The corridor stretched ahead like a golden throat waiting to swallow him whole. Fenix moved with predatory grace, his enhanced senses extended to their maximum range as he navigated the labyrinth's deceptive passages. The artificial illumination that had guided him through the statue gallery continued here, but the quality of light felt different - less welcoming, more clinical, as if the temple itself was studying his every movement.
His boots made soft whispers against the polished floor as he advanced deeper into the ancient structure. Black Soul's weight at his side provided constant reassurance, the weapon's dark steel humming with barely contained energy that resonated with his own power. After rejecting the labyrinth's first trial, he felt more attuned to the temple's true nature - not a place of worship or learning, but a comprehensive test designed to measure worthiness through systematic elimination of the undeserving.
