The stone door slammed shut behind them, like the Labyrinth had bitten down.
Kael leaned on the wall, chest rising and falling. His throat burned. Every word he spoke now felt like cutting glass.
Seren stood close, still shaking from being freed, but her eyes were sharp. She wrote quickly on her scrap and pushed it at him: Keep moving. It's still here.
Yeah. That heavy pressure in the air? The Warden wasn't gone.
Riven wiped his face with his sleeve. "Perfect. Now we've got a mute girl, you croaking like an old man, and me turning into a walking shadow. What a squad."
Kael forced a rasp. "Better… than alone."
Seren's mouth curved in the faintest smile. She wrote again: Three survive better than two.
Riven leaned over, read it, and snorted. "Bossy already. Can't even talk, but bossy."
Kael almost laughed, even with his throat burning.
The corridor ahead was damp and narrow. Torches spat weak light. Kael touched the Key of Low Tide in his pocket. Cold, steady, solid. A comfort.
The walls groaned. Not random. On purpose.
Then it came.
BOOOONG.
The sound rolled out heavy, like a giant gong deep under the ground. The air shook with it.
Kael froze. The Burden of Silence pulled at his throat, punishing him for breathing.
Riven muttered, "Great. Now we have background music. What's next, a choir?"
Seren shot him a glare sharp as a knife. She scribbled and slapped the paper against his chest: Shut. Up.
"Tch." Riven clicked his tongue but shut his mouth.
They moved slowly. Each step echoed too loudly.
Another strike.
BOOOONG.
Closer.
The system whispered in Kael's head:
[Warden Interest: Active] Aspect: Silence Trigger: Group together
Kael's stomach sank. Yeah. It's watching.
They pressed against the wall, moving toward a thin crack ahead. The Compass at Kael's chest tugged faintly toward it. Seren pointed, then tapped her throat: quiet.
They slipped into a small alcove. It smelled of wax and sweat. On the ledge sat a scrap of paper, held down with a pebble. Kael grabbed it.
If bells toll, hide. Don't say your name. —S.
Riven leaned over. "Who the hell's S?"
Kael rasped, "Someone who didn't make it." He shoved the note into his cloak.
"Hmph." Riven grinned nervously. "Well, thanks for the tip, ghost."
BOOOONG.
The alcove shook.
At the end of the corridor, a porcelain mask leaned into view. Cracked. Blank. Empty eyes. It didn't walk. It just appeared.
Kael's grip tightened on the Key.
The system whispered:
[Warden Approaching]
Rule: Stay still. Fail: Voice → Echo → Erased
Seren scribbled fast, shoved it at him: Use the Key.
"Ugh." Riven breathed too loudly.
The mask tilted. The silence felt alive, swallowing every sound.
Kael jammed the Key into the seam at his feet and twisted. Stone closed like jaws. The mask cracked, broke, and fell into pieces.
BOOOONG.
The gong hit like a hammer. Kael's bones rang with it.
The system ticked:
[Binding Achieved] Time: 7 breaths Cost: Echo -1
Kael staggered. Riven barked a laugh. "Heh. Seven breaths? Fantastic. I'll count them out for us. One, two—"
Seren rolled her eyes, scribbled Idiot, and shoved it into his chest.
"Pfft." Riven grinned anyway.
They didn't wait. They ran.
Behind them, the corridor groaned again, softer now.
BOOOONG.
The sound lingered, patient, like the Labyrinth had written them down in its book.
Kael didn't look back. He didn't need to.