The world twisted and churned around them as they stepped into the eleventh layer's final test, The Labyrinth of Echoes. Evelyn, Fenrir, and Asher had barely caught their breath after the brutal battle in the Ethereal Skylands, yet they knew their trials were far from over. The air felt heavy, charged with a tension they couldn't quite place, as if the very space they were entering was alive—aware.
"This is it," Fenrir muttered, gripping his sword. "The second-to-last layer."
But before them, there was no clear path, no floating platforms or celestial landmarks like in the Skylands. Instead, the space shifted into a dark maze of twisting corridors, seemingly endless in all directions. The walls, though solid, shimmered like water, bending light and sound as if reality itself had been warped by unseen hands. There were faint, distorted whispers all around, voices of the past, warnings that evaporated before they could be understood.
Evelyn's eyes narrowed as he pulled up his device. "It's like… soundwaves are warping everything," he said, the readings flashing erratically. "Whatever created this maze knew how to manipulate more than just space."
Asher nodded grimly, rifle at the ready. "The Eclipse Hound," he said. "We're in its domain now."
They had all suspected the Eclipse Hound was preparing its final moves as they drew closer to the twelfth layer, the Celestial Spire, but this place felt different. There was an intelligence behind the maze, a deliberate malice that twisted reality in ways even the Non-Space had not yet shown.
Evelyn took a deep breath. "Let's keep moving. We can't afford to get lost here."
As they ventured deeper, the labyrinth seemed to close in around them. The echo of their footsteps bounced off the shifting walls, reverberating back with strange distortions, each one twisting into something different—a haunting melody, a whisper of danger, or a scream lost to time. The eerie sounds played tricks on their minds, making it difficult to distinguish what was real and what was illusion.
"It's messing with our senses," Fenrir said, his voice low. "Stay sharp."
Suddenly, from the shadows, a distorted roar echoed through the corridor. **Echo Beasts**—creatures native to this cursed maze—emerged, their bodies like fragmented shadows made of sound and light. They moved in erratic bursts, vanishing from one spot and reappearing in another with the speed of thought. The air vibrated with their presence, the very sound around them warping into attacks.
Evelyn ducked just in time as one of the creatures let out a high-pitched scream that sent a shockwave of sound barreling through the air. The blast narrowly missed him, shattering a nearby wall into jagged fragments.
"These things are made of sound!" Asher shouted, firing off a round that dissipated into the air, unable to hit its target.
"We need to disrupt their frequency," Evelyn called, working quickly to adjust his device. He tuned into the resonance of the Echo Beasts, trying to counteract the vibrations that allowed them to exist. "I've almost got it…"
Another beast lunged for Fenrir, its distorted form shimmering as it closed in. Fenrir, ever the warrior, swung his sword in a wide arc, the blade colliding with the creature. But instead of cutting through, the beast dissolved into a ripple of sound, reforming moments later behind him.
"They're practically invincible here," Fenrir growled, dodging the creature's next attack.
Evelyn's device beeped. "Got it!" he shouted. He pressed a button, and a pulse of energy shot from the device, disrupting the sound waves around them. The Echo Beasts screamed in unison, their forms flickering before they began to dissolve into the very sounds from which they were formed.
"Nice work," Asher said, lowering his rifle as the last of the creatures dissipated.
"That'll only buy us some time," Evelyn said, his voice grim. "This whole place is made of sound. They'll just come back unless we figure out a way to escape."
They continued forward, deeper into the labyrinth. The farther they went, the more distorted the world became. At one point, they found themselves standing on what appeared to be the same pathway they had crossed minutes earlier, only to realize the walls had shifted in ways that defied logic.
"We're going in circles," Fenrir muttered. "It's like the maze is changing every time we move."
"We need to find the center," Evelyn said, stopping to analyze their surroundings. "There has to be something anchoring this place, just like the Sky Seraphs back in the Skylands."
But finding the center of the labyrinth was easier said than done. The paths twisted back on themselves, sounds echoed from every direction, and illusions began to play on their senses. At one point, Asher swore he saw a figure dart through a wall, only for it to vanish when they approached.
And then, the familiar, eerie presence washed over them—a figure stepping out from the shadows. It was the same **humanoid** they had encountered before, the mysterious savior who had helped them, yet remained an enigma.
"You again," Asher said warily, raising his weapon but not firing.
The figure raised a hand, and the sound around them seemed to still for a moment. "You've come far, but you must understand—this maze is no accident. It was created by the Eclipse Hound to trap you, to test you."
Evelyn stepped forward, feeling the strange pull of recognition, something more profound than mere familiarity. "Who are you? Why have you been helping us?"
The figure's hooded face turned toward him, the shadows flickering away just enough to reveal sharp, haunted features. "I was once like you—a Shadow Seeker. I fought alongside Aiden, Fenrir, and the others in the war against the Non-Space. But I was lost, consumed by this realm's power."
Fenrir's eyes widened in recognition. "You were one of us…"
The figure nodded. "Yes. I was your ally, but now I am bound to this place. The Eclipse Hound twisted me, and I've been trapped here ever since. But I still remember our mission, our purpose. That's why I've been guiding you. I brought you here because you are the only ones who can finish what we started."
Evelyn felt the weight of his connection to Aiden more deeply than ever before. "The Non-Space… Aiden's soul… it's all part of a plan, isn't it?"
The figure's gaze was intense, filled with sorrow. "Yes. Aiden's sacrifice was never meant to be the end. His soul was destined to reincarnate, to return in you, Evelyn. You are the key to destroying the Non-Space. But before you can face the Eclipse Hound, you must overcome the truth of the labyrinth."
"What truth?" Asher demanded.
The figure stepped back, gesturing to the shifting walls. "This labyrinth is more than just a maze of sound. It reflects the mind, the soul. Only by facing the echoes of your past—your failures, your fears—can you move forward."
As if on cue, the walls around them rippled, and suddenly the echoes shifted. No longer were they just distortions of sound. Now, they heard voices—familiar voices.
Evelyn froze as he heard his own voice, from another time, another place. "I… failed. I couldn't save them."
Fenrir's eyes darkened as he heard a whisper from the past. "You let them die."
Asher, too, was haunted by the sound of someone he once knew, a voice long buried in his memories. "You'll never be good enough."
The walls of the labyrinth were no longer just barriers. They were mirrors, reflecting the deepest regrets and fears of those trapped inside.
"This is how the Eclipse Hound wins," the figure said quietly. "By breaking you before the final battle even begins."
But Evelyn clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. He had faced enough illusions, enough mind games. He wasn't going to let this maze, or the Eclipse Hound, control him. "We've come too far to give up now," he said, his voice steady. "We're going to finish this."
The figure gave a nod, stepping back into the shadows. "Then follow your instincts. Find the truth. And when you do… I'll be waiting."
With that, the figure vanished, leaving them alone in the shifting labyrinth once more. But now, they understood the true nature of their trial. This was more than a maze of sound and illusions. It was a test of their will, their strength of character.
Evelyn turned to Fenrir and Asher. "We need to face our fears, or we'll never get out of here."
Fenrir nodded, his jaw set in determination. "Then let's finish this."
As they pressed on, the echoes of their pasts grew louder, more insistent. But now, they were ready. With each step, they confronted the ghosts of their memories, refusing to let them control their fate.
And slowly, the labyrinth began to change. The twisting corridors straightened, the illusions faded, and the sound-based traps grew weaker. They were approaching the heart of the maze, the place where the Eclipse Hound's influence was strongest.
Finally, they reached the center—a vast, open chamber where the echoes were strongest. And there, standing in the middle of the chamber, was the Eclipse Hounds itself.But it was a form of him.
The chamber was vast, with walls that shimmered and pulsed with vibrations, as though the very air itself was alive with sound. The oppressive presence of the Eclipse Hounds Form dominated the space. It was unlike anything they had seen before—a creature woven from shadows, with a body that seemed to ripple with the very essence of sound. Its eyes, two glowing orbs of light, flickered as if they contained the screams and whispers of every soul that had ever been lost in the labyrinth.
The moment they stepped into the chamber, the air grew heavier, and the sound waves warped into a dissonant hum that rattled their bones. The Eclipse Hounds form let out a low, rumbling growl, and the walls reverberated with its anger, amplifying the sound into a roar that threatened to break their minds.
"Evelyn, now would be a good time for another one of those tricks," Asher said, tightening his grip on his rifle, eyes locked on the beast.
Evelyn adjusted the settings on his device, heart racing. "It's more powerful than anything we've faced before," he muttered. "We can't just rely on disrupting sound waves this time. The Hound's form is in full control here. We need a different approach."
Fenrir, sword raised, kept his eyes on the creature. "What are you thinking?"
"The labyrinth is a reflection of our minds," Evelyn said, piecing together the clues. "It's feeding off our fears, our doubts. The Hounds form is using sound to manipulate us. If we can find a way to break its control—take back the sound—we might have a chance."
As if sensing their plan, the Eclipse Hounds Form began to circle them, its form shifting and blurring. Waves of sound blasted from its body, crashing into them like physical blows. Asher grunted, barely managing to stay on his feet, while Fenrir staggered but kept his stance.
Evelyn gritted his teeth. "We need to take control of the frequency!" He worked rapidly on his device, adjusting the settings. "We're going to have to fight it on its own terms."
The Hound's eyes locked onto him, as though sensing the danger, and it lunged. The sound waves around it intensified, warping space, turning the air into a cacophony of distorted howls and screeches. The walls vibrated violently, as if they might collapse under the force.
"Watch out!" Fenrir shouted, pushing Evelyn out of the way just as the Hound struck the ground where he had been standing.
The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, cracking the floor and sending a deafening echo through the labyrinth. But Evelyn had seen enough. He pressed the button on his device, sending out a pulse of energy into the air around them. The pulse collided with the Eclipse Hound's sonic waves, causing the sound in the chamber to ripple and distort.
The Hound let out a high-pitched shriek as its control over the sound began to falter, its body flickering with instability.
"It's working!" Asher shouted, firing a round at the Hound. This time, the bullet connected, briefly disrupting its form.
But the Eclipse Hound wasn't finished. Its eyes flared with rage, and it let out a sonic blast that shattered the floor beneath them. Evelyn, Asher, and Fenrir were thrown back, tumbling through the air as the ground gave way. The sound of breaking stone was drowned out by the Hound's roars, its fury shaking the very core of the labyrinth.
Evelyn struggled to get back on his feet, his vision blurred from the impact. He could feel the labyrinth fighting back, trying to pull him under, to drown him in sound. But through the cacophony, he heard something—something beneath the noise, faint but steady.
It was the heartbeat of the labyrinth.
Evelyn's eyes widened in realization. "It's not just controlling sound," he murmured. "It is the sound. If we can disrupt the labyrinth's core—its heart—we can sever the Hound's power."
Fenrir wiped blood from his lip, grim but resolute. "How do we do that?"
Evelyn glanced at his device. "I need to amplify the counter-frequency. If I can sync it with the labyrinth's heartbeat, it should disrupt the entire structure, including the Hound."
Asher fired another round to keep the Hound at bay. "Do it, quick! We'll hold it off."
Evelyn's fingers flew over the controls, adjusting the device to match the frequency he had sensed. His mind raced as he calculated the rhythm, the pitch, the exact resonance needed to strike at the heart of the labyrinth.
The Hound, realizing the threat, let out another piercing roar. It launched itself at them, its shadowy form elongating into a wave of sound and darkness.
"Not so fast," Fenrir growled, stepping in front of Evelyn. With a roar of his own, he swung his sword in a wide arc, the blade catching the edges of the Hound's form. Though it couldn't be cut, the force of Fenrir's attack knocked it back, buying Evelyn the precious seconds he needed.
"Almost there…" Evelyn muttered, the device finally locking onto the labyrinth's heartbeat. "Got it!"
He slammed his hand on the final command, sending out a powerful pulse that reverberated through the chamber. The soundwaves clashed with the labyrinth's heartbeat, creating a violent feedback loop. The walls shimmered, the air trembled, and the entire maze began to collapse in on itself.
The Eclipse Hound let out a final, furious scream as its form began to flicker and distort, unable to maintain its grip on reality. With a deafening crash, the creature dissolved into a burst of sound, its essence scattering into the void.
The labyrinth groaned and shifted one last time before falling silent. The oppressive weight of sound lifted, leaving only the echo of their ragged breaths in the aftermath.
"It's… over?" Asher asked, lowering his weapon cautiously.
Evelyn nodded, though his expression remained grim. "We've beaten the labyrinth, but the real battle is still ahead. The Celestial Spire—where the Eclipse Hound's true form resides."
Fenrir sheathed his sword, his eyes locked on the path ahead. "Then we finish this. One way or another."
With the Labyrinth of Echoes behind them, the three of them stepped forward, ready for the final confrontation that awaited in the Celestial Spire, the twelfth and final layer of the Non-Space.