The right-hand tunnel proved to be mercifully uneventful for a period of time—no hidden pits, no collapsing ceilings. It twisted and turned, taking James through what felt like the entire subterranean footprint of the temple complex. The air grew progressively colder, and the earthy, damp scent intensified.
Then, after what felt like an hour—though it was probably only fifteen minutes—he heard it. A new sound, distinct from the drip of the water or the pounding of his heart.
It was the rhythmic, churning rush of moving water. A powerful, consistent sound that suggested a major watercourse.
He pressed forward, the tunnel suddenly becoming narrower and ending in a sharp turn. The torch beam caught a faint glimmer of light ahead.
He scrambled around the final bend and found himself in a small, circular chamber. The tunnel he was in ended abruptly at an old, circular vent grate, set low into the wall.
Beyond the grate, he could see the sky. He could feel the strong wind and hear the full-throated roar of a swift-moving river below. The chamber was an outflow point, leading onto the temple's outer stone embankment.
Relief washed over him, a brief, dizzying high. He was out of the temple's foundations. He was nearly free.
James rushed to the grate, pushing his face against the rusty iron. The grate was a heavy, circular barrier, half-obscured by thick, green ivy. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around the metal bars, pulling.
It wouldn't budge. It was secured from the outside by a thick, heavy, antique padlock, rusted firmly into place.
Trapped. The realization hit him with the physical force of a blow. He was in an air vent, a mouse in a pipe.
He put his shoulder into the grate, grunting with effort, ignoring the pain. The iron was too solid, the lock too old. He was utterly, completely sealed in.
And then, a sound that extinguished the last vestiges of his relief.
A shout from the tunnel behind him. A deep, guttural sound, instantly recognizable.
"There he is! Stop!"
The two giants, the ones who had fought Mei and pursued him through the scroll chamber, had found the secret door. They were in the labyrinth. And they were fast.