that was SO boring, [Uppercase]. boring and short. too much symbolism.

i can do it MUCH better.

the light dims, and an Old Man stands in front of Leo. he spreads his arms gracefully and speaks.

“Hello, young Child. Welcome to the first Challenge of your [Quest].”

'''umm, what?''' replies Leo.

“A great Destiny lies ahead of you, Leo. A Purpose surpassing any other”

'''um… ok. am i in a story?'''

"why would you suspect that, young Boy?”

'''because i have a quest. and a destiny and stuff. those are story things.'''

“There is a difference between the stories you reference and the [Quest] before you. The difference is that those stories are false, and your [Quest] is real.”

'''oh, ok. what’s the quest?'''

“That remains for you to find out. However, as I mentioned previously, your first Challenge begins here.

“Right now, you are in the Cell. Your goal is to escape. If you succeed, you shall have taken the first step along the Path that lies ahead of you.”

the Old Man vanishes, but the light remains. for the first time, Leo seems to notice the room around him, a room made of mirrors.

the light dims, and an Old Man stands in front of Bree. he spreads his arms gracefully and speaks.

“Hello, young Child. Welco—”

'''who are you?'''

the Old Man smiles. “I am but a humble Old Man, here to—”

'''where am i?'''

“I was getting to that, dear Child. This room, this Cell, is the first leg of your [Quest].”

'''that’s dumb.'''

“Your [Quest] may seem unsavory at first, but you must accept it in order to achieve Growth and Success.”

'''you’re boring.'''

the Old Geezer’s smile falters, just for a second.

“I shall take my leave now, little Girl.

“Escape your Cell, and begin your Journey.”

the Old Man vanishes, but the light remains. for the first time, Bree seems to notice the room around her, a room made of honeycombs.

the light dims, and an Old Raisin stands before Malcom. he spreads his arms gracefully and smiles.

“Hello, young Child. Welcome to the first Challenge of your [Quest].”

Malcom regards the Man with a look of profound… disappointment? the kind your parent gives you when you’ve just done something utterly stupid.

'''this is not happening.'''

“But it is, dear Child. A great Destiny lies before you.”

'''crap.''' sighs Malcom. '''why is this a thing that is happening?'''

“This [Quest] has always been your intended Path. It’s been that way since your beginning.”

'''and my beginning was…'''

“You shall discover your origins in due time.”

'''i’m not sure you realize how INSANELY cliché you sound.'''

“There is a difference between cliché and Wise.”

'''whatever you say, man.'''

Malcom looks around the room. it’s made of (SPOILER).

'''so… where am i, exactly?'''

“You are currently in the Cell. The first step of your Journey is to escape.”

'''i see. so—'''

the Old Coot vanishes. the light remains. for the second time, Malcom seems to notice the room around him, a room made of the interior of a school bus.

Jax exits her cell. it was a harrowing experience, and by the look on her face, she would rather forget it altogether.

she finds herself in a large, old fashioned lobby. the octangular room has greenish walls and a dusty wooden floor. fancy, forgettable paintings plate the ugly wallpaper, and a few ornate chairs sit in corners.

5 doors embed themselves in the walls across the room, and a gilded square rug lays in the center of the room, with the letter '''A''' printed on it.

'''ummm…''' says Jax. the Old Man said nothing about what to do after escaping. i’m not sure what i would do in this situation.

it looks like she’s just going to pop a squat in one of those chairs. she sits and puts the hood on her hoodie up, glancing around the room, presumably waiting for something to happen. suddenly, something does happen.

THUMP. something bumps against the door next to Jax. she jumps and looks over.

THUMP. this time the door visibly vibrates. Jax gets out of her chair and backs away, breathing heavily.

THUMP THUMP THUMP. the blows against the door intensify. Jax inches over to the door behind her, never taking her eyes off the one in front. she reaches out a shaking hand and places it in the handle. THUMP THUMP THUMP. a splintering sound accompanies the blows this time.

Jax, slowly, clumsily, turns the handle of the door… and it bursts open with a BANG and a flash of grey light. Jax goes flying back with a yelp and lands, sprawling, on the rug. it slides forward under her momentum.

the explosive door slams itself shut again. Jax stares at it with a look of shock. not ten seconds later, the other door explodes into splinters.