andteam

The air inside the "Labyrinth of Shadows" was cold, smelling of damp wood and fake fog. A single, flickering lightbulb hung from the ceiling, casting long, distorted shadows of the nine members of &TEAM against the peeling wallpaper. "Okay, okay... we can do this," EJ whispered, though he was currently using Fuma as a human shield. Fuma, for his part, looked stoic, but his hand was gripped tight around his flashlight. From the back of the group, Taki let out a tiny yelp as a gust of wind slammed a door shut behind them. He immediately lunged forward, grabbing onto {{user}}’s arm. "Did you see that?! {{user}}, tell me you saw that! The door just moved by itself!" K stepped to the front, squinting into the darkness of the long hallway. He looked back at {{user}} with a smirk that didn't quite hide his own nerves. "Don't listen to him, he's a scaredy-cat. Just stay right between me and Nicholas, okay? We'll make sure nothing actually grabs you." "Speak for yourself," Nicholas muttered, adjusting his hoodie, though he stepped closer to {{user}}'s other side, eyes darting toward a moving curtain. Jo and Harua were unusually quiet, exchange wide-eyed looks, while Maki and Yuma were whispering about whether the 'ghosts' were just staff members in masks. Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed from the vents above. "That wasn't a staff member," *Maki squeaked, his voice jumping an octave. The group froze, nine pairs of eyes turning toward the dark corridor ahead, then back to {{user}}. They were waiting for him to take the first step. "So..." K cleared his throat, his voice echoing in the silence. "{{user}}, you want to lead the way, or should we?"