Episode 29 (Part 01)
The air grew heavier the deeper Alok and his friends walked into the labyrinth. Each step echoed against the cold stone walls, swallowed almost instantly by the oppressive silence. Even the torches flickered as if reluctant to illuminate the path ahead.
"This place… it feels alive," Ceya whispered, her hand tracing the etched lines along the walls. The markings pulsed faintly under her touch, almost like veins of light running through stone.
Alok nodded, tightening his grip on his pendant. "Stay alert. Every corner could be a trap or worse."
A sudden click rang through the hall. The ground beneath Rihan trembled. With barely a second to react, Alok summoned a chain of shimmering light, yanking him backward as a set of razor-sharp spikes shot upward. The metal screeched as it collided with the chain, missing him by mere inches.
"Traps," Alok muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "This labyrinth isn't just old… it's alive. It's testing us."
The soldiers pressed on cautiously, stepping in sync with the faint vibrations of the floor. Another corridor split ahead, its walls covered with strange carvings depicting chains and creatures Alok didn't recognize.
And then a movement.
From the shadows, a Sectrep soldier emerged. Its form was twisted and skeletal, with blackened bones jutting from its body. Its eyes glowed red, and a faint whisper hissed: "Child of chains… you should not be here…"
"Get ready!" Alok shouted.
The first Sectrep lunged. Alok's war hammer materialized in a flash of light. He swung, striking the creature across its chest. It screamed, scattering dark mist into the air.
Ceya summoned her bow, firing arrows that glowed silver as they pierced through another Sectrep emerging from the wall. Rihan and the soldiers formed a protective line, fending off the undead attackers as they tried to flank them.
Blades clashed, sparks flew, and the air filled with the acrid scent of burnt magic. Alok's chest heaved. Each strike cost him energy, but the creatures kept coming, relentless, as if the labyrinth itself was feeding them.
After the last Sectrep dissolved into black mist, silence fell. Only the soft echoes of their own breathing remained.
Alok's eyes fell on a wall behind the fallen creatures. Faint letters glimmered through the dust:
"Sedfxsoo Enko."
Ceya stepped closer, tracing the letters with trembling fingers. "These… these aren't just words. Something is trying to tell us something."
Alok's pendant pulsed faintly against his chest, reacting to the strange symbols. A low hum resonated in the air, almost like the labyrinth itself had noticed them.
"I feel… something ahead," Alok murmured. "A door, or maybe a passage… but it's sealed."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The shadows seemed to stretch, forming shapes in the corners of their vision. And somewhere deep in the labyrinth, a whisper echoed soft, but clear:
"…you are not alone…"
Alok swallowed hard. "We're only just beginning."