The morning after their narrow escape was eerily calm. The oppressive darkness that cloaked the Labyrinth seemed thinner, as if the world itself had taken a breath. Yet, the quiet felt wrong—like a calm before a storm. Erhling, Kara, and Karl had made their way out of the city center and found a haven just outside its walls. It was a crumbling estate, overgrown with vines and shrouded in mist, but it was quiet and, for now, it seemed safe.
Kara sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor, her face distant, still processing the raw emotions from the night before. She had retreated into herself, barely speaking since the fight. Erhling didn't push her; he knew the wounds she carried were deeper than anything the Labyrinth could inflict. He sat nearby, his back against a moss-covered wall, keeping a careful eye on the horizon. Karl was busy exploring the estate, hoping to find supplies or something that might help them survive the next encounter.
Erhling clenched his fist, staring down at the nebula-shaped symbol that had appeared on his backhand after the Cull. The Architect, a figure who loomed large in his mind, was connected to this mark somehow. But every time Erhling tried to dig deeper, to understand the nature of his sponsor, the answers slipped away like smoke. Architect was powerful—there was no doubt about that—but who or what was he really? And what was his purpose?
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Kara's voice. "What's your plan, Erhling?"
He looked over at her, surprised. Her eyes were still distant, but there was a glimmer of resolve in them now. She had been through hell, but she wasn't broken. Not yet.
"The Phantoms will keep coming," Erhling said, his voice steady. "And we still don't know why. But I think they're more than just mindless predators. They serve a purpose in the Labyrinth."
Kara nodded slowly, her gaze unfocused. "I've been thinking about them too. They're attracted to spirit essence. That much is obvious. But I think there's something else…"
Before she could finish, Karl came stumbling into the room, his face pale. "You need to see this," he said breathlessly.
Erhling and Kara exchanged a glance before following Karl out into the overgrown courtyard. There, in the center of the cobblestone square, lay a body—a contestant, from the looks of it. His face was twisted in terror, and his spirit essence had been drained completely. But there was something strange about the scene. The Phantoms had left no mark on his body, no visible wounds or signs of struggle.
"What happened to him?" Kara asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Karl shook his head. "I don't know. I found him like this. It's like the life was sucked out of him."
Erhling crouched down beside the body, studying the man's expression. This wasn't the work of a Phantom. It was something else, something even more insidious. He reached out, placing his hand over the man's chest, and concentrated. For a brief moment, he felt it—a faint pulse of energy, like a whisper of the man's spirit essence still lingering.
"He was alive not long ago," Erhling murmured. "Something drained him. Something… different."
Kara took a step back, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "The Labyrinth is testing us. It's throwing everything it has at us."
Erhling stood, his gaze hardening. "And we need to be ready. We can't afford to sit here waiting for the next attack. We need to figure out their weakness."
"Raw spirit essence," Karl said suddenly.
Erhling turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
Karl shrugged, glancing at the body nervously. "I've been thinking. The Phantoms react to raw spirit essence. It's the only thing that's hurt them so far. Maybe that's the key."
Erhling nodded slowly, turning the idea over in his mind. "It's possible. But using raw essence is dangerous. It's unstable."
Kara stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "We don't have any other options. If we don't figure this out, we're dead."
Erhling met her gaze, seeing the determination there. She was right. They couldn't afford to be cautious anymore.
As they turned to leave the courtyard, a sudden noise echoed from the ruins—a soft, rhythmic clinking sound, like metal tapping against stone. Erhling tensed, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his weapon. The sound grew louder, coming from the shadows beyond the courtyard.
Suddenly, a figure emerged. It was humanoid but covered in tattered, translucent robes that billowed unnaturally as if moved by an unseen wind. Its face was featureless, just a blank expanse of shadow. Two glowing eyes blinked from within the folds of its hood. It was a Phantom—but unlike the ones they had encountered before, this one carried an aura of purpose, intelligence even.
Without warning, the Phantom lunged, moving with blinding speed toward Karl. Erhling reacted instinctively, throwing himself between them. His sword flashed, striking the Phantom's side, but the blade passed through it as if it were made of air. The creature retaliated, its shadowy arm extending into a sharp, jagged appendage that sliced through the air toward Erhling.
Erhling twisted out of the way, narrowly avoiding the strike. He could feel the energy radiating from the creature—cold, oppressive, and hungry. It wasn't just attacking them physically; it was trying to drain their essence.
"Kara, Karl, fall back!" Erhling shouted, his voice strained as he blocked another strike. But before they could retreat, the Phantom split into two, then three, surrounding them.
Erhling gritted his teeth, focusing his energy into his sword. He swung again, this time channeling raw spirit essence through the blade. It glowed with a faint light as it made contact with the Phantom's form. The creature let out a shrill, inhuman screech as the blade burned through it. One of the Phantoms dissipated, but the others were still closing in.
Kara, seeing her chance, followed Erhling's lead. She raised her hand and summoned a pulse of raw spirit essence, hurling it toward the second Phantom. It struck the creature head-on, sending it reeling back with another ear-piercing wail.
But the third Phantom was relentless. It moved toward Karl, who was frozen in place, fear paralyzing him. Erhling saw it happening in slow motion—the creature's clawed hand reaching for Karl's chest, ready to drain his spirit essence just like the body they had found earlier.
"No!" Erhling shouted, pushing himself forward with all his strength. He tackled Karl to the ground just as the Phantom's claws grazed his back. A searing pain shot through Erhling's body, but he ignored it, driving his sword into the Phantom's chest and releasing another burst of spirit essence.
The Phantom screeched and dissolved into the air, its form unraveling like smoke.
For a moment, the world was silent again. Erhling collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, the pain in his back still throbbing.
Karl sat up, his face pale and shaken. "You… saved me."
Erhling didn't respond immediately. He was too focused on the pain. His hand moved to his back, where he could feel the phantom touch still lingering—a cold, numbing sensation.
"We need to move," Kara said, her voice tight. She knelt beside Erhling, helping him to his feet. "There will be more of them."
Erhling nodded, pushing through the pain. He couldn't afford to show weakness now. "We're not safe here. We need to find out why these things are attacking us—and stop them."
Together, the three of them left the courtyard, disappearing into the mist as the shadow of the Labyrinth loomed over them.