The air howled around Laiza as she plummeted into the darkness. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her face remained calm, a mask forged from years of torment. The fall felt endless until, with a bone-jarring impact, she hit the soft, mossy ground of the labyrinth's first level. As she hit the floor, her vision blurred, sound incoherent and slowly she drifted away to the darkness.
After some time, Laiza regained consciousness, groaning and hissing from the pain, Laiza pushed herself up breathing heavily, she surveyed her surroundings, the dim glow of bioluminescent fungi illuminated the jagged walls, casting eerie shadows that danced and twisted like spectres the air clouded which made it hard to breath and hard to see what laid ahead. The faint growl of creatures echoed in the distance. So, this is the infamous labyrinth.
She felt a sharp pain holding onto her arm that seemed to have been dislocated and looked down to see small cuts all over the rest of her body from the fall. Trying to stand only to fall back to the ground, after what felt like a long time, she finally managed to stand but leaned on to the walls for support, slowly making her way forward, she finally made it to a small cave where she first made camp, setting herself down she relaxed a little though while breathing heavily and slowly drifted back to the darkness.
'You are nothing but an abomination that shouldn't exist' 'You are nothing but a mistake, if i known you were inside of me i would have aborted you' 'Your baby was just like you...unwanted' Laiza jolted up from her sleep, drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, her eyes now laced with even more determination than before.
Laiza picked herself up but noticed the pain and aches she felt earlier were gone and her dislocated arm was healed, she looked around and found the cave was surrounded by what looked like little puppies. They had slept by her side and healed her surprisingly, though the means were unknown by her she was grateful by the gesture and was glad they were just level beast, she dusted herself up but noticed something was in her pocket, digging her hand inside she pulling the paper Elain had given her from her pocket, she reread the single line: 'Trust nothing but your instincts' I can't believe i chose that crazy bitch to be my mentor, Laiza thought to herself. She looked around while taking into consideration what was in the paper.
The first level of the labyrinth was deceptively quiet and peaceful, but Laiza wasn't going to be fooled but it, as she walked out of the cave, she could help but notice she was being followed, as she turned around, she saw two demon puppies one red one black,
"Why are you following me?" Laiza asked,
The two dogs simply looked at her expectantly, wagging their tails,
"Go away and don't follow me" Laiza snapped, their ears dropped, their tails stopped wagging,
Laiza looked forward and moved on, with every step she took she was cautious, time passed, it had been a day and a half sine got fell into the labyrinth, and she was finally at the end of the first level, the first level was filled with small, skittering creatures darted in and out of sight beasts unfit for combat but excellent at unsettling the nerves.
Crossing into the second level, Laiza remained cautious, gripping a sharp rock she had picked up. She could feel the labyrinth's malice intensify. The walls seemed to breathe, and the air felt heavier, saturated with dark energy.
Then, she heard it, a low, guttural growl, much closer this time. Laiza froze and thought to herself,
'Great welcome, just when i entered',
scanning the shadows, her eyes locked onto a pair of glowing, yellow irises. A beast emerged from the dark, its wolf-like body covered in matted fur and pulsing veins that glowed with an unnatural red light. It lunged at her unable to react quickly the two puppies jumped in front of her, attacking the beast which in turn snapped Laiza back to her senses, she lunged at the beast and swung the sharp rock at the beast, landing a blow on its muzzle. It yelped and staggered roughly which threw the puppies flying but it didn't retreat, circling her and ignoring the presence of the puppies, it looked at Laiza like a predator savouring its prey.
Her breathing steadied. No sudden moves. Let it attack first.
The beast charged again, but this time, once again before she could react the two puppies now bigger than original, this time they were up to par with the beast almost overpowering it, seeing an opening, she jabbed the sharp rock into its side, aiming for where its heart might be. The creature howled and collapsed in a heap, twitching as its life ebbed away.
Panting, Laiza stepped back the dogs still pinning the corps down as if to make sure it stayed dead bored their jaws deeper into the corpse, Laiza collapsed on to the ground, her hands trembling, looking in disbelief at the dogs in front of her. When the dogs were ready to leave the corpse on its own, they turned to Laiza who in turn was getting ready for an attack but was surprised when the dogs laid down in submission.
Laiza looked at them in surprise,
"Why did you help me?" Laiza questioned but the dogs laid still looking wronged,
Laiza stared at them unable to read their intension,
"If i let you stay with me, do you promise to help me?" Laiza asked blindly and to her surprise the dogs reverted their size and jumped at her rubbing and licking her. This act made Laiza laugh, when they were all calm Laiza looked at the foe they had just defeated, this was no ordinary beast, it was corrupted, infused with the labyrinth's dark magic. She knelt to examine its body, noticing the faint symbols etched into its flesh. Runes. Crestwood must have created these beasts to test students.
Her suspicions were confirmed when the body disintegrated into ash, leaving behind a small, glowing shard. Tentatively, she picked it up. The shard pulsed with warmth, and a voice whispered in her mind: Keep going, with that the journey with her newly found companions started through the second level.
Laiza pocketed the shard and moved forward. She knew this was only the beginning.
Laiza and the dogs had encountered and defeated three more beasts, each stronger than the last. She was bloodied and exhausted but unbroken, unable to tell how long she had been there, unable to tell if it was already nighttime or if it was still day.
Laiza was now mid way in the second level when something happened, she found a small alcove carved into the wall. Inside was a weathered notebook. Opening it, she found sketches of the labyrinth and notes scribbled in a frantic hand. Level One: Initiation. Level Two: Awakening. Level Three: Despair.
The final pages were filled with warnings: Do not trust the light. The shadows lie. The labyrinth sees all.
Laiza's grip tightened on the notebook. Awakening? What does that mean?
As she stepped further, she immediately understood. The air grew thicker, and the oppressive weight of the labyrinth's magic bore down on her. Strange, ethereal lights floated in the distance, casting an otherworldly glow. The creatures here were larger, faster, and more cunning. One nearly tore her apart and seriously injured the dogs, before the three of them managed to trap it under a falling rock but in turned the ground under them also broke and dropped they further into labyrinth. They had been falling for almost three minutes, with a thud Both Laiza and the puppies landed their bodies landing on the hard floor and slowly losing consciousness.
Woken up by low barks and head rubs, and a very intense low growl,
"This is the first time mortals have reached my cell" tucked deep in the shadows a deep, menacing voice resonated,
"Who's there?" Laiza asked in defence, the puppies ready for attack in front of her,
"Oh, no need to be so hostile, with the state I'm in now, it would be said you are the once attacking me" the voice rumbled with a dark chuckle,
"Where are we?" Laiza asked looking up o see the entrance barely noticeable,
"Ahh, you are in the final floor of the labyrinth" said the voice,
Laiza's eyes widened, they had fallen down to the tenth floor, a floor unexplored before which meant even if she managed to leave this floor going up would ultimately take her life, as the realisation dawned on her, that she might end up being trapped in the labyrinth she let out a painful, regrettable scream, which resonated throughout the walls of the labyrinth.
"Oh child, don't be sad you might just be entertaining after all, as your stay is going to be permanent" the voice taunted,
Laiza angry about her current situation glared at the direction of the voice,
"I don't care what happens to me, i won't die until i make sure they pay" Laiza said undeterred,
The voice stayed quiet for a while,
"Humans are known for their greedy nature, unable satiate their desire, where the path they choose is the path of destruction, be it their self or others, tell me what you seek?" the voice inquired,
"Revenge" Laiza said with no restraint,
From the depth of the darkness, the arm of a beast was extended, it open and a golden sword whose light shone so bright in this dark driven abyss sat,
"Take this as my gift to you, but know this, this sword will only fully belong to you if you are able to make it out of the labyrinth, but if you die, it will return back to my possession" the demon said,
Laiza looked at the sword in front of her, thought for a while and agreed, picking up the sword. The arm retracted and the voice disappeared, with the sword at hand Laiza looked at the dogs,
"Our journey just became a tad bit harder than it was meant to be, and since i would be spending more time you how about i give you guys names?" Laiza stated with a smile and the dogs barked in excitement,
"How about i call the red one Rava and the black one Raes? What do you think" Laiza asked, and the dogs jumped and barked happily,
"So Rava and Raes it is" with that Rava and Raes grew, Laiza mounted on Rava and with that they ran nonstop through the labyrinth.
Even if though they dashed through the Labyrinth, it still didn't mean they were safe, they still got attacked and as they rose higher their fight was always fierce, but the real danger was not the beasts—it was the labyrinth itself.
The walls shifted when she wasn't looking, corridors rearranging themselves like a living puzzle. At one point, they found their selves walking in circles, returning to the same spot despite her best efforts to move forward. Laiza's frustration and anger mounted until she remembered the words on the paper: Trust nothing but your instincts.
Laiza closed her eyes, shutting out the distractions. She took a deep breath and let her instincts guide her as she guided both Rava and Raes. When she opened her eyes again, they were in a new corridor, the floating lights now behind her.
Hours turned into days as they fought her way through the labyrinth. Sleep was fleeting, taken in short, fitful bursts whenever they found a safe spot. Hunger far from sight as they feasted on the meat of the beast they slain.
On what seemed like the eight day, they reached a massive stone door engraved with ancient runes. A voice echoed through the corridor, deep and commanding: Only those who are worthy may pass.
Laiza hesitated. The door felt alive, its magic radiating a palpable sense of judgment. She approached cautiously, the glowing shard from the first beast still in her pocket. As she held it up, the runes flared to life, and the door groaned open.
The air was thick with miasma, and Laiza immediately felt its effects. Her vision blurred, and her limbs felt heavy. She couldn't keep herself upright if not for the support of both Rava and Raes, coughing, her determination the only thing keeping her from giving up.
As Laiza pushed deeper into the third level, she encountered a creature unlike any she had seen before. It was massive, with six eyes and a body that seemed to shift between forms a wolf, a serpent, a shadow. The creature spoke, its voice resonating in her mind.
"Why do you fight, little one?" it asked, "Your strength is insufficient. You will fall like the rest".
Laiza glared at the beast; her voice unwavering. "Because I have no choice. I will not fall. Not here."
The creature's six eyes narrowed, and it lunged. The battle was brutal, pushing Laiza, Rava and Reas to her limits. She used every ounce of her wit and strength, finally defeating the beast by driving her makeshift weapon into its heart just as it pinned her down.
As the creature dissolved into ash, it left behind a second shard—this one larger and brighter than the first. When Laiza touched it, a surge of power coursed through her veins. Her wounds began to heal, and the miasma around her seemed to part, allowing her to breathe, looking back at Rava and Raes with a smile as they walked up to her, standing by her side, Laiza looked up at the entrance of the Labyrinth with no fear in her hearth but raw ambition. They emerged from the labyrinth she was battered, bruised, and changed. The shards she had collected pulsed with energy, their power now part of her.
Laiza's lips curled into a faint smile. Step one is complete.