Cory walked, his boots thudding against the uneven cobblestones. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he didn’t care. He’d gotten the sense that sticking with the group was just a way to get dragged into whatever this was, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

The city didn’t make any sense. Every corner he turned, things were different—buildings leaning in at odd angles, windows flickering in and out like they weren’t even real. The whole place felt like it was broken.

He didn’t know what was worse—the weird, twisting streets or the feeling that he was being watched. Cory had the constant sense that there was something just behind him, lurking in the corners of his vision. But every time he turned, nothing. Only more fog and crumbling buildings.

“This is stupid,” he muttered under his breath, wiping his face with his hand.

The sound of his footsteps echoed strangely in the thick fog. The silence was so heavy that it almost felt like the city was waiting for something.

Then, a sound.

It was soft at first—just a faint rustling, like cloth against stone. Cory spun around, his heart racing. No one there. But then, just as he turned back to keep walking, he heard it again—closer this time. It was a whisper, just barely audible.

“Cory...”

His name.

He froze, his breath catching in his throat. “Hello?” he called out, his voice sounding strange in the empty street.

No answer. But the whisper came again, louder this time. “Cory...”

“Who’s there?!” Cory shouted.

Nothing.

He gritted his teeth, feeling his pulse thumping in his ears. This was messed up. Every step he took felt like the ground was shifting beneath him, like he wasn’t in control of anything anymore. He quickened his pace, hoping to find some sort of exit or—hell, even just someone he recognized.

But then, in the corner of his eye, he saw something.

A door.

It was just standing there, glowing faintly, like it didn’t belong at all. It was wooden and old-looking, but perfectly intact, almost out of place in the chaos of the city. It was like the only thing that made any sense here.

Against his better judgment, Cory walked up to it. He reached for the handle. The second his fingers brushed it, the city around him seemed to stop. The ground was still. The fog didn’t shift. There wasn’t a sound.

Cory turned the handle and stepped inside.

The room was quiet, too quiet. At first, it looked like any normal room, with plain furniture—a table, a couple of chairs, a bookshelf. But something was off. It didn’t feel like a real room. It felt like a memory. Like he was somewhere he was supposed to be but didn’t remember why.

And then he saw him.

Jinx.

The guy was just standing there, leaning against the wall like he’d been waiting for Cory. His expression was hard to read—almost bored, but not quite.

“I told you,” Jinx said, his voice low. “You don’t wanna be alone here.”

Cory frowned. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

Jinx shrugged, pushing himself off the wall. “Doesn’t matter. You were gonna get yourself killed, anyway.”

Before Cory could say anything else, the room seemed to start changing. The walls warped, the furniture blurred in and out, like it was melting. The ground cracked, and Cory felt the whole room tipping, like it was gonna collapse.

“What the hells going on?” Cory yelled, stumbling back.

Jinx didn’t even flinch. “You think this place is gonna make sense? No. It feeds off what you’re scared of. What you don’t wanna face.”

The walls seemed to close in on Cory. He tried to move, but his feet felt stuck to the floor. In the mirror across the room, he saw Anthony’s face appear.

“Cory” Anthony said, his voice smooth and mocking “You cant run forever. You know that, right? This place will make you remember everything.”

Corys stomach turned, but before he could react, Jinx grabbed his arm. “We gotta go. Now.”

Cory didn’t ask questions. He just followed, feeling the ground shift beneath his feet again, but this time, it felt like the city was pushing back, like it didn’t want them to leave.

When they stepped back into the street, everything seemed wrong. The fog was thicker. The buildings more twisted. Cory looked around, trying to get his bearings, but it was like the city was playing tricks on him.

“See? Jinx muttered, not looking at him. “I told you not to be alone. This place wont let you stay sane for long.”

Cory didnt respond. He was too busy trying to figure out what the hell was going on. But then he remembered the others—the ones he’d left behind.

“You knew I’d get stuck here, didn’t you?” Cory asked, glancing at Jinx.

“Maybe,” Jinx said, smirking. “But you’re alive now, so you’re welcome.”

Cory sighed, feeling a pang of guilt for ditching Amj, Tia, and Kash. “I guess... I shouldn’t have split off.”

“No kidding” Jinx replied

Cory hesitated before speaking again. “Fine. Let’s go find them.”

Jinx raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Thought you didn’t like groups.”

“I dont,” Cory muttered. “But I’m not dumb enough to think I can do this alone anymore.”

For the first time, Jinxs expression softened. “Good. Then let’s get moving.”

As they walked, Jinx spoke almost casually. “Faiza M.Q. told me something like this would happen. Guess she was right.”

Cory frowned. “Who’s Faiza M.Q.?”

Jinx didn’t answer. He just kept walking, his shoulders tense

Cory stared after him, annoyed and a little curious. But he let it go. There were bigger things to worry about now.

The two of thm disappeared back into the fog, heading toward where the group was waiting. Cory wasn’t thrilled about it, but for now, sticking together felt like the only option.


Note: Part 3 will take quite a while to make, as i am taking a break from paint and from writing for quite a while, as i really need to sort out my life and other things personally, like a mental health break, but not really. i hope everyone liked the second part, and ill try be back as soon as i can, thanks!