"Everything's set up?" Steven asked again, anxiously checking everyone's vests. "I just wanna make sure when they disappear that they'll work."

Alex placed a hand on Steven's shoulder. "Look, as your manager I've gotta bench you if you can't calm down, Steven."

He sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just..."

Connie reached out to squeeze his hand. "Hey, it's just a simulation."

Adam was giddy with excitement, it was evident from the barely there smile and crossed arms. "I'm super excited, this is like, next level tech. This could change everything."

"And we're the first to do it," Jasmin breathed. "This feels so much bigger than me. I feel..."

"Small?" Anna supplied anxiously. "It'd be nice if we got to know what we were going to see."

Peridot adjusted her visor. "You're going to see what the simulation shows you, obviously."

"We have cameras literally everywhere." Alex tossed her a look. "They're not as smart as we are, Peri. They have feelings and stuff."

The green gem laughed. "I knew you were my favorite."

Alex's was last, and they linked hands before they entered.

The lights shut off as soon as they sat. Their chosen position was Stevens lotus, with their hands clasped and thumbs touching. Steven burst into flames easily, the music was already in his head.

Jacob was the last to catch fire, his mind was bouncing around too much. He let out his eighth breath and tried again to still his mind. Air flowed in and out of him, and for a split second he could hear himself singing a song as a kid.

His flames rose high, and finally he got connected completely.

Being completely connected was far heavier than simply singing in the booth. It was kind of like fusion, but the thoughts flowed freer instead of being funneled eventually.

It cut off suddenly and Stevens eyes opened in confusion. He couldn't see. "Am I blind?"

The rest of them blinked too, but the darkness didn't leave them.

Adam stood, using careful footing as he "looked" around. It didn't feel like he was moving but he knew he was. "I know this place."

Hazel shuddered. "Yeah? It's horrible here."

"This is where I put my feelings."

Connie sighed. "You know that's incredibly unhealthy, right?"

"Like it's so unhealthy that it's actually incredible," Anna clarified. "I thought we talked about this."

Adam seemed to dislike the train of conversation and grunted. "It's pretty empty in here. There's a reason for that."

They lapsed into a tense silence until Anna started sniffling.

"Anna, I'm sorry–," Adam began shallowly.

"No." Anna sniffed harder. "I know that smell, fresh balsam... it's... what my parents used to use for a candle."

Steven let out a low breath. "My pants are wet."

Jasmin looked to where the voice originated. "Did... you pee yourself?"

"I am sitting in at least two inches of liquid that I did not make," He elaborated. "The room is combining our consciousness. Mine has water at the bottom."

Jacob gasped and stumbled to his feet. "G-guys. You don't wanna be in my consciousness right now, I'm going through EMDR therapy! It's memory after memory
of—!"

"It's okay, I would experience it in your place if I could," Steven consoled. "Is everyone okay?"

"I hear the kids playing by the dock without me." Connie's voice was small and whispery. "But I can't see anything."

"I think I know why we're here."

They all turned to where they hoped Adam was.

"Walk ten steps backwards from where you are right now," He instructed seriously. "Your hand will brush against a knob. A doorknob."

Sure enough they found theirs and Jacob let out a quiet sound. "I know this knob, it has the indentation I put in it when I was at home."

"We're here to support whatever you guys find and vice versa," Connie told them confidently. "We are not afraid, and this is not real."

"Mines locked." Hazel tried again with a bit more force. "I'm stumped on me."

Anna shook her head at the majesty of the world she lived in, shaking with anxiety. "I guess we have to sing our way out of it?"

They laughed at her joke until every one of the instruments they needed were illuminated in the middle, all surrounding the mixing table.

"Creepy," Adam commented in awe. "I'm kinda into it. Let's go touch them."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Alex hissed. "They're probably going to turn into rats the second we let our guards down!"

Jacob took a step forward. "It's my choir teachers piano. I know it is... It– it has the sharpie graffiti on it," He breathed and felt his legs move of their own accord. "...I have to play it one more time."

"Jacob!"

He slid into the seat and exhaled. The emptiness of the darkness around him lifted, he could hear whispers but just barely. "No, this is right. I can feel it."

Adam smoothed his hands over the mixing table, trying to understand how this made any sense. "He's right. I think we're actually supposed to sing our way out of this."

"About what?" Steven asked, slinging on his guitar. It was even fitted to be able to get around him. That was sincerely strange, since this was indefinitely his father's from his touring days. Adam had been spot on about this being creepy. His pants weren't even wet anymore. "I'm scared."

"I feel so happy..." Jacob played a beautiful melisma and sniffled. "Connected... m-maybe a little trapped."

"What do the doors mean?" Hazel finally asked as he slid into his electric drum set. "Cause if something comes charging out of those doors I'm ghost." He grumbled, grabbing the drumsticks that were identical to his own. "Not about to end up no fucking statistic on no fucking horror movie shit. That's for fucking sure."

"Jacob's was his bedroom door," Connie reminded them. Hers was smooth and round, nothing significant to differentiate it from another one. But something behind that door was calling to her, nearly screaming.

"Whatever it is, it's probably not good." Jasmin's door could open, she just hadn't said anything yet. She twisted it all the way but kept it shut. Was she afraid?

Adam exhaled slowly. "I'm ready. Let's get the hell out of this Labyrinth."

The second he pushed the play button, it was like they were possessed. Adam couldn't control what he was doing, he only knew what would happen.

Jacob started to sing in his cheerful tenor, neck locked in place as his voice came out melodic and clear. "It's a bright new day
And it's your time to shine
Time to take
Your life into your own hands
Spend all your money
And the stars they will align
Cause you've become a part of TiBNAALDS band." Was that an accompanying harmony someone had sang? It comforted him even though he was sure he was going to piss himself. "Just be careful
About who's your find
You never know what's hiding inside
But we can't prove anything, no." What was that supposed to mean? And that statement had been changed, it was supposed to be 'guy' but was the song stating the women had damage too? That they were hiding demons? As far as everyone else knew, his demons walked beside him every day. He had nothing to hide, they knew he was hurting inside and it extended all ways. Were there worse things inside of him than mere insecurity? The answer was yes, far worse things. He knew that's what the room was really telling them. It suddenly occurred to him that he might be... dangerous to be around. "So make sure
You take all responsibilities."

The rest joined suddenly, their voices rising to sing but sounding afraid. "For whatever all their demons have to bring..."

Yep. This was possession. His fingers started playing a haunting melody not at all like what they'd written the music to be, but he couldn't stop and start over. It felt like autopilot, but it was like he was living in a dream too. He couldn't do more than observe. As he played more passion filled him and he began to play hard enough that despite being the last to make the connection, his flames erupted on the piano. He knew this tempo, the way he hit harder than other times, but it stayed steady.

Oliver. This felt so similar to the tempo Oliver used to–

As soon as his mind made the connection, he was granted enough movement to look next to him. Jacob actually wet himself. Baby Jacob, around 8 when he'd gotten good at the piano, played the accompaniment to him and turned to stare him in the eye.

Hazels eyes widened as the air was forced out of his lungs. "It's closing time
Gotta clean up all the messes that were made." He was now kneeling next to his sisters bed as she slept, cleaning up the tissues with speckles of blood on them, the stale food she couldn't eat no matter how much he'd begged, and the superstitious bullshit his mom kept around his sister to help her healing. He was tired of it, tired of hoping and going to churches to hang up his sister's go-fund-us flyers. She hadn't woken up in almost 12 hours. What was the point?
"Order supplies, and advertise
Wait I hear voices on every side." The last part was more of a horrified claim. He could hear people whispering, but most of them were small sounding voices he didn't recognize.

Save for one.

Right in front of him and appearing like a mirage, he could see himself. But he was so young, no older than 12 or 13. He looked so tired and sad. His fists had scabs from fighting people, he even sported a few cuts on his cheek. Hazels younger self had slumped shoulders too, as if he could feel the weight of his entire world on his shoulders.

Nursing a dying sister did that to people.

Hazels eyes welled up with tears and he slowly approached himself, needing to hug him. "And I wonder where?
And I wonder why
Where do they hide?" Hazel reached for himself but his younger image shied away like he was afraid, big brown eyes widening in fear. Hazels heart broke into pieces.

When had he damaged his inner child so badly that it was scared of him?

Adam blinked and he wasn't at the mixing table anymore. He was surrounded in darkness, beacons of unidentifiable light shining to show the others meeting their inner children. The idea made him sick, he did not want to meet his and he started to panic. He lifted his arms to shield himself from seeing anything that would break him down or hurt him. "I'm sorry you've been misinformed!
This is just is just a never-ending labyrinth and nothing more!" It was more to remind himself, but his sanity was slipping quickly.
"Endless circles of fear
Chasing cries of children that seem so near." He heard himself, or... in a way, the version of him that was dead singing the higher harmony. His arms dropped like lead and Jezibel stood in front of him. Her obsidian hair tumbled down her back in semi curly waves and she looked... she looked dead and like she had been strangled.

Adam fell to his knees in horror, eyes tracing the dull purple of where his own hands must have killed this child. Looking down at his hands, he could see bruises where he'd hurt this little girl.

Next to him he heard Steven sob as a little boy who was definitely him appeared last in a red shirt with a star. Next to Baby Steven was a little girl he could safely guess was Baby Connie, but both children looking blank.

Connie just burst into tears and knelt carefully to look at herself head on. She looked at the tears in her eyes and swiped one away. As if that were the key, her younger self became aware and wrapped her little arms around Connie.

Adam trembled with realization, but he couldn't stop and call for help. "Out of reach
You will never find them
Can't you see?" He pleaded with himself. His murdered inner child started to look angry and sang with him, daring him to try and stop her. "This is where your story ends."

Alex just stared at the image of himself, hurting and horrified at what he had just said to his mother. He couldn't handle it. He felt like someone had just thrown a lit match on him after dousing him in gas. Everything burned. Everything was seeing red and feeling terrible about it and hating himself so deeply he had to start shaking or he might faint.

"It's closing time," Anna started singing, but it was in a much younger girls voice that made her eyes well in terror. She knew that this was: a blatant call out that she was already her own inner child. The woman trembled, but her feet moved to stand in the middle of the children of their past as they lined up and crowded around her. She didn't even have one. Something about that broke a part of her. "We're gathered here together just to play
All these souls in one place
And this gift we appreciate."Jacob's inner child latched onto her leg and she felt his entire childhood flash before her eyes. Jacob caught her gaze, and he knew she knew everything he'd left out, and he knew her mysterious backstory from front to back.

Everyone had abandoned their instruments by now, it seemed the room was making music for them. They were bewildered and horrified looking at what could only be their most traumatized self. Backs pressed to the middle, they had made themselves a pack on instinct but their kid selves caged them in.

Them and Anna, who had suddenly switched sides. The betrayal and yet understanding made it all that much worse.

Wide, should be innocent, but broken little eyes looked up at them. "Come together friends
We'll take them off your hands
Don't try to defend
Forget the money that you've spent."

Anna's voice carried over the children as they cornered her friends. While she cornered her friends. A single tear slid down her cheek. "We will be complete
Your life is obsolete
We will now do what we were created to do..."

Jacob looked back to his piano, longing to be there but suddenly feeling disgusted. How many years had he spent regretting a thing he'd never asked for? How many years had he spent hating himself so much it hurt the people around him?

He felt the others asking the same questions: why? Why did they have to deal with their trauma? And why so much? Surely they hadn't earned it, they'd all just been little kids with responsibilities too big to hold so they toted it around or wore it as a shackle as adults.

Jasmin threw up in her mouth again, the little girl in front of her was so dirty it embarrassed her. How many years had she been trapped in that hoarders house of filth and squalor? Her hair was a mess, but her little face was coiled in rage.

It was then she looked down enough to see they were shackled together. Actually, everyone's inner child was shackled to them.

Baby Steven, probably no older than either 7 or 14, it was hard to tell, started to glow and Steven froze. Behind his inner child, an 8 foot tall, pink haired, plus sized goddess appeared. Young Steven looked up at her and smiled, "Mother, I will make you proud."

They backed off suddenly as Steven burst into flames, their combined timid anger roaring to life through him. Part of him understood why, but he could feel nothing but rage. It was so unfair, he could feel his soul withering and dying in his body just by looking at her. He just wanted to heal, but in order to do that, he had to let them go. "I'm sorry you've been misinformed
This is just a never-ending labyrinth and nothing more," He explained to himself, trying to say things were going to get harder all the time. He wanted to tell him more, but the events with the Time-Thingy haunted a part of his mind all the time. "Endless circles of fear
Chasing cries of children that seem so near!
Out of reach,
You will never find them." Baby Steven grew, and he already knew what would happen. His only comfort looking down at the manic and broken teen in front of him was that he was taller. It broke Steven's heart all over again. But it did something else too: it gave him a sense of comfort knowing he wasn't that person anymore. "Don't you see?
This is where your story ends!"

"This is where your story ends," Jasmin took the higher notes, hitting them perfectly enough that it sounded like a cry for help at the same time.

Anna felt a hand in hers and turned to see Brandon, herself as a child but not herself, someone different. Maybe that was her punishment: if she refused to see him as herself, she would be her own inner child and he would never be put to rest. She pulled Brandon into a hug and the rest followed suit, comforting them in the simplest of ways they'd been so deprived of. "This is where your story ends," She told him as gently as she could. Brandon didn't exist anymore, he never really had.

And he needed to rest.

He stepped back and froze in place.

Rose surged for Steven but his magic was too potent as he cried, "This is where it ends!" in the most beautiful and powerful melisma of notes they'd ever heard in their lives.

She wasn't supposed to be there, he was not her, and like sand she blew into the non-existent breeze and was gone.

Alex wiped the tears off of his inner child's face, internally trying to forgive himself. He should go visit his mom, or bring her home with him. Baby Alex smiled at him, and Alex pressed his lips to his forehead. "This is where it ends," He whispered.

His younger self moved to stand next to Brandon and linked hands with him, then Baby Steven.

Adam held onto Jezibel for dear life, wishing he could take away her pain. She was so young, so lost, he remembered being her.

He just wanted her to have peace so he could have peace. He remembered how hard she used to search for someone to fix her. "You will never find them," He told her, willing her to find the strength to do it herself.

Jacob couldn't find a middle ground between disgust and understanding. He wanted to hold his inner child for the rest of his life, he wanted to save him. But he smelled like Oliver, it pushed him into a blind rage and he swung at the air in front of him so hard he fell. Terror raced through him, he was so sure Oliver was going to come and get him.

His inner child whimpered and cowered too, leading him to realize the worst truth about himself: he was still looking through Baby Jacob's eyes. He was still afraid of everything.

In a last attempt, he cried out with everything that he had in him, hoping desperately everything would go away. "Don't you see? This is where your story ends!"

Their voices had joined together in the most cursed harmony Jacob had ever heard, a symphony of voices sounding like damned souls being dragged back into Hell.

They were drenched from head to toe.  Everything turned white and they winced, hissing in sync with the others as they blinked frantically trying to see what was going on. Was it over?

Jacob could see his younger self in full light now, and he was grinning, freckles trekking over his nose and cheeks. He was standing right in front of him, so Jacob did the only thing he knew how to do anymore: he sang to him. "It's a bright new day
And it's your time to shine."

Baby Jacob backed away and linked hands with the other children. There was no order, the only possible correlation to how they were standing was who had the most to work on, but even that was a far reach. Jacob, Steven, Adam and Hazel were the top four, followed by Anna, Jasmin, Alex and Connie. They were all so little, but their smiles were contagious. They looked up at their counterparts with eyes too wise for their bodies. "Thank you for all you've done."

They turned into beacons of colorful light, and flew right back into their adult selves hearts.

Steven grabbed at his shirt, staring ahead to where he had just been standing. "I..."

But there was nothing he could say.

The music video resulted in three of them pissing themselves, two massive crying spells, and hallucinations.

They all slept together exclusively for weeks after it happened. Not being able to bear being apart, they were clinging to each other. Hazel had a mental breakdown, but all he did was cry. He collapsed into Adam's arms and sobbed until he got sick over the side of the couch. Connie couldn't say anything, she shied away from being touched or loved like she didn't understand it, she seemed to have regressed in some way. The only comfort she was able to find was reading. Steven caught her looking at boats. Meanwhile, Steven couldn't use any of his powers at all. He was sapped emotionally, and impossible to get out of his head. He did manage to accidentally end up saving Jacob from himself by making sure he was never alone. Something about Jacob's behavior screamed suicidal in a way that the others couldn't deny even if a word was never spoken. Alex was with him almost 24/7, and he didn't mind because he didn't wanna be anywhere else. He couldn't comprehend much more than locking away the guns and dangerous things and then staring at the wall until bedtime. Jasmin hadn't eaten a full meal in awhile, she wasn't feeling hunger anymore. Her body had shut down, she had overwhelmed her psyche and now all she could see when she shut her eyes was her younger self being so angry with her.
Adam slept. Anna went completely silent and still.

But they found comfort in being close. At this point it was a crutch, but if they didn't have it things would go south immediately.

One day, Connie sat up and took a very deep breath. "We have to go back."

Adam stood and nodded listlessly. "I couldn't agree more."