The streets of Kaigen were never truly quiet, even under the pale embrace of the moon. Lanterns swayed gently from iron hooks, their light casting distorted silhouettes of merchants packing away their goods, of guards patrolling in pairs, of beggars wrapped in shadows.
Reiji walked among them, his cloak concealing more than just his face. The map the Court had given him burned faintly against his chest, its silver lines shifting subtly when he glanced at it — as if mocking his inability to control the path ahead.
From the rooftops, a shadow followed. Not the kind that came from the moon's light, but one that moved with intent.
"Still alive, I see." The voice came from above, calm but edged with amusement. A lithe figure dropped down in front of him — a woman in a half-mask, its design cracked as if it had survived fire. Her eyes, a sharp amber, didn't blink.
"You're in my way," Reiji said flatly.
"And you're in my city," she countered. "The Court rarely sends outsiders into the labyrinth without a leash. I want to know which end you're on — the hunter, or the hunted?"
Reiji's silence stretched for several heartbeats. The city around them seemed to recede, leaving only the sound of distant bells and the low hum of the wind through narrow alleys.
Finally, he answered, "Neither. I don't play their games."
The woman's smirk was brief, almost sad.
"That's what everyone says… before they vanish in there."
She stepped aside, but as he passed, her voice followed him.
"If you find the Key… remember who warned you."
By the time he turned back, she was gone, the rooftops empty once more. The moonlight felt colder now, its silver gaze sharp against the cobblestones.
Ahead, at the city's edge, the labyrinth's entrance loomed — an arch of black stone, carved with faces that seemed to shift when looked at too long.
Reiji exhaled once, slow and controlled, before stepping into the darkness.
The air within the labyrinth was thick — not with dust or decay, but with something older, heavier. It pressed against Reiji's skin like a second layer, making each breath feel measured, each step deliberate.
The passage ahead split into three, each path identical in stone and shadow. Yet the map in his possession shifted again, its silver lines coiling toward the leftmost route. He followed, though every instinct told him the labyrinth itself was alive, and aware of him.
A faint scratching sound echoed through the corridor. At first, it seemed distant. Then it grew sharper, closer, until it scraped against the edges of his thoughts.
Reiji slowed, hand resting lightly on the hilt of his blade.
From the dark ahead, shapes emerged — not men, not beasts, but something caught in between. Their limbs were wrong, bending too far, their eyes two white orbs glowing faintly. They did not walk; they crawled, nails digging grooves into the stone.
The first one lunged without hesitation. Reiji sidestepped, steel flashing once, the creature collapsing with a wet thud. Yet its body did not fall still — it clawed toward him, head turning unnaturally until its mouth split wide in a soundless scream.
Reiji stepped back, slashing again, severing its spine. Only then did it stop moving.
The rest watched in silence, then retreated into the shadows. The scratching noise followed them, fading until only his own breathing filled the corridor.
He tightened his grip on the map. This place doesn't want intruders… but it wants me alive long enough to get lost.
Far ahead, the silver lines on the map pulsed again — guiding him deeper.
Somewhere above the stone ceiling, the moonlight continued to shine, but here, beneath the city, there was only darkness.