"My husband will be back in a few weeks; he is so very excited to meet you," Em beamed as she made breakfast. "He's seldom at home these days, as his job takes him overseas, but now with you here, I won't be so lonely."
She placed a plate in front of me: two triangles of toast, crispy bacon, and two runny eggs, all glistening with raspberry jam and butter. I beamed at her in gratitude before eagerly digging into the meal.
Em sat down across from me with her own plate, which was missing the eggs. "I'm not a fan of eggs," she explained with a smile, noticing my curious glance. "My husband will be finishing up the assignment and hopefully the next job won't take him two far away from home."
"What does he do?" I asked between bites.
"Oh, dear, don't talk with your mouth full," she gently scolded.
I quickly swallowed my food, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Sorry."
"It's alright." She smiled warmly. "He's an officer in the army."
"Oh, that's amazing," I said, my voice filled with awe.
Em's expression softened, a look of love and longing in her eyes. "He is amazing. And I miss him terribly."
"I can't wait to meet him and thank him for welcoming me into his home," I said, diving back into my meal.
Em's eyes brightened as she watched me. "He will be so thrilled to have you here."
I smiled at her, feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the food. Despite the unfamiliarity of the house, her kindness made it feel just a little more like something I could call home. As I finished my breakfast, the lingering sense of newness was still there, but there was also a small spark of hope that maybe this place, these people, would be the start of something I could hold onto.
Em sat quietly across from me, her gaze soft, as though she could sense the thoughts swirling in my mind. She didn't rush me; she just let the moment stretch out, filling the space between us with something that felt like understanding.
After a while, I set my fork down, feeling more settled than I had the entire time I'd been here. "Thanks for breakfast. It's exactly what I needed."
Em smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I'm glad you liked it. Now, why don't we get started on making this place feel like home?"
I nodded, my heart lighter than it had been when I first arrived. Maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning of something good.
Later that day, I decided to explore the backyard. At first glance, it seemed almost ordinary, a charming, well-kept space with a large fire pit at its center. Worn, comfortable chairs were arranged around it in a welcoming circle, their wooden frames softened by cushions that hinted at long nights spent under the stars. Nearby, a vibrant garden flourished with rows of colorful flowers, roses, daisies, and lavender mingling together in a burst of fragrance and color. Closer to the edge, neat patches of vegetables and fruit trees stood proudly, their branches heavy with ripening apples and plums, while tomato vines climbed trellises. It was peaceful and idyllic, almost deceptively so.
But as I wandered further, my steps carried me beyond the edge of the grassy expanse to where the backyard seemed to dissolve into something wilder. A thick line of trees marked the transition into a wooded forest, their trunks gnarled and roots spreading like claws into the earth. The air grew cooler, the scents of earth and leaves replacing the sweetness of the garden. A soft carpet of moss muffled my footsteps as I pressed on, curiosity tugging me deeper into the woods. The light dimmed beneath the canopy, and shadows stretched long and strange around me.
And then, almost as if it had been waiting for me, I found it, the entrance to a labyrinth. The hedges towered impossibly high, their dense greenery forming an intricate wall that seemed to pulse faintly with life. The labyrinth wasn't visible from the house, hidden behind the forest like a secret. Its entrance yawned wide before me, framed by arching ivy. For a moment, I hesitated, but something about it called to me, compelling me to step inside.
As I ventured deeper into the labyrinth, weaving through its endless twists and turns, a strange sense of familiarity began to stir within me. It wasn't something I could explain, more a feeling than a memory, yet it pulled at me, subtle but insistent, as though the labyrinth itself knew my path better than I did. The air was still, heavy with the scent of greenery, and the soft crunch of my footsteps against the gravel felt like the only sound in the world.
My fingertips grazed the prickly walls of the hedges, their rough edges brushing against my skin in a tactile reminder of the present. But my mind wandered elsewhere, to a place far beyond these walls, far away from the pain that had shadowed me for so long. With each step, I imagined this labyrinth as a gateway to another world, a world where I wasn't weighed down by the past, where I could let go of everything I had lost and everything I feared.
Here, surrounded by the towering walls and the mystery of this hidden place, it felt possible. For the first time in a long while, the ache in my chest softened, replaced by a tentative peace. In this world I conjured, I was free. Free to dream, to hope, to imagine a life unburdened by what had been. The labyrinth became more than just a maze; it was a sanctuary, a refuge carved out of time and space, guiding me toward something unknown yet achingly familiar.
The sky grew darker with each step I took, shadows creeping across the towering hedges. By the time I reached the center of the labyrinth, the last traces of sunlight had vanished, leaving the air heavy and cold. A sudden chill slithered over my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. The quiet had deepened into an eerie stillness, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze.
I hesitated, glancing around the dim clearing. Something about the atmosphere made me uneasy. I was about to turn back, deciding to return tomorrow when the light would feel safer, but as I stepped into the heart of the labyrinth, a sudden flicker caught my eye.
With a low hiss, torches mounted along the perimeter of the clearing burst to life, one after another in rapid succession. Flames danced wildly, casting golden light and deep shadows across the stone floor and hedges around me. The sudden brightness stole my breath, and I gasped, stumbling back a step.
The air seemed to hum with energy, charged and alive, as if the labyrinth itself had awakened. My heartbeat quickened, torn between awe and trepidation. I could feel the heat of the flames warming the chill air, but it did little to chase away the goosebumps prickling along my arms.
This place, whatever it was, was far more than it seemed.
"Hello," said a tiny voice from somewhere below me.
I jumped back, a startled squeal escaping my lips as my heart leapt into my throat.
"Oh, sorry. Truly sorry," the voice said quickly, laced with an apologetic tone.
After a few breaths to steady myself, I cautiously glanced down. My eyes widened as I took in the sight before me—a tiny figure, no taller than my hand, standing near my feet and holding a lantern that glowed with a soft, golden light.
The tiny person looked almost human but not quite. Their skin shimmered faintly, as if dusted with fine, metallic powder that caught the torchlight. Pointed ears peeked out from beneath a crown of silvery-white hair, which cascaded in soft waves down their back. They wore a tunic stitched from what looked like flower petals, the layers overlapping in hues of green and gold. Tiny boots, crafted from what appeared to be bark, covered their feet.
The most striking feature, though, was their eyes—large and luminous, like pools of liquid amber, radiating warmth despite their small size. The little lantern in their hand was intricately detailed, with swirling patterns carved into the metal frame and a flickering flame that didn't seem to cast any heat.
"I didn't mean to frighten you," they said, their voice high-pitched but gentle, like a distant melody carried in the wind. "It's rare to see anyone here. I wasn't sure if you were real."
I stared, mouth slightly agape, struggling to process what I was seeing.
"You're so… so small," I stammered, my voice trembling as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing.
"And you're so tall," they replied with a soft chuckle, their amber eyes gleaming with amusement. Despite their size, their presence felt oddly commanding, as if they were perfectly at ease in this strange moment.
I blinked, still trying to process the situation. "I haven't seen anyone enter here in more than a millennium," they added, their tone shifting to something quieter, almost wistful.
The weight of their words sank into the air around us. A thousand years. My mind raced, trying to comprehend the scale of time they spoke of. The little figure stood patiently, as if they had all the time in the world, their tiny lantern casting gentle flickers of light that danced across the shadowed clearing.
"How… how is that possible?" I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper.
"We Hedgelings live for a very long time compared to humankind," they answered with a small, knowing smile.
"Hedgelings?" I repeated, the word unfamiliar and curious on my tongue.
"Name's Erynn," they said, straightening slightly, as though their tiny stature carried great importance. "And I'm the guardian of the labyrinth."
"I'm Eden," I replied, offering a tentative little wave.
Erynn's amber eyes brightened, and their lips curled into a delighted grin. "Oh, what a great name! It suits you, I think."
I felt a faint warmth rise to my cheeks at the unexpected compliment. Before I could respond, Erynn tilted their head, their expression turning inquisitive. "Sooo," they drawled, drawing the word out playfully, "what brings you here? Not many find their way to the labyrinth these days, as I have said."
"I was just exploring the backyard... and kind of found it," I said, shrugging with a mix of uncertainty and wonder.
Erynn's tiny face became more serious, their amber eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that felt out of place for someone so small. "No one just finds the labyrinth," they replied, their voice soft but carrying an air of quiet authority. "The labyrinth always finds them. It has its own way of choosing, you see. You have to be quite special for it to reveal itself to a human."
Their words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. I couldn't help but feel a strange pull at their statement, as though something far deeper than I understood was at play here.
"Any apple…" Erynn began, their voice trailing off as they seemed to contemplate something for a moment. "As the guardian, I'm also supposed to warn you about that magic archway in the center over there."
They gestured toward a marble archway rising up at the heart of the clearing, its white stone gleaming in the flickering light from the torches. The archway seemed almost otherworldly, its surface etched with strange, flowing symbols that pulsed faintly in the glow.
"Don't go through it," Erynn added, their tone more serious now, the playfulness gone.
"Why?" I asked, my eyes drawn irresistibly to the archway, curiosity bubbling up inside me.
Erynn sighed deeply, their expression full of exasperation and something else—worry, perhaps? "Oh... no. You humans and your curiosity," they muttered, shaking their head. "I'm telling you, that archway is a one-way. Once you walk through, you can't walk back. The magic of it doesn't let you. It's... it's not a place for humans to wander. Trust me, you don't want to know what lies beyond."
Their warning hung in the air, charged with a gravity that made my heart race. The torches flickered, casting shadows that seemed to stretch ominously toward the archway.
"Well…" Erynn said with a small sigh, as though they were both reluctant and resigned to their role. "I did my job." Without another word, they blew out their lantern. The light disappeared instantly, leaving only the flickering glow of the torches around us.
Erynn's tiny figure began to fade, the edges of their form growing blurry as if they were being drawn back into the very fabric of the labyrinth. "Remember, Eden… it's a one-way," they said softly, their voice fading into the growing silence.
And then, just like that, they were gone. The space where Erynn had stood was empty, and I was alone in the clearing, the faint echoes of their warning still hanging in the air, like an unfinished sentence.
The labyrinth seemed quieter now, its silence stretching around me, heavy and thick. The once welcoming maze had turned unsettling, as if it was holding its breath, waiting. I stood there, frozen for a moment, the reality of my solitude creeping in.
But then, without any rational thought to guide me, I found myself moving toward the stone archway. My feet carried me forward as though some invisible force was pulling me in.
I reached out and touched the cool, smooth surface of the arch. The stone felt oddly alive beneath my fingertips, vibrating with a faint pulse that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Hesitating only for a moment, I peered through it, expecting to see some distant magical land, some hidden world that had been waiting just beyond the veil.
But there was nothing. Just the other side of the clearing, exactly as it was before. The same stone path, the same flickering torches, the same trees lining the distance.
I blinked in disbelief, my pulse quickening.
Then, I laughed, nervously, uneasily, thinking to myself that I should probably get some sleep because now, I was definitely hallucinating. It was the only explanation that made sense.
But even as I laughed, the weight of the labyrinth's silence pressed down on me, and the nagging feeling that something was amiss lingered, unshakable.
To prove to myself that this was all just a figment of my imagination, I told myself I had to step through.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest, and in one swift motion, I crossed the threshold. My foot touched the stone on the other side, and for a brief moment, I expected something, anything, to happen.
But nothing did.
I stood there, in the exact same clearing, the same torches flickering at the edges of my vision. Everything was as it had been. The trees, the hedges, the very ground beneath me, it was all exactly the same.
I exhaled sharply, my laughter escaping again, more nervous this time, as I looked back over my shoulder.
"See? Nothing," I muttered under my breath. "I'm just losing it."
But even as I tried to convince myself, a strange, undeniable weight settled in my chest. Something about this felt… wrong.
I glanced around, the clearing now feeling too quiet, too still. The air itself seemed to hum with an unspoken tension, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't as alone as I thought.
"You have to walk-through the other way."
The whisper came from the darkness ahead, soft but unmistakable, as though the very air had spoken.
My breath caught in my throat. The voice was unlike any I had heard before, low, ancient, and somehow laced with urgency. It seemed to echo off the stone, rippling through the stillness of the clearing.
I froze, heart hammering, my mind racing to make sense of what had just happened. There was no one there. No one in sight, yet the voice was undeniably real. I strained my eyes, but all I could see was the deepening shadow between the trees, where the torches' light failed to reach.
"Who's there?" I called out, my voice sounding small and trembling in the vast silence.
No answer. But I could feel the weight of the unseen presence pressing in, like an unseen hand at my back, urging me to turn around.
Before I could react, a sudden, invisible force shoved me backward. My feet were ripped from the ground, and I was thrown off balance, stumbling as I tried to catch myself.
I fell through the archway, the cool stone brushing against my skin as I tumbled, helpless to stop the momentum. But I didn't stop.
The world around me twisted and blurred, the clearing spinning faster and faster. My heart raced, panic clawing at my chest as I realized that I was no longer falling in the same place, but instead… falling through something. The air around me grew heavier, colder, and I couldn't breathe right.
I reached out, grasping for something, anything, but there was nothing. Only darkness.
The ground was nowhere beneath me, and I couldn't tell which direction I was falling anymore. My body spun wildly, and I felt weightless, as though I was being pulled into some deep, endless void.
And I kept falling.