The tunnels twisted around them, closing in with an oppressive silence broken only by the distant echoes of unseen things moving in the dark. Razalea kept a firm grip on Aiden’s wrist, pulse steady despite the lingering tension of their last encounter. The creatures hadn’t followed, at least not immediately—but she knew better than to assume they were safe.

  Aiden, however, was shaking. His breaths came uneven, ragged, his steps faltering more than once. When she finally loosened her grip, he yanked his hand away, his face pale beneath the dim torchlight.

  But there was no time for discussion. They pressed on, the labyrinth offering no reprieve. The path narrowed, forcing them to move single file, their shadows twisting unnaturally against the slick stone walls. Then, without warning, the ground sloped downward, and their footing gave way to a spongy, damp terrain. The torchlight revealed murky puddles stretching out before them, a foul, stagnant odor hanging in the air.

  Swamp.

  Razalea clicked her tongue in frustration. “Stay close. Watch where you step.”

  Aiden grimaced. “You think I’d willingly step into that?”

  They moved carefully, the muck sucking at their boots with each step. The deeper they went, the thicker the mist became, curling around their legs in unnatural tendrils. The air was too still, the silence pressing against their ears. Then came the first sting. Aiden hissed, slapping at his arm. Another sting. Then another. Tiny, translucent insects flitted through the fog, their bites leaving angry welts across their exposed skin.

  Aiden muttered a curse under his breath. “Of course there’d be bloodsuckers.” She narrowed her eyes. For someone who wasn’t even a teenager yet, he had a mouth like a seasoned mercenary- one without survival skills of course.

  Razalea said nothing, though irritation prickled beneath her skin over another matter, sharp and persistent. She had hoped the trials would be more straightforward—an obstacle course of skill and endurance, not this maddening scurry through unknown terrain. Every twist and turn of the Labyrinth felt deliberately misleading, as if the place itself was toying with them- which it obviously was. She and Aiden hadn’t seen or heard from another recruit since they entered, but she had no doubt the Labyrinth was responsible for that.

  How many had already failed? How many had been swallowed by the dark, their bodies claimed by unseen dangers? How many had uttered the those words hopelessly?

  Or maybe, they were the only ones struggling. They had little more than two hours left, but she wasn't sure if that meant survival alone would secure passage—or if simply enduring the trial was a fool’s game, leaving them stranded and ultimately marked as failures for not reaching the other side. Wherever that was.

  She had yet to catch sight of any key landmarks, and worse, there was no sense of direction to anchor herself. The terrain shifted too seamlessly, and her usual ability to orient herself—her sharp instincts, her subtle awareness of space—was failing her here. It made her uneasy. And she had a feeling they'd have to get used to the discomfort.

  The swamp finally relented, the ground firming beneath their feet as they entered a new corridor. The walls were draped in thick, curling vines, their deep violet hue almost shimmering under the flickering torchlight. The air was heavy, laced with a strange, almost sweet scent.

  Aiden, breathing heavily, reached out to brush his fingers against one—

  "Don’t."

  Her voice was sharp enough to make him freeze. Razalea moved past him, unsheathing a small dagger and slicing the vine cleanly. Almost instantly, a thick, acrid-smelling sap oozed from the cut, hissing as it hit the ground. Within seconds, the stone blackened and crumbled.

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  Aiden exhaled shakily. “Duly noted.”

  They navigated through the treacherous flora with measured steps, avoiding anything that looked even remotely unnatural—which, in this place, was everything. When the vines finally thinned and the path widened, Razalea felt her muscles relax ever so slightly. They stopped near an alcove where the air was marginally less oppressive, taking a moment to catch their breath.

  Aiden ran a hand through his damp hair, eyes flickering to her. “You killed it.”

  Razalea didn’t reply.

  “You didn’t hesitate. Not even for a second.”

  “We didn’t have time to hesitate,” she said coolly. “If I had, you’d be dead.”

  Aiden stared at her, and for a moment, there was something unreadable in his expression.

  Then—“That doesn’t scare you?”

  She blinked at him. “Scare me?”

  “That you didn’t even think about it. That you—” He exhaled sharply. “Never mind.”

  The real question he should have been asking was why there was a labyrinth teeming with monsters beneath a supposedly peaceful kingdom—and even more so why no one seemed to question it. And if this was only the first level, what kind of horrors lurked deeper? The thought sent a thrill through her, a mixture of curiosity and unease. She made a mental note to find out when this was all over.

  A familiar prickle crawled up the back of Razalea’s neck. Not guilt. Not regret. Something else—something far more complicated. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

  She turned away, her voice steady. “Let’s move.”

  They continued forward, stepping carefully over uneven stone, the tunnels narrowing in some places, expanding in others. The shifting nature of the labyrinth made it impossible to trust their surroundings. Walls that were solid a moment ago became open pathways. The torches flickered unnaturally, their flames dancing in patterns that felt deliberate. The deeper they went, the stronger the sense of unease grew. As far as they both knew they were still on the first level.

  Then, the air changed.

  Colder, more heavier — so much so they could barely stand.

  Razalea barely had time to process the sensation before a wave of nausea crashed over her. Her vision swam, the ground tilting beneath her feet.

  Not now.

  Not here.

  She staggered, gripping the wall for support. The torchlight pulsed—bright, dim, bright again. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to breathe through the vertigo.

  Aiden caught her by the arm. “Razalea? What’s wrong?”

  She wrenched herself free. “Nothing. Keep moving.”

  He didn’t believe her. She could see it in his eyes.

  But she couldn’t explain it. Couldn’t explain why the sounds around her felt too sharp, too stretched—why the air itself seemed to whisper against her skin. Her senses, normally her greatest weapon, were betraying her.

  Another wave of nausea hit, sharp and sudden. Her pulse pounded in her ears, too loud, too fast. She swallowed against the bile rising in her throat.

  Is this what all the recruits had to go through?

  Her vision flickered. The labyrinth shifted.

  Razalea wasn’t too sure if it was the labyrinth making her feel this way or-

  Aiden’s voice cut through the haze. “Razalea.”

  She blinked, refocusing. He was staring past her, his dagger gripped tightly in one hand. Slowly, she turned.

  A shadow loomed at the end of the corridor, shifting unnaturally against the stone. She blinked and a beast took it's place for a few seconds before blurring out of focus, the shadow back in it's place. She cursed beneath her breath, feeling familiar with her current state. The shadow had no form, no face—just a void, darker than the surrounding darkness.

  Razalea’s heartbeat stuttered.

  She had seen this before. "Run" she wanted to shout, but all Aiden heard from her was a strangled gasp.

  Razalea's memories stirred, blurred and jagged, refusing to take shape.

  Her fingers tightened around her blade.

  Move.

  But she couldn’t. Her body wouldn’t listen.

  The void pulsed.

  The ground beneath her feet gave way.

  Razalea fell. No, if this happened now, they both were going to die.

  The last thing she heard was Aiden’s voice shouting her name—before the darkness swallowed her whole.