When Stephen opened his eyes, he noticed the room had returned to its former state. The atmosphere felt as if it had just emerged from a time warp. He quickly stood up, his heart swelling with excitement. He quickly felt his clothes and realized he was wearing his noble, elegant attire. This gave him a deep sense of relief and peace.
Looking around the room, he saw Agnes lying on the floor. He rushed to her side in concern and shouted, "Agnes!" but she didn't respond. When he lightly slapped her face to wake her up, she startled awake with fear and quickly stood up. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear, but there was also a glimmer of joy.
"My God, I finally managed to wake up!"
"I thought it wouldn't work since I assumed you were unconscious."
"I wasn't unconscious," Agnes replied resolutely. "I was just under the influence of that absurd, thick voice. Thanks to you, I was saved. Thank you..." she said, as if the words were forced out of her mouth.
Stephen looked at Agnes with a sincere smile. "You're welcome," he said, with deep gratitude in his eyes. Agnes immediately pointed to the door with her finger. "Stephen, wasn't the door closed? It opened by itself!"
"Then let's not stay here, let's get out. We didn't find anything anyway."
Stephen was about to leave the room when a piece of paper suddenly appeared in front of him. He bent down, picked it up, and began to read.
"Time flows swiftly like a river, with no return."
"Just what we needed, another riddle," Agnes said, this time in a louder tone, but Stephen's mind was only filled with the words on the paper.
Agnes's voice struggled to penetrate Stephen's inner world, but he was absorbed in the words on the paper. He was searching for the missing piece of the puzzle, straining his mind to find clues of meaning. "Time flows swiftly like a river, with no return," he whispered to himself.
"Time flows swiftly, we can't go back and correct a mistake. It never flows backwards." These words echoed within the room, resonating between the walls.
Agnes's impatience created a turmoil in the room's mysterious atmosphere. Stephen's attention was momentarily distracted, but then he noticed a door slowly appearing on the blank wall. Pointing excitedly to the mysterious door, he said, "A door has appeared. Look. We need to go there."
Agnes looked at Stephen's finger and then turned her eyes to the other corners of the room. She scrutinized for a long time but saw nothing. "Where is the door? I can't see it," she said, with a tone of dissatisfaction in her voice.
The room was filled with a mysterious atmosphere. Stephen's eyes were fixed on the blank wall where the mysterious door had appeared. Agnes, however, was looking into an empty space with no meaning. But this was not just a door, it also symbolized a passage. A passage leading to the unknown, uncertainty, and adventure.
A wave of excitement rose within Stephen, as this door indicated the next step for them. Although Agnes couldn't see the apparent door, she too felt a spark of curiosity inside her.
"Is the door only for me?" Stephen asked, his voice clearly tinged with anxiety. However, more than whether it was just for him, he was focused on following the direction the door was showing him.
"It could be dangerous. Better not go. It might be a trick," Agnes said, trying to persuade him. But Stephen's determination remained unbroken. The allure of uncertainty and danger stirred curiosity within him.
"But what are we going to do if we leave here? Most of the doors downstairs were locked," Stephen said, considering how meaningless it might be to go back. Agnes's silence made him think he was right.
"True, there's that too. I guess I have no choice but to wait for you," Agnes said, finally giving in. She had accepted that she couldn't stop Stephen from going.
"Unfortunately, I have to go," Stephen said, giving Agnes a sincere look.
"See you."
"It sounds like a farewell..." Stephen whispered with a sad expression.
"I don't trust that door," Agnes thought, silently watching.
When Stephen opened the mysterious door, it closed by itself. However, this didn't discourage him, as another door appeared in front of him. He was ready to take the next step with anticipation.
Standing in front of the new door, he noticed a piece of paper and immediately picked it up. He began to read the sentence on the paper. "The stars shining in the sky offer a new beginning every night," he whispered to himself. This sentence, like the previous riddle, carried a deep meaning. His mind focused on solving the mystery of the riddle.
"Since the previous riddle was about time, this one might be too," Stephen thought. "Hmm... Then the answer must be Tomorrow."
Tomorrow... It meant a new beginning, a new hope. Stephen's excitement increased even more. Solving this riddle could show him a new direction. And so it did. As soon as Stephen said this, another door appeared and opened.
When he opened the door, Stephen was met with a surprise. He stepped into a room dimly lit by candles and torches. As he examined the room, he noticed two intertwined circles drawn on the floor, with the symbol of magical elements in the center. The stone walls surrounding the room added to its mysterious atmosphere, and the dim light made it somewhat eerie.
As Stephen carefully inspected the surroundings, he moved toward a table. On the table were old and dusty books. Stephen began to examine these books carefully, as they might contain clues to uncover the secrets of this mysterious room.
Suddenly, he heard a voice calling him, a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. It was a voice filled with a slight echo but evoked a familiar feeling. As Stephen tried to figure out where the voice was coming from, he carefully scanned the room but saw no one. The voice called out again.
"Stephen!"
When Stephen suddenly turned around, he saw Cedric wearing his black cloak adorned with mystical patterns. With his hood up, Cedric's face was hidden, and he appeared only as a faint silhouette. Stephen was stunned, as Cedric's unexpected appearance and silence had a profound impact on him.
As Cedric quietly advanced, his mystical aura filled the room. His steps were silent, but their effect was profound. Stephen watched Cedric approach, his heart beginning to race. This encounter was both exciting and frightening for him.
Cedric began to speak slowly, "It's been a long time, Stephen. Or should I say, Your Majesty?"
His voice echoed within the room. There was a mysterious tone to it, as if he was bringing news of an unknown future. Stephen listened intently to this mysterious figure's words.
"Call me whatever you like. But that's not the important issue. How did you get here?" Stephen asked Cedric directly, trying to unravel the mystery.
Cedric's answer surprised Stephen even more. "You came here, not me. This is my domain," he said with a mysterious expression. These words caused new questions to arise in Stephen's mind.
"But such a big coincidence is impossible! Could it be that you know Master Albert?" thought Stephen, trying to make sense of Cedric's words. Perhaps Master Albert had something to do with these mysterious events.
Cedric's answer made Stephen's thoughts even more complex. "The only thing I know about him is that he's an Organization member. But you're right, it's not a coincidence. Well done, your mind is working well," he said with a mysterious smile.
Cedric's words created a storm in Stephen's mind. He had many questions about how Cedric could have foreseen his arrival here.
"So how did you know I would come here?" asked Stephen, looking at Cedric with curiosity.
Cedric replied with a mysterious expression. "We are descendants of the Great Wizard. Our ancestor blessed his lineage with the gift of prophecy," he said with a mystical air. This explanation left Stephen even more astonished. Perhaps the roots of the mysteries in his life dated back a long time.
"So you knew I would run away from home, that I was actually a prince, everything, right?" Stephen asked in amazement.
Cedric nodded slightly. "Not exactly everything. Our ability to see the future is limited. But yes, I knew some things. Anyway, there are more important matters we need to discuss," he said, then teleported the ring into his hand.
Stephen's eyes sparkled with the information Cedric was sharing. He listened with curiosity, each new piece of information exciting him more.
"Like what?" asked Stephen, eager to learn more about what Cedric had to say.
Cedric answered with a genuine smile. "For instance, copying abilities of other magic elements, dispelling dark energy, or spiritual sharpness," he said, his eyes gleaming. "There are even more, of course, and these usually emerge with ability copying."
Stephen felt a bit weary hearing this. "And I'll need to undergo training to use these, right?" he asked, thinking about how challenging the training process might be.
Cedric, sensing his concern, tried to reassure him with a warm smile. "Exactly, but it will be easier than magic training, especially if you know how to use a sword," he said, offering support.
"I'm already training for that. The instructors say I'm making good progress."
"Excellent! Then all that's left is to create your clone."
"What will we use it for? To disguise myself?"
"Something like that. In the evenings, you'll come here, and the clone will wander around the palace. No one will notice your absence."
Stephen's worried expression questioned Cedric's plan. "But the clone isn't very intelligent or realistic," he said, still harboring some doubt.
Cedric understood this concern. "That's true for magic-based clones. But a clone created with a potion is quite realistic. I'll give you a potion, and after you drink it, you just need to perform the magic," he explained, trying to ease Stephen's worries.
Stephen looked at Cedric with gratitude. "No amount of thanks would be enough. You've truly been a great help to me and continue to be... I owe you so much," he said, with a touch of embarrassment.
Cedric smiled warmly. "You're welcome. I'm just fulfilling my duty. There's no need to feel indebted," he said, trying to comfort Stephen.
Stephen was surprised by Cedric's words. "What do you mean by duty?" he asked thoughtfully. However, Cedric ignored this question. "Now, your friends must be waiting for you. You should go," he said, changing the subject.
Stephen decided not to press Cedric further. He had already pushed him enough and didn't want to bother him again. So, he calmly said, "Alright then. Goodbye."
Cedric smiled sincerely and said, "See you at our first training session tomorrow." When Stephen suddenly found himself in the same room as Agnes, he noticed her flinch upon seeing him.
"Are you okay?" Agnes asked immediately with concern.
Stephen nodded slightly. "I'm fine."
Agnes asked curiously, "What was in that room?"
"Just a few more puzzles. And once we leave here, another door will appear," Stephen replied.
Agnes wasn't entirely convinced by Stephen's lie, but she didn't care. When they left the room and went downstairs, they saw their other friends waiting for them. Aina, impatiently, said, "Where have you been? We've been waiting forever!"
Aaron, with a sly and sarcastic tone, joked, "They must have had a hard time dealing with that deep voice."
Agnes responded without hesitation, "We encountered puzzles along the way. That's why we were delayed."
Aaron's eyes turned to Stephen in surprise. "Puzzles that weren't given to us were given to you? This must be Albert's doing," he said with a suspicious look.
Stephen answered his friends sincerely, "It has nothing to do with Master Albert. It must have been a coincidence and it only happened to me."
"Stephen, you should have told us that solving the puzzles would reveal a new door," Agnes remarked.
Damn it! Just what I needed. What if the door doesn't appear? he thought, but then suddenly a door appeared on the floor.
"Is this one of your illusions, Harry?" Aaron asked mockingly, maintaining his playful tone.
Harry turned to Aaron and replied, "What illusion? Why would I make an illusion?" he said earnestly.
"You get along well with Stephen, after all. It can't be a coincidence that the door appeared right when they mentioned it," Aaron pointed out. Stephen, meanwhile, bent down and grasped the door handle, opening it slightly.
When the door opened, stairs leading down to a dark corridor appeared. Stephen frowned and muttered, "How could this be an illusion?" Silently, he thanked God.
Aaron chose to remain silent this time, but Agnes was determined to tease him. "Yeah, keep quiet like that. The more you talk, the more you mess up," she said with a sarcastic smile.
"Okay, guys. Let's drop the subject, please," Stephen interjected.
They began descending slowly. Since it was pitch dark, Harry said, "Light," illuminating their surroundings. In front of them stood a massive labyrinth.
"But it's very dark here and there are many different paths, we need to split up. We can't take Harry with us."
After thinking for a moment, Stephen replied to Aaron, "Why don't we create our own light source? Aina has the nature element, she can create some wooden sticks, and Agnes can use her fire to light them. That way, we can have a light source without Harry."
With the light source created by Stephen's suggestion, the friends proceeded toward the labyrinth, ready to tackle the challenging task ahead. However, Aaron wasn't pleased with this solution. The others liked Stephen's idea and decided to follow his plan.
Aina used her nature element to create several wooden sticks, and Agnes used her fire element to light them. Each of them took a torch and began to advance through the dark corridors of the labyrinth. At the entrance of the labyrinth, there were exactly eight different paths.
Before giving an important directive to his friends, Stephen decided to have one last conversation. "Whoever finds the correct path, use the trance link to communicate with us and describe the way. Focus all your attention, please. This is very important for us," he said, trying to motivate his friends.
⚔️⚔️⚔️
Albert had come to the house for an inspection. When he tried to open the door, he couldn't. How could this be? The house's magic should be under the control of the organization, he thought anxiously. Albert tried various spells to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Filled with worry and fear, he kicked the door several times, but it was futile. As a last resort, he focused all his attention on sensing the auras and energies around him. After a few seconds, he felt a high concentration of dark energy. The house must have been cursed with dark magic again.
Without wasting any time, Albert quickly teleported to the organization. As soon as he entered, his colleague Richard was the first to greet him. Richard was one of the rare fairies who had risen to the rank of Gold 1 in a short time. He dealt with most matters in the organization and was one of the most authoritative figures. Seeing Albert's worried state, Richard asked curiously:
"Is there a problem, Mr. Albert?"
Albert took a deep breath and replied, "The house where we sent the Chosen Ones for the test has been cursed. The children are trapped!"
Richard responded in shock, "The magic energy of that house was under the organization's control. This is impossible."
Albert continued with a serious expression, "I believe the sudden appearance of those demons is related to this matter."
Richard thought for a moment and then made his decision: "If that's the case, then the bearer of the Sword of Justice is in danger. Those demons seem very powerful. I will send our strongest magic masters there."
Stephen moved slowly through the labyrinth, keeping his hands on the right wall. He carefully examined the walls with each step, trying to memorize any differences he noticed. He was deeply focused, giving all his attention to solving the labyrinth's mysteries.
Suddenly, he felt his right hand hit an empty space. Nearly stumbling, he regained his balance and turned his head to the right. In front of him was an area surrounded by walls. Stephen entered this area and began to examine it carefully. However, he found nothing of interest.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard a familiar voice. The deep, booming voice called out to him. Stephen turned in the direction of the voice and listened intently. This unexpected development showed that the mysteries of the labyrinth ran deeper than he had imagined.
"Hey, kid!"
Stephen quickly turned his head and locked eyes with a man. With a large build, dirty stubble, deep black eyes, and wavy hair, this man was the spitting image of the one he had encountered in the Purple Hell.
For a moment, Stephen struggled to believe it. Is this man really standing before me? he thought, stunned.
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" he asked, his voice filled with shock and curiosity.
The man replied calmly, "I don't know, but I don't care."
Stephen, still in disbelief, said, "You didn't know what was happening when we first met, and now you still don't know."
The man grinned slyly and responded, "It seems you've grown some courage to speak to me like that."
Stephen, growing more curious, asked, "Who are you, anyway?"
"The so-called Lord of Darkness," the man said with a sinister smile. Stephen stared at him in shock, speechless. He had heard that no one had the power to defeat the Lord of Darkness, and his anxiety grew with each passing second.
"Instead of staring at me blankly, you'd better prepare to fight!" the Lord of Darkness warned, his eyes gleaming with a challenge.
"Huh?" Stephen replied, still in shock.
"You heard me right. I challenge you to a duel. If you win, I'll let you and your friends leave this place. But if you lose..."
Before the Lord of Darkness could finish his sentence, Stephen, speaking from his subconscious, interrupted: "I know, I'll die."
This unexpected offer stirred complex emotions within Stephen. He felt both fear and determination. Now he faced a difficult choice: fight for his and his friends' freedom or accept death. His eyes locked onto the Lord of Darkness with determination, as he knew he had to fight.
"Good, then. The lives of your friends and yourself depend on this battle. Act accordingly," the Lord of Darkness said, spreading his arms. Black smoke began to surround him slowly. Stephen could barely hear him say, "Master of Shadows." The area was enveloped in complete darkness, and even the torch in Stephen's hand couldn't illuminate it.
At that moment, Stephen realized he was waiting for an attack. Quickly placing his hands parallel, he formed a white sphere in his hands and shouted, "Radiant Storm!" A massive burst of fairy dust erupted, dispersing the darkness. Just then, Stephen noticed the Lord of Darkness moving behind him. He quickly turned around and countered the incoming attack from the Lord of Darkness, who had a fistful of dark energy, with "Shield!"
The struggle between darkness and light shattered the silence of the labyrinth. As Stephen fought determinedly against his enemy, he was ready to do anything to protect his friends and his own life.
The Lord of Darkness grinned, "Not a bad start." He then quickly retreated. "Now it's time to challenge you a bit more," he said, charging his hands with dark energy. As he moved his fingers, human shadows suddenly began to form on the ground. These shadows didn't just remain as shadows; they took on human forms. The dark entities advanced toward Stephen menacingly.
Stephen created a new sphere by saying, "Radiance of Positivity!" and threw this sphere at a shadow entity. However, it seemed like nothing happened to the shadow entity.
The struggle between darkness and light intensified. The shadows created by the Lord of Darkness were putting Stephen in a difficult situation. Each shadow entity approached him like a dangerous enemy. Stephen was more focused than ever to overcome this challenge. As he pondered on the strategy to counter the shadows' attack, he continued to fight determinedly to protect his friends and himself.
Suddenly, Stephen saw his ring glowing. With astonishment, he removed the ring from his finger, and it transformed into a sword. The sword was surrounded by bright lights and emitted a powerful aura. Stephen felt that he had transferred the positive aura within him to the sword without his control. With this sudden change, he felt stronger and more determined.
As the shadow entities slowly approached him, they suddenly began to accelerate towards him. As the number of shadow entities increased, so did Stephen's determination. When one of the shadow entities attempted to approach him, he swiftly made a move, swiftly swinging his sword to impale the entity. The shadow entity instantly turned to dust.
Stephen infused more energy into his sword and began to run towards the center of the shadows. Gripping the sword tightly with both hands, he started spinning it. As the sword spun rapidly, it emitted a magical aura around it. This aura pushed back and shattered the shadows, turning them into dust. Stephen continued his rotation with determination, powerful and dazzling.
When he finally stopped spinning, there were only a few shadow entities left around him. He quickly destroyed these shadows with his sword. Then, he changed his direction and looked towards the Lord of Darkness. As the use of the sword ended, it transformed back into a ring.
He locked his gaze onto the Lord of Darkness, as if expecting the next move from him. With determination and readiness, he focused on the challenging battle ahead.
The Lord of Darkness seemed to notice this and immediately began to make a new move. The black smoke concentrated into a sphere in the center of the area and then took on a humanoid form. This form was the very demon he had encountered when he first met the Chosen Ones. But this time, behind the demon, there were many arms. These arms resembled octopus arms to some extent.
As Stephen prepared for the attack, the demon quickly moved towards him with an unexpected move. It wrapped one of its arms around Stephen and began to swing him up and down. Stephen was on the verge of losing his balance and almost felt like vomiting. However, he quickly began to think. Could he control the sword? It was in ring form, and by focusing all his attention on the ring, he forcibly saw the ring turn into a sword.
Stephen quickly teleported the sword into his hand and managed to cut off the demon's arm. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he freed himself from the demon's grasp and landed on the ground. However, the cut arm quickly regenerated. Stephen understood how powerful his enemy was, and he had to be ready for the tough battle ahead.
He infused energy into his hand again, creating spheres that turned into clones. With the clones he created in his hand, Stephen started to rush towards the demon. The clones mimicked every move Stephen made, constantly attacking the demon. When Stephen cut off one of the demon's arms, the other clones performed the same action. Although the demon tried to destroy the clones with magic, Stephen continued to create new ones. In the process, he began to tire due to expending too much energy, but he still persisted with determination.
The demon's arms were now regenerating too late, and the clones were distracting him. Stephen took advantage of this opportunity to infuse his sword with energy again and stabbed it into the demon's heart. The demon turned to dust in an instant. With no need for the clones anymore, Stephen destroyed them.
Slowly approaching the Lord of Darkness,
Stephen said with anger and courage,
"Why do you send other beings to fight
me instead of facing me yourself?"
The Lord of Darkness approached
Stephen with a sinister smile. There was a
mysterious gleam in his eyes, which filled
Stephen with unease. "Your trainers say
you're good at sword fighting. So, let's
engage in a sword fight," he said, creating
a sword out of dark energy. This sword
emitted a dark aura, the complete
opposite of the Justice Sword's aura.
In response to the impending threat from
the Lord of Darkness, Stephen
transformed his ring back into a sword
There was a tension between the two
opposing forces because this was not
just an ordinary sword fight; it was a
battle between good and evil.
With the Lord of Darkness's sword in
hand, the warrior spirit within Stephen
awakened. He prepared his sword with a
determined expression and took a
defensive stance against his opponent
There was silence between the two, but
the atmosphere was filled with tension.
The contact between the two warriors'
swords began with a metallic clang,
echoing throughout the labyrinth's walls
and filling the entire area. After the initial
contact, both of them took determined
steps forward towards each other.
With each strike, the gleam of the swords
left impressive traces, even illuminating
the dark corners of the labyrinth. The
powerful and controlled blows clearly
demonstrated the skills of both warriors.
As the two warriors battled, their
movements resembled a dance. Each
attack and defense happened seamlessly
in perfect rhythm with the next move. As
the two forces clashed within the
labyrinth, the tension in the air increased.
As the speed of the battle increased, each
strike and defense became even more
skillfu and rapid. When one warrior
attacked, the other courageously
continued to counter instead of
retreating. The exchanges of blows and
defenses happened as if in tune with the
rhythm of a dance.
As time went on, both warriors began to
move even faster. When one attacked, the
other made perfect defenses and
instantly retaliated. However, after a
determined attack from Stephen, the Lord
of Darkness's defense was broken. Yet,
with one last effort, the Lord of Darkness
strengthened his defense and countered,
knocking his opponent to the ground.
The Lord of Darkness's sword cut
Stephen's body in several places, and
blood flowed. Stephen lay on the ground
in pain, gasping for breath.
"1 see no trace of your earlier bravery," the
Lord of Darkness said with a mocking
smile.
As Stephen tried to cope with the cuts
and pains in his body, he heard the Lord
of Darkness's mocking laughter. The pain
clouded his mind and intensified with
each breath. With the Lord of Darkness
continuing to inflict cuts on his body,
Stephen felt as if he couldn't hear
anything he was saying.
But for a moment, with one last bit of
strength, he forcibly extended his arm and
teleported the sword into his hand
Stephen stabbed the Lord of Darkness in
the leg with the sword. But he was met
with a calm response from the Lord of
Darkness, "Well, I didn't expect that, he
said. He should be writhing in pain right
now, Stephen thought. But he was met
with an unexpected situation. The Lord of
Darkness's limbs began to slowly
disappear and turned into dust. Stephen
was surprised to see no blood flowing
from his leg, but this surprise didn't
alleviate his pain.
As the Lord of Darkness completely
disappeared, Stephen couldn't find the
energy to celebrate this victory. The pain
and exhaustion in his body had taken over
him. Eventually, this exhaustion and pain
caused him to faint. As his eyes closed
he lost consciousness in the depths of
that dark labyrinth.