Welcome to Gaia! ::

At the dead end Wasa turned on her heel, confident that a new option was open behind her. Her understanding of the seeming randomness of the maze did not prevent her from feeling a little unsettled despite the wistful smile fixed on her face. Without a pattern, without some logic to it all, it was possible that someone could be lost in the maze forever. Of course Doctor Kyou wouldn’t let that happen, but if one wanted to keep a soul occupied indefinitely, this would be a proper solution.

Everything is topsy turvy now that you've hit this enchantment! Although initially invisible, the effects of this magical spell certainly are not - the sky is now the floor and the floor is now the ceiling and you're walking on it! This is enough to make anyone dizzy, but don't worry, it should wear off soon enough.

As she reached the dead end she sighed a little hum of relief. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about the whole Wasa-left Maze-left issue just yet, but of course now she felt a little silly for being happy about a dead end. She turned back towards the sculpture garden, feeling quite confident it would not be there anymore.

Another fork, another turn. She smiled as she imagined herself walking in an angular spiral. What an awkward snail shell that would make. Maybe there were creatures as varied and improbable as the maze dwelling under the tiles beneath her feet. Snails with little penrose shells or butterflies that spun cocoons to transform into plump little caterpillars.

The artisan sank down until her eyes were level with the hidden alcove. She brushed the vines to the side with her fingertips, tucking them behind the corner of a loosened brick like a curtain on a hook. A box? She gingerly grasped the shell of a snail and plucked it from the lid. She kept the little creature aloft as she eased the chest from its shelf, returning it to the moist brick once she had the box balanced on her knee. And a note? She unfolded crisply creased paper and glanced over the script. The creator… She held the box above her head, searching for some sort of insignia or inscription without jostling the contents too much. If there was no clear origin to the box, perhaps the note referred to some other designer. The master of the maze, perhaps?

She worked the paper under a bit of the metal banding of the chest, keeping the pair snuggly together. Something to speak to the doctor about, she supposed. If he wasn’t behind all the mysteries of the labyrinth, he’d surely know where to point her. Or maybe there was someone yet to meet in these corridors…

Tucking the box beneath her arm, she dropped the vines back into place and continued along her path.

The box jumped a few inches from her fingers as Wasa’s body jolted at the budget surprise. She fumbled briefly, overcompensating by wrapping both arms tightly around the box and nearly dropping her umbrella. Once she was sure she had both secure her eyes raised slowly to meet the dangling replica. She chuckled weakly as the crackling speaker struggled to finish its sound byte. It was so basic, so cliché, so completely unexpected in a mystical maze like this that it caught her completely off guard. “Very… clever.”

She stepped around the skeleton, half expecting to see cotton cob webs and plastic spiders dotting the hedges ahead. The creator certainly put in a dash of everything.

Refreshments! How thoughtful.  Wasa approached the table and examined each glass. The pink one was probably strawberry lemonade, the orange... Mimosa maybe? The purple one had her stumped all together. Checking over each shoulder to be sure no one would catch her acting odd she leaned over each goblet and sniffed. She couldn't take for granted that a beautiful liquid would taste as appealing. For example, she loved the color green but despised the taste of licorice. What if the purple was chilled squid ink?