if you behave as if you belong, they don't pay so much attention to your clothing," Beor said.

"Interesting. I do wonder what that means, why that happens. It seems like the device was already malfunctioning even before Alamo. Maybe that's why they could never escape Sarajevo," Tyson said, contemplating his words.

"Ahem, guys, not to interrupt this stimulating conversation, but I am still hungry. What does all this have to do with getting food?" Marcus asked impatiently, thinking that he had given them enough time to discuss the trivial issue of why the clothes didn't change.

"It has everything to do with your predicament," Tyson started explaining patiently. "I was thinking that if the clothing didn't change, we might be in the same time slot, so to say, where the same money and clothes could be used without any problems."

"Cool, let's go then," Marcus said, getting up more than ready to get some delicious food.

"But," Tyson said, stopping Marcus in his tracks.

"Of course there is a catch, there is always a catch," Marcus said, frowning.

"Having in mind what Beor said, the money I found in my pocket in Alamo might not be used here," Tyson said.

He proceeded to pull out a variety of currencies, including Spanish and Mexican money.

"Well, we won't know until we try," Marcus said, annoyed by the delay.

"I guess that's true. I am just trying to avoid trouble," Tyson said but seeing the familiar hangry look on Marcus's face, he stopped and changed what he was planning to say. "And to avoid trouble, we'll go and get some food."

While he was saying that, Beor just stared at the odd exchange between the two weird guys. He had no idea what was going on. Still, he was more than ready to get some food as his brain needed nutrition to process all the new information that he learned. He had thought there was nothing more to learn about the maze after years he spent inside, and realizing that he was wrong didn't sit well with him.

Thus, they all headed towards the front door hoping that one of the currencies Tyson and Marcus found in their pockets would get them enough food for the three of them.

Focused as they were on the task at hand, they failed to notice anything unusual about the tavern's door, and Marcus rushed through it, eager to satiate his hunger. However, instead of entering the tavern, Marcus disappeared into thin air.

"Dear me! What happened to him?" Beor said, staring in shock at the place where Marcus had been moments ago.

"Shh, can you hear that?" Tyson said as they both stayed frozen in place.

"Is that a portal? One of the main ones?" Beor asked, surprised as he had never had a portal follow him to a different time and place. "Is it the right one?"

"Yes, I think so, but I don't know if it's the right one. Have you ever been through any wrong ones?" Tyson asked, hoping to gain more knowledge that he could hopefully put into a comprehensive whole.

"No, but it never followed me to another time and place either," Beor said, shifting uncomfortably. "They say that we all take different paths in the maze and that we might come across people who are here for shorter than us and still on the same path."

Tyson wasn't sure he completely understood, but they didn't have the time for long tales as he wasn't sure how long the portal usually stayed open. He didn't want to lose track of Marcus because he was too busy thinking ahead.

"Are you coming?" Tyson asked, taking a step towards the doorway that turned into a portal.

"No," Beor said, looking at the ground as he was still unsure if he was making the right decision. "I think I'll try using this device again, try to find Loralei. Maybe there is still a chance to save her, to save us."

"You really care about her, don't you?" Tyson asked, full of understanding.

"Yes, I do. I know Loralei made a mistake, but we've been through so much together I can't just leave her behind. She deserves more than that," Beor said, hoping that he was right, that the girl he fell in love with was still there, under the layer of ice that formed around her heart.

Tyson wasn't happy with Beor's decision as he hoped to learn more from him. Furthermore, it was nice having another responsible adult around so that Tyson didn't have to worry about everything by himself. Still, he understood how it was to feel responsible for someone. He felt the same way about Marcus's safety, so he couldn't hold it against Beor that he would want to help Loralei.

"I understand. Good luck!" Tyson said, stepping through the portal.

"You too," Beor said as Tyson disappeared, and he was left alone with his decision, good or bad.