Hello,
In my opinion, it doesn't make much sense to try the dark path before the heroic path.
Even if they are completely different stories, I think you won't appreciate the dark path at its full potential if you haven't done the heroic story first.
If I don't make any mistake, you can leave the maze after 4 deaths minimum.
You will need at some point to wear the clown clothes.
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IN fact, the determinant thing that makes you taking one or the other path is the fight against your madness.
As long as you haven't been defeated by your madness, you can still leave the maze and take the heroic path. You will be traumatized a lot, but it's still possible.
That's quite a good metaphore: will you resist or give up against your madness?
There are 10 kinds of people : those who know binary, and those who don't.