Ray stood his ground, his gaze locked on the giant spider as it crept closer, each step sending tremors through the earth. His left hand gripped his dagger firmly, while an idea sparked in his mind. He recalled the handful of soporific flowers he'd picked earlier; they still rested in his pocket, untouched. Moving carefully, Ray pulled out a few petals, now clasped in his right hand, his new plan solidifying. The petals had the potential to induce sleep in the spider, and that was his best chance.
With a deep breath, he sprinted towards the spider, hoping to execute his strategy before the creature could react. The spider, sensing his approach, moved with frightening speed, one of its front legs sweeping down toward him. Ray sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. The massive leg drove into the ground, carving a crater in the earth.
Taking advantage of the spider's momentary pause, Ray leaped onto its left leg, gripping the thick, spiny hair for balance. The spider snarled, its fangs flashing as it lunged to bite him, but Ray twisted to the side, and the spider's jaws snapped down on empty air with a wet, sickening click. In that instant, Ray drove his dagger into the spider's side, twisting the blade as he sank it deep. The creature's screech cut through the maze, a tortured wail that echoed in every direction.
The spider thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge him, but Ray clung on, his dagger buried firmly in the spider's exoskeleton. He held tight, feeling the spider's powerful muscles ripple beneath him as it struggled. The creature's maw opened wide, its fangs glistening. Seizing the opportunity, Ray climbed carefully onto the spider's back, inching his way toward its head.
The spider wailed again, a noise so shrill it was almost deafening. Ray braced himself, plunging his dagger once more into the base of the spider's neck, earning another agonized cry. The monster bucked, but Ray tightened his hold, using the embedded dagger to steady himself.
This was his chance.
Ray reached down, sliding closer to the spider's head. As its jaws gaped, readying another vicious bite, Ray acted. He extended his right hand, holding the soporific petals directly over the spider's open mouth. In that moment, the spider seemed to sense the threat and snapped its fangs toward his arm, piercing through flesh with a wet crunch. Pain surged through him, hot and searing, as the spider's venomous bite sank into his arm.
Despite the agony, Ray remained focused, releasing the handful of petals into the spider's mouth. The creature's jaws locked onto his arm for a moment longer, its fangs digging painfully deep, but within seconds, its grip began to weaken. The spider's eyes fluttered, its movements growing slower and more unsteady. Finally, it released his arm and staggered backward, its massive body shuddering.
Ray hit the ground hard, landing in a heap but quickly pushing himself up, wincing at the throbbing pain in his arm. He watched as the spider, now trembling, swayed on its legs before crumbling to the ground with a heavy, earth-shaking thud. Its breathing slowed, each exhale softer, until it lay still in a deep, unnatural slumber.
He let out a sigh of relief, examining his wounded arm. The bite marks were clear, ringed with violet stains of venom, but the pain was oddly muted. He knew the venom was a part of the illusion, yet his mind wasn't entirely free from its effects. The ache was still present, a low throb, reminding him that his mental defenses weren't invincible against this strange world's tricks.
Taking a final look at the sleeping spider, Ray shook his head, steadying his breath. This battle was over—for now.
As the spider lay motionless, deep in its sleep, Ray sprinted towards the boy who had been struck by its venomous fangs. Gaus and another boy in their group were getting back on their feet, wincing from the attacks they had barely survived. Close to them, the boy who had suffered the worst injury lay pale, his breathing shallow. Two members of their group were seriously wounded, their faces twisted in pain, and Ray's eyes flicked down to the glowing magic bracelets on their wrists. A brilliant beam of white light, tinged with other shifting colors, shot out from the bracelets—identical to the one that had transported them into the labyrinth—and enveloped their bodies, causing them to vanish.
A sound echoed from the bracelets worn by Ray, Gaus, and the remaining boy. The three boys heard a calm, female voice, "You've lost two members of your group, but rest assured, they're safe back at the Academy. Only three of you remain now. It'll be much more difficult to continue, so stay alert."
Relieved, Gaus and the other boy next to him sighed in gratitude, thankful that their group members were unharmed. Ray, however, kept his suspicions to himself, finding this "reassurance" further proof that the labyrinth was nothing but an elaborate illusion. He eyed Gaus and the other boy as they approached, both looking at the spider lying still on the ground.
Gaus's voice trembled as he stared at Ray, unable to hide his awe. "Did… Did you defeat that spider?" he stammered, his face a mix of surprise and fear. The other boy, surprised by Gaus's reaction, noticed he seemed almost more afraid of Ray than the monstrous spider.
Ray, ever calm, replied, "I didn't defeat it. I just put it to sleep with soporific flowers I found near the pools. It'll wake up soon enough." Both Gaus and the other boy exchanged startled glances, realizing the flowers Ray had gathered earlier had actually served a purpose.
The other boy glanced down at Ray's wounded arm, concern in his gaze. "Hey, doesn't that wound hurt?" he asked, noticing the faint traces of venom near the bite.
Ray shook his head with a slight, dismissive smile. "Not really. I managed to remove the venom before it became fatal." Of course, this was a lie, but he saw no need to reveal the illusion's tricks to them. They appeared to believe him, and Gaus, while secretly unnerved by Ray's composure, kept his expression neutral as the leader of the group. The other boy, on the other hand, seemed to realize that Ray might be a more valuable ally than he had initially thought.
Now that the spider was safely asleep, Gaus spoke up. "While it's sleeping, we should head back as soon as possible." But Ray raised a hand, stopping him.
"Hold on a moment. Are you really sure the girl we met at the crossroads was telling the truth? It's possible she lured us here on purpose, hoping we'd run into the spider. And she succeeded; we've already lost two members of our group because of it."
Gaus and the other boy considered this, finding Ray's words plausible. Ray continued, "I have an idea. Let's gather the flowers and place them near the spider."
Meanwhile, back at the crossroads, the girl and three other members of her group were conversing. She smirked with a twisted gleam in her eyes as she addressed them, "Did you hear that noise? It came from where that group went. Either they've been defeated by the spider, or they've managed to take it down but are too exhausted to keep going. Now's our chance to finish them off."
Her group followed her lead, moving in the direction of Gaus's group. As they arrived, they noticed smoke rising, a thin plume swirling near the spider. The girl stopped short, frowning.
"So, they defeated the spider. They must be passed out somewhere nearby," she sneered. But one of her group members, eyeing the smoke, said, "Wait… Something's burning by the spider."
The girl and her companions crept closer, spotting several flowers smoldering nearby. "Just flowers," she muttered dismissively. "We don't have time for this. Let's find them and finish the job."
But after only a few steps, one of the boys in her group stumbled, blinking as a wave of exhaustion hit him. "Wait, why am I… feeling… so tired?" His words trailed off as he swayed.
The girl, clutching the spider's leg for balance, felt the same overwhelming drowsiness creep over her. "I… feel like I'm about to fall asleep," she mumbled, fighting to stay upright. But it was no use. The soporific flowers Ray had burned had released their sleep-inducing aroma, overpowering the group as they collapsed in a heap beside the spider, drifting off into a deep slumber.
Hidden within the hedges, Ray, Gaus, and the other boy watched their plan unfold. Once it was safe, Ray gestured to his companions. "Once we leave the hedges, don't breathe in. Hold your breath until we're far away," he warned.
The three crept out, holding their breaths, and passed the slumbering forms of the girl and her group. Once they were safely distanced, they finally exhaled, the other boy fuming with anger.
"That girl lied to us! Why didn't we finish them off while we had the chance?" he demanded, his fists clenched in frustration.
Ray gave a small, knowing smile. "There's no need. They'll never wake up before the spider does. It'll take care of them for us."
With that, Ray, Gaus, and the other boy headed back to the crossroads, determined to take a different path forward.