The Maze

A faint groan of pain could be heard.

Caroline slowly opened her eyes and found herself sitting on the floor. It was dim and even somewhat stuffy, like a workshop—one of those simple factories converted from a residential building.

There were quite a few beakers, test tubes, spirit lamps, and similar items nearby. An unpleasant smell assaulted her nose, like a mixture of hospital disinfectant and gasoline.

Caroline instantly came fully awake. She clearly saw that someone had bound her ankles with plastic straps. The same had been done to her hands, which were currently tied behind her back.

Caroline struggled frantically—but her body soon stopped struggling, because her gaze once again spotted something that filled her with horror.

There was no doubt about it. She saw Arno—he was currently hanging in the air.

His feet could only barely touch the ground when he stood on tiptoe. His head hung low, his hair fell messily around his face, and his body was covered in sweat. Clear bruises marked several places on his arms.

Beside Arno stood two men in flashy shirts, each holding a long, thin metal pipe.

Caroline's breathing quickened. She understood that before she had regained consciousness, Arno had probably already endured a long beating. Otherwise, he would not have looked so weak and powerless.

"I... I really... really don't know... I... I'm not Haily..."

Caroline could only vaguely hear Arno's voice. He sounded like someone who had been trapped beneath a collapsed building for several days and nights.

One of the men grabbed Arno by the hair and sneered. "Twins? You're the younger brother? What kind of joke is that? When you took a share of the money from us before, why didn't you say you had a younger brother and ask us to send him a