It felt good that there didn’t seem to be any more plants as we continued. Although it also seemed as if the weird glowing plants were the least of our problems, because I heard my name being called.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, what?” Aster replied, making me frown at him.
“I don’t know, you tell me, you were the one who just called my name.”
I suddenly felt resistance on my arm to find his meaty hand wrapped around it, pulling me to a stop. Then he filled me with dread when he told me,
“No, Alex…”
“I didn’t.”
“Alex.”
I heard it again, faint at first, but it was there… a whisper in the air. I’d thought it was Aster, but like he said, he hadn’t said my name.
“Alex.”
It came again, louder and more obvious.I stopped dead, and Aster turned, waiting for an explanation.
“Did you hear it that time?”
“Ignore it.” He reached out a hand, beckoning me to continue.
I hesitated before stepping forward, but as I did, I could feel a shift underneath my feet. The calm, rhythmic breathing from before had changed. It was faster now, still calm, but not the slow, deep breathing associated with slumber.
“Al…ex.”It sounded both friendly and ominous.
I pointed to the wall.
“There, again. It said my name again.”
Aster shook his head. “No, it didn’t. That’s what it wants you to think.” He gestured again to continue with him, and I let out a long breath, trying to calm my heart that was now beating double time.
A slow vibration started in the walls, and the sound of stone scraping along stone grated through my ears. Behind Aster, a wall grew seemingly out of nowhere, blocking our path.
“Fuck,” I said, my heart sinking. I had let fear take hold, just like the labyrinth wanted me to. And Aster knew it, as he took a step toward me, reaching for my arm.
“Stay close.”
I refrained from stating the obvious by telling him there wasn’t anywhere else for me to really go, but I bit my tongue.
It was my fault. He had remained calm through all of this, keeping me safe.
So, I nodded, putting my hand on his and squeezing it before admitting, “I’m sorry.” I couldn’t look at him, embarrassed that I had failed us from a single voice calling my name.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” he returned with sincerity in his voice. He opened his mouth to say more, but then a low scrape of stone joined us once again, though this time, it came from behind us.
“We’re not alone,” he stated calmly, though his shoulders tensed, and he drew his sword from his scabbard, its steel catching the red glow.
“How do you know?”I whispered in return, gripping onto his arm as I did so and feeling the change in his skin, so different from my own.
More scraping stone echoed around us, the walls changing to the point I didn’t know which way was forward and which would take us back the way we had come. He didn’t need to answer, as a shadow moved along a path to our right, one that had been a wall moments ago. A noise came from the left. My heart lurched, and I realized that whatever was with us, there was more than one.
“This isn’t… isn’t helping my fear,” I stuttered, letting out a heavy breath.
“Just keep moving,” Aster said, pushing me onto the new path on our right. He positioned himself against me, walking backward, protecting my back as I continued forward. Then we came to a crossroads.
