Chapter 23 - Labyrinth (1)

(Deep within the labyrinth)

"Grrrrr..."

"Shut up and stay in formation!" Roderick snapped, his sword raised high.

The party of six stood back-to-back in the dimly lit chamber of the labyrinth, surrounded by snarling Dire Wolves.

"We're outnumbered!" exclaimed Farris, the archer, his trembling hands barely able to notch another arrow.

"There's no way we're surviving this!" Evelyn said.

Roderick turned toward her, his lips curling into a cruel smirk.

"Don't worry, Evelynn."Evelynn's stomach sank as she caught the flicker of malice in his eyes.

"What are you—?"Before she could say anything more, Roderick lunged forward, grabbing her by the arm with a force that made her wince.

"W-What are you doing?!" she cried, struggling against his grip.

"Buy us time!" he sneered, hurling her toward the pack with unnatural strength.

THUD

Evelyn body hit the ground hard, rolling painfully as the wolves turned their attention to her.

The other party members watched in silent shock as Roderick barked an order.

"Run! We'll regroup further ahead!"

As they sprinted away, a chuckle escaped from Mathis, Roderick's right-hand man.

"You really threw her, huh? I have to admit, your plan was genius."

Roderick glanced at him, a satisfied smirk on his lips. "That bitch dared to reject me? She should've thought twice before humiliating me in front of everyone."

The other members laughed nervously, unwilling to voice dissent.They knew better than to cross Roderick.

He is the son of ravenswood family. First class noble.

Meanwhile, Evelyn's body trembled as she pushed herself up.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at the snarling wolves slowly advancing on her.

Blood dripped from her scraped palms, and her breaths came in short, ragged bursts.

"No... This can't be it," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Her eyes darted around wildly, searching for anything-any way to survive.

Then she spotted it: a narrow crevice in a rock wall nearby, just wide enough to squeeze through.

"Roderick, you bastard!" she cried out, struggling to get to her feet.

The wolves were closing in.

Her fingers found the edge of a narrow gap between two massive stones.

Desperation clawed at her as she wedged herself into the tight space, her body trembling with fear and exhaustion.

Grrrrr...

The first wolf lunged, its massive jaws snapping inches away from her foot.

She pulled herself deeper into the crevice, pressing her back against the cold stone, her breaths shallow and quick.

"They're going to get me," she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Grrrrrr...

The wolves snarled and clawed at the entrance, their massive paws scraping against the rocks, sending shards of stone flying into the air.

They couldn't reach her yet, but the crevice wouldn't hold them for long.

Evelynn clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She wasn't ready to die—not like this, not at their hands.

She closed her eyes and focused on the faint light of the crystals above.

Her mind reached out, searching for any fragment of magic she could summon.

....

CRACK

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Evelynn screamed as the crevice shattered.

The largest wolf lunged first, its powerful jaws sinking into her arm, sharp teeth piercing her skin as it shook its head with vicious intent.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

She choked back another scream as pain seared through her.

"Rip...tear.....crunch"

Another wolf latched onto her leg, dragging her further from the safety of the wall.

"Ahhhhh! .....sa-ave me"

Her vision blurred with tears, and her heart pounded with a mixture of terror and despair.

She felt her strength slipping away, the edges of her consciousness fraying with each agonizing bite.

This was it-she was going to die here.

"N-no...this can't.... be" she screamed.

As then Evelyn looked at the biggest wolf which was biting her arm as she was about to punch wolf.

SLASH

Wolf neck fall downs

Through her haze of pain, Evelynn looked up, her breath catching in her throat.

The golden light wrapped around a figure that seemed too surreal to be real.

White hair, shining with an otherworldly sheen, fell in waves around his shoulders, framing a face carved with striking intensity. and his aura shimmered like a living flame.

With a calm yet terrifying precision.

He raised his sword.

A single swing cleaved through the wolf gnawing on her arm, its body collapsing in a lifeless heap beside her.

SPLASH

Bloodsplattered across the ground, but none of it seemed to touch him

In a heartbeat, he moved, each step swift and lethal.

He swept through the pack like a storm, his blade a blur as it cut down wolves with ruthless efficiency.

Every strike was perfectly calculated.

Evelynn watched in stunned silence, her pain momentarily forgotten.

This man-this vision-was slaughtering the creatures as if they were nothing more than nuisances, as insignificant as insects.

His movements were fluid, graceful, yet merciless, dispatching each wolf with a single blow.

The thick aura surrounding him seemed to act as both armor and weapon, cutting through the pack's numbers with ease.

Within seconds, fifty wolves lay dead, their bodies littering the bloodstained ground.

Evelynn could only stare, awe and gratitude.

In that moment, a single word formed in her mind, a word she never thought she would speak.

"An Angel."

____________

Yo guys it's the author here.

I wanted to ask if the pacing of the story feels right to you.

Also, I've sent the contract invitation application, thanks to your support!

I know there might still be some mistakes since this is my first time writing a story, but I do my best to minimize them. To be honest, I read each chapter at least four times before uploading it.

Thank you all for your encouragement