Chapter 5

The waiting room was emptier now.

Fatima's chair sat vacant. She had decided to sign out.

She signed her name on the screen, walked through the door, and not looked back. The door had closed behind her with a soft hiss, and then she was gone.

The remaining six sat in silence. Samira stared at the empty chair. Ali leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed, his face unreadable. Tarek sat with his hands folded, as composed as ever. Omar was across the room, not looking at anyone.

Muneer sat near the center. Rashid was beside him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. Neither had spoken since the duel.

The voice returned.

"Players who have lost all their funds may choose to leave without penalty. Fatima has elected to depart. Tarek. Rashid. You have lost your totals. You may leave now, or you may continue."

Tarek rose. He looked at the door. Then he looked at Omar.

"I'll continue."

He sat back down.

Rashid did not move. His hands were clasped between his knees. His jaw was tight.

"Rashid," the voice prompted.

He looked at Muneer. Muneer met his eyes.

"I stay."

The voice acknowledged. The door remained closed.

---

"The fourth game will now begin. Six players remain. You will be divided into two teams of three."

The screen appeared. Names moved across it, settling into two columns.

Team Red: Muneer, Rashid, Ali

Team Blue: Omar, Samira, Tarek

Muneer looked at his team. Rashid and Ali. He had tried to give everything to Rashid. He had won against Rashid in the duel. And now they were on the same side.

Across the room, Omar sat with Samira and Tarek. Samira's face was unreadable. Tarek's was calm. Omar's eyes moved to Ali, then away.

Ali smiled. "Red team. You and me." He looked at Rashid, then He tilted his head. "Should be easy."

Omar said nothing.

---

"The game is called The Maze."

A door opened on the far wall. Beyond it, darkness.

"Both teams will enter the maze from opposite ends. The goal is to reach the center. The first team to have all three members reach the center wins."

"Each team will designate one Guide. The Guide will have a map of the maze. The Guide cannot move. They will direct their teammates by voice only."

"The other two players will wear blindfolds. They cannot see. They cannot speak to each other. They can only hear the Guide."

"If a blindfolded player touches a wall, they must stop for ten seconds before moving again. If they touch a wall three times, they are eliminated from the game. The team continues without them."

"The winning team receives five thousand dollars per player. The losing team receives nothing."

The screen displayed a map. A twisting maze. Two entrances. One center.

Muneer studied it. The paths were complex. One wrong turn could send a player in circles for minutes.

"Teams have ten minutes to choose their Guide. The game begins when both teams are ready."

---

Ali spoke first. "I should be Guide. I'm the youngest. I have the best eyes."

Rashid shook his head. "You're also the one who almost ran into a wall when the lights came on in the first game. You see what you want to see."

Ali's face tightened. "That was different."

"It was panic," Rashid said. "A Guide can't panic."

Muneer looked at them. "What about you, Rashid? You want to be Guide?"

Rashid was quiet for a moment. "I could do it. I've worked security. I know how to read maps. How to direct people under pressure."

Ali crossed his arms. "So why aren't you saying yes?"

Rashid looked at Muneer.

"Because I want him to do it."

Muneer blinked. "Me?"

"You were the one who gave away half your money in the second game. You were the one who tried to give everything to me. You were the one who won when we played." Rashid's voice was steady. "I need to know who you are."

Ali stared at him. "You want to test him? In the middle of the game?"

"I want to know if he's the person he pretended to be." Rashid's eyes didn't leave Muneer. "If he leads us through this, if he doesn't make mistakes, if he doesn't panic—then maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe he really did try to give me that money. Maybe it was an accident."

Muneer's throat was dry. "And if I fail?"

Rashid said nothing.

Ali laughed. It was sharp. "This is insane. We're trusting a flower shop owner to guide us through a maze because you have a grudge?"

Rashid turned to him. "Do you have a better reason to trust someone? We've been here for four games. We've given money, taken money, won, lost. I don't know who anyone is anymore. I don't know if Omar is sorry or just scared. I don't know if Samira's kindness is real or just guilt. I don't know if you're angry or just young."

He looked back at Muneer.

"  I know he tried to give everything to me. That's more than I know about anyone else here."

The room was silent.

Muneer looked at the map. At the twisting paths. At the center that both teams were racing toward.

"Okay," he said. "I'll do it."

---

Across the room, the blue team was making their choice.

Samira spoke quietly. "I can do it. I'm used to giving directions. I used to help patients find their way around the hospital."

Tarek nodded. "That's reasonable."

Omar was silent.

Samira looked at him. "Omar?"

He was staring across the room at the red team. At Ali. At Rashid. At Muneer.

"I don't care who Guides," he said. "Just tell me where to go."

Samira studied him for a moment. Then she nodded.

"I'll be Guide."

---

Both teams were ready.

Muneer stood at the entrance to the maze. Behind him, Ali and Rashid stood with blindfolds in their hands.

"You ready?" Muneer asked.

Ali tied his blindfold. "Don't get us lost."

Rashid tied his. He said nothing.

The voice spoke.

"Game begins now."

---

Muneer watched the map. The blue team had started on the opposite side. Samira was already directing Omar and Tarek. Their markers moved slowly but steadily through the first corridor.

He looked at his own team. Two markers at the entrance. He needed to move them through.

"Rashid. You go first. Straight ahead. Ten steps."

Rashid moved. His hands were out, feeling the walls. He counted his steps.

"Stop," Muneer said. "There's a turn to your left. Take it. Three steps."

Rashid turned. Moved. "Now what?"

"Stop. Ali, you go now.  Take the same path, go straight, take ten steps. Then go left. Take three steps."

Ali moved faster than Rashid. His steps were quick, impatient.

"Slow down," Muneer said. "You're going to—"

Ali's marker touched the wall. A buzzer sounded.

"Ali touches wall. Penalty: stop for ten seconds."

"Damn it."

Muneer watched the timer. Ten seconds. Across the map, the blue team was advancing. Omar had already cleared the first junction. Samira was directing Tarek through a parallel corridor.

"You're moving too fast," Muneer said when the penalty ended. "Slow down. Listen to my voice."

"I can move faster than Rashid. We're going to lose."

"We lose if you hit the wall again. Two more touches and you're out."

Ali was silent. Then: "Fine."

Muneer directed them through the next corridor. A junction. Two paths. Left was longer but safer. Right was shorter but had a dead end that would cost time if they took it.

"Rashid. Take the left path. Ali, wait for him to clear."

Rashid moved. Ali stood at the junction, his blindfold tight against his face.

"Can you see anything?" Ali asked.

"No. Just the map."

"Then how do you know which way is right?"

Muneer looked at the map. The left path twisted, but it led to the center. The right path ended in a wall.

"I just know."

---

Twenty minutes passed.

The blue team was ahead. Samira had guided Omar and Tarek through two-thirds of the maze. They were approaching the final junction. If they reached the center before the red team, it was over.

Muneer wiped sweat from his forehead. His eyes were burning from staring at the map. Rashid and Ali were close to the center, but they were separated by a wall. He needed to bring them together.

"Rashid. There's a passage to your right. Take it. Five steps."

Rashid moved. "Now what?"

"Stop. Ali, you're close. There's a turn ahead. Left. Two steps."

Ali moved. His hand found the wall.

"Don't touch," Muneer said quickly. "It's there. Just—"

Ali's marker touched the wall. The buzzer sounded.

"Ali touches wall. Second penalty. Ten seconds."

"Damn it, Muneer—"

"Don't blame him," Rashid said. "You're moving too fast."

"I'm moving the same speed I've been moving. He's giving bad directions."

"I'm not." Muneer's voice was tight. "The turn is there. You're overstepping."

The ten seconds passed.

"Try again," Muneer said. "Left. Two steps. Slow."

Ali moved. This time, his marker turned.

"I'm through."

Muneer exhaled. "Now straight. Ten steps. Then stop."

---

Across the map, the blue team was at the final junction.

Samira's voice echoed through the maze. "Omar, you're almost there. There's an opening ahead. Just keep going straight."

Omar moved. His marker advanced.

Tarek was close behind. "Samira, which way at the next turn?"

"Left. Then right. Then straight to the center."

Muneer watched them. They were three turns away. His team was five turns away.

He looked at Rashid and Ali on the map. They were in parallel corridors. If he could bring them together at the next junction, they could go to the center together.

"Rashid. You're coming to a junction. Stop."

Rashid stopped.

"Ali. You're also at a junction. Stop."

Ali stopped.

"There's a passage between you. Rashid, take the left passage. Ali, take the right

. You'll meet in the middle."

They moved.

Rashid found the passage. Ali found his. Their markers converged.

"I hear him," Ali said.

"Don't talk," Muneer said. "Just listen. You're both facing the center. Straight ahead. Twenty steps. Together."

They moved.

---