Author's message: "for those who did not read the previous chapter, come back, it is already updated."
In that dark carriage, only the old man remained, watching the few remaining projections. He was intrigued by which of them would survive, as, from what he had seen and sensed with his spell, most of those left had considerable mental power, though one stood out notably among all.
"It's quite rare for someone of his age to have such mental power. If he shows this level at this age, I can imagine how far that young man could go. He will be a suitable candidate for the Gehenna plan, but he is still too young for that. I hope his magical aptitude is adequate," said the old man, intrigued by Eric's figure moving across the bridge like a golden lamp.
The old man took a brief glance at the other projections, where he saw a tide of Ouroti crossing the maze's corridors, as if a wave of ants devoured everything in its path.
"Fortunately for some children, they only come from the corridors that lead them away from the exit, except for the Ouroti that guard the bridge. Thus, reaching the end will be easier for them, and this will end faster. I should thank those foolish children for not wasting my time," murmured the old man in a calm voice, as he watched the tide descend through the passages and the projections gradually disappear, making the carriage grow darker.
Inside the maze, two figures in robes, one black and the other red, advanced through the dark passages. Despite being surrounded by pale creatures, they remained unmoved and continued on their path without paying them any attention. The pale creatures, perhaps out of fear or some other reason, did not dare approach them. Instead, they made way for them and let them pass freely.
"It's been a few years since I last entered this place, but no matter how many times I do, I still don't like it one bit," said Larina, showing a look of disgust on her beautiful face.
"I understand you; this place brings back bad memories. But, despite everything, we can do nothing. It's a necessary place and we don't have the power or authority to interfere with it; we're replaceable resources," said Adam with a distorted voice, ending with a sharp click.
"I agree. Let's hurry up; I don't want to spend more time here than necessary," said Larina, unhappy with what she remembered.
"I think the same. We must be ready to stop them before they kill everyone. As for the castle, I suppose it will be the same as last time," said Adam with continuous clicks.
"Yes, that's what we'll do," said Larina with a cold tone. Both advanced through the confusing maze, a giant puzzle that seemed to have a life of its own. As they progressed, the walls rearranged themselves as if an invisible architect was redecorating the space. It was as if the maze adapted to their pace, clearing a straight path through the breach, avoiding any obstacles. What was most intriguing was that they didn't have to turn at any point; they simply advanced in a straight line, as if the route was predestined. The path was clear, except for the presence of hundreds of pale creatures that seemed to appear out of nowhere, watching them with empty, expressionless eyes.
After a while, they reached the entrance of the bridge and merely observed the scene before them, where the children were being held by those creatures and slowly devoured. Some were screaming, while others could only emit faint moans of pain.
As the minutes passed, the screams of pain decreased, some even ceased, as they were completely devoured by the Ouroti. Among those left, there were eleven children, including Blair and Aiden, but they were in a terrible state. Blair was missing his right arm and part of his face, exposing parts of his skull, and had a tail embedded in the left side of his abdomen. Aiden was also in poor condition, missing his entire lower body and with his shoulder impaled. Compared to the other children, they were slightly better off as they were almost the last ones the Ouroti grabbed.
"If things continue like this, everyone will die. Let's choose the ones in better condition to survive; the others can die. Besides, I think Lord Adric will be pleased with this punishment," commented Adam with a shrill voice.
"I agree. They face a glorious or dark future," said Lanira with a cold voice.
Thus, they both advanced across the bridge and approached the children, choosing those who had no fatal injuries to release a cloud of green light over each one, so that the Ouroti would move away and leave them alone. The creatures, in turn, continued to devour the unfortunate ones and, when they were done, returned to the bottom of the lake, though most went back the way they came, into the maze.
On the cold stone of the bridge, only 3 girls and 2 boys remained, including Aiden and Blair. All were gravely injured and missing parts. Fortunately, the green cloud prevented more blood from spilling from their wounds and slowly healed the more severe ones so they would not die. Those still conscious and not fainted from the pain could only hear a harsh voice before darkness enveloped them: "You are the fortunate ones who have survived until the end, but having not completed the trial, now your lives belong to the Tower of the Eternal Night forever," said Adam with continuous and loud clicks.
Outside the maze was a strange circular arch made of black and gold stone, engraved with several glyphs and strange patterns. Nearby was a large carriage with prominent details. At the carriage door stood an old man in a black robe with a prosthetic on his left eye, watching the arch. Suddenly, blue particles approached the arch. The inscriptions, once dark, turned into an intense blue light. Its interior filled with blue particles forming a sort of blue wall. When this happened, a young boy with white skin and black hair emerged from that place.
"So you finally came out. Enter, I've been waiting for you for quite a while," said Aldric in a calm voice to Eric.