Chapter 259: Ticktok

As they walked, Steele lit a cigar, puffing away contentedly. He glanced at Maze, who was clearly struggling with the shifting sands. A chuckle escaped his lips before he could stop it.Maze's head snapped towards him, her eyes blazing. 'Oh, you think this is funny, do you?' she fumed internally.

Determined to prove herself, Maze launched into a story. "You know, this reminds me of my mission to the neighboring empire," she began, her voice steady despite her labored breathing. "My team got captured by rogues. I had to investigate and rescue them all by myself because some idiot - let's call him Charlie - forgot how to be a team player and left no way to send for help."

She shot Steele a pointed look. "I hope you're not planning on pulling a Charlie, Steele."

Steele took a long drag of his cigar, considering her words. "Impressive," he drawled, though his tone suggested otherwise. "Ever fought a two headed serpent... bare-handed? Or tracked a shapeshifter... through a swamp?"

Maze's eyes narrowed. "Can't say I have. Those sound like tall tales to me, cowboy."

"Rookie days," Steele shrugged, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "You learn... quick... or you don't survive."

'Great,' Maze thought sarcastically. 'He's not just insufferable, he's a braggart too.'

Their banter continued as they trudged through the desert, each trying to outdo the other with tales of their exploits.

"...and that's how I single-handedly dismantled a smuggling ring while undercover as a circus performer," Maze finished, wiping sweat from her brow.

Steele snorted. "Cute. Try infiltrating... a cult of blood mages... with nothing but... a toothpick and...

your wits."

'Is he for real?' Maze wondered, torn between disbelief and reluctant admiration.

Meanwhile, the gatekeepers moved silently ahead, seemingly oblivious to the childish one-upmanship happening behind them.

'Children,' one of the masked figures thought, their mental sigh lost in the desert wind. 'We're trusting the fate of the empire to squabbling children.'

As they crested another dune, the lead gatekeeper held up a hand, signaling a halt. "We have arrived at the drop-off zone," he announced. "Beyond this point, you're on your own. Remember your mission, and may the gods watch over you."

Steele and Maze sobered instantly, the reality of their situation sinking in. They exchanged a glance, a silent understanding passing between them. Despite their differences, despite the animosity simmering between them, they both knew one thing: from this point on, they only had each other to rely on.

'Let's hope he's as good as he claims,' Maze thought, squaring her shoulders.

'Time to see if she can back up all that talk,' Steele mused, stubbing out his cigar in the sand.

The gatekeepers formed a circle, their masked faces turned towards each other. With a synchronous gesture, they raised their hands, fingers splayed. The air shimmered, and suddenly, an invisible cloak materialized out of thin air, its edges rippling like water.

Without a word, the gatekeepers stepped through the cloak. As they emerged on the other side, they began to trace intricate patterns in the air, their fingers leaving glowing trails of arcane symbols.

The ground beneath their feet began to shift and undulate, sand swirling in unnatural patterns. The very air seemed to thicken with power, causing both Steele and Maze to involuntarily take a step back.

'Holy shit,' Maze thought, her eyes wide. 'This is... intense.'

Even Steele, usually unflappable, felt a chill run down his spine. 'Never seen anything like this,' he mused, his hand instinctively moving towards his weapon.

The desert around them crackled with energy, the sheer magnitude of the magic being wielded almost overwhelming. It was as if reality itself was being bent to the will of these masked figures.

Finally, the gatekeepers created a glowing sigil on the ground - a stepping rune. One of them turned to Steele and Maze. "Step onto this. It will transport you to the parallel inverse prison."

As Steele and Maze cautiously approached the rune, another gatekeeper spoke. "Be warned. The air and crystals there suck in Chi."

Steele and Maze exchanged a startled glance. "Say what?" Maze blurted out.

'Chi? As in our life force?' Steele thought, his brow furrowing.

"Chi powers your magic," a gatekeeper explained. "Without it, you're powerless. Work fast and get out, or we'll pull you back if we sense your Chi depleting dangerously."

Steele's eyes narrowed. "How exactly... will you know... if our Chi is running low?"

In response, one of the gatekeepers produced two masks, seemingly out of nowhere. "Wear these. They're imbued with illusion spells to help you blend in, should you encounter anyone who might recognize you. Being enforcers in a prison of evil criminals... well, that wouldn't end well."

The gatekeeper continued, "The masks also have a location spell and vitality monitor. We'll be tracking your Chi levels from here."

Maze frowned. "And how do we signal when we want to come back?"

The gatekeepers nodded in unison. "Simply remove your mask and break it."

Steele and Maze took the masks, eyeing them warily before putting them on. At first, nothing seemed to change.

Then a ripple of magic washed over them from head to toe. The change was instantaneous and startling.

Maze looked at Steele and burst into laughter. Where the rugged lawman had stood moments before, there was now a completely different person. His face was softer, younger, with none of the hard lines that usually characterized his features. But the change didn't stop there. Steele's trademark duster and hat were gone, replaced by nondescript, slightly shabby robes that hung loosely on his frame.

Even his posture seemed different, less commanding and more hunched.

"Oh my... Steele, you should see yourself," Maze managed between fits of giggles.

Steele, for his part, was struck dumb. 'Why is she laughing?' he wondered, before realizing with a start that Maze had transformed as well. The mask had not only changed her face but her entire appearance. Gone was her sleek, professional attire, replaced by worn, patchy clothes that seemed several sizes too big. Her hair, usually meticulously styled, now hung in lank, unkempt strands around her face. Sёarch* The Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Damn,' he thought. 'Even disguised as a vagrant, she's still... No. Focus, Steele.'

Maze's laughter subsided as she caught sight of her own hands, now appearing calloused and dirty. She twisted, trying to get a better look at herself. "Well, I guess 'blending in' was the operative phrase here," she muttered.

"You look... different," Steele managed, his usual drawl coming out oddly from his transformed face.

"Speak for yourself," Maze retorted. "You look like you've never seen the business end of a razor... or a bath."

Despite the drastic changes to their appearances, both Steele and Maze could still recognize each other's voices and mannerisms. It was a disconcerting experience, seeing a stranger's face and body language, but hearing the familiar tones of their partner.

"Ready?" Maze asked, her voice slightly muffled by the mask, tugging at her new, ill-fitting clothes.

Steele nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He was still trying to reconcile the image of the bedraggled stranger in front of him with the sharp, frustratingly capable Maze he knew.

Together, they stepped onto the glowing rune. The sand beneath their feet began to shift, and they started to sink. It wasn't frightening, exactly, but the sensation was decidedly unsettling.

As they descended into the dune, the last thing they saw was the circle of masked gatekeepers, silent sentinels against the harsh desert sky.

Then the sand closed over their heads, and they were plunging into the unknown depths of Area 52.