The air shifted the moment they stepped past the archway.A cold, metallic tang clung to the air, as though the stone itself exhaled stale breath from centuries ago. The labyrinth's corridors stretched in narrow gray ribbons ahead of them, walls marked with twisting white veins like petrified lightning.
Eliakim's boots made no sound as he led the way, the Codex of Imreth resting against his chest under the scarf Seraphine had given him. It pulsed faintly with each step, not quite warning… but not at peace either."Stay close. I'll map as we move—no splitting off unless I call it," he ordered, already sketching the first turn into a worn leather notebook.
Skyling moved like a shadow on his left flank, blades ready but eyes scanning constantly."No sign of Kaelvryn?" she asked quietly."Gideon insisted he sit this one out. Says he wants to build his strength without relying on outside magic," Eliakim replied.
First Sector
The first fork led them into a narrow hall where dampness slicked the walls. Ezra knelt beside a mound of black fungus bursting through the cracks — Black Mushroom."Perfect for numbing pain… if you know how much to use," she murmured, storing it carefully.
A fluttering sound drew Skyling's gaze upward. She pivoted, daggers flashing, just as a massive giant butterfly, its wings patterned like jagged eyes, descended in silence.Gideon's voice was tight: "Mine."He met the creature mid-air, twin axes carving arcs of steel and wind. One slash took its wing; the second split its thorax."Not bad," Skyling smirked as the corpse hit the floor.
Ezra pointed to a shimmer further down the corridor — a Blue Plant swaying in still air. Its stalk snapped clean into her pouch.
Second Sector – Red Mushroom & Monkey
The path curved sharply right, Eliakim marking two dead ends before the sound of chattering echoed ahead.A cluster of thick vines wrapped around a squat mushroom with blood-red spots — Red Mushroom.Ezra bent low, but her fingers stopped short as shadows dropped from above — three labyrinth monkeys, their fangs bared and tails lashing.
Gideon stepped forward, but Eliakim raised a hand. "Circle right. Don't get cornered."Skyling darted along the left wall, flipping over one monkey's back and driving her blade into its spine. Gideon's axes whirled like windmills, each strike deliberate. He stood over the last monkey, chest heaving, another faint glow of power rippling from him.Ezra plucked the mushroom without a word.
Third Sector
A long corridor led into a room veined with white roots underfoot. In the center — the Red Plant, glowing faintly.Eliakim drew his scarf tighter. "Ezra, quick. This place feels—"
The floor hissed.A massive snake slid from a crack in the wall, its scales dull gray, eyes clouded like glass. It struck faster than thought, but Eliakim's shout came first."Low left!"Gideon met it mid-strike, axes biting deep into its neck. The beast writhed, slammed into the wall, then collapsed in a heap. Another flicker of power flared through him, the air around his arms almost shimmering.
Skyling crouched beside the corpse, inspecting the fangs. "This thing's venom could drop an ox in seconds."Ezra plucked the Red Plant and stored it without looking at the carcass.
Fourth Sector
They passed two narrow corridors before entering a cavernous chamber where something glittered from the far wall — the Shining Plant, crystalline and pale gold.
But the ground shook.A Big Foot, towering and covered in matted hair, stepped into the light. Its roar was so deep it rattled the teeth in their skulls."Take the right, I'll draw left!" Gideon barked without thinking.Skyling moved instantly, blades carving deep lines into the giant's forearm while Gideon hacked at its knee. Eliakim's voice guided their rhythm until the creature dropped to one knee — and Gideon's axes took its head.
Another surge of power burned faintly off his shoulders as Ezra hurried to claim the plant.
Fifth Sector
The air turned drier as they entered the next hall. Two more herbs — White Plant and Yellow Plant — grew in the same alcove, shielded by a crumbling arch. Ezra's hands moved with practiced care."These together can halt poison and purge fever. Rare to see them side by side," she said, pride threading her tone.
Eliakim's map now resembled a spider's web — six dead ends, four looping corridors, five cleared monster zones — and only one marked danger zone left.
Final Sector
They entered the southeast chamber, where light slanted strangely through an unseen source. The Vagabond Wolf stood in the center — massive, scarred, with eyes like molten silver.
It growled once, and the air thickened."Positions!" Eliakim barked.
The fight was vicious. Gideon met it head-on, twin axes ringing against fang and claw. Skyling weaved in and out of the wolf's blind spots, her blades cutting tendons and forcing the beast to stumble. Ezra threw prepared flash-powder to blind its charges. Eliakim's voice never stopped — every angle, every weak spot called out with precision.
At last, Gideon's final strike tore across its throat, sending it crashing to the ground. The chamber fell silent, and the Codex pulsed one long, deep beat.
In the center of the floor, the stone shifted — revealing a spiral staircase descending into shadow. The entrance to the second floor yawned before them.
Eliakim closed his map, eyes narrowing. "First floor… clear. But whatever's below——it's waiting for us."