The torch's light shone brightly.
Aiden suddenly lifted his head, the iron door creaked open, and a faint and cruel light filled the dungeon. The air is filled with the smell of asphalt and rust.
Outside the threshold, fully armed figures stepped forward, their boots hitting the stones with a clanging sound.
Stand up, dirty thing! "Shouted a guard.
The chains were roughly untied. The shackles on the wrist were suddenly broken free, but they remained heavy. Aiden stumbled forward and was dragged along with dozens of prisoners.
The thin and frail body dragged its feet into the corridor, with hollow eyes and trembling limbs.
They were driven up and climbed along the spiral steps carved out of the rocks. With each step, the air became even colder and colder - until they finally arrived at a spacious hall illuminated by hundreds of torches.
In front of them
maze.
Uneven black stone walls stood tall in the darkness, with walls covered in iron spears.
The long corridor splits into endless forks, each side of which is covered with shiny, blade like spikes that shine like glass.
Some spikes are stained with dried blood, while others are stained with bright red blood. The stench of decay wafted out from deep within.
This is not just a maze, this is a cemetery.
The prisoners froze, fear gripping their hearts. Aiden narrowed his eyes.
Needle maze.
He heard those whispers. A torturous trial. The place where a slave is sent is not for living, but for entertainment.
Above, a balcony is faintly visible. The supervisors in long robes looked down upon the gathered prisoners with mocking expressions on their faces. One of them raised a hand, his voice cold and loud.
The herds of cattle in the Dark Fortress. Today, you have proven your worth. Those who have passed through the maze may still have one more day to live. Those who have fallen... will nourish the earth with their own blood
The prisoners were trembling with fear. A woman began to cry. A boy knelt down on the ground.
The chains were broken, and the door of the maze creaked open.
The supervisor smiled, his teeth sparkling in the light of the torch.
Running
The command sounded like thunder.
Running
The door suddenly opened, and the ground seemed to be shaking. Rust and the smell of death permeated the hall. In a moment, the prisoners fell silent. Then, there was chaos.
Dozens of bodies surged forward, pushing and shoving each other, desperately trying to escape the whips or blades of the guards behind them. The iron chains creaked, the footsteps slipped, and screams echoed one after another, like crowds rushing into a maze.
Aiden was swept away by the current of water. His bare feet rubbed against the uneven stones, tearing his skin apart with every step. But he doesn't run blindly like others. His gaze swept over the walls covered in thorns, the crossroads, and the ever-changing shadows. He has seen traps before. He knows that death lurks here.
The first victim proved him right.
A man suddenly rushed forward and ran along a narrow path. His hand brushed against the wall, making a metallic hissing sound as the stone moved.
Dozens of fine needles shot out like venomous snakes, piercing his chest. His scream lasted only a second before collapsing to the ground, nailed to the wall like a bizarre puppet.
There were gasps of terror in the crowd, followed by panic.
Some prisoners push others into danger and sacrifice them as unwilling shields. Others became savage, beating anyone in their way with fists and broken chains.
Aiden continued to move forward, weaving through the crowd. He lowered his head and dodged a swinging blade, which split the three people in half. He walked around the edge of the corridor and watched as the spikes were pulled up from the ground, where others had stepped on them.
He realized with a gloomy expression that this was not a power struggle. This is a slaughterhouse, a game for upper level supervisors.
On the balcony, the owner wearing a long robe watched as the body fell, and bursts of cruel laughter could be heard. For them, this is entertainment. For prisoners, this is about life and death.
Aiden leaned against the wall, his chest heaving violently. Blood flowed on the floor around him.
A boy lay nearby, his leg pierced by a hidden spear. He kept screaming until another desperate captive hit his skull with a stone, leaving him speechless - all in order to steal the little food he had tied around his waist.
The maze not only uses traps to kill people, but also turns people into beasts to kill.
Aiden's hands trembled. Not because of fear, but because of anger.
If this is the law of the world... then I will break it.
Almost amidst the screams and steel collisions, faint whispers could be heard again.
Break free from your chains... I will guide you.