Chapter 30: (Part 02 )
The group pressed on, the walls narrowing and twisting, almost as if the labyrinth itself was guiding them and testing them. Each step seemed heavier, the air thick with a subtle hum that vibrated through their bones.
Alok's pendant pulsed in rhythm with the unseen heartbeat of the place. "Stay close," he whispered, feeling the chains around his hands tingle, ready to strike.
Suddenly, the floor beneath Rihan quivered. A hidden pressure plate triggered, sending jagged stone spikes shooting from the wall. Alok reacted instantly, wrapping chains around his friend, yanking him back before the spikes could pierce him.
"This labyrinth… it's alive," Ceya muttered, eyes scanning the carved symbols along the walls.
The corridors twisted again, this time into a chamber filled with faint, flickering blue light. The glow revealed faint scratches along the floor, almost like claw marks but not from any ordinary beast.
From the shadows, Sectreps emerged, their skeletal forms lurching, eyes glowing with crimson malice. Their whispers filled the chamber:
"Chains must be broken… soul claimed…"
Alok didn't hesitate. His hands erupted in light, conjuring chains that wrapped around the nearest Sectrep, yanking it into the wall. Sparks flew as the creature screamed, dissolving into a cloud of black mist.
Rihan and the soldiers fought fiercely, spears and blades clashing against the undead soldiers. But for every Sectrep that fell, two more emerged from the darkness, feeding off the labyrinth's energy.
Amid the chaos, the pendant pulsed violently. Alok froze, noticing faint letters glowing on the wall:
"Sedfxsoo Enko."
Ceya stepped forward, tracing the letters. "It's like… a key. But a key to what?"
The pendant thrummed, tugging at Alok's chest. He could feel a hidden path, faintly etched in magic, revealing a narrow passage obscured by illusions. "This way," he said, leading his friends.
As they advanced, the whispers grew louder soft, taunting, warning them. Shadows twisted unnaturally, forming shapes that almost looked human, only to vanish the moment they blinked.
Rihan swallowed hard. "Every step… I feel like we're walking into something far bigger than us."
Alok nodded grimly. "Exactly. That's why we need to be ready. Whatever waits deeper inside… it's not just the Sectreps. Something far worse is watching."
At the end of the corridor, a heavy stone door sealed with glowing runes loomed. The pendant pulsed violently, reacting to the carvings. Alok's heart raced.
"Chains awaken where shadow meets flame… Only the worthy may step through."
The words repeated in his mind, resonating with the pendant. A faint warmth spread from his chest, as if the labyrinth itself was acknowledging his presence.
Alok clenched his fists. "We survive. We fight. And we uncover the truth no matter what waits beyond this door."
From the darkness, beyond the sealed stone, a pair of red eyes gleamed. They did not blink. They watched. They waited.
The hunt had only just begun.