**Chapter 3: Shadows of the Maze**

The dim fluorescent lights above flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls as Sae-byeok and Sang-woo slipped out of the dorm, their footsteps muffled by the deserted hallway. The night air clung to them like a damp shroud, heavy with secrets and foreboding. As they walked, the silence between them grew thicker, punctuated only by the soft rustle of clothes and the creak of old wooden floorboards. Sang-woo led the way, his eyes scanning the deserted corridors as if searching for hidden dangers. Sae-byeok followed closely, her senses on high alert, her heart still racing from their earlier close call. The darkness seemed to press in around them, making her skin prickle with unease. They reached the edge of the campus, where the buildings gave way to a dense thicket of trees. The moon cast long, skeletal shadows across the ground, making it seem as though the trees themselves were reaching out to snare them. Sang-woo stopped, turning to face Sae-byeok. "We need to find a safe place to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent. "I have information about the maze, but we can't discuss it here." Sae-byeok nodded, her eyes scanning the surrounding trees. She spotted a small, dilapidated shed a short distance away, its door hanging crookedly on its hinges. Sang-woo followed her gaze, a nod of agreement passing between them. They crept towards the shed, their footsteps quiet on the dew-kissed grass. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the stench of decay. Sang-woo fished out a small flashlight from his pocket and flicked it on, casting a weak beam of light across the cramped space. The shed was cluttered with old tools and broken machinery, but they managed to clear a small space in the center. Sang-woo sat down, his back against a stack of rusty pipes, and gestured for Sae-byeok to join him. She hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside him, her legs tucked under her. "So, what do you know about the maze?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Sang-woo's eyes glinted in the dim light, a hint of excitement dancing in their depths. "I've heard it's a perfect mirror maze," he said, his voice low and conspiratorial. "The walls, floor, and ceiling are all made of mirrors. The goal is to navigate through without getting disoriented or caught." Sae-byeok's eyes widened, a shiver running down her spine. "That sounds impossible," she whispered. Sang-woo's smile was grim. "It's not. I've been thinking about it, and I have a plan. We can use the mirrors to our advantage, create a sort of...echo chamber." Sae-byeok's curiosity was piqued. "How?" Sang-woo leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We can create a series of decoy reflections, make it seem like we're in multiple places at once. If we time it right, we can confuse the guards and make our way through the maze." Sae-byeok's eyes locked onto his, a spark of hope igniting within her. Maybe, just maybe, they could survive this twisted game after all. But as she gazed into Sang-woo's eyes, she felt a flutter in her chest, a sense of unease that had nothing to do with the maze.