They began again, moving slowly, deliberately. Every step mattered. Every breath mattered. The labyrinth watched them—he could feel it—waiting for any sign of discord.
A wall shifted beside them, sliding open to reveal a narrow passage. Vaelor guided Mara through it, keeping her close. The tether pulsed warmly, their heartbeats syncing.
But the labyrinth wasn’t done testing them.
A sudden gust of icy wind blasted through the corridor, extinguishing the faint glow of the walls. Darkness swallowed them whole.
Mara’s heartbeat spiked.
The floor beneath them trembled.
“Stop,” Vaelor said gently. “Breathe with me.”
He turned toward her, placing her hand over his heart. He inhaled slowly, deeply. She followed his rhythm, matching his breath. Gradually, her pulse steadied.
The walls brightened again.
The floor stilled.
They moved forward.
Another corridor opened, this one lined with jagged ice formations that jutted out like teeth. The path narrowed until they had to walk sideways, pressed close together. Vaelor shielded Mara with his body, guiding her through the tight space.
Behind them, another scream echoed.
Blaine again.
Vaelor risked a glance back.
Blaine had tried to sprint through a corridor that was still shifting. A wall slammed shut on his arm, pinning him. He shrieked, thrashing wildly. Dugan tried to help, but the labyrinth reacted to Blaine’s panic. Ice spikes erupted around them, forcing Dugan to leap back.
“Stop moving!” Dugan shouted. “You’re making it worse!”
But Blaine didn’t listen.
He never listened.
The wall released him suddenly, sending him sprawling. He hit the ground hard, clutching his arm. Blood dripped onto the ice.
The labyrinth sealed the corridor behind them, trapping Blaine and Dugan in a dead end.
Vaelor turned away. “They’re done,” he said quietly.
Mara swallowed. “We have to keep going.”
They pressed on.
The labyrinth grew colder, the air sharper. Frost formed on their eyelashes. The tether pulsed faster as they neared the center—almost like a heartbeat guiding them.
Finally, they reached a wide chamber with a glowing ice pillar at its center. The air hummed with energy.
“This is it,” Mara whispered.
They approached the pillar together. As their hands touched it, the labyrinth reacted—walls shifted, opening a new path behind them.
The exit.
But the labyrinth wasn’t finished.
