The air smelled like blood and forgotten dreams. Vito could taste the metallic tang of both in the back of his throat as he clutched his stomach, rolling from side to side in an attempt to steady his breath.
"Not again," he groaned, wincing at the sharp pain in his chest. His body had never been built for this—whatever this was. Yet, somehow, he'd found himself in the cursed labyrinth once more.
Vito was many things: a quick-witted street thief, a master at weaving tales to escape sticky situations, and an expert at disappearing into the shadows. But a hero? Not even close.
"No, no, no. I don't need to fight monsters again," he muttered to himself, staring at the giant, drooling creature before him. The beast resembled a giant rat mixed with a snake, its body twisting and hissing, large enough to swallow him whole with a single snap of its jaws.
"Okay, okay, it's just a rat-snake… It can't be that bad. Right?" He gave himself a half-hearted pep talk, though he had never actually seen a rat-snake before. It was entirely possible that it wasn't a rat, nor a snake, and was some sort of monstrosity from the Abyss. He had no idea.
The labyrinth was cruel like that—endless corridors filled with impossible creatures and worse odds. Yet, for all its death traps and perilous fights, there was a twisted joy in it, one that most of the other participants would never admit.
Vito wasn't like them, though. He didn't have some grand destiny to save the world, nor did he care about getting rich or famous. He was just trying to get out. And in the process, he had learned one important thing: never take the labyrinth too seriously. It had a sense of humor.
"So," he said aloud, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. "How should we do this?"
The rat-snake hissed again, saliva dripping onto the stone floor with a sickening plop.
Vito stood up, brushing off the dust from his tattered cloak. He wasn't particularly strong or gifted with extraordinary powers like some of the other contestants who'd entered the labyrinth. No, his strength lay elsewhere—namely, in the fact that he was annoyingly clever, able to turn even the most dangerous situation into an absurd joke.
He glanced around the room, his eyes quickly scanning the area for any exit. The labyrinth was known for its ever-shifting walls, but that didn't mean it was entirely unpredictable. There had to be a way out… or at least a way to avoid being eaten by a rat-snake.
An idea clicked in his mind.
"Right," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "We'll make this interesting."
He quickly grabbed a rock from the ground, then another. The rat-snake paused, its beady eyes narrowing.
"Hey, ugly!" Vito yelled, tossing one rock to the left. The rat-snake darted its head in that direction, its long, forked tongue flicking out to taste the air. "Over here!"
The beast, apparently far too hungry to be discerning, lunged at the rock. Vito took advantage of its distraction, pulling out a small pouch from his belt. Inside were a few items he had found during his previous, barely-survived adventures in the labyrinth. There was a roll of sticky tar, a few firecrackers, and—his favorite—an old playing card. He had no idea why it was in there, but it had become an essential part of his survival kit.
"Let's see how you like a little surprise," Vito muttered, pulling out the firecrackers and tying them to a string he had hastily fashioned from one of the rat-snake's discarded scales. With one smooth motion, he wrapped the string around the beast's tail, which was now dangerously close to his feet.
The rat-snake, now distracted by the tar on its nose, didn't notice.
Vito, grinning like a madman, lit the firecrackers. "Boom."
As the loud pops filled the air, the rat-snake flinched and whipped its tail around, unwittingly activating the explosive trap. A small burst of smoke clouded the air, and in the confusion, Vito darted toward a small opening in the wall, barely big enough for him to squeeze through.
"See you later, scaly!" he called over his shoulder, hearing the beast's enraged screech as he made his escape.
He slid into a narrow hallway, the laughter of the labyrinth's twisted spirits echoing in his mind. It wasn't long before he found himself standing in another massive chamber—only this one had a much larger problem.
The walls were adorned with strange, pulsating runes, and a low, guttural voice echoed in the air. "You think you can survive here, mortal?"
Vito glanced at the ceiling, where a shadowy figure, its silhouette impossibly large, hovered above.
"Really?" Vito deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. "This is your big entrance? I've seen better."
The creature growled, but Vito's attention had already shifted. He could feel a strange presence—a force trying to manipulate the very fabric of his thoughts, warping reality around him. The Abyss. The labyrinth wasn't just about survival; it was about mental endurance too. And if there was one thing Vito had plenty of, it was an ability to make light of the darkest situations.
"Well, aren't you a dramatic one," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Listen, buddy, I've been through worse—facing my rent collectors is scarier than whatever you are."
The creature screeched in frustration.
"I mean, seriously," Vito continued, his voice filled with mock sympathy. "I could've been chilling at home right now, having a snack and avoiding rat-snake hybrids. But nooo, I had to end up here, in the labyrinth of endless doom... Can you imagine?"
The beast roared in fury, but Vito wasn't paying attention anymore. He had already moved on to the next part of his escape
Plan.