Somewhere in the distance, Meg could hear the trap door shut with a screech. Time was running out. Meg's arm was still bleeding from a previous injury, but adrenaline surged through her body as she heard the exit gates power on. Sprinting through the grass, she ran as fast as she could muster. Her lithe form darted through the shadows and her breath hitched. Before exhaustion could overtake Meg, she made it to the exit. It felt like her heart was pounding inside her skull. She bent forward and rested her palms against her knees to catch her breath and sigh relief. Her braided hair was loose, swaying as her chest heaved.

"Damn these trials…" she coughed and clutched her bleeding arm as she stepped forward to pull down the switch for the gate.

"Snap!" Metal clenched around her calf and pressed on her shin.

Meg screamed in surprise and winced, dropping to her knee and attempting to pry open the bear trap. To her surprise, there was padding between her leg and the metal. As she calmed down, she realized that the trap had not pierced her skin. Sighing relief, she struggled to pull each side open. Her arms shook and shivered as a bead of sweat rolled off her smooth face. She cringed, grumbling in frustration that she was unable to make an escape. Her heart raced faster and faster. Meg gulped and glanced over her shoulder. He was there.

The grotesque heir to the MacMillan estate towered over Meg and approached. The trapper, they called him. Though, it was never meant as a compliment. Meg always thought of him as a devious and brutal man. In Evan MacMillan's ear whispered the Entity.

"There she is," it echoed in his mind, "kill her as you have before…"

MacMillan clenched his jaw and gazed down at the helpless girl, completely immobilized by the tight trap around her leg. Meg bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly, waiting for a killing blow. But, a strike never came. She heard a soft "thunk," as the mask of the trapper tumbled to the dirt. His hand was trembling and his cold gaze shifted nervously. Meg took a deep breath and looked up at her captor. His face was scarred. She never really took the time to notice that his body was also marred and damaged. Though she had been chased hundreds, maybe even thousands, Meg never got a good look at this monstrous man. Without the mask, though, he really was just a man. Intimidating nonetheless, but Meg felt her heart rate slow.

Suddenly, MacMillan stooped and knelt close to Meg, reaching his arms around her. She gasped and shook in fear. The shock quickly subsided when she realized what he was doing. His fingers tugged open the bear trap as he opened it. Meg slipped her leg out and remained crouched, eyeing the trapper with a stern gaze. The two made eye contact and remained crouched on the ground. They both looked up when they heard a bell chime.

"I um," Meg clutched her arm and looked at the door longingly, "I need to go…"

MacMillan's lips parted for a moment, but no words came. He was never one for talking, even before being dragged to this hellish purgatory by the entity. Then, the bulky man nodded slowly. He understood that their time together was limited. There was nothing he could do. As strong as he might seem, the only being in control of the trial was the entity. Dropping his weapon, he grabbed Meg tight. Her chin pressed into his shoulder and her eyes widened in confusion. After a minute or so, she loosely wrapped her arms about his neck, resting for a moment in the embrace.

"You are trapped here too, huh?" Meg sighed.

The entity kept whispering in MacMillan's mind, but he ignored the hushed voice and focused on the quiet, soothing words Meg spoke.

"Don't be sad, ok?"

She could see his hollowed gaze fixate on her before it fell to the ground. Meg lightly hugged him and whispered in his ear, as the entity did.

"I will see you again, after all…"

MacMillan withdrew a scrap of cloth from his pocket and lightly grabbed Meg's arm. She blinked and to her surprise, the man began to tightly wrap her injury. Blood soaked the rag, but with a quick surge of pain as the bandage tightened, Meg's injury had begun the process toward healing. MacMillan glanced up at her, making Meg blush slightly.

"You didn't have to do that," she remarked quietly, rubbing her arm.

They heard the bell toll again as time was running out. Both of them looked at the exit gate switch. Meg lunged and quickly tugged it down, getting the door to open before time was up. The trapper followed her through the gate until the entity suddenly stopped him. The darkness pushed, holding him back from her. Meg stopped and turned around to see MacMillan trapped there. She winced, feeling sympathy for him. Walking back to the edge of the world, she reached back through the entity's entanglement to grab hold of MacMillan's hand.

He dropped to his knees and clenched his jaw. Meg swiftly knelt with him and leaned forward to gently kiss his cheek as the entity encircled them.

"I will see you again," she reassured him.

With that, she dashed off, running away through the grass. After Meg had escaped, the trapped man only had the entity to keep him company. Its tendrils twisted and lurched about him. MacMillan no longer heard the entity's whispers. He only heard Meg's soft voice echoing in his mind. Evan closed his eyes and his body shivered as he collapsed in the darkness.

"I will see you again." he heard the voice.

The world faded into nothing.

"I will see you again." her voice echoed.

Eventually, MacMillan could not remember the sweet sound of her voice anymore. It was replaced by the entity's whispers. Under his mask once again, the horrific visage hid the tears streaming down his face. He swallowed his pain as he waited for the next trial in complete darkness.

"I will see you again." He choked, his voice failing to pierce the void and reach Meg, wherever she might be…